A dervish found himself in need and stole a rug from a friend’s house.
The judge ordered that his hand be cut off.
The owner of the rug interceded, saying, “I have forgiven him.”
The judge replied, “I will not set aside the law for your intercession.”
The owner said, “What you say is true, but whoever steals from a charitable endowment does not deserve to have his hand cut off, and the poor own nothing. Whatever the dervishes have is for the needy.”
The judge refrained from punishing him and began to reproach him, saying, “Was the world so narrow for you that you had to steal from such a friend’s house?”
The dervish replied, “O Lord! Have you not heard the saying: Sweep the house of friends and do not knock on the door of enemies.”
When you are in hardship, do not surrender to despair
Strip the skin off your enemies, and give a coat to your friends.
