The Merchant and the Whispering Saint

In a bustling city, a wealthy merchant named Samir had everything: jewels, caravans, servants. Yet he often sighed, feeling strangely unsettled.

One evening, he passed a quiet alley and saw a dervish (wandering saint) sitting beneath a broken lamp, eyes closed.

Samir mocked him. “What do you gain from sitting like that?”

The dervish opened his eyes and said, “I’m listening.”

“To what?”

“To what you cannot hear over your coins.”

That night, Samir couldn’t sleep. The whisper wouldn’t leave him. The next morning, he returned. “Teach me,” he demanded.

The dervish gave him a bowl of water. “Walk around the market without spilling a drop. That is your first lesson.”

Samir did so, carefully avoiding every jostle and shout. When he returned, he said, “I heard nothing.”

“Exactly,” said the saint. “You focused. In silence, the world fell away. Now imagine that… inside.”

Over weeks, Samir began to visit the dervish daily. He sold some caravans. Closed his shop early. Sat beneath the lamp. He never became poor—but he became rich in silence.

Commentary

In Sufi teachings, stillness is the gateway to divine remembrance (zikr). The merchant’s transformation isn’t from riches to rags—but from noise to awareness. The dervish models presence.

Psychological Reflection

The story addresses overstimulation and our addiction to busyness. Focus narrows the mind. Deep listening opens the heart. Samir’s discomfort reflects the spiritual thirst beneath modern abundance.

Closing Reflection

What am I chasing that keeps me from hearing myself?
What noise must I quiet to listen inwardly?Coming Soon …..