Then Omar turned to me and said， "Come with me." So we both set off running till we reached the treasury， where he took out a sack of flour and a pot of fat and said to me， "Put these on my back." "O Commander of the Faithful，" said I， "I will carry them for thee." "Wilt thou bear my burden for me on the Day of Resurrection？" replied he. So I put the things on his back， and we set off， running， till we came to the woman， when he threw down the sack. Then he took out some of the flour and put it in the cauldron and saying to the woman， "Leave it to me，" fell to blowing the fire； Now he had a great beard and I saw the smoke issuing from the interstices thereof， till the flour was cooked，when he threw in some of the fat and said to the woman， "Do thou feed the boys whilst I cool the food for them." So they ate their fill and he left the rest with her. Then he turned to me and said， "O Aslam， I see it was indeed hunger made them weep； and I am glad I did not go away without finding out the reason of the light I saw."" It is said that Omar passed， one day， by a flock of sheep， kept by a slave， and asked the latter to sell him a sheep. "They are not mine，" replied the shepherd. "Thou art the man I sought，" said Omar and buying him of his master， set him free， whereupon the slave exclaimed， "O my God， thou hast bestowed on me the lesser emancipation； vouchsafe me now the greater！"[FN#43] They say also， that Omar ben Khettab was wont to give his servants sweet milk and eat coarse fare himself and to clothe them softly and wear himself coarse garments. He gave all men their due and exceeded in his giving to them. He once gave a man four thousand dirhems and added thereto yet a thousand，wherefore it was said to him， "Why dost thou not favour thy son as thou favourest this man？" He answered， "This man"s father stood firm in fight on the day of Uhud."[FN#44]El Hassan relates that Omar once came （back from an expedition） with much money and that Hefseh[FN#45] came to him and said， "O Commander of the Faithful， be mindful of the due of kinship！" "O Hefseh，"
replied he， "God hath indeed enjoined us to satisfy the dues of kinship， but of our own monies， not those of the true believers.
Indeed， thou pleasest thy family， but angerest thy father." And she went away， dragging her skirts. Says Omar"s son， "I implored God one year （after Omar"s death） to show me my father， till at last I saw him wiping the sweat from his brow and said to him，"How is it with thee， O my father？" "But for God"s mercy，"
answered he， "thy father had perished." Then said Nuzhet ez Zeman， "Hear， O august King， the second division of the first chapter of the instances of the followers of the Prophet and other pious men. Says El Hassan of Bassora，[FN#46] "Not a soul of the sons of Adam goes forth of the world， without grieving for three things， failure to enjoy what he has amassed， failure to compass what he hoped and failure to provide himself with sufficient provision for that to which he goes.[FN#47]" It was said to Sufyan，[FN#48] "Can a man be devout and yet possess wealth？" "Yes，" replied he， "so he be patient under affliction and return thanks， when God giveth to him." When Abdallah ben Sheddad was on his death-bed， he sent for his son Mohammed and admonished him， saying， "O my son， I see the messenger of death calling me and so I charge thee to cherish the fear of God， both in public and private. Praise God and be true in thy speech， for the praise of God brings increase of prosperity， and piety in itself is the best of provision，[FN#49] even as says one of the poets：
I see not that bliss lies in filling one"s chest； The God-fearing man can alone be called blest.
For piety aye winneth increase of God； So of all men"s provision "tis surely the best.
