Saadi’s Debate with a Critic on Wealth and Poverty
I saw a man clad in the garb of dervishes but lacking their essence. He was sitting in a gathering, unleashing bitter words, and had opened a book of grievances, criticizing the wealthy. He concluded, "The hands of the poor are tied in powerlessness, while the feet of the rich falter in devotion."
"The noble have no coins in hand;
The wealthy possess no generosity."
As someone raised in the grace of the affluent, his words struck me deeply. I said, "Oh friend, the rich sustain the needy, serve as a reserve for the recluses, a destination for travelers, a refuge for the wayfarers, and bear the burdens of others for their comfort. They partake of food only after their dependents have eaten, and the surplus of their generosity reaches widows, the elderly, relatives, and neighbors."
"The rich dedicate their wealth to charity,
Fulfill vows, host guests, and give alms."
"You cannot reach their level, for you are incapable of offering anything more than two shaky units of prayer."
If generosity lies in giving, or devotion in prayer,
It is easier for the wealthy, who have purified wealth, clean clothes, honor, and peace of mind. True strength for worship comes from delicate sustenance, and pure clothing aids in piety. What power can come from an empty stomach? What virtue from an impoverished hand? What sustenance can come from a thirsty soul, or what charity from a hungry hand?
"At night, the one who has nothing sleeps anxiously,
While the one who has prepared can rest peacefully."
"The ant gathers in summer
So it can find ease in winter."
Ease and poverty do not coexist; harmony does not arise in destitution. One tightens their belt against hunger, while another awaits the evening meal. Can they ever be alike?
"The rich, devoted to truth,
The scattered, distracted in heart."
Thus, their worship is more likely to be accepted, for they are composed and present, not scattered and troubled. They have arranged their livelihood and turned to spiritual practices. The Arabs say: “I seek refuge in God from destitution that humiliates, and the company of one I dislike.” And it is narrated: “Poverty blackens the face in both worlds.”
He replied, "Have you not heard the Prophet, peace be upon him, say, 'Poverty is my pride'?"
I said, "Silence! The Master referred to the poverty of those who are steadfast in the field of divine satisfaction and resigned to the arrows of destiny—not those who wear the robes of the righteous and sell their dignity for a morsel."
"Oh loud drum, hollow inside,
How will you prepare for the journey without provisions?"
"Turn your greed from people, if you are a man;
Do not count prayer beads in hypocrisy."
An ignorant dervish will not rest until his poverty leads to disbelief: “Poverty approaches disbelief.” Without wealth, one cannot clothe the naked or aid the distressed. Who among us can reach their rank? How can the elevated hand be compared to the lowered one? Don’t you see that God, the Exalted, mentions the blessings of the people of Paradise, saying, 'For them, there is a known provision,' teaching that those preoccupied with sustenance are deprived of the state of contentment.
"To the thirsty in dreams, the world appears
As a fountain spring."
When I spoke thus, the dervish lost his composure. He unsheathed the sword of his tongue and unleashed a torrent of offensive speech, declaring: "You exaggerated their virtues and spoke such incoherent words that one might think them antidotes or keys to the treasury of sustenance. But in reality, they are arrogant, vain, and disdainful, engrossed in wealth and power. They speak rudely and look with contempt. They accuse scholars of begging and deride the poor as wretched. They sit above others in pride, imagining themselves superior, unwilling even to lift their heads to acknowledge others. As the wise have said, 'The one who has less piety but more wealth appears wealthy outwardly but is inwardly impoverished.'"
"If an ignorant rich man belittles the wise,
Consider his animal nature, even if adorned."
I said, "Do not unjustly condemn these people of generosity."
He retorted, "You err; they are slaves to coins. What use are they if they are like spring clouds that do not rain, or suns that do not shine?"
He said, "From experience, I say this: they keep servants at the door and appoint harsh and severe guards to deny entry to noble individuals. They place their hands upon the chests of discerning men and say, 'No one is here,' and in doing so, they speak the truth:
One who lacks wisdom, ambition, and sound judgment,
Has no presence within this abode, the gatekeeper rightly claimed."
I replied, "This is due to the fact that they are overwhelmed by the demands of expectant petitioners and distressed by the relentless pleas of beggars. It is irrational to think that the sand of the desert might transform into pearls or that the eyes of beggars might ever be satisfied.
The greedy eye is never filled with worldly blessings,
Just as a well is never filled with dewdrops."
Wherever you find someone who has endured hardship and bitterness, they often recklessly plunge into dangerous pursuits, ignoring consequences and showing no fear of divine punishment. They make no distinction between what is lawful and what is forbidden.
If a stone is thrown at a dog, it leaps with joy,
Mistaking it for a bone.
And if two men carry a bier on their shoulders,
A lowly-minded person thinks it’s a feast."
But one who possesses worldly wealth under the divine gaze of providence is preserved from the unlawful and guided toward the lawful. I did not elaborate further nor provide proof of my argument, trusting your sense of fairness. Have you ever seen a prayerful hand shackled, or a destitute person imprisoned, or the veil of an innocent one torn apart, or a hand severed from the wrist, except due to poverty? Brave men have been driven by necessity to burglary and theft, and such acts are likely when their carnal desires dominate. When there is no sustenance to satisfy their needs, they fall into sin, for hunger and lust are intertwined, like siblings born of the same mother. As long as one prevails, the other remains strong.
