MUSJIDUL HAQ

Download PDF: [S] His Jealousy led to his own Death (Islamic story)

There was a person who was very loyal to a certain King and because of this he was considered a very important person in the court of this King. Whenever he sat in front of the King, he used to always say, “Be kind to that person who always does favours to you. As for those who speak ill, their evilness itself will eventually destroy them.”

However, there was someone in this court who had immense jealously for this person. This jealousy was based on nothing. He had this firm belief that this other person should not be a favourite subject. He also had this dream of somehow belittling this person in front of the King.

He tried many times, but could not succeed. One day, he thought of a plan. He approached the King and said to him, “This person who is your subject and who serves you by picking up your shoes, in reality, he is your greatest enemy. As a matter of fact, he hates you and he has even admitted that there is foul stench which comes from your mouth.”

The King asked, “What proof do you have for this and how can this be verified. I would like to see a definite proof for this.”

He told the King that the next time the King saw him, the King will also notice that he will hold his hand next to his mouth and that this would be proof enough.

When this person left the palace, he immediately approached this favourite person and invited him to have lunch at his house. Obviously, this person had no idea what evil plan was being put in place against him. He innocently accepted the invitation of this person who was claiming to be his bosom friend. The jealous person took him home and fed him food which was filled with onions.

After eating he then went to the palace of the King. When the King was about to leave the palace, this person as usual picked up the shoes of the King and as per his normal practise, he uttered, “One should be good to those who do a favour upon you. As for those who speak evil, their own evil will finally destroy them.”

The King then asked this person to come near and as he did so he placed his hand over his mouth and nose. Bear in mind that the only reason that he did this was so that the King would not be able to get the smell of the onions which he had eaten prior to coming.

However, the King began to think to himself that perhaps the other person had spoken the truth and this person really had the opinion that a bad smell came from the mouth of the King.

The narrator of this story, namely Bakr bin Abdullah Al Mazani, reveals that this King had a habit of issuing judgement and decision spontaneously. When the King saw that this person did not seem to be a close friend and was actually harbouring dislike for him he then secretly ordered his Chief Secretary to write the following on a note and that this was to be given to the Chief Prosecutor. On this note, the following message was written, “When the bearer of this note reaches you, you are instructed to immediately have him killed and send his dead body to me.”

The King then gave this note to this person who everyone considered as the favourite servant of the King. However, when this person went outside, he met the jealous person.

Obviously, both of them did not see the contents because it was already wrapped in a royal seal. When the jealous person saw this person carrying this royal note he asked what was inside and that it should be given to him instead.

The innocent person replied that he did not know what was inside this note but had the impression that perhaps the King had rewarded him with some honour, hence he had to deliver this to the Chief Prosecutor.

The jealous person then insisted, again due to his immense jealousy, that this special letter be given to him so that he could personally deliver it to the Chief Prosecutor. The innocent person then handed him the letter and said that this now belonged to him. Bear in mind that none of them knew what was written inside the letter.

The jealous person then took this letter boastfully to the Chief Prosecutor. When he delivered this letter to the Chief Prosecutor, it was told to him, “I have been informed that you are to be killed and that your dead body should be shown to the King.”

However, this jealous replied that this was not his letter and that it belonged to someone else and that he had mistakenly taken this letter. However, the Chief Prosecutor was not prepared to listen to any excuses and informed him, “Listen you cannot leave this place and in the letter, there are clear instructions that the bearer of this letter be killed and that his dead body be sent to the King.”

This person began to plead that he be given one last chance to visit the King and that this was an innocent mistake. However, the Chief Prosecutor replied, “After receiving this letter, there is no chance of you going back and right now, the only thing in your destiny is death.”

This person was then killed and his dead corpse was sent to the King. At the same time, the favourite subject of the king was also in the palace at that moment. And again, as per his usual habit, he praised that person who did favours to him. The King then looked at him and asked him about what had happened to his letter. This person replied, “When I took your letter and went outside, this person met me in the corridor. He insisted that I give him this letter and I was forced to give it to him.”

When the King heard this, he looked at this favourite subject and informed him, “That person had told me that you believe that there is foul smell which comes my mouth.”

The innocent person replied, “I swear that I had never said such a thing.”

The King then asked, “Yesterday, when I asked you to come near me, why did you place your palm on your mouth and nose?”

He replied, “Dear King, the only reason is that this same person had invited me to his house to eat food and he also fed me onion. The only reason that I had placed my hands over my mouth and nose when you called me near is so that I did not want to trouble you with the smell of onion.”

The king replied, “There is no doubt that you have spoken the truth and you are indeed correct. You may return to your duties and your words were indeed correct which is that, the person who speaks evil or bad is ultimately killed by his own evil or badness. This is what is meant by the statement that a person who digs a well for someone else, he himself ultimately falls into this well.” (Gharaa’ibul Akhbaar)