Words of Inspiration - Story about 'Honesty'

'Honesty' - Life of a true Muslim

An emperor in the Far East was growing old and knew it was time to choose his successor. Instead of choosing one f his assistants or his children, he decided something different. He called young people in the kingdom together one day and said “It is time for me to step down and choose the next emperor. I have decided to choose one of you.”

The kids were shocked! But the emperor continued. “I am going to give each one of you a seed today, one very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will them judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next emperor!”

One boy named Ling was there that day and he like the others, received a seed as well, He went home and excitedly told his mother the story. She helped him get a pot and planting soil, and he planted seed and watered it carefully. Every day he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.

Ling kept checking his seed but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, 4 weeks, 5 weeks went by still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants but Ling didn’t have a plant, and he felt like a failure. Six months went by still nothing in Ling’s pot. He just knew he had killed his seed.

Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Ling didn’t say anything to his friends; however He just kept waiting for his seed to grow.

A year finally went by and all the youths of the kingdom brought their plants to the emperor for inspection. Ling told his mother that he wasn’t going to take an empty pot. But honest about what happened, Ling felt sick to his stomach, but he knew his mother was right. He took his empty pot to the palace. When Ling arrived he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other youths. They were beautiful in all shapes and sized. Ling put his empty pot on the floor and many of the other kids laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him and just said, “Hey nice try”

When the emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people. Ling just tried to hide in the back, “My what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown” said the emperor. “Today one of you will be appointed the next emperor!” All of a sudden, the emperor spotted Ling at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring him to the front. Ling was terrified, “The emperor knows I’m a failure! Maybe he will have me killed!”

When Ling got to the front, The Emperor asked his name. “My name is Ling” he replied. All the kids were laughing and making fun of him. The emperor asked everyone to quiet down. He looked at Ling and then announced to the crown, “Behold your new emperor! His name is Ling!”. Ling couldn’t believe it. Ling couldn’t even grow his seed. How could he be the new emperor? Then the emperor said, “One year ago today I gave everyone here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds which would not grow. All of you except Ling have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Ling was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore he is the one who will be the new emperor!”

What Islam Tells us Regarding Honesty According to Hadith of Our Beloved Prophet Muhammad (May Peace & Blessings be upon Him):

(Sahih Al-Bukhari)
Volume 8, Book 73, Number 116
Narrated by 'Abdullah:

The Prophet (May Peace & Blessings be upon him) said, "Truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise. And a man keeps on telling the truth until he becomes a truthful person. Falsehood leads to Al-Fajur (i.e. wickedness, evil-doing), and Al-Fajur (wickedness) leads to the (Hell) Fire, and a man may keep on telling lies till he is written before Allah, a liar."

(Sahih Al-Bukhari)
Volume 8, Book 73, Number 117
Narrated by Abu Huraira:

Allah's Apostle said, "The signs of a hypocrite are three: Whenever he speaks, he tells a lie; and whenever he promises, he breaks his promise; and whenever he is entrusted, he betrays (proves to be dishonest)".

(Sahih Al-Bukhari)
Volume 8, Book 73, Number 118
Narrated by Samura bin Jundub:

The Prophet said, "I saw (in a dream), two men came to me." Then the Prophet narrated the story (saying), "They said, 'The person, the one whose cheek you saw being torn away (from the mouth to the ear) was a liar and used to tell lies and the people would report those lies on his authority till they spread all over the world. So he will be punished like that till the Day of Resurrection."'