every year. The person who would become the king had to agree to a
contract that he would be sent to an island after his one year of
being a king.
One king finished his term and it was time for him to go to the island
and live there. The people dressed him up in expensive clothes and put
him on an elephant and took him around the cities to say goodbye to
all the people. This was the moment of sadness for all the kings who
ruled for one year. After saying farewell, the people took the king
with a boat to the remote island and left him there.
On their way back, they discovered a ship that had sunk just recently.
They saw a young man who survived by holding on to a floating piece of
wood. As they needed a new king, they picked up the young man and took
him to their country. They requested him to be a king for a year.
First he refused but later he agreed to be a king. People told him
about all the rules and regulations and that how he will be sent to an
island after one year.
After three days of being a king, he asked the ministers if they could
show him the island where all the other kings were sent. They agreed
and took him to the island. The island was covered with thick jungles
and sounds of vicious animals were heard coming out of them. The king
went little bit inside to check. Soon he discovered the dead bodies of
all the past kings. He understood that as soon as they were left in
the island, the animals came and killed them.
The king went back to the country and collected 100 strong workers. He
took them to the island and instructed them to clean the jungle,
remove all the deadly animals and cut down all the excess trees. He
would visit the island every month to see how the work was
progressing. In the first month, all the animals were removed and many
trees were cut down. In the second month, the whole island was cleaned
out. The king then told the workers to plant gardens in various parts
of the island. He also took with himself useful animals like chickens,
ducks, birds, goats, cows etc. In the third month, he ordered the
workers to build big houses and docking stations for ships. Over the
months, the island turned into a beautiful place.
The young king would wear simple clothes and spend very little from
his earnings as a king. He sent all the earnings to the island for
storage. When nine months passed like this, the king called the
ministers and told them:
"I know that I have to go the island after one year, but I would like
to go there right now." But the ministers didn't agree to this and
said that he has to wait for another 3 months to complete the year.
3 months passed and now it was a full year. The people dressed up the
young king and put him on an elephant to take him around the country
to say goodbye to others. However, this king is unusually happy to
leave the kingdom.
People asked him, "All the other kings would cry at this moment and
why are you laughing?"
He replied, "Don't you know what the wise people say? They say that
when you came to this world as a baby, you were crying and everyone
was smiling. Live such a life that when you are die, you will be
smiling and everyone around you will be crying. I have lived that
life. While all the other kings were lost into the luxuries of the
kingdom, I always thought about the future and planned for it. I
turned the deadly island into a beautiful abode for me where I can
stay peacefully."
The moral lesson from this story is about how we should live our life.
The life of this world is to prepare for the life hereafter. In this
life, we shouldn't get lost into the deceiving and attractive things
of this world and forget about what is to come in the afterlife.
Rather, even if we are kings, we should live a simple life like our
beloved Holy Prophet Muhammad (saww) and save all our enjoyments for
the hereafter. May Allah make it easy for us all. Amin.
Noble Qur'anSays: Verily the knowledge of the Hour is with Allah
(alone). It is He Who sends down rain, and He Who knows what is in the
wombs. Nor does any one know what it is that he will earn on the
morrow: Nor does any one know in what land he is to die. Verily with
Allah is full knowledge and He is acquainted (with all things).
(31:34)
Noble Qur'an urges us to prepare for tomorrow: O ye who believe! Fear
Allah, and let every soul look to what (provision) He has sent forth
for the morrow. Yea, fear Allah: for Allah is well-acquainted with
(all) that ye do. (59:18)
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