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THE REAL DYNAMICS OF MUSLIMS' SUCCESSES
Before Istanbul (Constantinople)
was conquered by the young Ottoman Sultan, Mehmed II, the
rule of the Byzantine Emperor had been protested by two priests
who were consequently imprisoned. After the conquest, they
were offered freedom but refused to leave their prison, preferring
it to living in a world where moral corruption and injustices
prevailed.
Mehmed the Conqueror summoned them and proposed that they
travel in the Ottoman lands to see how things were now. The
priests went to Bursa and witnessed the following trial in
a court:
A Muslim citizen had bought a horse from a non-Muslim. On
returning home at the end of the day, he discovered that the
horse was ill. Deciding to plead his case before a judge,
he came to the court the very next morning. The unexpected
lateness of the judge obliged him to leave the court, unheard,
and submit his plea the following morning. Now, it so happened
that the horse died that evening, before the Muslim's plea
was heard.
After listening to the circumstances of the case, the judge
decreed:
If I had come on time yesterday morning, I would have returned
the horse to the vendor and had your money refunded. However,
as a result of my delay, the horse died before your loss could
be corrected. Therefore, it is I who must recompense your
loss.
The judge then paid the wronged Muslim the price of the horse.
The priests witnessed another trial in the court of Iznik.
A Muslim had bought a field from another Muslim. While ploughing
this field, he dug up a pot full of gold coins. He went directly
to the man who had sold the field and said: 'This is yours.
I bought from you the field, not the pot. You did not know
whether there was a pot there when you sold the field.' However,
the vendor refused to accept the pot, saying: 'I sold the
field with whatever is in or under it. The pot fell to your
lot. It never turned up while I was using the field.' Unable
to agree on how to resolve the matter, the two men referred
the case to the court.
After hearing their arguments, the judge asked the two men
whether they had children: one had a son, the other a daughter.
The judge then proposed that they marry one to the other and
give the coupe the pot of gold coins as a marriage gift. The
two men agreed and did as the judge suggested..
Pleased with what they had witnessed, the priests agreed to
quit prison and live in the world.
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