It is said that God gave a rich merchant two sons, a sign of wisdom and kindness. His wife was a wise and wise woman who fulfilled the commands of her Lord. On the day of the merchant's illness, which was a serious illness, the doctors failed to cure him. When the man realized that he was going to die, he called his wife and said to her, O good woman, I am going to die soon. I feel that I am going to die with my six-year-old son. After my death, I fear that you will marry a man who will not treat my children well. Do you promise me that you will not marry a man who will not treat my children well? I will put the money in your hand and you will be responsible for it. The woman promised him this. Days passed until she died. Her wealth was great and her business was prosperous. The merchant and the man's relatives tried to leave the wife to be in charge. But the merchant's sheikh said, As long as the woman is wise, it is her right to be in charge. The woman took on the responsibility of the business and kept the money. She took care of her husband's business. The woman was well brought up and her children were raised well. She was not going to be home until late in the night. The merchant's greed increased and one of them wanted to marry her. He sent one of his relatives to his house to propose to her and he showed her that his only intention was to take care of his husband's children and that he did not want money, but his wife refused. Another merchant came forward and also refused him. One by one, she kept refusing, until the merchant confirmed that she did not want to marry him. Three years passed and the woman was loyal to her covenant. But one of the merchants, most of whom were greedy, came up with a plan. There was a gang of ten thieves and their leader. This gang was feared by all the merchants, and they paid bribes to their leaders to avoid hurting them. The wife of the woman also paid for her role. But the wife refused to pay for the gang after her husband died. So they left her without taking care of her. So the merchant went to the gang leader and said to him, I am sure that this woman has a lot of money, so I want you to steal it. Then you will be happy to marry me. As long as she feels that she is rich, she will refuse to marry you. So the gang leader was happy and decided to steal the woman. In the middle of the night, the ten thieves and their leader had climbed to the roof of the house. So the woman felt them, and she was standing praying in her bedroom, with her son next to her. So she cried and wept. Then she turned to God and said, O Lord, I am a poor woman. Help me, O Lord, and give me the strength to overcome the thieves. She recited Al-Fatiha. When she finished reciting it, she woke her two sons and told them that there were thieves on the roof. And that there were many of them. The two sons were afraid and began to cry. But she reassured their worries and built up courage in them. She said to them, I will sit in front of the bedroom door and ask you, have you slept? No, we have not slept. And I will ask you, what is the reason? Because we want you to tell us a story. The thieves wanted to steal the money without any noise or commotion. So they looked inside the house and found the light in the woman's room. They heard her say, Have you slept, my son? The two sons replied, No, we have not slept yet, mother. So I asked the woman, And why did you not sleep? The two sons replied, Because we want to hear a story from you. The leader of the thieves said to his gang, The woman is awake and has not slept yet. And the woman heard her say, I will tell you a story about your father before he becomes a merchant.
She began her story in a calm but firm voice, hoping to keep her sons engaged and, at the same time, deter the thieves from entering.
"Once upon a time," she said, "before your father became a great merchant, he was a humble young man with nothing but his honesty and hard work. He traveled far and wide, selling small goods in the marketplace, earning just enough to survive. One day, while he was on his way back from a distant village, he encountered a group of thieves who blocked his path."
The leader of the gang, listening from the roof, nudged his men and whispered, "This might be an interesting tale. Let's listen for a while before we strike."
The woman continued, "The thieves surrounded your father and demanded all his money, but he stood firm and said, 'Take what you will, but remember, true wealth is not in gold or silver, but in honesty and faith.' The thieves, surprised by his words, let him go without taking a single coin."
The gang leader scratched his beard thoughtfully. "This woman's husband was a clever man," he muttered.
She went on, "Years later, your father became a successful merchant, and one day, he met the same group of thieves in the market. They were poor and starving, having lost everything. Do you know what your father did?"
The two sons replied, "What did he do, Mother?"
She smiled, "He gave them food and gold, saying, 'I hold no grudge against you. Let this be a lesson: greed brings ruin, but kindness brings prosperity.'"
The thieves on the roof began to shift uncomfortably. The leader clenched his fists, feeling ashamed but unwilling to leave empty-handed. He whispered to his men, "This woman is wise, but we must take what we came for."
But just as they prepared to descend, the woman raised her voice and said, "And do you know, my sons, what your father told me before he passed away?"
The children eagerly replied, "No, tell us, Mother!"
She said, "He told me that honesty will always defeat greed and that God protects those who stay true to their faith."
As soon as she finished her words, a loud thunderclap shook the house, and a strong gust of wind howled through the night. The gang leader and his men were terrified, thinking it was a sign from the heavens. They scrambled to escape, slipping and falling off the roof, injuring themselves in their haste.
Hearing the commotion, the neighbors woke up and rushed to the woman's house, armed with sticks and lanterns. They caught the injured thieves and handed them over to the town guards.
The merchant who had plotted against the woman heard of their failure and fled the town in disgrace. The woman, with her faith and wisdom, not only protected her wealth but also earned the respect of the entire community.
From that day on, she continued her business with even greater success and raised her children to be wise and kind, just like their father.
And so, as she finished the story, she embraced her sons and whispered, "With faith and courage, no fear can touch us."
The children smiled, feeling safe in their mother’s embrace. The woman looked up to the heavens and whispered a prayer of gratitude, knowing that true strength comes not from wealth, but from unwavering faith and wisdom.