A Sufi Folktale
One day an Angel visited a hermit who had spent many years in spiritual practice. The hermit thought that at last he was about to receive the result of all his sacrifices and years of strict self-control.
The Angel said, “You have been chosen as a messenger for delivering one particular information to a man who is very charitable. It has been decided by the Supreme, that because of his good works he is to die in exactly six months from now and then he is to be taken straight to Paradise.”
The hermit was very pleased to become the messenger of the Supreme. He hurried to the house of the charitable man and gave him the news.
When the charitable man heard the news, he immediately increased his donations and charity work hoping that he would now be able to help more people, even though he had already been promised paradise.
But three whole years passed, and the charitable man did not die. He continued his work unconcerned.
But the hermit’s frustration only kept increasing as he kept waiting for his prediction to come true. He kept thinking that people must be calling him a false prophet who pretended to be the messenger of the Supreme. He became more and more bitter and irritable, until nobody could stand his company and he particularly became intolerable to his own self.
Then the Angel appeared again.
“You see it,” the Angel said, “how frail a thing you are. True enough, the charitable man has gone to paradise, and has in fact “died” in a certain manner known only to the elect, while he enjoys this life. But you! You are still almost worthless. Now that you have felt the stings which vanity brings on, perhaps you will be able to make a start on the road to spirituality.”