The Emperor And The Dervish

B

alkh was the old capital of Khurasan. It is a province of persia. Emperor Ibrahim Adham was its ruler. It was the new year’s day. So, according to custom, every preparation for the festival of Naoroze was made. The capital was beautifully decorated. Musical band was playing at every gate. Flags were flying on every house to. People were making merry in every street.

The Emperor sat in his court taking with his courtiers. At that time a dervish appeared at the door. “Who is the owner of this inn? May I rest here?” asked the dervish. The courtiers took him for a mad man.So they wanted to drive him away. But the Emperor stopped them.

      The Emperor then quietly asked the dervish, “Can’t you see this is king’s palace? Why do you take it to be an inn?”

“No, I have made no mistake, this is an inn”, was the reply. This made the courtiers so angry that they wanted to send the dervish to prison. Once again the Emperor stopped them and said that they should do no harm to him on such a day of festivity. All much have freedom on that day.

The dervish now said, “May I ask you a few questions?”

The Emperor said, “You may ask any questions you like.”

Dervish     : Who lived in this house before you, Royal Highness?

Emperor    : My father.

Dervish     : And who lived before him?

Emperor    : My grand father.

Dervish     : And before your grandfather?

Emperor    : My great grand-father and before him my father’s great grand-father and so

                    On. But this palace was never an inn.

Dervish     : But where are they now?

Emperor    : Why, they are all dead and gone.

Dervish     : And what about you?

Emperor    : I, too, shall go away when the time will come.

Dervish: So, you see that one after another of our fore fathers came to this house. Each of them stayed here for while and then left it. Still you say that this house isn’t an inn. It is very strange, no doubt.

The words of the dervish were full of wisdom. The Emperor thought over them deeply. He realized his error. He raised his head to speak to dervish but he was no where to be fond. This surprised the Emperor all the more.

A great change came over the Emperor. He immediately ordered all festivities to stop. The lights were put out. The flowers and garlands were thrown away. The band also stopped playing. Thus ended the festival of Naoroze that year.

That night the Emperor prayed to Allah to forgive him his sins. He also asked Him to show him the right path. While he was praying thus, He heard a sound on the roof of the palace. On enquiry he was told that a man has lost his camel. He was looking for it on the roof of the palace. The Emperor became very angry. He called the man and said, “How foolish you must be look for your lost camel on the roof of the palace.” The man answered, “Foolish Emperor, you expect to find Allah in the midst of the pleasures of the palace. Then why should I not find my lost camel on the roof of the palace?”

This opened the eyes of the Emperor. He now clearly understood that Allah had answered his prayer. He had prayed to Allah to show him the right path. He had shown it to him. So he made up his mind. He dressed himself in the clothes of a dervish and came out of the palace.

      “Friends, in the midst of the pleasures of the palace. I forgot that, I was a traveler. I came and stopped here for a while. But I shall have to return to Allah. I shall have to serve him and do good deeds.” So saying the Emperor left them. He never returned to the life of ease and pleasure.