Казка для обговорення та контролю навичок читання. Матеріал зібраний під час роботи над eTwinning проектом Valuable Tales.
Mevlana and Haji Bektashi Veli
A poor man once had earned some money in an immoral way and then bought himself a cow with that money. A long time afterwards, he regretted what he had done and decided to donate the cow to Haji Bektashi Veli’s dervish monastery to salve his conscience.
The man went to Haji Bektashi Veli and explained everything but Haji Bektashi Veli didn’t accept the cow as a donation because it was’t earned in a halal* (legitimate) way.
Therewith, the man went to mevlevi monastery to talk to Mevlana. He explained everything to Mevlana and Mevlana accepted his donation. The man told Mevlana that he went to Haji Bektashi Veli before and that he didn’t accept his donation because the cow wasn’t halal and asked Mevlana why he accepted the cow as a donation.
Mevlana explained:
“If I am like a vulture then Haji Bektashi Veli is like a hawk. He wouldn’t feed on a carrion. That’s why he didn’t accept your donation but I did.
The man went to talk to Haji Bektashi Veli again to ask him why he did not accept the donation while Mevlana accepted it.
Haji Bektashi Veli clarified:
“ If my heart is like a small puddle then Mevlana’s heart is like an ocean. That’s why my heart could be defiled with only one drop of stain but his immense heart would’t be affected from that one drop. That’s why he accepted your donation.”
Footnotes:
Haji Bektash Veli or Haji Bektash Wali (1209 – 1271) was a Muslim mystic, saint, Sayyid, humanist, and philosopher from Khorasan who lived and taught in Anatolia.
Mevlana Celaddiin-i Rumi is a 13th century Muslim saint and Anatolian mystic known throughout the world for his exquisite poems and words of wisdom, which have been translated into many languages.
Halal (/həˈlɑːl/) is a word that translates to "permissible or lawful" into English. It is a broad term covering what is allowed in the context of Islamic law. The opposite of halal is haram, meaning “forbidden”.
Reading Comprehension Questions:
1- Have you ever heard about Mevlana (Celaddiin-i Rumi) before?
2- Have you ever heard about Haji Bektash Veli before?
3- Have you ever heard about the term ‘halal’ before?
4- Why didn’t Haji Bektashi Veli accept the man’s donation?
5- What does Mevlana refer to by using the metaphor “If I am like a vulture then Haji Bektashi Veli is like a hawk.”?
6- What does Haji Bektashi Veli refer to by using the metaphor “ If my heart is like a small puddle then Mevlana’s heart is like an ocean.”
7- What’s the moral of the story?