I. MAHMUD OF GHAZNI AND THE FISHERMAN

Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni, the king of kings, used himself to watch over the protection of his kingdom. 

Disguised as a Faqir, he used to wander from bazaar to bazaar, to see if any of his subjects were in distress.

In one place were the people making prayers for his welfare, and their eyes were satisfied by his justice.

In another place, he saw a wretched fisherman, brought low by poverty.

5. In his poverty he was uttering sighs and groans. In his poverty even his sense had deserted him.

Even where he skillfully cast his net, even there naught came into it.

Said the King to him, "Make me thy partner, and fling one more cast of the net, keeping firm within thy heart the memory of God."

So he flung one more cast and, behold, within his net he caught a hundred fish, and brought them all before the King.

In exchange for the hundred fish the King gave him wealth of money, rubies and jewels, possessions and pearls in camel-loads.

10. After he had passed the night, the King called for him and said, " Verily thou becamest my partner without hope or expectation of result (and yet thou hast thereby acquired great wealth).

"It is the power of Providence alone that removeth poverty, (and giveth) sunshine and shade, heat and cold, and the new spring.

"Verily I would say to thee, 'Know this, O slave-accept thou (these as coming from the Almighty), for by how much power wouldst thou thyself have been able to remove thy poverty?"

Concerning this hath a certain teacher uttered this prayer, "The hope of this slave, Ahmad, is (on Him from whom proceedeth) all the universe."

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The King rewarded him because instead of bringing him the worst fifty fish, he brought the whole hundred from which the King might choose his share. As a reward the King bought also the fisherman's share of the hundred for a very high price.

Hatim's Tales