The Story of an
African King and His
Friend
Author: unknown
A story is
told about a King in
Africa who had a
close friend that he
grew up with. The
friend had a habit
of looking at every
situation that ever
occurred in his life
(positive or
negative) by
remarking, "This is
good, Allah Almighty
knows best" One day
the King and his
friend were out on a
hunting expedition.
The friend would
load and prepare the
guns for the King.
The friend had
apparently done
something wrong in
preparing one of the
guns, for after
taking the gun from
his friend, the King
fired it and his
thumb was blown
off. Examining the
situation the friend
remarked as usual,
"This is good! Allah
Almighty knows
best." To which the
King replied, "No,
this is NOT good!"
and ordered his
soldiers to put his
friend into jail.
About a year later,
the King was hunting
in an area that he
should have known to
stay clear of.
Cannibals captured
the King and took
him to their
village. They tied
his hands,
stacked
some wood, set up a
stake and bound him
to the stake. As
they came near to
set fire to the
wood, they noticed
that the King was
missing a thumb.
Being superstitious,
they never ate
anyone who was less
than whole. So after
untying the King,
they chased him out
of the village.
When the King
reached his Palace,
he was reminded of
the event that had
taken his thumb and
felt remorse for his
treatment of his
friend. He went
immediately to the
jail to speak with
his friend.
"You were
right" the King
said, "it was good
that my thumb was
blown off." And he
proceeded to tell
the friend all that
had just happened.
"I am very sorry for
sending you to jail
for so long. It was
bad for me to do
this." "No," his
friend replied,
"this is
good...Allah
Almighty knows
best" "What do you
mean, 'this is
good'! How could it
be good that I sent
my friend to jail
for a year?"
The King's
friend replied:
"Remember that the
Almighty knows best
and if I had NOT
been in jail, I
would have been with
you on that hunting
trip."
"He
knows what is before
them And what is
behind them: And to
Allah go
back All
questions (for
decision)
Qur'an:
22:76
Do Not Judge
Things or Events by
its Immediate
Outcome! Almighty,
the Most High, is
the
All-Knowledgeable,
the All-Knower... He
chooses to show us
things... but
sometimes... we are
not shown the wisdom
behind
some
things. When we are
confronted by
circumstances that
are not very
pleasing.... we are
quick to say: "This
is not good..."
but... is it really?
We might not know
the purpose behind
it. It might turn to
be a good thing....
thus.. .when we are
faced with any
situation... do not
be too quick to
judge... always
remember.... this
life is a test...
the good and the
bad.... and there is
nothing that happens
for no reason... our
brains are just not
gifted enough to
understand these
reasons yet.
Sometimes ...
things happen to us
for a reason.
courtesy: Khalid
Latif