The following interesting legend is taken from Mrs. Meer Hassan Ali's
_Observations on the Mussulmans of India_ (1832), vol. i, pp. 170-175.
It was translated by her husband (an Indian Muslim) from a commentary on
the history of Músa, or Moses, the great Hebrew lawgiver, and in all
probability is of rabbinical origin:
When the prophet Músa--to whose spirit be peace!--was on earth, there
lived near him a poor but remarkably religious man, who had for many
years supported himself and his wife by the daily occupation of cutting
wood for his richer neighbours, four small copper coins being the reward
of his toil, which at best afforded the poor couple but a scanty meal
after his day's exertions. One morning the Prophet Músa, passing the
woodcutter, was thus addressed: "O Músa! Prophet of the Most High!
behold I labour each day for my coarse and scanty meal. May it please
thee, O Prophet! to make petition for me to our gracious God, that he
may, in his mercy, grant me at once the whole supply for my remaining
years, so that I shall enjoy one day of earthly happiness, and then,
with my wife, be transferred to the place of eternal rest." Músa
promised, and made the required petition. His prayer was thus answered
from Mount Tor: "This man's life is long, O Músa! Nevertheless, if he be
willing to surrender life when his supply is exhausted, tell him thy
prayer is heard, the petition accepted, and the whole amount shall be
found beneath his prayer-carpet after his morning prayers."
The woodcutter was satisfied when Músa told him the result of his
petition, and, the first duties of the morning being performed, he
failed not in looking for the promised gift, and to his surprise found a
heap of silver coins in the place indicated. Calling his wife, he told
her what he had acquired of the Lord through his holy prophet Músa, and
they both agreed that it was very good to enjoy a short life of
happiness on earth and depart in peace; although they could not help
again and again recurring to the number of years on earth they had thus
sacrificed. "We will make as many hearts rejoice as this the Lord's gift
will permit," they both agreed; "and thus we shall secure in our future
state the blessed abode promised to those who fulfil the commands of God
in this life, since to-morrow it must close for us."
The day was spent in procuring and preparing provisions for the feast.
The whole sum was expended on the best sorts of food, and the poor were
made acquainted with the rich treat the woodcutter and his wife were
cooking for their benefit. The food being cooked, allotments were made
to each hungry applicant, and the couple reserved to themselves one good
substantial meal, which was to be eaten only after the poor were all
served and satisfied. It happened at the very moment they were seated to
enjoy this their last meal, as they believed, a voice was heard, saying:
"O friend! I have heard of your feast; I am late, yet it may be that you
have still a little to spare, for I am hungry to my very heart. The
blessing of God be on him who relieves my present sufferings from
hunger!" The woodcutter and his wife agreed that it would be much better
for them to go to Paradise with half a meal than to leave one fellow
creature famishing on earth. So they shared their own portion with him
who had none, and he went away from them rejoicing. "Now," said the
happy pair, "we shall eat of our half-share with unmixed delight, and
with thankful hearts. By to-morrow evening we shall be transferred to
Paradise."
They had scarcely raised the savoury food to their mouths when a
bewailing voice arrested their attention, and stayed the hands already
charged with food. A poor creature who had not tasted food for two days
moaned his piteous tale, in accents which drew tears from the woodcutter
and his wife; their eyes met and the sympathy was mutual: they were more
willing to depart for Paradise without the promised benefit of one
earthly enjoyment, than suffer the hungry man to die from want of that
meal they had before them. The dish was promptly tendered to the
unfortunate one, and the woodcutter and his wife consoled each other
with reflecting that, as the time of their departure was now so near at
hand, the temporary enjoyment of a meal was not worth one moment's
consideration: "To-morrow we die; then of what consequence is it to us
whether we depart with full or empty stomachs?"
And now their thoughts were set on the place of eternal rest. They
slept, and arose to their morning orisons with hearts reposing humbly on
their God, in the fullest expectation that this was their last day on
earth. The prayer was concluded, and the woodcutter was in the act of
rolling up his carpet, on which he had prostrated himself with
gratitude, reverence, and love to his Creator, when he perceived a fresh
heap of silver on the floor. He could scarcely believe but it was a
dream. "How wonderful art thou, O God!" cried he. "This is thy bounteous
gift, that I may indeed enjoy one day before I quit this earth." And
Músa, when he came to him, was satisfied with the goodness and the power
of God. But he retired again to the Mount, to inquire of God the cause
of the woodcutter's respite. The reply which Músa received was as
follows: "That man has faithfully applied the wealth given in answer to
his petition. He is worthy to live out his numbered years on earth who,
receiving my bounty, thought not of his own enjoyments whilst his fellow
men had wants which he could supply." And to the end of the
wood-cutter's long life God's bounty lessened not in substance; neither
did the pious man relax in his charitable duties of sharing with the
indigent all that he had, and with the same disregard of his own
enjoyments.