Who has not heard of Mullah Naseeruddin. Mullah was a
supremely wise man who roamed the deserts of Baghdad 800 years ago. But his
methods of imparting wisdom were quite peculiar. He never gave lectures but
used humorous antics to try and teach. He believed that things taught in a humorous
way get embedded in the human being's mind permanently. This statement does
hold true and in the history of mankind, he is the only wise man who has mixed
humour and wisdom successfully. Today I will relate a beautiful anecdote from
his life.
One day the Mullah was passing through the streets of
Baghdad. He usually travelled sitting on a donkey and that too facing its backside.
Needless to say, this style of his alone was sufficient to make people laugh. Anyway,
that day he got down at the market and bought some dates. Then came his turn to
pay the shopkeeper. He looked for the coins in the pockets of his pants, but they
were not there. Then removing his shoes he sat on the ground. He began
searching every nook and corner of his shoes, but the coins were not in the
shoes either. By then a big crowd had gathered. On the one hand, Mullah’s style
of riding the donkey itself was sufficient to gather a crowd and now his antics
were making him the centre of people's attraction. In no time, around 50 people
had gathered around Mullah.
So, the stage was set. Here on the one hand the Mullah
was searching for the coins, and on the other, he was also eating the dates he
had bought. Certainly, the shopkeeper had become a bit tensed about this.
Firstly, this man was searching for the coins in the most unlikely of places
and moreover, he was happily nibbling off the dates. If the coins are not
found, will I have to take the dates he has eaten back from his stomach? Even as
the shopkeeper was thinking thus, Mullah removed his cap and began looking
inside for the coins. The shopkeeper could not contain himself anymore, he said
to Mullah, Why are you searching here and there for the coins, why don’t you
first search the pocket of your Kurta?
On hearing this, the Mullah replied - hey, why didn’t
you suggest this before? Saying this, the Mullah put his hands in his pocket
and handing the coins to the shopkeeper he said, they were always there, I was
just taking a chance.
On listening to this, the whole crowd laughed. An old
man in the crowd even said – this man seems to be insane. Despite knowing that
the coins are in the pocket of his Kurta, he is searching here and there.
Now it was the Mullah’s turn. Now it was time to say the
words for which he had enacted the elaborate drama. So seriously addressing
everyone, he said, I am insane because I did not search for the coins where I
put them. O worldly men, look within yourselves. Despite knowing that God
resides in your heart, you people keep looking for him in the mosques. If I am insane,
you people are supremely insane! Because I was being foolish about something
small, but you are being foolish about the greatest truth in the world.
This is our Mullah. Wasn’t he exceptional? That’s all,
if I get another opportunity, I will bring you more episodes from his life. For
now, understand what you wish to from this episode of Mullah’s life.
-Deep Trivedi
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