Outside the town of Rey in Persia, there stood a mosque that had earned a shocking reputation. The town's inhabitants called it the Guest Killer Mosque, and for good reason! Strangers, however, did not know this deadly secret, and every time one arrived in Rey and took refuge in the mosque for the night, he was killed and his body recovered the next morning. People from Rey never entered the mosque at night, convinced that the place was haunted and that djinns lived in its dark, empty corners.
One day a man arrived who was well aware of the mosque's reputation but nevertheless wished to check the validity of the locals' superstition, as well as test his own courage. “I will not value my own body beyond its worth, for it's the spirit that's priceless beyond all,” he argued to himself. “One's body will inevitably perish, but spirit is everlasting.”
When the townsfolk found out about the stranger's intention, they unanimously tried to dissuade him. But, despite their best efforts, they failed.
“Dear concerned friends,” argued the stranger, “I'm tired of this life and have no regrets. I yearn for a challenge; I don't mind the physical damage. To leave this world would be sweet for me, just like a bird who's been freed from his cage.”
People tried to change his mind, reminding him of the tortuous pain that might be awaiting him in the mosque. They reasoned that to embark on a heroic course may at first seem like a simple choice, yet once fully engaged, the difficulties of the path will become all too clear; they told him that he'd be sorry. However, he turned a deaf ear to them. They pleaded with him to give up his crazy idea and not to tarnish the reputation of their town and its citizens any further with yet another murder. But he had no ears to heed their appeals.
“I'm not like a skittish housecat who buckles under at the first signs of fear! I've given up on my life. I'm afraid of nothing, and if I lose my life tonight, so be it; I've achieved my purpose,” insisted the brave heart.
The townsfolk slowly began to disperse, realizing that their words were having no effect. Reluctantly, they prepared themselves to confront the man's cold corpse the next day, and they each went their own way. Meanwhile, the man walked into the mosque, holding his head high against what might come. His head, however, had nevertheless been cluttered with the townspeople's warnings, and no matter how hard he tried he couldn't fall asleep. So, he sat in a corner, his back propped up against a pillar, and watched the darkness.
Midnight was upon him, and he had not yet heard or seen any monster or devil; he began to think that all he'd been told about the mosque had been lies or the product of the townsfolk's overspirited imaginations. Right at that very moment, he was jerked into reality by a piercing holler directed at him, declaring that in a blink of an eye his entire being would be overtaken. Any sane person would faint or collapse or even lurch into cardiac arrest, but not the fearless stranger, who had already bade farewell to his life on earth.
“This is nothing! It's the hollow sound of a drum declaring the arrival of Eid!” he shouted out confidently. “To the faithless, it may sound like the trumpet of death, but for those of us who believe in God, it's the sound of celebration! Why should I fear the drum of Eid? I shall enter the ring and either give up my life or leave victorious.”
He got up from his corner and stood in the middle of the mosque, crying out: “Here I am! Can you see me? I've nothing to lose, I've given up everything. If you're brave enough, show your face and let's have it all out!”
With those words, the mosque's spell was broken; instantly, the ceiling cracked open and a stream of gold coins cascaded onto the mosaic floor. The man was stunned as he watched the unimaginable treasure pile up before him. After a few minutes, when he regained his composure, he ran about in search of empty sacks, which he found in one of the side rooms, and began to fill them up with the coins. It took him the rest of the night, but he managed to collect every single coin he could locate.
Unlike the cowards who had lost their lives in the Guest Killer Mosque, and much to the regret of the unbelieving townsfolk who had no trust in their hearts, the stranger became supremely rich, spending his wealth generously until his last living days.