Spiritual Stories for Children: Don't treat the Evildoer with EvilTit for Tat, Backfire

There was a companion of the king who visited him all the time. He
would sit beside him and say, 'Treat the good-doer with good and don't
treat the evil-doer with evil for his evil will be sufficient for
him.'
Another man envied his position with the king and his good speech.
Theenvious man came to the king and related: 'Your companion that sits
beside you claimed that you had a bad smell.'
The king inquired, 'But how can I verify this?'
The man replied, 'Call himto you. He will put his hand on his nose as
he gets closer to you.'
The king said, 'Leave, andI will see!' This man left the king and
invited the king's companion to a meal that he had placed much garlic
in.
The companion of the king ate and then went to the king as usual and
said, 'Treat the good-doer with good and don't treat the evil-doer
with evil, for hisevil will be sufficient for him.'
The king said to him, 'Getcloser to me!' The man moved closer, and
placedhis hand over his mouth so that the king would not smell the
odor of garlic.
The king thought to himself, 'That man was truthful.' The king then
hand-wrote a letter and gave it to the companion.The king never wrote
anything unless he wanted to give someone a prize or gift.
But this letter was written to one of his administrators and contained
the following message: 'When the bearer of this letter comes to you,
slaughter him and skin him. Then fill his skin with straw and send him
back to me.'
Later, the envious man met the companion of the king on his way and
asked, 'What is this letter?'
The companion of the king replied, 'The king has given me a gift.'
The envious man asked, 'Would you give it to me.'
The companion of the king said, 'It's yours.'
The envious man took it and went to the administrator. The
administrator said to him, 'This letter is a command from the king to
slaughter you and skinyou.'
The envious man announced, 'This letter is not mine. I beseech you in
the Name of Allah to check with the king before you do anything.'
The administrator informed him that there would be no changes to what
the king had written. Then he slaughtered him, skinnedhim, filled his
skin with straw, and sent him back to the king.
In the meantime, the companion of the king returned to the king as
usual. The king was shocked and demanded, 'What happened to the
letter?'
Companion of the king said, 'So-and-so met me and asked me for it, so
I gave it to him.'
The king then challenged, 'Have you said that I have a bad smell?'
The companion of the king rebutted, 'No!'
So the king asked, 'Then why did you place your hand over your mouth?'
The companion of the king answered, 'So-and-so provided me with food
that had much garlic in it and I hated that you might smell it.'
The king declared, 'You are truthful. The evil of the evildoer is
sufficient for him.'
Noble Qur'an says: "Whoever works righteousness benefits his own soul;
whoever works evil, it is against his own soul: nor is your Lord ever
unjust (in the least) to His Servants." (41:46)