Two dervishes from Khorasan were traveling together. One was weak and would break his fast every two nights, while the other was strong and ate three times a day.
By chance, they were accused of espionage at the gate of a city. Both were imprisoned in a house, and the door was sealed with mud.
After two weeks, it was discovered that they were innocent. The door was opened, and they found the strong one dead and the weak one alive.
People were astonished by this.
A wise man said: “This is not surprising. The one who ate a lot could not endure the hardship and perished. The other, who was accustomed to self-restraint, naturally endured and survived.”
When eating less becomes a habit,
Hardship becomes easy to bear.
But if one is pampered in ease,
He will die when faced with adversity.
