The wise Mullah was not a rich man, but lived next door to a wealthy goldsmith, who was a Jew. That he was a Mullah merited him his place in so wealthy a neighborhood, but it did not make him popular with his neighbors.
Every day in the street in front of his house he spread his prayer rug. In a loud voice he’d cry “Allah, I have served you many years. You are just. Would that you give me one hundred gold coins, as a reward for my work. My good neighbor is a Jew and an infidel, yet you have made him rich. If it is not against your will, let me have one hundred gold pieces.”
For an hour each day he would pray this way. One morning the goldsmith said to himself, “I will shut him up. It will be a small price to pay!” So he took up the purse at his belt, that contained eighty-seven gold pieces, and threw it into the air in such a way that it fell to the earth, as if from heaven, right in front of the Mullah!
At first the Mullah was overjoyed, and praised Allah, but soon he counted it, and resumed his prayers. “Oh merciful and generous Allah, I did ask for one hundred pieces of gold, and here you have given me eight-seven. I know that if a faithful man prays you will give him what he asks, so I will not keep this. Instead I shall give it to my neighbor, who is a Jew and an infidel, that he may see the generosity of Allah, and change his ways.”
Then the Mullah took the purse to the goldsmith and went his way. The goldsmith was amazed, and said to himself “I must test this further.” So the next day he prepared a purse with one hundred and one pieces of gold, and waited until the Mullah went out to pray.
Once again the Mullah cried, “Allah, I have served you many years. Oh you are just. But would that you give me one hundred gold coins, as a reward for my work. My good neighbor is a Jew and an infidel, yet you have made him rich. If it is not against your will, let me have one hundred gold pieces.”
Then the goldsmith threw this purse into the air as the last one, and it landed in front of the Mullah, plop! Once again the Mullah seemed overjoyed, but when he counted the coins he said, “Oh Allah, you are indeed merciful, I asked for one hundred pieces of gold, and you have given me one hundred and one. I know that if a faithful man prays you will give him what he asks, so I will not keep the extra one coin. Instead I shall give it to my neighbor, who is a Jew and an infidel, that he may see the generosity of Allah, and change his ways.”