Fakir Shehzada

Once upon a time, there was a king who ruled over a vast kingdom. He had no children, despite longing for an heir. He prayed for years, and finally, after a long wait, he was blessed with a son. Overjoyed, the king called upon the royal astrologer to predict the future of the prince and asked, "How successful will my son be as a king?"

The astrologer looked at the prince's birth chart and, after careful consideration, said, "This boy will not become a king. Instead, he will live a simple life as a fakir (ascetic)."

Hearing this, the king became furious. In a fit of rage, he ordered the astrologer to be executed. He then decided to keep the prince isolated from the outside world. The king built a grand glass palace and confined the prince inside it, away from everything. The only person allowed to visit the prince was the minister’s son, who became his only friend.

Every day, the minister’s son would visit the prince and tell him stories about the outside world. He would describe how mangoes hung from trees, how flowers bloomed in the fields, and how people lived their lives. The prince would listen with great curiosity and amazement, asking, "Is that really how the world is?"

One day, the prince said to his friend, "I want to see the outside world for myself."

The minister's son hesitated but eventually agreed. Together, they escaped from the glass palace and ventured into the forest.

As they walked, the prince saw a tree and asked, "What is this?"

The minister's son replied, "It’s a tree that bears fruit, like the ones you eat in your palace."

A little further, the prince saw crops growing in a field. He asked, "And what is this?"

His friend explained, "These are crops — food that people grow to eat, like rice and wheat."

As they continued walking, they heard a woman screaming in pain. The prince asked, "What’s wrong with her?"

The minister’s son replied, "She’s about to give birth. That’s why she’s in pain."

The prince was astonished. They walked further and soon heard the cry of a newborn baby.

"What is that sound?" asked the prince.

The minister's son said, "It’s a baby. The woman you saw earlier has just given birth to a child. This is how life begins."

They continued their journey and reached a river. The prince marvelled at the flowing water and asked, "What is this?"

"This is water," the minister’s son explained. "You drink it, bathe in it, and use it to wash your clothes."

The prince was amazed at everything he saw. Further along, they came across some young men working in the fields.

The prince asked, "Who are these people, and what are they doing?"

The minister’s son explained, "That baby you saw earlier has grown up. These men are now working to earn their living."

As they walked, they passed by a wedding celebration. The prince asked, "What’s happening here?"

His friend replied, "It’s a wedding. When people grow up, they get married and start their own families."

Later, they passed by an old couple sitting quietly together. The prince asked, "Who are they?"

"They are the same people you saw at the wedding," the minister’s son said. "They’ve grown old with time."

Then, they saw a funeral procession passing by.

"What’s happening now?" asked the prince.

The minister’s son replied, "Someone has passed away. This is the final stage of life. People are born, they grow up, they get married, have children, grow old, and eventually, they die."

Hearing this, the prince fell into deep thought. He realised that everything in life is temporary. There is nothing in the world that one can hold on to forever. Life begins, and it ends. People come into this world for a few days and then leave.

Disillusioned by the fleeting nature of life, the prince decided to renounce the world. He and his friend left the kingdom and wandered into the forests, dedicating themselves to the worship of Allah.

Meanwhile, back in the palace, the king missed his son dearly. Stricken with grief, he had a statue of his son made and placed it in his private chamber. Every day, he would sit before the statue and talk to it, pouring out his heart in sorrow.

The people of the kingdom were confused by the king’s behaviour. They began to think that the king was worshipping the statue. Slowly, they too started to bow before the statue and offer prayers.

And so, over time, what had started as a father’s love for his son turned into the beginning of idol worship in that kingdom.

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Moral of the Story: The richest of us is not the King, but the one who worships Allah and finds the truth. 

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Source: Recorded in Karachi, as a part of Clicks and Culture, our collaboration with Beaconhouse School System.