I love the Sufi stories. Here’s one about the Archangel Gabriel. I’m posting it here today, just in case we find ourselves taking this project a little too seriously.

One morning during prayer time, a simple peasant came into the mosque while Muhammad was leading community prayers. As part of one of the prayer cycles, Muhammad recited the portion of the Qur’an in which Moses comes before Pharaoh, but Pharaoh refuses to listen.

“That goddamn son of a bitch!” exclaimed the peasant. After everyone had held their breath, some began to shush him, and the prayers continued.

Afterward, several of the Prophet’s companions began to lay into the peasant, telling him that not only was his interruption rude, it had invalidated his prayer.

While they were still haranguing him, the angel Gabriel came to Muhammad and said to him, “Allah has two messages for you. First, peace to you. Second, would you please tell your friends to stop harassing this poor peasant? His sincere cursing pleased me more than the others’ prayers.”

~as told by Rumi