An Arab man was hunched over by the side of the road next to a dying dog, weeping grievously. Another Arab walked by and saw him.
“Why are you wailing like this?” he asked empathetically.
“I'm grief stricken for my dog,” replied the sobbing man. “He was an excellent companion, but he's dying now. He fetched my food in the daytime and guarded my home at night. He had a quick eye and was a fierce hunter, scaring away any thief who dared approach our home.”
“What's his problem now? Is he injured?”
“No, his problem is hunger!” confessed the owner. “He's so hungry that he can't move anymore.”
“May God grant you patience. May you find another worthy dog like this one again,” commiserated the passerby.
The two men watched the poor dog as he continued to pant and whimper. The passerby suddenly noticed a large bag next to the Arab's foot and asked him: “What's in the bag?”
“Oh, nothing much, just the leftover food from my meal last night. I'm taking it home so it can nourish my body again tonight.”
“You must have some dry bread in there. Why don't you give it to the poor dog?”
“Hold on, I don't have that much affection for him!” replied the Arab, sounding quite surprised. “I find it hard to part with anything before I get paid for it first. But then again, tears are free!”
“What kind of a human being are you?” exclaimed the man. “The place for you is in hell itself! How could you even begin to imagine that a loaf of bread is more valuable than a single teardrop? Don't you know that our tears are the sorrows of our heart manifested into visible drops?”
The owner of the dog watched the other Arab walk away shaking his head in disbelief but sadly could not comprehend the magical piece of wisdom he had just been offered.