I heard of a poor man caught in an indecent act with a youth. Though he felt deep shame, he also feared being stoned to death. He cried out, "O Muslims! I lack the means to marry and cannot bear the burden of patience. What should I do? There is no monasticism in Islam!" Among the comforts that bring peace of mind to the wealthy is that they can embrace a beloved each night, renewing their vitality each day. The radiance of the morning pales before their beauty, and the graceful cypress is shamed into stillness by their charm.
They plunge their claws into the blood of the beloved,
Coloring their fingertips crimson as jujube berries.
It is impossible for one blessed with such beauty to stray into vice or aim for ruin.
A heart stolen and plundered by the houris of paradise
Would never turn its attention to worldly idols.
One who has before them fresh dates to enjoy,
Would not resort to throwing stones at grape clusters."
Most of the destitute stain their cloak of chastity with sin, and the starving steal bread.
Like a ravenous dog that finds meat,
It does not ask whether it’s from the camel of Salih or the donkey of Dajjal."
Many virtuous individuals, due to poverty, fall into corruption and squander their honorable reputation in disgrace.
Hunger leaves no strength for self-restraint,
Poverty wrests the reins of piety from one’s grip."
If Hatim Tai, who lived in the desert, had been in a city, he would have been overwhelmed by the crowd of beggars, who would have torn his garments. He said, "It’s not that I pity their condition," to which I replied, "No, it’s because you covet their wealth." And so we continued this debate, both caught up in our arguments. Every pawn he moved, I countered, and every king he played, I shielded with my rook until he exhausted the currency of his resolve and emptied his quiver of arguments.
Beware! Do not lower your shield against the eloquent warrior’s assault,
For his strength lies not in reality but in metaphorical exaggeration.
Pious and knowledgeable, the eloquent rhetorician,
Guards the door, but no one is within the fortress."
In the end, when he had no arguments left, I defeated him and humiliated him. He extended his hand in aggression and began to speak nonsense, as is the custom of fools who, when they are defeated in reasoning, stir up quarrels. Like Azar the idol-maker, who, unable to argue with his son, turned to threats and said, "If you do not desist, I will stone you." He insulted me, so I rebuked him. He tore my collar, and I grabbed him by the chin.
He attacked me, and I him,
People laughed and ran after us.
The entire crowd, in amazement,
Bit their fingers at our exchange of words.
In short, we took the dispute to the judge, agreeing to accept his fair judgment so that he might devise a resolution and distinguish between the wealthy and the poor. The judge, observing our ploys and listening to our arguments, bowed his head in thought. After much contemplation, he raised his head and said:
"O you who praised the rich and wronged the poor, know this: wherever there is a rose, there are also thorns; with wine comes intoxication, and where there is treasure, there is also a snake. Beneath the ruby lies a man-eating shark. The pleasures of this world are followed by the sting of death, and the joys of paradise are preceded by the trials of hardship.
What harm can an enemy do if not to kill a friend?
Wealth and danger, roses and thorns, sorrow and joy, are intertwined."
Do you not see that in the garden, there are fragrant blossoms as well as dry wood? Similarly, among the wealthy, there are both grateful and ungrateful, and among the poor, both patient and impatient.
If every drop of dew became a pearl,
The market would overflow with worthless trinkets.
The chosen ones of God Most High are the rich with the hearts of the poor and the poor with the ambitions of the rich. The greatest of the rich are those who care for the poor, and the best of the poor are those who expect little from the rich. As the Qur'an says: "Whoever places their trust in God, He is sufficient for them."
Then the judge turned his reproachful gaze from me to the poor man and said: "You claimed that the wealthy are distracted, heedless, and immersed in amusements. Yes, there are some who fit this description: narrow-minded, ungrateful, hoarders of wealth who neither enjoy it themselves nor share it with others. Were rain to cease falling or storms to ravage the world, they would not inquire about the plight of the poor, trusting instead in their own fortune, unafraid of God. They say:
If another perishes from scarcity,
I have wealth; why should I fear the flood?
Those riding on luxurious camels in their palanquins
Pay no heed to those drowning in the sands below.
Like those who pull their own cloaks out of the water,
Saying, 'Why should we care if the world drowns?'"
"Such are one group. But there is another: those who lay out tables of bounty and extend hands of generosity, seeking renown and knowledge, possessing both worldly and spiritual prosperity. They are like the servants of the just and victorious King of Kings, the noble protector of Islam, the heir of Solomon’s kingdom, the most just ruler of our time, victorious in this world and the next, Atabak Abu Bakr Sa'd—may God prolong his days and uphold his banners.
A father would not do for his son
What your generosity has done for the house of Adam.
God wished to bestow mercy upon the world,
So He made you the king of creation in His grace."
When the judge concluded his speech, exceeding the bounds of our argument and galloping into the realms of hyperbole, we accepted his judgment with satisfaction and let go of what had passed. After our dispute, we adopted a path of reconciliation, humbly bowing our heads to one another. We kissed each other's faces, and the matter ended with these words:
Do not complain about the turns of fortune, O poor man,
For even in hardship, if you endure, you are a man.
O wealthy man, with your heart and hand so blessed,
Enjoy and give, for in doing so, you gain both worlds."
