The King and the Servant

[ummtaalib]

The King and the Servant

 

A king had a male servant who, in all circumstances always said, “My king, do not be discouraged because everything Allah does is perfect and flawless.” One day they went hunting when a wild animal attacked the king. The servant managed to kill the animal but couldn’t prevent his majesty from losing a finger. Furious and without showing gratitude, the King said, “If Allah was good, I would not have been attacked and lost a finger.” The servant replied, “Despite this, I can only tell you that Allah is perfect and everything He does is perfect.” Incensed by the response, the king ordered the arrest of his servant.

While being taken to prison, he told the king again, Allah is wise & perfect. A few days later, the king left alone for another hunt and was captured by savages who used human beings for sacrifice. On the altar, the savages found that the king was missing a finger and released him as he was considered ‘unworthy’ to be offered to their gods for sacrifice. On his return to the palace, he ordered the release of his servant and said, “My friend, Allah was really good to me. I was almost killed but for the missing finger. However, I have a question for you. If Allah is so good, why did He allow me to put you in prison?” His servant replied, “My king, if I had not been sent to prison, I would have been taken with you and would have been sacrificed because I have no missing finger!”

Lesson:

Everything Allah Ta'ala does is perfect and contains Divine Wisdom which we in our limited understanding may not comprehend at the time. Often we complain about life and the conditions which we are in and we forget that there is a Creator who knows us better than ourselves and has infinite wisdom in all His decisions. As Muslims, we need to place our complete trust in Him and have full conviction that whatever He does is the best for us.

 

Jamiatul Ulama (KZN)