Shivering in the contentious winds of doctrine, Omar beseeched Allah for the protective cloak of wisdom. Allah surveyed Omar in the ragged mantle of fabrics he had accumulated from garments discarded in the taverns, brothels, palaces, shanties and halls of learning he had frequented when young. "The cloak of wisdom," Allah replied, "is a patchwork of life's experiences, comprised of bits and hues, holes and stains, such as the one you wear. It is so rare, it is recognized by few; it is so unique, it warms only those few. Consider yourself among them when your teeth and tongue stop chattering.