It is in times of need that friends should step forward for help...

It is in times of need that friends should step forward for help, for in good times even enemies pretend to be one’s friend.” Sensing his embarrassment over my advice, I took him to the minister of treasury who was known to me. I narrated to him my friend’s plight and the minister assigned him the responsibility of a petty task. As time passed, the officials found him to be vigilant and pleasant-mannered and so promoted him.

After a long time, I embarked on a journey to Makkah with some of my friends. On the way back, not far from my city, I came across my friend who seemed to be in a state of distress. He came towards me looking depressed. “Why are you in such a state?” I asked him. “Just as you had predicted, a group of people became envious of me and accused me of treason,” he responded. “The king, without any investigation, threw me into prison and subjected me to torture and punishment.

I remained in prison till the news of the return of the pilgrims reached the city, whereupon I was set free. The king even went to the extent of confiscating the…