An Islamic Treasury of Virtues
3. Worship
~ 104 ~
Umar arrived in Palestine along with a group of
emigrants and helpers. The long garment, which
he had been wearing for so many days, had torn
at the back, and he gave it to the Bishop to be
washed and mended. The Bishop did as he was
told and when he brought the garment back
mended, he brought along another one made out
of fine cloth. Umar looked at it and asked him
what this was that he had brought. “Your
garment,” replied the Bishop. “I have washed
and patched it. The other one is a gift from me.”
Umar examined it, running his hand over it.
Then he put on his own garment and gave the
other one back to the Bishop. He explained that
the old one absorbed sweat better.
(AL-TABARI)
LIVING IN FEAR OF DOOMSDAY
Abu Bakr, seeing a bird sitting on a tree, exclaimed,
“Oh bird, how fortunate you are. If only I could be
like you-sitting on trees eating their fruit, then
flying away. No reckoning or doom awaits you. By
God, I would like to be a tree by the wayside, and
have a passing camel take in its mouth, chew me,
