37. The Prophet’s Horse

A certain horse called Dildil (alternatively Dindil) had the power to fly. Once, a prophet was riding Dildil on the way to a village called Sarao in the Barwar region. The prophet was waylaid by a couple of villains. He prayed to God that he would be relieved of this predicament. The only way to get out of the situation was through a certain stone called ‘Muzalan’. God caused the stone to become soft like dough. Then Dildil walked on this stone until he reached a safe place and got rid escaped the villains. It is believed that the footprints of Dildil are still visible on the Muzalan stone. The narrator talks about the cultural significance of Dildil in the region. There are folk songs which reference Dildil. Historically, it is believed that Dildil was the name of the mule of the prophet Muhammad, which was later passed down to Imam Ali. Nowadays in the Barwar region, the term ‘Dildil’ is used to refer to the good quality of a horse.