I heard of a dervish who had secluded himself in a cave, shutting the door to the world. In his eyes, the splendor and majesty of kings and the wealthy held no significance.
Whoever opens the door of begging upon himself,
Will remain needy until the day he dies.
Let go of greed and be a king,
For a neck free from desire stands tall.
One of the kings in that region indicated that it would be a gesture of kindness if the dervish accepted their hospitality and shared a meal with them. The dervish, in accordance with the custom that accepting an invitation is a Sunnah (tradition), agreed. The next day, the king, in turn, went to visit the dervish as an apology for having disturbed his peace. The dervish quickly stood up, embraced him, treated him kindly, and praised him.
When the king left, one of the dervish’s companions asked, “Why did you show so much courtesy to the king today? This is unlike your usual behavior, and we have never seen you do this before.”
The dervish replied: "Haven't you heard the saying?
Whoever partakes in another’s meal,
Is obliged to rise and serve them in return.
The ear can tolerate, for its entire life,
Never hearing the sound of drums and lutes.
The eye can refrain from the view of gardens,
And the mind can endure without roses and jasmine.
Even if there is no feather-stuffed pillow,
One can still sleep with a piece of pottery under their head.
Even if there is no beloved to share the bed,
One can embrace oneself in sleep.
But this twisted, artless belly,
Cannot bear to go without food."
