DEATH - DON'T FORGET-4

This is narrative of a person who was being blessed by Allah. But when the time of trials and tribulations came, he became ungrateful and left the door of the True giver of blessings, and went to the door of others, the deed which was not worthy. This incident has been quoted by Shaikh Bahai in his book Kashkol.  A worshiper was passing his days in a cave on one of the mountains of Lebanon, like the people of Kahf. He had estranged himself from everyone except Allah, and he considered solitude to be the best treasure of his honour. He fasted during the day, and at night he got a loaf of bread, half of which he ate at the evening during 'Iftaar', while the other half during 'Sehar'. And this moderation had made his heart contented, He passed his days in such a state. He was never ready to leave the mountains and go to the town. It so happened that one night he did not get the bread to eat, and so he became weak and exshauted. He recited the evening prayers with difficulty for his mind was eager for food. Because of hunger he could neither pray nor sleep. When it dawned, the worshipper left the mountain and went to a nearby town whose inhabitants were fire worshippers and searched for food. He knocked at the door of a fire-worshipper and he gave him tow breads. He thanked him and left for the mountain. At the house of the fire-worshipper there was a dog whose bones and veins were visible due to starvation. The dog seemed quite hungry. When the dog saw the worshipper going with the bread, it ran after him and caught hold of his shirt. The worshipper was scared, and in order to save himself from the dog's bite, threw a bread at it. The dog ate the bread and again ran after him. The worshipper was all the more scared and threw the second bread towards it. After eating the bread, the dog again ran after him. It started barking and tore his clothes. When the worshipper saw this, he turned towards the dog and said, " I have never seen a more ungrateful creature than you. Your master gave me two breads only, which you wretched soul snatched away from me. Why do you now run after me tearing my clothes". The dog relied, ".O pious man ! I am not ungrateful nor shameless, it is you who are so. Since my childhood I have been living with this fire-worshipper, and look after his cattle. Sometimes he gives me bread, while sometimes a handful of bones. Sometimes he forgets to feed me and I thing to eat. And many times this man himself does not have anything to eat I do not go to any other door, for I have grown up here and have got refuge. Whenever I am fed, I offer thanks, and when I have to remain hungry, I bear patiently (and do not grumble at my master). This is my habit. While when you did not get food for one night, the foundation of your patience broke. You left the door of the `True Sustainer', and came begging to the door of His enemy. You left your Lord for the sake of a morsel of food. O wise man ! Now you judge as to who is ungrateful and shameless, yourself or me"? When the worshipper heard these words. he deplored himself and repented.