It is told that once upon a time, a certain governor went out disguised as a merchant to wander through the old market. He wished to see the condition of the commoners and his subjects firsthand. As he was walking, his eyes fell upon an ancient shop that showed no outward sign of having any goods for sale; the storefront was almost entirely empty of anything that might catch a person’s interest.
Inside stood an elderly man, sitting wearily on a worn-out, rickety chair. Nothing caught the governor’s eye except for a few paintings covered in layers of dust. He approached the old man and offered a greeting. The man returned the greeting with one even more gracious, his demeanor calm and his face radiating a sense of certainty and quiet confidence.
The governor said to him, “Old man, I came to the market to buy, but I see nothing here for sale!” The man replied with absolute composure and confidence: “I have the most precious and finest goods in the entire market.” He spoke this sentence with a stoic expression, showing no sign of jesting. The governor could not help but smile and asked, “Are you serious in what you say?”
The man replied firmly, “Yes, in all seriousness. My goods are unlike any others in the market; they are priceless, whereas every other merchant’s goods have a fixed price they cannot exceed.” The governor was astonished to hear such words from the old man. He began to scan the place, hoping to find something rare or valuable, but he found nothing.
He said to the elder, “I see nothing for sale in your shop.” The man replied, “I sell wisdom to the people. I have sold much of it, and everyone who bought it has benefited. I have only two tablets left.” The governor asked, “And do you earn a living from this trade, Sheikh?” The man smiled a sweet smile and said, “Yes, sir, I earn enough to suffice and more; for my tablets are very expensive.”
The governor picked up one of the displayed tablets and wiped away the dust. There, written in beautiful calligraphy, was a sentence: “Think before you act.” The governor contemplated the phrase for a long time, then turned to the old man to ask the price. He replied, “I sell it for ten thousand dinars only.” The governor laughed heartily, thinking the old man was raving. He asked, “Are you truly serious?” The Sheikh replied calmly, “There is no negotiation on the price.”
The governor assumed the old man was senile and began to humor him by haggling over the price, but the man refused to lower it by even a single dinar. The governor walked away, expecting the old man to call him back as merchants usually do in markets, but he noticed that the old man did not care and simply returned to sit on his chair in total tranquility.
As the governor continued his stroll through the market, a wicked thought suddenly crossed his mind. Just before he was about to act upon it, he remembered the old man’s wisdom: Think before you act. He withdrew from his plan and felt a sudden sense of relief and satisfaction in his heart. In that moment, he realized the true value of the wisdom and how much he had benefited from it.
He immediately decided to return to the old man’s shop to buy the wisdom at the stated price. The old man did not smile; he stood calmly, dusted off the tablet, handed it to the governor, and took the full payment. But before the governor left, the old man said, “I have sold you this tablet, but I have one condition.” The governor asked, “And what is it?”
The Sheikh said, “That you write this wisdom in every corner of your house—on the doors, walls, and even on the tools you use daily.” The governor did not grasp the purpose behind this condition, but he agreed nonetheless. Upon returning to his palace, he fulfilled his promise and ordered the wisdom to be inscribed in multiple places throughout the palace; he even had it embroidered on some of his clothes and engraved on many of his belongings.
Days and months passed, and the commander of the governor’s guards plotted to conspire against him and kill him to take over the province. He struck a deal with the governor’s barber to carry out the deed in exchange for great rewards. When the barber arrived at the palace, he felt a surge of nervousness and fear, especially when he saw the phrase written on the palace gate: Think before you act.
He gathered his strength, pushed aside his fear, and entered the long corridor. However, he saw the same phrase repeated over and over again everywhere: Think before you act! Think before you act!! Think before you act! At this point, the barber decided to lower his gaze and look at the ground so as not to see the phrase again. But when he did, he saw the same words woven into the rugs on the floor.
Fear began to crawl into his heart, and his agitation grew. He tried to compose himself as he entered the governor’s chambers. But as soon as the door opened, he saw that tablet hanging with the same phrase upon it. He averted his eyes and looked at the governor, only to be struck with horror when he saw the robe the governor was wearing—the same phrase was embroidered upon it. He felt as though those words were directed specifically at him.
Finally, as he went to prepare the King’s personal shaving kit, he found the same phrase engraved upon it: Think before you act. The box slipped from his hand, and he collapsed before the governor, confessing everything. The governor pardoned the barber but ordered the arrest of the commander of the guards and his accomplices.
Afterward, the governor stood long, gazing at the wisdom he had bought from the old “Wisdom Seller.” He wiped the dust from it and contemplated it with pride and awe. He decided to go to the market again to buy a new piece of wisdom, but when he arrived, he found the shop closed. The people informed him that the old man had passed away.