In ancient times, there was a traveler known as Abu al-Nadhr. This man was constantly traveling, going here and there in God’s vast earth. He had been accustomed to this throughout his life. One of his characteristics was that he left for himself a friend in every town he visited. When he reached seventy years of age, he decided to return to Basra once again to visit one of his old friends named Abu al-Yasar.
Abu al-Nadhr went, filled with longing and eagerness to see his friend. But as soon as he reached the intended place and asked about his companion, he learned that he had died a year earlier. Abu al-Nadhr grieved intensely. Abu al-Nadhr asked about his son Radwan. His wife told him that he was at home. She called for her son to come out to receive this guest. Radwan came out, greeting his deceased father’s friend. Abu al-Nadhr’s face beamed with joy when he saw Radwan, who had become a young man, for he had not seen him since he was an infant.
Abu al-Nadhr told Abu al-Yasar’s wife that he had decided to take Radwan with him on his tours so he could learn from him the experiences he had acquired in sciences, knowledge, and other fields as a result of his travels and tours. Abu al-Yasar’s wife agreed and bid her son Radwan to accompany her deceased husband’s friend. Indeed, Radwan set off accompanied by Abu al-Nadhr.
After he had acquired enough knowledge and understanding, Abu al-Nadhr said to him, “O Radwan, you are now in the position of my son. Now the time has come for me to teach you the secret of the iron candelabrum.” Radwan asked him about the secret of this candelabrum, but Abu al-Nadhr told him that he would recite some words, the earth would split under Radwan’s feet, and he would see many treasures. Among them, he would find an iron candelabrum that he must bring to him without touching anything from the treasures hidden under the earth. Radwan nodded and agreed to the agreement.
As soon as Radwan agreed, Abu al-Nadhr began reciting some words. The earth split under his feet, revealing many shining treasures. As soon as he saw them, he began talking to himself, “Why not take from them whatever I wish? There is a lot in them, and no one will realize that I have taken anything from them.” Indeed, Radwan began filling his pockets with treasures.
Suddenly, a jinn appeared to him. This jinn was the guardian of the cemetery, and he said to him, “You are now a thief, but remember, Radwan, the candelabrum.” He carried it with his hands, but he feared the earth would close before he could return. So the jinn said to him, “Were it not for this candelabrum, I would not have let you go.”
Radwan set off and began searching for Abu al-Nadhr, but he did not find him. So he went to his mother and told her what had happened. She said to him, “My son, you have violated the covenant and the promise. You must find Abu al-Nadhr and return his treasures to him, for they are not your right at all.” But Radwan insisted on his action and assured his mother that the treasures he had obtained were his right, and no one else had any right to them.
The night passed with Radwan sleeping beside his unearned treasures. But after waking up, he did not find them! His mother swore to him that she had never touched them. Radwan knew that what had happened was the disappearance of the treasures, after his greed had reached its limit, and his soul had tempted him to take them without right. This was a punishment for his failure to keep his covenant.
All that remained with Radwan was the iron candelabrum. He lit it, but he noticed that whenever he lit the candelabrum, a dervish appeared to him, threw him a dinar, and disappeared before Radwan could speak to him!
Radwan remained in this condition for a period. Every night, he would light the candelabrum and receive dinars. His mother said to him, “You must invest this money.” Radwan listened to his mother’s advice and started his trade with the dinars he collected from the dervishes. With time, Radwan became one of the most famous merchants, his reputation spread, and he no longer remembered the candelabrum.
One night, Radwan lit the candelabrum but did not find the dervishes. His mother told him that he should search for Abu al-Nadhr. Indeed, Radwan searched for him, found him, returned the candelabrum to him, and told him what had happened. The man told him that his trade had profited when he decided to return the money to its owner. The dervishes appeared again after Abu al-Nadhr obtained his treasures.