The Mercy of Allah · Chapter
Al-Bustán, or “The Orchard” explained
The old man recounts how, after hitting rock bottom, he meets a wealthy young stranger while wandering in rags.
What happens
The old man recounts how, after hitting rock bottom, he meets a wealthy young stranger while wandering in rags. Through flattery and fabricated expertise in pear cultivation, he gains the stranger's trust, is hired to manage an orchard expansion, and ultimately absconds with a bag of gold. He buys a horse, rides to Taftah, sells the horse, and begins to plot his next move.
Themes in this chapter
Suffering and Redemption
The old man's fall into poverty and his subsequent prayer and recovery suggest a cycle of suffering and divine favor.
Social Inequality and Greed
The old man exploits the stranger's wealth and naivety, driven by his own greed and the inequality between them.
Faith and Resilience
The old man credits his prayer and divine guidance for his survival and eventual escape.
Characters to notice
- The old man
Narrates his own past as a destitute wanderer who cons a wealthy stranger.
- The stranger
A wealthy, young, and trusting landowner who is deceived by the old man's tales of pear cultivation.
- Mahmoud
Referenced as the uncle whose misfortunes are being recounted; the nephews listen to his story.
Key passages
“I wandered on through the bare uplands, miserable, weak, penniless and in rags. So far had my soul fallen that on the seventh day I came near to omitting my prayer at even … but I thank Heaven that this temptation was conquered!”
I trudged through the barren hills, utterly destitute and broken. On the seventh day I almost skipped my evening prayer, but I'm grateful I resisted that urge.
Highlights the old man's despair and his reliance on faith.
“I have discovered that nothing is more pleasing to men of his station than the account of how another has been reduced from wealth to poverty.”
I've learned that rich people love hearing stories of someone else's fall from fortune.
Reveals the old man's cynical understanding of human nature.
“I took refuge in a piece of diplomacy. As I paid for the horse, I said to the seller, that I had to reach my mother’s house in the next city before sundown, and that I hoped my purchase was able to carry me that far in the remaining half-day.”
I used a clever trick: while buying the horse, I mentioned I needed to get to my mother's house in the next town by evening, so the seller would reveal the distance and direction.
Shows the old man's cunning and strategic thinking.