Someone, during the time of Prophet David (Dawud), would constantly pray alongside every wise and foolish man: “O Lord, grant me a livelihood, a fortune, without toil or hardship. You created me lazy, contemptible, heavy, and listless. A weak donkey with an injured back cannot carry a load placed upon horses and mules.”
“O Lord, since you created me lazy, grant me my sustenance without me working, according to my laziness. O Lord, I am lazy, collapsed in the shadow of existence; I sleep within this generosity and bounty. Surely, You have granted a different kind of livelihood to those who sleep with the shadows of the lazy.”
“The one with feet seeks sustenance; the one without them burns and suffers. Bring that sorrowful one’s sustenance to his feet! Drive the cloud of Your generosity towards the earth! Since the earth has no feet, it drives the cloud of Your generosity toward it twice over. Because the child has no feet, his mother comes and showers blessings and favors upon his head.”
“O Lord, I desire from You a sustenance that is effortless, without hardship, and unexpected. Indeed, besides asking, where have I labored?” He would repeat this prayer many times throughout the days and nights until dawn. People would laugh at his words, at his striving and effort.
They said, “What nonsense does this scatterbrain speak? Has someone fed him hashish and stolen his mind? Sustenance is earned through labor, toil, and hardship! Everyone takes up a craft, a job, and earns their livelihood that way. Cling to the causes of your sustenance; it has been said, ‘Enter homes through their doors.’”
Now, in this time, Prophet David (Dawud) is the king, sultan, and possessor of talents. Yet, despite all his grandeur, his beauty, and being chosen by the favor of a friend, he still works. The miracles have no limit, no measure; waves of divine favor keep coming upon him one after another.
No one with such a beautiful voice has come since Prophet Adam (Adem). Two hundred people die in every sermon he gives. His beautiful voice softens hearts. Lions and deer attend the sermons. Neither is aware of it, nor does it matter to them. Even the mountains and birds give voice to his call; both are intimate with it.
He has hundreds upon hundreds of such miracles. The light of his face does not fit within any direction; it encompasses all directions. Despite all this grandeur, Allah still does not grant him sustenance without work. Sustenance is dependent on his labor. Despite all his splendor, he does not forge armor or endure hardship until his livelihood arrives.
Whereas you remain in a wretched and ruined state, confined to the corner of your home, struck by fate. Yet this man, despite all his foolishness and trickery, desires to fill his skirts with snow through commerce. Such a foolish person has emerged, claiming he will ascend to the sky without stairs.”
Someone mocked him, saying, “Go on, your sustenance has arrived; the herald is here!” Another laughed and said, “Give us a gift from what comes to you.” But he paid no heed to this mockery or ridicule, nor did he lessen his prayer or supplication. Thus, he became known in the city as someone searching for cheese in an empty barn. He became proverbial with his poverty and insatiable greed, but still did not separate himself from this desire or plea.
Finally, one morning at dawn, while again weeping and groaning and reciting these prayers, suddenly an ox ran towards his home. It struck the door with its horns and broke the lock. It brazenly entered his home. The man immediately jumped up and tied the ox by its horns. He quickly slaughtered it without pause or mercy. He took its skin and body and rushed to the town.
That poor man would cry out day and night, asking Allah for a livelihood that is effortless, without hardship, earned without work. We have previously told some of his stories, but other things intervened. And this story simply passed away. What has become of his condition now?
What happened to the poor man when the cloud of Allah’s grace and generosity rained down with wisdom? The owner of the ox saw him and said, “O you who slaughters oxen in the dark, you owe me! Why did you slaughter my ox, you foolish trickster? Where is your compassion?” The man said, “I am asking Allah for sustenance, adorning my qibla with my supplications. The prayers I have been reciting for ages have been accepted. That was my livelihood; I seized it and slaughtered it. Here’s your answer.” But the ox owner grabbed him, could not be patient, and slapped him in the face.
He dragged him to Prophet David (Dawud). “Come now, you wicked fool! Stop spouting nonsense, come to your senses! What kind of prayer is this? Don’t make me laugh, nor ridicule yourself. Why do you pray?” The man said, “I prayed to Allah, swallowing countless tears in supplication.
I know well that my prayer was accepted. You, O evil-tongued one, strike your head against the stones.” But the man said, “Muslims, for the sake of Allah, tell me how can a prayer turn into my property? If prayers brought wealth, everyone would pray and become wealthy! The blind beggars would also be elevated, becoming rulers. They also pray night and day, saying, ‘O Lord, give us money, give us wealth.’ If You don’t give, no one will give.” He continued, “O Allah, who opens closed doors, open the door of generosity to us!” But the blind rely only on prayer and supplication; a slice of bread is all that comes into their hands.” The people said, “This Muslim speaks truthfully. This man sells prayers, he is a wicked person. Is it possible for a prayer to be a cause of possessing something? Either you acquire something with your money, or someone gives you something, or bequeaths it to you, or gives it to you from their heart. Unless that happens, you cannot possess anything.”
