Download PDF: [S] Justice of a King to a Widow (Islamic story)

It is reported that once Sultan Malik Shah Saljuqi was busy hunting in the forest of Isfahan.

 

He was also camped at a certain village. There was also a poor widow in this village who owned a cow and through this, she was able to take care of her three children. However, the soldiers of Malik Shah captured this cow and had a good meal out of it. When the poor widow came to know about this, she was shocked. There had been no one who was prepared to stop these soldiers from doing something like this. There wasn’t anyone who was prepared to listen to a poor widow who had no other family as well. She spent the entire night in this worry.

 

In the morning she thought to herself that even if no one was prepared to present her case in the front of the King, perhaps, if she approached the King herself, there could be a chance. At the same time she thought that Allah azza wajal had not given such a huge kingdom to someone for nothing.

 

She then came to know that the King would be crossing a certain bridge on a certain day and she felt that this would be the perfect opportunity to tackle the King. She then went to one of the famous bridges in Isfahan and stood in the middle of this bridge waiting for the King to arrive. When the king Arrived on this bridge, she bravely went forward and declared, “O the son of Alap Arsalaan! Will you be able to give me justice on this bridge or will it be on the bridge which is the called the Pulsiraat? Choose which bridge you wish.”

 

When the King saw this bravery, he was highly impressed. Everyone saw that the King then dismounted his horse and it seemed as if he was greatly amazed by this question. He then said to the old lady, “I do not have the power on the Pulsiraat and I wish to make my decision on this bridge. Therefore, tell me what has happened.”

 

The old lady then explained the entire story to him. When the King heard this, he was extremely angry with the oppressive behaviour of his soldiers. In place of this single cow he gave her seventy cows and plenty of other wealth as well. When the old lady had declared that, “I am well pleased with your justice and fairness and my Lord is also pleased,” only then did the King mount his horse. (Na kaabil fara moush waaqi’aat, 210)

 

Imagine the conditions of those days. How brave were those who spoke and how full of justice were those who listened. Sadly, in the present age, if someone had to say something like this to some government minister or someone who is in power, the first thing that would happen to him is that he would be placed in an asylum.