...and all we do is complain about food!

[ummtaalib]

Biryani Every Day in this Way

The poor have a better appetite than the rich. They digest all their food. Their health is good and they are in joyous moods. They are seldom troubled by headaches and colds. The rich on the other hand have to routinely resort to medication.

 

A rich and a poor man were friends. The poor man was plump and healthy whilst the wealthy man was thin and sickly. One day the wealthy man said to his poor friend: “You are poor, yet in appearance you seem better. You are plump and healthy. What do you eat?”

 

The poor friend replied: “Every day I eat biryani and every month I make a new nikaah.” The wealthy man laughed in disbelief. “You are laughing?” said the poor man. “There’s nothing to laugh at. Tomorrow you are invited to meals at my place.” The wealthy man accepted, but was bewildered.

 

The following day the wealthy man arrived at the home of his poor friend for the meal. The poor friend started to speak with his wealthy friend and the conversation carried on for a few hours.

 

Then the wealthy man started to ask about the food. “It’s not yet ready”, the poor friend answered. “Wait awhile,” he said, and resumed the conversation. The wealthy man started to become hungry and restless. He demanded that the food be brought.

 

When the host—the poor man—saw his guest had become terribly hungry, he said: “The biryani is not yet ready, but there is some left over roti and bhaji [greens]. Should I bring that?”

 

“Bring whatever there is,” said the hungry visitor. “Bring it now!”

 

The host brought the stale roti and bhaji and put it before his guest. The rich man whose hunger had created in him a beastly appetite fell upon the food like a madman. Every morsel brought out a cry of “Subhaanallah” from the inner recesses of his heart.

 

When he had gobbled up all the food, the host brought the biryani. “Here is the main course.” But the guest had eaten with relish to his fill and therefore declined to have any of the biryani. “Eat,” said the host, “this is a deliciously rich meal.” The visitor replied: “What I ate was all that I could ask for. It was absolutely delightful.”

The poor friend then remarked: “The biryani I have daily is what you ate; dry roti and bhaji. After a hard day’s work and becoming hungry this simple food is more delicious to us then your biryani,  because you snack all day long and are really not hungry at meal time. This is what I meant.” The rich man now understood how the poor man ate “biryani” everyday and enjoyed his meals more than he [the rich man] did.

 

 

 

Simplicity

I am narrating a wonderful story of simplicity. Close to our town there is another town. A Hakeem Saheb stayed there. He is the offspring of our seniors. Once, Hazrat Moulana Gangohi (Rahmatullahi alaih) visited him.

 

Quietly he approached Moulana [Gangohi] and without formalities he said: “You have many devotees here. If you say, then I will arrange for a da’wat [invitation to a meal] as I do not have food at my home today.”

Look at that! Moulana’s visit was not at all a burden on him constraining him to borrow money and prepare meals. Since he had no food at home he frankly confessed to the visitor.

 

And what a wonderful guest was Moulana (Rahmatullahi alaih) who replied: “Bhai! I am your guest. Since you have no food then I, too, will go without eating. Don’t ask anyone to give a da’wat.”

 

The day passed and everyone was unmindful of eating. Close to Maghrib, a patient came and paid Hakeem Saheb eleven rupees and departed.

 

Hakeem Saheb came to Moulana and said: “Hazratji! Allah Ta’ala has sent eleven rupees for your meals.” Moulana responded: “Bhai! Don’t spend and prepare extravagantly,” but Hakeem Saheb exclaimed: “Hazrat! That’s not possible. When I didn’t have anything I kept you hungry. Now, since Allah Ta’ala sent this money by virtue of your auspicious presence, I am going to arrange for a sumptuous meal.

 

Accordingly, pilau, etc. were prepared and everyone enjoyed a hearty meal.

 

 

 

Shaikhji’s Visit

A person told an amazing story. He said that he visited a friend of his in Ilahabad. One day, he found the children of the host all merry and dressed up. They were saying joyfully: “Today Shaikhji is coming”. He says: “I thought to myself, ‘Perhaps some important guest was arriving.’ I waited in anticipation of meeting the guest. When considerable time had elapsed with no sign of any Buzrug arriving, and eating time also passing, I asked around about this Shaikhji. Someone said: “Today there’s no food here. These people have named ‘no food’ as ‘Shaikhji’. When there is no food at their home, they amuse their children with ‘Shaikhji’s visit’ and the children understand that no meals will be prepared for the day. The children spend the day in fun and play unperturbed about not eating.”

 

Allahu Akbar! What patience and self-restraint! Leave alone the parents, the children were not even troubled.

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