Islamic Exemplary Stories

The story of the Minister who said good.

The Story of a Good-Saying Minister

One day, the minister attended a dinner with the king. While cutting the fruit, the king accidentally injured his own index finger. The knife he used to cut the fruit had caused his index finger to be cut off and feel pain. The king asked the minister sitting next to him about the incident he had just experienced.

“This is Good, for the king.” The minister replied without hesitation.

“What? You say this is good?” The king was surprised by the answer.

“Yes, o king. It's good.”

The king was furious at that answer. How could such a severely injured finger be considered his minister a good thing? So he ordered the minister arrested and put in jail.

Then the king visited his minister in prison and asked him,

“Now, what do you think of your own circumstances, who are now in prison like this?”

“This is also Good for me , O king.” The minister replied without hesitation.

Hearing the answer, the king became increasingly angry and soon left his minister alone in prison. He felt his minister was very stupid and outrageous in giving opinions.

A few days later, the king went hunting in the forest and accompanied by another minister. They set out on horseback to the forest. Since the new minister was unusual in the way the king rode on horseback, he ended up lagging far behind. They were separated and eventually the king himself got lost in the forest. Not only lost, the king was also captured by a group of idolaters who lived in the forest.

When the king was ready to be sacrificed, they saw the king's index finger cut off, then they became hesitant to sacrifice the king.

“We only offer the best and perfect on our idols.” Said the chief who presided over the ceremony. “This guy had his index finger cut off, so he wasn't worthy to be victimized,”

Therefore they released the king and he returned to his kingdom with a happy feeling.

A few days after the incident, the king recalled the words of the minister who had angered him when his finger was cut off. He immediately went to jail and said to the minister, “What you said when my finger was cut off is correct. That's a good thing indeed.”

Then the king told him what he had experienced until he finally survived the threat of death.

But the king did not understand the words and intentions of the minister about his imprisonment that it was also a good thing for him. And the king asked him.

“ O my minister, you have said that my finger cut off is good and it has been proven, but what about you who say that this prison is good for you..?? “

The late Minister smiled as he said, “I am in this prison also good because if I go with the king on that day, I am also caught. Of course I will be made a victim as a replacement for the king because my limbs are complete and no one is disabled.”

In conclusion, all that is determined by GOD is the best even though we may not know or do not know the good that is behind all the provisions of God set for us.

So be prejudiced to Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala