Page 85 - The Book of Rumi

Four Indians in Prayer

he sun was at its zenith, and four devout Indian Moslems entered a
Tmosque to perform the noon prayer. As they stood shoulder to shoulder,
each with a different hope in his heart, they began to pray. Halfway through
their prayer, the sound of the muezzin rose in the air, casting doubt in their
minds whether they had been too hasty in beginning to pray. One of the four
men turned to the muezzin caller and asked him: “Dear public crier, are you
sure you’re not late today calling out the muezzin?”
One of the Indians was quick to address his friend: “My dear fellow,
what have you done? You spoke in the midst of praying, and now your prayer
is annulled!”
The third Indian turned to the second and exclaimed: “Hey, why do you
blame him? You did exactly the same and have now broken your own prayer!”
“Thank God I didn’t blurt out needlessly like these three!” declared the
fourth Indian. “I’m too clever to commit such stupid mistakes! My prayer is
still valid!” he boasted, unaware of his own equally damaging shortfall.
Such was the manner in which the prayers of all four men, who had tried
to outdo each other in their judgments, were annulled that day.

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