Once upon a time, there was a man named Hasan who lived in a city and was going through hard times. Poverty had hit him so badly that he, his wife, and his child didn’t even have bread to eat. Desperate, he decided to sell his house and move somewhere else.
On his way, he ran into his friend, Nasir, and told him about his situation. With kindness, Nasir gave Hasan two pieces of bread filled with halva and said, “Take these to your family.”
Thankful, Hasan took the bread and started heading home. On his way, he encountered a woman holding a frail, skinny child in her arms. With tearful eyes, the woman said, “This is my son. He’s an orphan and hasn’t eaten for days; if you have anything, please give it to him. May God bless you.”
Hasan looked at the bread, thought of the woman and her child, and felt pity. With a trembling voice, he said, “Take this bread and give it to your son. I swear, I have nothing else…”
The woman took the bread and blessed Hasan with all her heart. Tears filled Hasan’s eyes, and with a heavy heart, he continued walking home. As he approached his house, he suddenly saw Nasir again. Nasir happily said, “Hasan, I have good news! A man from Khorasan has come looking for you. He says that your father left a fortune with him for safekeeping thirty years ago, and he’s here to return it to you!”
Hasan fell to his knees in gratitude and praised God. With this fortune, he rebuilt his life and became one of the city’s well-known merchants. Every day, he gave part of his wealth to the poor, and his wealth not only stayed steady but even increased over time.
As time went on, Hasan began to feel pride in his good deeds, thinking he was one of God’s chosen servants. He believed that his record of deeds was filled with good actions and that he was surely destined for paradise.
One night, Hasan had an unusual dream. In his dream, it was Judgment Day, and all people were gathered to have their deeds weighed. When it was Hasan’s turn, his sins were placed on one side of the scale and his good deeds on the other. The scale of his good deeds rose, and Hasan felt relieved.
But then, one by one, his good deeds were taken off the scale and thrown away because, under each act of kindness, there lay hidden intentions of pride, showing off, or seeking people’s praise. Gradually, nothing was left of his good deeds, and Hasan felt despair. He was on the brink of ruin when he heard a voice say, “Is there anything left for him?”
They answered, “Only one pure deed remains,” and it was that piece of bread he had given to the woman and her child. It was placed on the scale, along with the woman’s tears of gratitude.
The scale of his good deeds rose higher and higher until it tipped completely in his favor, and a voice said, “He is saved.”
