The Reward of Giving

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قِصَّةُ الجَصّاصِ مَعَ ابْنِ الفُرَاتِ

The Story of Al-Jassas with Ibn Al-Furat

كَانَ الجَصّاصُ تَاجِرًا أَحْمَقَ فَدَخَلَ عَلَى ابْنِ الفُرَاتِ الوَزِيرِ

Al-Jassas was a foolish merchant who entered upon the minister Ibn Al-Furat.

فَقَالَ لَهُ الوَزِيرُ كَيْفَ حَالُكَ

The minister said to him: How are you?

قَالَ بِخَيْرٍ وَالحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَقَدِ اشْتَرَيْتُ دَارًا بِعَشْرَةِ آلَافِ دِرْهَمٍ

He said: I am well, praise be to Allah, and I have bought a house for ten thousand dirhams.

قَالَ الوَزِيرُ بَارَكَ اللَّهُ لَكَ وَأَيْنَ هَذِهِ الدَّارُ

The minister said: May Allah bless it for you, and where is this house?

قَالَ فِي الجَنَّةِ

He said: In Paradise.

فَتَعَجَّبَ الوَزِيرُ وَقَالَ وَكَيْفَ اشْتَرَيْتَ دَارًا فِي الجَنَّةِ

The minister was amazed and said: How did you buy a house in Paradise?

قَالَ لِأَنِّي تَصَدَّقْتُ بِعَشْرَةِ آلَافِ دِرْهَمٍ فَثَمَنُهَا دَارٌ فِي الجَنَّةِ

He said: Because I gave charity of ten thousand dirhams; the price of it is a house in Paradise.

فَضَحِكَ الوَزِيرُ وَأَعْطَاهُ عَشَرَةَ آلَافِ دِرْهَمٍ أُخْرَى

The minister laughed and gave him another ten thousand dirhams.

فَخَرَجَ الجَصّاصُ مَسْرُورًا فَلَقِيَ رَجُلًا فَقَالَ لَهُ مِنْ أَيْنَ جِئْتَ بِهَذِهِ الدَّرَاهِمِ

Al-Jassas went out happily and met a man who asked him: Where did you get this money from?

قَالَ مِنْ عِنْدِ الوَزِيرِ ابْنِ الفُرَاتِ

He said: From the minister Ibn Al-Furat.

قَالَ وَكَيْفَ أَعْطَاكَ

The man asked: And how did he give it to you?

قَالَ أَخْبَرْتُهُ أَنِّي اشْتَرَيْتُ دَارًا فِي الجَنَّةِ بِعَشْرَةِ آلَافِ دِرْهَمٍ فَأَعْطَانِي عَشَرَةَ آلَافٍ أُخْرَى

He said: I told him that I bought a house in Paradise for ten thousand dirhams, so he gave me another ten thousand.

فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ أَنَا أَذْهَبُ إِلَيْهِ وَأُخْبِرُهُ أَنِّي اشْتَرَيْتُ قَصْرًا فِي الجَنَّةِ بِعِشْرِينَ أَلْفًا فَلَعَلَّهُ يُعْطِينِي مِثْلَهَا

So the man said: I will go to him and tell him that I have bought a palace in Paradise for twenty thousand, perhaps he will give me the same.

فَذَهَبَ إِلَى الوَزِيرِ وَقَالَ لَهُ إِنِّي اشْتَرَيْتُ قَصْرًا فِي الجَنَّةِ بِعِشْرِينَ أَلْفِ دِرْهَمٍ

So he went to the minister and said to him: I have bought a palace in Paradise for twenty thousand dirhams.

فَقَالَ الوَزِيرُ أَحْسَنْتَ اِذْهَبْ فَقَدْ سَبَقَكَ الجَصّاصُ إِلَى الجَنَّةِ فَالْقَصْرُ الَّذِي اشْتَرَيْتَهُ هُوَ لِصَاحِبِ الدَّارِ فَاذْهَبْ وَاقْبِضْهُ مِنْهُ

The minister said: Well done, go, for Al-Jassas has preceded you to Paradise, and the palace you bought belongs to the owner of the house, so go and collect it from him.