One day, Caliph Haroon Al-Rashid was in a pensive mood. The grand wazir seeing him sad, reminded him of the day that was earmarked to understand how justice was done and the order was restored in the kingdom.
The Caliph delightedly took him to the town in disguise. When he saw a blind beggar, he gave him alms. Strangely, the beggar pleaded for a blow and said that he had taken a vow that he would take alms along with chastisement only. The Caliph obliged him with a blow on his back. So surprised was the Caliph that he told the wazir to call him to the palace.
Later, the Caliph was astonished to find a man beating a horse mercilessly to make it run in the open space. The Caliph ordered the wazir to bring the man along to the palace.
The next day, the wazir brought the beggar, the horse-beater and an unknown man before the Caliph. When the blind man was sought to explain his strange behaviour, he excused it as atonement to a fearful sin committed by him. That was why he practised such an act.
