Written by: Ahmed Khaled Al-Hamad

**In One of the Villages in Syria** There was a hardworking farmer who diligently watered and plowed his land, taking great care of his crops as usual to ensure a bountiful harvest. One day, due to a lack of winter rain, the water supply diminished, and the crops became thirsty. As a result, the farmer had to water his crops more at night than during the day, as the night air was cooler and the soil retained moisture better. One night, as he was irrigating his crops, he redirected the water to a section of his land before going to rest in a small room he had on his farm. Every two hours, he would return to change the direction of the water. On this particular night, however, something unusual happened. After two hours, he went back to adjust the water flow again but found that it had already been redirected. Puzzled, he restored it to its original course and went back to rest. However, when he returned later, he found it altered once more. He fixed it again but began to suspect that someone was playing a trick on him. Determined to uncover the culprit, he hid nearby, watching carefully. He was astonished to see a black cat changing the direction of the water. Enraged, he rushed toward it and struck it on the head with the shovel he used for irrigation. The cat collapsed, and he quickly restored the water flow before heading back to rest. But as he walked away, a car suddenly appeared, and three men emerged from inside. They seized him, tied him up, and took him with them to a mountain. When they arrived, he saw a large group of people gathered around—he was being put on trial for attacking the cat, which, as it turned out, was actually a jinn. The jinn held a court session for the poor farmer and gave him two choices: either be executed or marry one of their women. Fearing for his life, he chose marriage. The jinn prepared a wedding ceremony, similar to human traditions. When everything was ready and the farmer was brought to his bride, he suddenly remembered to say "In the name of Allah" before entering. The moment he uttered the name of Allah, everything around him vanished. He found himself far from his village, about an hour’s walk away. Frightened but relieved, he hurried back home, continuously reciting prayers to protect himself from the jinn’s return. At dawn, exhausted and terrified by what had happened, he reached his house and swore never to harm a cat again, no matter the circumstances. He realized that some cats might be jinn in disguise. This tale serves as a reminder that we, too, should avoid harming cats at night, as jinn often appear in the form of black cats. Additionally, we should always seek refuge in Allah and recite His name over everything we use to prevent unseen beings from interfering with it.