Put in the pannier

A Syrian folktale

Translated by: Fateh kassab

© 2011 by THE BIRD(http://www.thebirdali.com/)

The story is bout a cleric known for piety and virtue. He had his own way in charity and preaching, which was different from other people's ways. He believed that doing good for people is the first pillar of piety. So he collected alms from the rich and distributed it to the poor in a manner free from embarrassment. He rode his horse and moved from one place to another with a pannier placed under him on the horse back. If a man offers him a sum of money, he said," Put it in the pannier ".

Without knowing the amount of charity each and every one put in that pannier, and so all people that contribute or offer to help shall be equal.
Thus, his words "Put it in the pannier "became a well known proverb that is said when someone is not interested in knowing the details of something, or not interested in the whole thing. The proverb is used now to express indifference as a value which led to backwardness and corruption