The Drowning Priest

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Mulla Naswr ad-Din (q.s.) one day happened to see a crowd gathered around a pond.  A priest with a huge turban, who had fallen into the pond, desperately cried out for help as he evidently did not know to swim.  Mulla Naswr ad-Din (q.s.) saw people leaning forward to him, and saying, “Revered Sir, give me your hand.”  But the priest just went about splashing the water in his struggle, not paying attention to the people. 

Mulla Naswr ad-Din (q.s.) finally stretched his hand out to the priest and said, “Here, take my hand.”  The priest immediately responded, and was finally out of the water.  The surprised crowd wanted to know how Mulla Naswr ad-Din (q.s.) could get the co-operation of the priest.  He explained, “It is simple, because I know the priest to be a miser, and will not give anything to anyone.  So instead of saying ‘Give me your hand’, I said ‘Take my hand’ and he promptly responded!” 

The priest had done a good deal of preaching, but could not get rid of his miserly behaviour.  His knowledge did not hold good for himself as he had not made it an experience.  Hence, intellect that does not evolve into experience is of no use.