The Old Pilgrim

I heard of an old man on the road to Mecca who at every step would stop and pray two cycles. So fervent was he on the path to God that he never even paused to pull a thorn from his foot. But in the end, his restless, obsessive heart began to admire its own devotion. Deceived by Satan, he fell into a pit, thinking, 'No one could walk this road better than I.' Had God's mercy not reached out to him, his pride would have led him clean off the path. A voice from the unseen called out to him: 'You fortunate soul of blessed nature, do not imagine that any worship you have offered is some fine gift you brought to this divine court. To ease one heart with a single act of kindness is worth more than a thousand prayers at every stop.'