God in His sovereign power then revealed His will to Moses.  “Tell him,” said God, “there must be yet another seven years of drought.”  Moses then returned to Ali ibn Zayid and repeated the message, saying, “The Almighty and Most High God says there will be another seven years before the rain comes again.”

After hearing this, Ali ibn Zayid went on his way.  He confided in his bull, Faraj, however.  “Come close, Faraj,” he said.  “God’s help is nearer than the white of the eye to the pupil.”  But before he had a chance to begin plowing his field, the merciful God sent down the rain.

The next day Moses came near Ali ibn Zayid again.  “O Prophet of God,” shouted Ali ibn Zayid, “You may be a prophet, but you lied to me.”  Moses, seeing that it had indeed rained, went and called on his Lord.  “Know this,” said God, “that every moment I am in a new state.  Do you know what Ali ibn Zayid said to the bull after you left?  Truly, only the unbelievers forget to call on God’s mercy.  When he prayed to me with such a pure heart and in such sincere repentance, I was moved and responded to his request.  Thus, I sent the rain.”

Ali ibn Zayid had a faith strong enough to change God’s mind.  As a farmer he was dependent on adequate rain to provide for his family.  The seven years of drought were more than enough for anyone to bear, including the ancient Egyptians in the biblical story of Joseph.  Yet at the prospect of seven more dry years Ali still accepted God’s will.

The message here is a common theme in the Qur’an, Islam’s holy book, that God is merciful and can be moved to respond to human needs.  Lost in the translation is an allusion in God’s response to Moses to a verse in the Qur’an from the chapter called “The Merciful God.”  Also lost is a pun in Arabic on the name of Ali’s bull, Faraj.  The religious connotation of faraj is the help God provides to relieve a difficult situation.  The important factor in this tale is the personal trust of Ali rather than the intercession of Moses.