The woman said she had no group, so she couldn’t be in one line and be part of the procession. Those without a group would be left alone. Those not in a line were considered not part of the procession. Who would want to group with a prostitute? Who would be willing to be in line with a prostitute?
The dog kept shaking its head. No, it said. The dog said the woman deserved her promised place in heaven too.
The woman replied, perhaps. But who would be willing to be in heaven with a prostitute? What’s the point of being in heaven if there’s still a prostitute there?
The dog continued to shake its head. No, it said. The dog said that no matter what, the woman deserved a place in heaven. This rock was the witness, it said.
***
The story tells of the beginning of their friendship. By the side of the stone now leaned against by the woman, there used to be a well. It was the only well in this barren desert. At that time, the dog was in dire straits. For days, it hadn’t found any food. There were no rotting meat or bones scattered on the streets. People passing by the area didn’t discard their leftovers. There were no dry leaves or shreds of paper carried by the wind to be eaten. For days, it wandered around, but still couldn’t find anything to eat. Around the area, there was only one source of water: the well. The well was deep enough for a dog to just lap its water. It was impossible for it to immerse itself to drink. Doing so would be equivalent to suicide.
That day was the dog’s last day to endure its hunger and thirst. It had run out of energy. Its body’s resilience had reached its lowest point. All it could do was lean its body against a rock by the side of the well. The dog’s body was so emaciated. It trembled as it leaned against the stone. It was truly on the verge of death. It couldn’t even open its eyelids. No one cared about the dog’s fate. If that day passed without any food intake, it would collapse dead by the side of the stone.
But that’s when the goddess of mercy arrived. Under the scorching sun of the desert, a woman walked unsteadily towards the well. The woman was also barely able to withstand her thirst. As soon as she reached the well, she hastily fetched its water.
“But you didn’t drink it immediately,” said the dog.
Seeing a dying dog next to her, the woman abandoned her intention to drink and instead offered the bucket full of water to the dog. Because the dog had run out of energy and couldn’t lift or insert its mouth into the bucket, the woman helped. She lifted the dog’s head and then pushed the bucket so that the dog’s mouth was inside it. Slowly, the dog opened its mouth and drank sip by sip. Finally, the water in the bucket ran out. The woman reached her bucket back into the well, this time to drink for herself. Once again, she fetched water, this time to pour over the dog’s body. Slowly, the dog’s body began to look fresh, its strength began to recover, and its eyelids opened. The woman smiled. She reached into her pocket, took out a piece of bread wrapped in plastic, and gave it to the dog to eat. People passing by looked disdainful, and those who intended to fetch water from the well abandoned their plans. But the woman remained seated there until the dog was completely refreshed, able to stand and walk.
***
Somehow, the dog said, what you did eventually reached your Prophet. Your Prophet immediately prayed for you to enter paradise. And it’s impossible for God not to grant the prayer of His most beloved Prophet.