Merchants and Demons

Legend has it that there was a great merchant in the past with abundant capital and a fortune One day, he rode away from his hometown and went to a faraway place to do business
The scorching sun is like fire, the weather is dry and hot, and the merchants are sweating profusely He walked back to a garden and sat under a towering tree to cool off He reached out from his cloth bag and pulled out dates (dates: many Arabs have made a living from dates since ancient times. Some people still travel with dates to satisfy hunger and thirst in the desert) to satisfy their hunger He ate the jujube flesh and casually threw the jujube pit into the distant sand
Suddenly, a short and burly devil holding a sharp sword appeared in front of him The devil shouted at him head-on:
Get up quickly, murderer. You killed my son, and now I'm going to kill you
The merchant was stunned and asked fresh, "It's really strange. I was enjoying the shade under the tree. How could I kill your son
The devil angrily rebuked, "Do you still want to be evasive? You ate jujube meat, and while throwing jujube pits, my son happened to pass by here. The pits hit his chest, causing him to immediately fall to the ground and die
We all belong to Allah, and we must all return to Allah's will. ("We… go" sentence: The most basic creed of Islam is "there is no Lord in heaven and earth, only Allah." Muslims believe in the end of the world, believing that when the end of the world comes, everyone will be resurrected and considered to be alive and dead for Allah.) This is beyond our control. Even if I kill your son, it can only be considered a wrongful killing. I hope you can forgive me
The devil said, "That's not possible. I must retaliate against you
As he spoke, the devil stretched out his claws and grabbed the merchant, pressing him to the ground and lifting his bright sword to kill him
The merchant quickly pleaded, "I have entrusted everything to Allah! Alas, human safety is only a word's difference. Happiness and pain are two aspects of life. Those who are manipulated by fate are always outstanding. Many small trees are destroyed by storms, and corrupt things float on the sea surface. Pearls are hidden deep in the sea. The stars in the night sky are bright and dark, the sun and moon are weak and eroded, and the trees and flowers in the mountains and fields are lush and withered. Lucky days are within reach, but unexpected disasters come
The devil listened to the merchant's words and impatiently shouted, "Stop talking nonsense, come and die quickly
The merchant continued to plead for mercy and said, "Please slow down. You should know that my family has assets, a wife and children, and debts that have not been paid off. The things I pawned have not been redeemed. I beg you to let me go back first, so that I can clear these things. I promise you that on New Year's Day next year, I will definitely return here and be at your disposal
The devil believed the merchant when he spoke so earnestly and released him The merchant returned home, hurriedly processed various debts, cleared the pawned items, explained everything to his wife and children, and wrote a will, seizing the time to spend precious time with his family
On New Year's Day, merchants take baths and smoke incense, tuck their shroud under their armpits, and suffer greatly with their families relatives and friends. The neighbors bid farewell and set out with sadness and tears in their eyes, arriving at the garden by the roadside He sat alone under the tree, thinking about his unfortunate experience and becoming increasingly sad
At this moment, an old man passed by with a chained antelope The old man walked up to the merchant and asked:
This is a place where ghosts and gods roam, why are you sitting here alone
So the merchant recounted in detail the process of encountering the devil from beginning to end The old man was very surprised when he heard this and said to him:
Brother, your debt is too heavy and your experience is too strange. How about this, I'll stay with you and see how this devil treats you
The old man and the merchant sat under the tree, chatting with him. The merchant was absent-minded and felt calm Terrifying At this moment, an old man arrived with two black hunting dogs He approached them and asked:

This is a place where ghosts and gods roam. Why are you two sitting here
So they told the devil's story from beginning to end The old man was also very interested in this matter, so he sat down to accompany them At this moment, another old man arrived with a spotted mule He came up to them, greeted them, and then asked them why they were sitting here So they recounted the devil's story from beginning to end, and the old man was also very interested in it, so he sat down to accompany them
The third old man had just sat down when suddenly a gust of wind blew up Roll up the flying sand and stones in the sky, disperse them, and a huge devil appears in front of them The devil's giant held a unsheathed sword, with golden sparks shining in his lantern like eyes The devil stood still, without hesitation, reached out and grabbed the merchant, shouting in a thunderous voice:
When the time comes, I will kill you like you killed my beloved son
The merchant had no choice but to shed tears of sadness Three elderly people also accompanied the merchant to tears They all stood up, protecting the tearful merchant At this moment, the owner of the antelope stepped forward and said to the devil:
Wait a minute, I want to tell you a story about me and this antelope. If you think this story is strange, please forgive this merchant's guilt by one-third on my behalf
The devil thought for a moment and thought that listening to the story would not hinder him, so he agreed