The Fruit of Paradise
Al-Ahmadiyya, June/July 1980 Issue (Vol. 2, Nos. 6–7, p. 2)
A woman heard of a fruit of paradise and she was eager to have it. She asked a dervish,
“I want to have the fruit of paradise, so that I can have instant knowledge of spiritual matters. Could you please tell me where can I find it?”
“If you will wait and study for thirty years, perhaps I shall be able to help,”
replied the dervish.
“You are no good, I want instant information,”
the woman said.
“If you have patience, you can have what you will,”
the dervish remarked.
The woman did not want to speak to the dervish anymore and left him in search of the fruit of paradise.
She travelled resolutely and at times restlessly and suffered deprivations and had plenty of hard times but did not give up hope of finding the fruit of paradise.
After thirty years of search, she came to a garden and, lo and behold, there stood a tree with the fruit of paradise on it! And standing by the tree was the first dervish.
“I never knew that you were the custodian of the tree. Why did you give me that vague answer when I first came to you?”
she asked.
“Because you were in a big rush and wanted to gain spiritual knowledge instantly. This tree only produces fruit once in thirty years and those can have it who have the patience to wait and work hard.”