Page 174 - The Book of Rumi

Charity

n Zarvan, a beautiful and quiet village in Yemen, there lived a pious
Iman who was a prosperous farmer. He was blessed with a most pleasant
demeanor and a kind heart. He was also the fairest and most generous man in
the village. Whatever he generated, whether a good crop or a profi table busi-
ness transaction, he always contributed one-fi fth of it to the poor, as Islam
decreed. He never failed to remember, though, who was the ultimate provider
of his wealth.
The farmer’s home, because of his charity and benevolence, had become
a safe house for many who were down on their luck. Penniless Sufi darvishes
lived there from time to time, as well as travelers who had nowhere else to stay
when they passed through Zarvan; additionally, the village’s poorest residents
would come and go regularly when they were in need.
The farmer was famous in the region; people knew that he always sepa-
rated out what he intended to distribute to the poor from what he himself
would take home for his personal needs. Out of every batch of wheat that
he harvested, he put aside one-fi fth of it for charity, and the bread he baked
with it was always distributed among the needy. The farmer was sure that,
come what may, he would maintain this altruistic routine until his dying day.
However, he was not so sure about his children, whether they would follow his
example. In fact, he was fairly certain that they wouldn’t, seeing the way they
looked at him whenever he distributed to the needy what they believed was
their personal share of his wealth.
The farmer knew instinctively that what he gave away was not simply

wealth flowing out the door but in fact a long-term investment. He believed
that if one gave away the zakat, or one-fi fth portion, of any gain, God would
in turn guarantee a bountiful return. He was certain that sowing his seeds,
tending to his fi elds and crops every year, and working hard at his livelihood
were merely abilities that had been gifted to him, and that the true provider
of life was only God.

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