Enjoy the skills

The skills we possess can bring us physical pleasure. I do not mean the pleasure of the afterlife, but the pleasure we feel in this world. So enjoy these skills and practice them with everyone, regardless of their age, wealth, or social status. Use these skills to protect yourself from harm, to earn their love, or to help them become better people.

‘Ali bin al-Jahm was a very eloquent poet, but he was a Bedouin. The only life he knew was the desert life. The Caliph, al-Mutawakkil, was very powerful. People would go to visit him and return with whatever they wished. One day, ‘Ali bin al-Jahm entered Baghdad and it was said to him, “Whoever praises the Caliph is bestowed with honour and gifts.”

‘Ali became excited and went to the Caliph’s palace. There he saw the poets reciting their poems in praise of the Caliph and returning with gifts. Al-Mutawakkil was known for his authority, awe and power. ‘Ali began to praise the Caliph with a poem in which he likened him to a dog, a goat and a bucket, whilst other poets compared him to the sun, the moon and the mountains!

The Caliph became angry, and his guards unsheathed their swords and prepared to strike off his neck. But then, the Caliph realised that ‘Ali bin al-Jahm was from the desert and that his personality and poetic taste was shaped accordingly. He decided to change his personality, so he ordered his men to house him in a section of the palace, be treated with kindness and be given all the available pleasures.

Al-Jahm tasted some of these bounties and sat on couches side by side with eloquent poets and authors for seven months. One day, as the Caliph was sitting at his nightly gathering, he remembered ‘Ali bin al-Jahm, so he sent it to him. When al-Jahm finally came to him, he said, “Sing some verses to me, O ‘Ali bin al-Jahm!” Al-Jahm began to move emotions using soft and kind words and likened the king to the sun, the stars and the sword.

Notice how the Caliph was able to change Ibn al-Jahm’s personality. How often have we been upset by the bad behaviour of our children and friends? Did we ever try to change their nature successfully? Even more, you should be able to change your own personality by replacing a frowning face with a smiling one, replacing anger with forbearance, and miserliness with generosity. None of this is difficult, but it does require determination and persistence, so be brave!

This story is taken from a Book called “Enjoy your Life” By Dr. Muhammad ‘Abd Al-Rahman Al-‘Arifi