"'" And it is related that Abou
Dherr[FN#72] used to say, "Poverty is dearer to me than riches
and sickness than health." Quoth one of the listeners, "May God
have mercy on Abou Dherr! For my part, I say, 'He who puts his
trust in the goodness of the election of God the Most High should
be content with that condition of which the Almighty hath made
choice for him.'" Quoth one of the Companions (of the Prophet),
"Ibn Ali Aqfa[FN#73] prayed with us the morning-prayer one day.
When he had done, he read the seventy-fourth chapter (of the
Koran), beginning, 'O thou that coverest thyself!' till he came
to where God says, 'When the trumpet is blown,' and fell down
dead." It is said that Thabit el Benani wept till he well nigh
lost his eyes. They brought him a man to tend him, who said to
him, "I will cure thee, provided thou do my bidding." "In what
respect?" asked Thabit. "In that thou leave weeping," replied the
physician. "What is the use of my eyes," rejoined Thabit, "if
they do not weep?" Said a man to Mohammed ibn Abdallah, "Exhort
me." "I exhort thee," replied he, "to be an abstinent possessor
in this world and a greedy slave in the next." "How so?" asked
the other; and Mohammed said, "The abstinent man in this world
possesses both this world and the world to come." Quoth Ghauth
ben Abdallah, "There were two brothers among the people of
Israel, one of whom said to the other, 'What is the worst thing
thou hast done?' 'One day,' answered the other, 'I came upon a
nest of young birds; so I took out one and threw it back into the
nest; but the others drew apart from it.
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