In light of the situation and occurrences, Emperor made the decision to choose a dervish, smart, and honest person as his special minister who would serve as my covert aide in the administration of the empire. Such persons were selected from throughout the empire, whose intelligence and honesty was renowned in their particular regions, to carry out this covert aim.
The king was highly fond of a dervish’s knowledge. The king instructed the dervish to first observe market activities and inspect the shopkeepers’ scales and the stones they used to weigh their goods because the absence of measurement had caused the earliest nations to perish.
On his first visit, the Old man went straight to a shopkeeper in the bazaar and covertly checked, discovering that they weighed less than everyone else. He mistook the dervish for a fakir when he greeted him, so he returned the greeting, heard a list of his problems, and requested prayers. May Allah treat you fairly, the dervish prayed, and then he continued. After traveling for a while, he stopped close to a butcher’s shop in the market.
Dervish weighed him as well before approaching him and asking, “Man, peace be upon you, how you are doing?” In response to the salutation, the butcher remarked, “Don’t ask me, sir. I want to stab my kidney with this knife and pass away.” Dervish remarked, “God likes those who uphold justice, you fool. May God treat you right?”
Dervish was now in a precarious position standing next to another trader. Dervish approached him and prayed before asking the young man how his life was. Sir, the shopkeeper said that your prayer is exceedingly sweet in the eyes of Allah’s favour and the Prophet’s mercy. And how are things at home, Old man asked? The shopkeeper responded right away, “Sir, that is also Allah’s blessing; the children are obedient, the wife is devoted, the life is prosperous, and the business is excellent.”
The dervish returned to the palace and met the king there. “Tell me, how was today’s affair,” the monarch commanded. How many cases have been successfully resolved? What have you observed or discovered? According to Old man, many retailers under-measure. Hearing this, the monarch became enraged and demanded to know why they had not been detained and brought home. Give them a harsh penalty. The dervish claimed that because the world had made life tough for him and because Allah was punishing him directly, there was no need to bring him here. Some people are oppressed by their children, while others are tired of being themselves.
Now think about all the shortcuts we take to get rich, successful, and profitable—shortcuts that result in the death of others’ rights. How well do we do in these areas?
Keep in mind that individuals who choose the wrong path to achieve physical serenity are spiritually restless. Their hearts experience some sort of difficulty. Despite all, it appears that they are in anguish. Aren’t we experiencing the same thing now? How have we embraced the world, clinging to the world and ignoring the afterlife? May Allah have mercy on us and our predicament.
Two things make society beautiful and are comfortable for us personally. The first is rights, and the second is obligations. Someone else’s rights are their duties, and vice versa. Being dishonest has a negative impact on the dishonest person, and it also causes controversy throughout society. Being dishonest in order to achieve any worldly aim entails purchasing one’s own torture. Avoid punishing yourself in any way that would disturb your peace of mind.
