by force, and I lashed the poor fisherman without mercy; it is the self-same fish that pricked me.”

He rose at once, made for the town, sought out the fisherman, and when he found him he fell before him, implored his pardon, gave him a sum of his own wealth, and repented of what he had done. The fisherman forgave him, whereupon the pain immediately subsided. That night the oppressor slept peacefully in his bed, having abandoned his former ways and having lain down upon a wholehearted repentance. On the following day his Lord’s mercy overtook him, and by His power his hand was restored exactly as it had been. Then revelation came to Moses, peace be upon him: “O Moses, by My might, My majesty, and My power, had that man not won his adversary’s pleasure, I would have punished him for as long as he lived.”

Anecdote: While Moses, peace be upon him, was communing with his Lord on the Mount, he said in his supplication, “My God, show me Your justice and Your equity.” He was told, “You are a hasty, sharp-tempered, daring man; you will not be able to endure.” Moses replied, “I can endure if You grant me success.” He was then told, “Go to such-and-such a spring, hide yourself opposite it, and observe My power and My knowledge of the unseen.”

Moses went, climbed a hill facing the spring, and sat concealed. A horseman arrived, dismounted, performed ablution from the spring, drank its water, untied from his waist a purse containing one thousand dinars, placed it beside him, and prayed. Mounting again, he rode off, forgetting the purse where it lay.

A small boy then came, drank from the spring, and took the purse. After the boy departed, a blind old man arrived, drank, performed ablution, and stood for prayer. The horseman remembered the purse, returned to the spring, found only the blind man there, and seized him, saying, “I left a purse here moments ago containing one thousand dinars, and no one but you has been to this spot.”

The blind man answered, “You know I am blind—how could I have seen your purse?” Enraged, the horseman drew his sword, struck the blind man and killed him, searched his body for the purse, did not find it, and went on his way.

At this Moses said, “My God, my Master, the boy has escaped, and You are just—explain these events to me.” Gabriel, peace be upon him, descended and said, “O Moses, the Creator—exalted is He—says: ‘I am the Knower of secrets; I know what you do not know. As for the little boy who took the purse, he merely took what was rightfully his, for the boy’s father had been a hired worker for that horseman, and the horseman had withheld his wages, so that the amount…’ ”