“What new sharia is this? Either give back the ox, or go to prison,” they said. The man, raising his face to the sky, said: “O Lord, no one knows my condition but You; You inspired this prayer in my heart, and You manifested hundreds of hopes within me. I did not pray merely for show. I saw dreams like Yusuf (Joseph).”
Yusuf saw the sun and stars prostrating before him as if they were servants. He firmly believed in that dream, hoping for nothing else from the well or the prison. He relied on it, endured it, and awaited it. What did he have to do with servitude, or even censure?
His dream was burning before his eyes like a candle, illuminating him; he trusted his dream. When Yusuf was thrown into the well, this voice came to his ear from Allah: “O valiant one, you will be a king one day. At that time, you will show the faces of those who wronged you.”
The voice was not visible, but the heart recognized the traces of the speaker. Strength, comfort, and peace came from that voice. Just as fire became a garden for Ibrahim (Abraham), so too has the well become a garden for Yusuf. Otherwise, what kind of suffering did he endure, how did he persevere?
Likewise, the taste of the “Elest” call will last in every believer’s heart until Judgment Day. This is why believers do not object to trials nor are they weary of Allah’s commands and prohibitions. What appears bitter to the mouth of others becomes like honey for them; they eat it sweetly, digest it.
Whoever denies and rejects Allah’s command, even if he eats a piece of that bread, will vomit it out. Whoever sees a dream in the “Elest” realm becomes intoxicated in the path of worship. Like a camel carrying a heavy load of worship, he pulls it on without tiring or becoming bored. The foam around his mouth is witness to his intoxication and fervor.
When a female camel strengthens and becomes like a male lion, she draws hundreds of hardships and hunger. Even mountains become but a hair for her! In the realm of “Elest,” one must see such a dream to be a true servant or disciple; otherwise, there will be hundreds of doubts in his heart.
He will thank for a moment and complain for a year. If he takes a step forward on the path of religion with hundreds of doubts and disbelief, his other step will go backward. I will tell you about this later, let it be my debt. If you are hurrying to learn, read Surah “Al-Mashsharah”! If I were to attempt to explain this meaning in detail, it would be beyond my capacity or worthiness.
Go on, drive the ox towards the one who is suing you! The man said: “O Lord, this enemy has called me blind. What a devilish comparison is this? When did I pray blindly? To whom have I spoken of my needs besides You? All power is easy for You.
The real blindness is that he calls me blind; he does not see how earnestly I supplicate! This blindness is the blindness of love. They say that love makes a person blind and deaf. It is this blindness. I do not see anyone but Him, yet I do not see Him. Is it not the requirement of my love?”
“O Lord, You see me; do not consider me blind, for I am circling around Your generosity! O Allah, whom I circle and from whom I do not separate! You showed Yusuf (Joseph) a dream and he trusted in it. Just as you have shown me that generosity, grant it to him too. My endless prayers were not mere play!”
But the people do not know my secrets and consider my words nonsense. They are right. Who knows the secrets of the unseen except Allah, who completely covers up flaws?” The enemy said, “Uncle, why are you turning your face to the sky? Turn it towards me and speak truthfully! Have you gone mad and fallen into such errors, claiming closeness to Allah through love?”
“You say my heart is dead. With what face do you turn your face to the heavens?” Because of this situation, a commotion fell upon the city. That Muslim said, “O Lord, do not disgrace this servant of mine. Even if I have done evil, do not reveal my secret to the people. I know that I have been reciting countless supplications to You in long nights. They are worthless and insignificant to them; they do not know it, but it is clear to You like a bright candle.” He prostrated himself, weeping.
Prophet David (Dawud) came out of his house and said, “What is this? What’s going on?” The plaintiff said: “O Prophet of Allah, help me. This man has entered my ox into my home and slaughtered it. Why did he slaughter my ox? Ask him and let him tell you.” David (Dawud) said, “O generous one, why did you slaughter that ox which is forbidden to you?”
“Do not utter nonsense; bring forth evidence for this case so that I may judge it and put an end to it. How did you obtain this new sharia? Did you buy it, inherit it, or bequeath it to you? How can you possess a crop that you have not planted? If you did not plant it, you have no right to it. Otherwise, injustice is clearly understood. Go on, do not speak crookedly; give back the Muslim’s property. If you don’t have money, borrow and pay. Do not speak nonsense.”
The man said, “My Lord, the spokesmen are telling me the same thing that you are saying.” He prostrated himself and said,