The Tale of Bahlool: The Path to Wealth

Those who truly knew Bahlul and understood his wisdom and faith would often approach him for advice. Bahlul, in his unique and insightful way, would offer guidance, sometimes by sharing stories to make his lessons clearer.

One day, a man who was both a friend and admirer of Bahlul asked him, “How does God provide sustenance to people? Why are some wealthy while others are poor?”

Bahlul replied, “My dear brother, know that worldly wealth is measured and allotted by God. Whatever He wills to give someone, His will is carried out.”

The man asked for more clarification, and Bahlul said, “If you’d like, I’ll tell you a story about this.” The man agreed, and Bahlul began:

The Merchant and the Tea Crates

“Years ago, in this very city of Baghdad, there was a famine. Food and other essentials became scarce, and people with little wealth struggled to feed their families.

At that time, there was a kind-hearted merchant who had given much of his wealth to help the poor. He decided to write a letter to an acquaintance in India, a fellow trader in tea. In the letter, he wrote:

‘Dear friend, as soon as possible, please send me 100 crates of tea to this address so that I may sell them and earn some profit.’

The merchant placed the letter aside to let the ink dry. Now, because this merchant was so generous, God willed to reward him. A fly landed on the letter, right on the number 100. When the fly flew away, it left a tiny droplet that altered the number, turning it into 1000.

The merchant, unaware of this change, folded the letter and sent it to India. When his acquaintance received the letter, he saw the number as 1000 and promptly sent 1000 crates of tea.

In those days, travel and trade were slow. It took months for goods to arrive. By the time the crates of tea reached Baghdad, the price of tea had skyrocketed due to the ongoing famine.

When the merchant received the shipment, he was puzzled. ‘I only asked for 100 crates,’ he thought, ‘Why did they send 1000?’ But he decided to sell the tea anyway. He wrote back to India, inquiring about the mistake. Months later, he received a response:

‘We sent you exactly the amount you requested.’

The merchant realized that the number had been miraculously changed. With the profits from selling the tea, he was able to help many more people during the famine.”

The Sugar Hoarder

Bahlul continued, “Now, let me tell you about another merchant in Baghdad, a trader in sugar. Unlike the tea merchant, this man was greedy and selfish. Even though he knew people were suffering during the famine, he did nothing to help. Instead, he used all his wealth to buy up sugar and hid it in his dry water reservoir, intending to sell it later at exorbitant prices.

However, one night, the blocked channel to his water reservoir was accidentally opened. The water, which was meant to be diverted to other homes, flowed into the merchant’s reservoir. The sugar he had hoarded dissolved completely.

When he woke the next morning, he discovered his entire stock had turned into a useless, sticky mess.

God’s will had been done: the greedy merchant’s wealth was taken away, while the kind-hearted tea merchant was blessed abundantly.”

Bahlul concluded, “Now you see, my friend, how God’s will prevails. Those who act in ways that please Him, helping others and staying on the righteous path, are rewarded. But those who act out of greed and selfishness ultimately face loss.”

The man, satisfied with this lesson, thanked Bahlul and went on his way, wiser and more reflective than before.