Could n’t you tolerate……for one day?

Long, long ago in Arabia there lived a very pious old man by name Arab, who was a great devotee and lover of God and men. He served all with love in the name of God. All over Arabia his name became renowned for piety and hospitality.One night when all the servants had gone to sleep and the whole family was fast asleep, someone knocked at the door. Arab was awakened by the loud knocks and opened the door. At the door stood an old unkempt man looking very exhausted and famished. He beseeched, “Can you give me some food, sir? I have been starving for past one week.”The Arab’s heart melted at the plight of the old man. He invited him in with great love, gave him a seat and went inside. The servants and his family members were working till late in the evening and were all tired. The Arab did not want to disturb them at that late hour to prepare food for the new guest. Instead he himself went into the kitchen, prepared some food quickly and brought it to the hall. He placed it before the old man and said, “Sir, please accept my hospitality in the name of the Lord and bless me. May the Lord’s name be praised!”The hungry man dragged the plate nearer and at once commenced eating the food, rudely saying, “Thank you for the food. But why in God’s name? Which God is there to be worshipped? It is all nonsense.”The Arab was stunned. He could not imagine that there could ever be a man who denied God. “Don’t you see sir, how the kind God provided food for you at this late hour from a stranger’s house? Could you have survived had not the loving God sustained you throughout your life?The old man was busy eating. He replied while greedily swallowing the food, “My dear Sir, why do you speak of God? Did you ever see him? It is your good nature that made you give me this food. I am grateful to you. I am not so silly as to waste my time thinking of a non-existing God.”

This was too much for the Arab. He could no longer contain himself. He burst out in anger, “So you do not believe in God. You feel that you can look after yourself without depending on God. If it is so, get out of my house. There is no place here for atheists.” In anger he took away the plate of food from the old man and pushed him out of the house and closed his door. Burning with indignation, he went to bed, prayed to the Lord and fell asleep.Then the Lord appeared to the Arab in dream and asked, “Son, why did you push away the poor man before he had his meal? H was very hungry. Why did you not allow him to eat the food in full?The Arab trembled before the Almighty Lord and said, “Lord, I was prepared to give him more food also if he wanted. But when he denied you again and again it was too much for me to tolerate.”The Lord smiled and said, “Son, he had been denying Me for the last ninety years. Even then I gave him food twice a day all these years. Could you not tolerate him for one day for My sake?”The Arab hung his head in shame. Shedding tears from his eyes, he prostrated to the Lord and said, “You are the Lord of Love. I now know how kind you are in tolerating our mistakes and still giving us what we need. My God, in future let me have the same love for all the beings in the world. Let me not be angry with any one for any reason. Please pardon me for this lapse.”