6 ms·
There is an Arabic story about Hatim al-Tai’s brother. Hatim al-Tai was a great man, maybe the most generous person that has ever lived. He was a legend even wh
by mostafah 9y ago
There is an Arabic story about Hatim al-Tai’s brother. Hatim al-Tai was a great man, maybe the most generous person that has ever lived. He was a legend even when he was alive.
One day people saw his brother peeing in the holy Well of Zamzam. This is the most sacred water in Islam. They asked him why he was doing such a thing. “My brother is famous and will be remembered forever in the history,” he said. “I can never be as wise or as generous as him, so this is how I make sure I will be remembered forever.”
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]
- nolok 9y agoSo am I wrong to think that by retelling this story, we make him right, thus pushing people who similarly want to be remembered forever without being "wise" to do the same?
- kbenson 9y agoOr maybe we're remembering him for giving us a pithy example with an even more pithy punchline that explains in some small way a fundamental part of the human mind? In that way, Hatim al-Tai’s brother was wrong. He was remembered for his wisdom, so much so that I only know of Hatim al-Tai as a way to express this story about his brother.
- nolok 9y agoWhatever the reason might be for us remembering, my point still stands that by retelling the story we make it so that disrespecting others and their belief was indeed the right thing to do for him to be remembered, that is what lead to his goal being reached. If the same thing happened but the story wasn't passed on, then it would not have been the right path to reach his goal. For a modern reference, that is why I'm a strong supporter of not propagating the names of people committing things like mass killings for glory, like we've seen quite a few times.
- r00fus 9y agoI've seen this trope be used so much on TV/movies that it's doubtful that this retelling would make much difference.
- mitchtbaum 9y agoFor the internet & social media http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/InformationDesk http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/InformationDesk For the tree http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TreasureRoom http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TreasureRoom & http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MonumentalTheft http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MonumentalTheft & http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PricelessMingVase http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PricelessMingVase & http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WomenAreDelicate http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WomenAreDelicate For the vandal/brother http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ThenLetMeBeEvil http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ThenLetMeBeEvil For the photographer http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NoSuchThingAsBadP... For the stakeholders http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SurveillanceStationSlacker http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SurveillanceStati... & https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy_of_the_commons https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy_of_the_commons & http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RuleOfFun http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RuleOfFun For the authority http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RoyalsWhoActually... For the work crew http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/JustFollowingOrders http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/JustFollowingOrde... For the quoted sage http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SpiritAdvisor http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SpiritAdvisor For the blogger, op, and commenters http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GreekChorus http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GreekChorus For me http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MrExposition http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MrExposition *These tropes have many other relevant ones within a couple of clicks and searches. I only mean this as a starting point, far from an omniangular dissection. Sorry if I've offended anyone (this kind of story cuts deep).
- mitchtbaum 9y ago
- kissickas 9y agoHis name isn't mentioned here, only that of his brother. Which is, I suppose, exactly what he wouldn't have wanted.
- smnrchrds 9y ago> This is the most sacred water in Islam. It was also sacred in the religions practiced in the region before Islam, which is important because Hatim died before the birth of Islam.