Clever King Story

There was a country long time ago where the people would
change a king 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.
Clever King StoryAfter 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'an Says: 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)