Get not misled by one's Appearance

Once Hazrat Khwaja Hassan Basri was walking by a river side. He saw a Negro seated there. He had a bottle from which he was drinking himself and also offered to the woman sitting beside him. Instantly it occurred to him that though the man is drinking wine, he is still better than me. But suddenly he thought that how can he be better than me, after all he has a woman by his side? Suddenly he saw a boat laden with luggage and seven persons moving towards the bank of the river. Due to overweight perhaps, the boat lost balance and sank.

The Negro at once jumped into the river and saved six persons and addressing Hazrat Hassan Basri said, ‘O Hassan Basri, if you’re better than me than save the seventh person. He added, ‘Have no misconception, because the woman beside me is my mother and that the bottle does not contain wine, it has water in it. One should not get misled by one’s outer appearance.’

Hassan Basri fell on his feet and said the way you have saved these persons from the river, save me also from the ocean of pride. After the incident the entire outlook of Khwaja Hassan Basri changed about others.