Mullah Nasruddin

Aside from poems and parables, Sufis use jokes to convey teachings. A central figure of many of these stories is the Mullah Nasruddin. We all have a Mullah Nasruddin inside each of us, but often times he is difficult to spot. Here is a little wisdom from this holy fool:

A neighbor who Nasruddin didn't like very much came over to his compound one day. The neighbor asked Nasruddin if he could borrow his donkey. Nasruddin not wanting to lend his donkey to the neighbor he didn't like told him, "I would love to loan you my donkey but only yesterday my brother came from the next town to use it to carry his wheat to the mill to be grounded. The donkey sadly is not here."

The neighbor was disappointed. But he thanked Nasruddin and began to walk away.

Just as he got a few steps away, Mullah Nasruddin's donkey, which was in the back of his compound all the time, let out a big bray.

The neighbor turned to Nasruddin and said, "Mullah Sahib, I thought you told me that your donkey was not here."

Mullah Nasruddin turned to the neighbor and said, "My friend, who are you going to believe, me or the donkey?"