Harun’s Question to Bahlool

One day, Harun al-Rashid, who was in a state of drunken merriment, was in his palace overlooking the raging waters of the Tigris River. He was enjoying the view when Bahlool entered. Harun, laughing drunkenly, greeted Bahlool warmly and invited him to sit. Afterward, Harun said, “Today, I will ask you a riddle. If you answer correctly, I will give you a thousand golden dinars, but if you fail to answer, I will have you thrown into the Tigris River from here.”

Bahlool replied, “I do not need the gold, but I will agree to answer your riddle on one condition. If I answer correctly, you must free one hundred of my friends who are in your prisons. If I fail to answer, you may throw me into the river as you said.”

Harun agreed, and then he posed the riddle: “If we have a sheep, a wolf, and a bundle of hay, and we want to carry them one by one across the river, how many ways can we do this so that the sheep does not eat the hay and the wolf does not eat the sheep?”

Bahlool immediately answered, “First, you must take the wolf across the river. Then, go back and bring the sheep. Once the sheep is across, take the wolf back. Then, take the hay across and leave it with the sheep. Finally, go back and bring the wolf across. This way, the sheep cannot eat the hay, and the wolf cannot eat the sheep.”

Harun exclaimed, “Well done! You have answered correctly!”

Bahlool then gave the names of one hundred of his friends, all of whom were Shia supporters of Imam Ali (peace be upon him), and requested their release from the prison. Harun, after reviewing the names and recognizing them, hesitated and refused to release all of them. However, after Bahlool insisted, Harun agreed to free only ten of them from the prison.

This story demonstrates Bahlool’s cleverness and his ability to answer difficult riddles with ease. It also highlights his bravery in standing up for his friends, even in the face of danger from Harun al-Rashid.