It is told that a man named Abu Sihot was famous for extreme stinginess, to the point that he wore very tattered clothes and didn’t think about renewing them so no one would covet him. Abu Sihot had a lot of money that he carried in a bundle when he walked and raised it with a long stick on his shoulders. He was disheveled, dust-covered beard, with an unbearable smell.
The people of the village were annoyed by Abu Sihot’s ways and his extreme stinginess toward himself and his pretense of poverty. They were always advising him not to complain, for God Almighty had given him many and abundant blessings. Abu Sihot felt that people were coveting him and holding grudges against him.
He decided to leave his village and go to another village where no one knew him. Many days passed as he walked on his feet. Finally, Abu Sihot reached one of the remote villages and found that all its people were famous for excessive generosity. He decided to live among them to get his share of this generosity.
The good people of the village said, “This is a poor, destitute man, and he is a stranger to our village. We must help him.” So they carried food, drink, and beautiful clothes and brought them to him. When the prince of the land heard about the generosity of these people, he disguised himself in poor people’s clothes and went to that village to verify for himself.
It happened that the first house he passed was Abu Sihot’s. He said to him, “I am a poor, destitute man, and I want…” Abu Sihot was angry and thought the prince was a man who had come coveting his money, so he drove him away and said harsh words to him. The prince said to himself, “Is the whole village like this stingy man?! I must teach him a lesson so he leaves this detestable habit.” The prince continued on his way and knocked on another door.
When the people of the village knew that a poor, destitute man had come from a distant land, they presented to him delicious food and drink. The prince learned that this village was characterized by excessive generosity, so he disapproved of the presence of Abu Sihot among them and decided to reward them. He announced his identity, then sent them valuable prizes and gifts. He said, “A village with such generosity and bounty does not deserve to have such a miser living in it.” Abu Sihot left them in sadness, for he wouldn’t enjoy living among the generous people again.