Bahlool and the Caliph is Mad Like Others

One day, Bahlool was sitting by a window in the palace of Harun al-Rashid, looking outside. Harun asked him, “What do you see out there?” Bahlool replied, “I see crowds of madmen wandering about, not knowing what they’re doing. The strange thing is that if I were on the other side of the window, looking inside the palace, I would still see the same thing.”

Bahlool’s response humorously implies that those inside the palace, including the ruler himself, are just as confused and aimless as those outside, poking fun at the absurdity of leadership.