VALUE OF POVERTY
Ibrahim bin Adam was the king of Balkh. He renounced his throne and wealth to become a fakir, a wandering mendicant in quest of God.
One day, in the course of his wandering, he came across a beggar by the wayside. Lean as a scarecrow, clad in tatters, the man complained bitterly against God, cursing Him for the poverty that had been his lot in life.
“How can you curse God for such a valuable gift” Ibrahim asked the poor man.
The beggar stared at him in astonishment. “Are you mad?” he cried out. “Does poverty have any value?”
The wandering mendicant, who was once upon a time a great king, replied calmly, “Yes, indeed! I bartered away my entire kingdom to acquire poverty. Therefore, I know its true value!”
Suffering poverty and privation are processes by which we are purified, and move closer to God. But few of us can accept these as such!
