The Legend of Hatim al Tai

This classic tale illustrates the Arab’s view of hospitality as a sacred duty and cardinal virtue—as well as the Sufi teaching that true generosity cannot be exercised without the development of other prerequisite virtues.

The King Who Decided to be Generous

There was a king of Iran who said to a dervish: “Tell me a story.”

The dervish said: “Your Majesty, I will tell you the tale of Hatim Tai, the Arabian King and the most generous man of all time; for if you could be like him, you would indeed be the greatest king alive.”

“Speak on,” said the king,“but if you do not please me, having cast aspersions upon my generosity, you will lose your head.” He talked in this way because in Persia it is customary for those at Court to tell the monarch that he already has the most excellent qualities of anyone in the world; past, present or future.

“To continue,” said the dervish, in the manner of dervishes (for they are not easily discountenanced), “Hatim Tai’s generosity excelled, in letter and spirit, that of all other men.” And this is the story which the dervish told.

Another Arabian king coveted the possessions, the villages and oases, the camels and the fighting-men of Hatim Tai. So this man declared war upon Hatim, sending him a messenger with the declaration of war: “Yield to me, otherwise I shall surely overrun you and your lands, and possess myself of your sovereignty.”

When this message reached Hatim’s court, his advisers at once suggested that he mobilize the warriors in defence of his realm saying: “There is surely not an able-bodied man or woman among your followers who will not gladly lay down his life in defence of our beloved king.”

But Hatim, contrary to the expectation of the people, said:
“No, instead of your riding forth and shedding your blood for me, I shall flee. It would be far from the path of generosity if I were to become the cause of the sacrifice of a life of a single man or woman. If you yield peaceably, this king will content himself with taking only your services and rents, and you will have suffered no material loss. If, on the other hand, you resist, by the conventions of war he will be entitled to regard your possessions as booty, and if you lose the war you will be penniless.”

So saying, Hatim took only a stout staff and went into the near-by mountains, where he found a cave and sank himself in contemplation.