One day when Caliph Al-Hakim bin Amrillah was riding through the state procession, he came across a garden wherein a man was surrounded by eunuchs and negro-slaves.
He came forward and asked the man for a draught of water, which he was more than happy to give him and requested the Caliph to grace his garden by entering inside.
The Caliph entered the garden with his suite, and the man brought them a hundred rugs with leather mats and cushions to sit upon, along with a variety of fruit, sweetmeats and sugared sherbets. The Caliph was extremely delighted and inquired if the man already knew of his arrival. The man informed him that he was a merchant and had a hundred concubines to do all preparations. So when the Caliph entered his garden, he passed the message to them.
The Caliph was heartfelt and thanked the Almighty for being so bountiful in giving away to His lieges. He then gave three thousand and seven hundred thousand dirhams to the merchant and asked him to use this money to meet his state’s requirements. The merchant’s generosity was beyond this reward. And the Caliph then rode back to his palace.
