A merchant darvish would travel for several days in a row, trading his goods in towns and villages that he passed through. One night after a long journey, he arrived at a remote town on the edge of the desert. As was customary for darvishes, he sought the nearest Sufi house to spend the night. When he located the establishment, he went directly to the stables to tend to his exhausted donkey, who had patiently carried the merchandise all day. He brought him plenty of water and hay, making sure that the animal lacked nothing for want. Just to be sure of his donkey’s well-being, he tipped the young stable boy to take extra care of him.
The other darvishes who were staying in the Sufi House were mostly poor and hungry laborers, their hearts habitually on the verge of sin. When they realized that the newcomer had a donkey in the stables, they decided to take advantage of their sudden fortune. Unbeknown to the owner, they quickly sold the donkey to another guest who was leaving that very same night and spent the money buying food and candles for the evening.
As they began to prepare their meal, the men became progressively more agitated, excited that tonight everything was perfectly set for a grand feast. They extended much courtesy to the donkey’s owner, bowing to him repeatedly and making him feel welcome. Meanwhile, among themselves, they silently celebrated the fact that they no longer needed to beg for a morsel of food, nor they would have to fast for lack of resources in the coming days. The owner, for his part, considered himself lucky to be at the Sufi House that evening and able to enjoy a tasty meal in the company of great, generous Sufis. Little did he know!
Eventually, the food was served, and all enjoyed themselves, eating to their hearts' delight. Soon after they finished their meal, the men began to sama1 . The dust rose under their feet, mingling with the smoke from the cooking, enveloping the whirlers in a mystic cloud. The Sufis sang and danced, raising their arms toward the sky, whirling round and round, stomping their feet then prostrating on the floor, sweeping it clean with their robes. As the sama gathered pace, the musicians picked up the beat and began to sing enthusiastically: "The ass is gone, the ass is gone!"
Arms in the air, the samazans2 repeated madly after the musicians: "The ass is gone, the ass is gone!"
The sama continued long into the night, lasting until dawn. At sunrise, the men left one by one on their separate ways, bidding each other warm farewells. The owner of the donkey wiped the dust off his clothes and gathered his belongings, getting ready for another working day. Hurrying to catch up with his newfound darvish friends, he rushed to the stables but did not see his four-legged companion. He thought that the stable boy must have taken the animal to the stream to let him drink; perhaps he hadn't had enough water the night before. When the young boy finally appeared, the owner asked him about his donkey's whereabouts. The boy was confounded and told him that he had no idea what he was talking about. The owner became furious and grabbed him by the throat, threatening him with his life.
"I left my donkey in your care last night," he screamed. "You were meant to look after him. Don’t you dare give me excuse; quickly go and bring him to me- otherwise, I shall take you directly to the authorities!" he threatened.
"I was overpowered by the darvishes," confessed the boy. "I feared for my life! They sold your donkey and used the money to purchase the feast last night. To leave a loaf of bread with a group of hungry men is like throwing a scrawny cat to a pack of wild dogs!" he exclaimed, trying to view the situation philosophically.
"Supposing they took him from you by force, shouldn't you have informed me that they were stealing my donkey? If you had, I could have at least bought him back from the buyer or got the money out of this unruly lot. Now that they have each gone their separate ways, how am I ever going to find them? What an irreparable injustice you’ve brought upon me!" he whimpered.
"I tried to warn you several times, I swear to God, but your enthusiasm was greater than all of theirs put together!" retorted the stable boy. "You sand even louder than the rest: The ass is gone; the ass is gone!" I thought for sure you must have given them your consent, "being a mystic and privy to so many secrets!"
"I was excited, aroused by their enthusiasm," agreed the darvish. "But I was foolish to imitate them. Imitation has destroyed me! I curse it a thousand times, for it has damaged me beyond repait!"
1. Spiritual whirling dance of Sufis.
2. Sufi whirlers.
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