What is it worth?

GOD GRANTS abundant sustenance, or gives it in scant measure, unto whomever He wills; and they [who are given abundance] rejoice in the life of this world - even though, as compared with the life to come, the life of this world is nought but -a fleeting pleasure

What is it worth?

One day a boy deferentially approached Dhul-Nun al-Misri with the desire forsake his life of comfort, and to spend his entire wealth (worth about a hundred thousand dirhams) on him and his entourage of dervishes. However, Dhul-Nun turned him down as he was not mature enough to take that decision, and asked him to come back when he is of age.

When the boy came of age he returned with the same request, and this time, he was permitted to do so. Soon the money was gone and the youth started keeping company of the dervishes.

Some time had passed, and it happened that there arose somewhat of an emergency, but there was no money around to help the dervishes. The youth exclaimed that if only he could have had the wealth to spend on them again, upon which Dhul-Nun realized that he had not yet reached the inner truth of the mystic life, for worldly things still seemed important to him.

Dhul-Nun summoned the young man and assigned him to buy some items from an apothecary, for maybe a dirham, mix them into a paste, and make the paste into a rock shaped pellet and bring it to him. Dhul-Nun recited something on the pellet and it transformed into a red crystal.

“Now take this to different types of businesses around the marketplace and have it valued,” said Dhul-Nun. “But do not sell it.”

The youth took the stone to a beggar, who scolded him for asking for money for colored glass, then a merry fruit seller blithely offered him a few kilos of the choicest fruits in exchange for it. The vegetable and meat sellers were no different, wishing to trade it for some of their respective wares.

Each time the youth declined the offer.

Upon reaching a jeweler's store, he was offered a considerable sum of money. The jeweler tried to cajole him into selling, giving several counter offers, each higher than the previous one upon finding the youth adamant on not selling, was left disappointed.

Heading back home he dropped by a dealer in precious stones, and he asked her the value of this stone. She was flabbergasted, and kept on asking about the source of this stone. When pressed for an offer, she extolled: "No one in this country can afford to buy this, as this is a highest quality ruby of a value that surpasses everything that she has known her entire life. I really cannot put a price on it."

The youth could not fathom this discrepancy, and upon relating this story to Dhul-Nun, he was told to pound the stone back to powder and throw the powder into the wind.

“My child,” chided Dhul-Nun gently, “these dervishes do not lack wealth. Their state is due their own choice.  A trade-off for something better in the life to come. And the worth of this stone was decided by each of the businessmen based on their limitations of knowledge as well as resources.  What worth will you assign?”

This stirred his soul, and from then on the world had no longer any worth in his eyes.