The sun was at its zenith, and four devout Indian Moslems entered a mosque to perform the noon prayer. As they stood shoulder to shoulder, each with a different hope in his heart, they began to pray. Halfway through their prayer, the sound of the muezzin rose in the air, casting doubt in their minds whether they had been too hasty in beginning to pray. One of the four men turned to the muezzin caller and asked him: “Dear public crier, are you sure you're not late today calling out the muezzin?”
One of the Indians was quick to address his friend: “My dear fellow, what have you done? You spoke in the midst of praying, and now your prayer is annulled!”
The third Indian turned to the second and exclaimed: “Hey, why do you blame him? You did exactly the same and have now broken your own prayer!”
“Thank God I didn't blurt out needlessly like these three!” declared the fourth Indian. “I'm too clever to commit such stupid mistakes! My prayer is still valid!” he boasted, unaware of his own equally damaging shortfall.
Such was the manner in which the prayers of all four men, who had tried to outdo each other in their judgments, were annulled that day.