' An Act of Charity '...

In prebiblical times, a young man once got married. The Prophet of
that people, who performed the wedding, told his companions that this
young man was to die that very night. Next morning, the bridegroom
came to worship, to the astonishment of those present. The Prophet
asked the young man whether he had put away his mattress and
bedding. "No," the man replied.

The Prophet then took his companions to the young man's house. He
turned over the bedding, and there was a poisonous snake lying under
the mattress. The Prophet addressed the snake, "What are you doing
here? Why did you come here?" Everyone heard the snake answer, "I was
sent to bite this young man, but I was bound with an iron chain. Try
as I might, I could not escape from the chain."

The Prophet turned to the young bridegroom and asked, "What good
have you done recently?" The man replied, "I gave a cup of milk to a
beggar who came to my door last night." The Prophet said, "You see,
that act of charity saved you!"



-Sheikh Muzaffer
as collected by James Fadiman & Robert Frager