When a person falls victim to false temptations, he becomes a prisoner to those who seek to exploit him for their own gain. It is therefore said, “Do not speak when you should be silent. Do not trust appearances without testing them, lest you become prey to the many foxes around these days, as they seek to swallow the whole world in various ways.”
The following story illustrates how someone deals naively with the events he encounters: A fox passed by a rooster and thought to make it its prey. He decided to use a trick to deceive the rooster, and said, “Oh, beautiful rooster, I miss the crowing of your father. Is he still alive?” The rooster replied, “No, a fox from your skulk preyed on him. But my voice is just as sweet if you’d like to hear it.”
The fox replied, “That’s great... then, let me hear you.” The rooster, feeling moved, closed his eyes and began to crow. Immediately, the fox pounced and grabbed him in its mouth, ready to offer him a meal to his wife. Some village dogs noticed the fox snatching the rooster, and the fox quickly ran away.
However, the rooster realized this trick and said to the fox, “You don’t have to run from the dogs and get exhausted. Just tell them this rooster does not belong to their farm.” The fox followed the rooster’s advice. However, as every trick has its flaws, the rooster fell from the fox’s mouth and managed to escape. At that moment, the fox said with regret, “Cursed is the mouth that speaks when it should remain silent,” to which the rooster replied, “Cursed is the eye that closes when it should stay open.”
When the mind is absent
The following story serves as a lesson for those whose minds are absent, and who blindly follow the misleading allure of titles and ranks. The story begins with a man encountering a nomadic traveler near a well. He noticed that the camel’s load was unusually heavy, so he asked the Arab about the contents. The nomad explained that one bag contained food, and the other bag was filled with dust to balance the load. The man then suggested, “Why not dispense with the bag of dust and split the food into two balanced bags? This way, you would lighten the load on your camel.”
The nomad liked the idea and responded, “You are right.” He followed the advice and rearranged the load accordingly. Curious, the nomad then asked, “Are you a tribal sheikh or a scholar?” The man replied, “Neither. I am just an ordinary man.” Upon hearing this, the nomad was offended and cursed the man, saying, “May God curse you... You are neither a tribal sheikh nor a scholar, yet you dare to advise me? How dare you!” He then returned the camel’s load to its previous state. This reflects the way most people are. They do not consider an idea unless it comes from someone they perceive as important. Their focus is more on the person than on the idea itself. It is a huge sin to blindly worship human beings and follow their teachings and ideas without question. This kind of attitude has led to the downfall of many nations. A free person defends the idea, no matter who speaks it, but a slave-like person defends the individual, regardless of the merit of their ideas.
