Contentment in livelihood with ambition is the path to success. This means that striving for growth and improvement is legitimate, but greed leads to misery. Greed clouds one’s judgment and prevents success. This is why wisdom teaches us to be content with what God has provided and to avoid being greedy. There are many examples in this regard, but let us take into consideration an old Chinese tale: A king decided to reward a citizen by offering him ownership of all the land he could walk on.
The man, overjoyed, immediately began walking swiftly to claim as much land as possible. His only focus was to acquire more. As he walked, exhaustion began to set in, and he thought about returning to the king to claim the reward he had already earned. But greed overtook him, and despite his fatigue, he pressed on, hoping for even more land. After several weeks of traveling long distances, the man considered returning, as he was content with what he had already gained.
The man, overjoyed, immediately began walking swiftly to claim as much land as possible. His only focus was to acquire more. As he walked, exhaustion began to set in, and he thought about returning to the king to claim the reward he had already earned. But greed overtook him, and despite his fatigue, he pressed on, hoping for even more land. After several weeks of traveling long distances, the man considered returning, as he was content with what he had already gained.
Yet, once again, he hesitated and chose to keep walking to get more land. He continued on for days and nights, and his body was overwhelmed by exhaustion, but he never turned back. Eventually, he lost his way on the rugged paths and is said to have died from sheer exhaustion. In the end, he had nothing, and the happiness he sought remained out of reach, for he never understood the true meaning of satisfaction or contentment.
The Thief Judge and the Cheating
Wife One important lesson to learn is not to be deceived by appearances, as they often conceal many flaws beneath the surface. This is especially true when someone exaggerates their piety, patriotism, or commitment to not harming others, while they secretly harbor bad intentions. The following story illustrates how a husband uncovered his wife’s betrayal, despite her outward display of chastity and devotion to God. The story begins when a husband returns home to find his wife crying. He asked her the reason, and she explained, “The birds on the tree outside our house look at me when I am without my hijab (veil), and this might be a disobedience to God.”
The husband, moved by her apparent chastity and piety, kissed her between the eyes and, in an act of devotion, took an axe and chopped down the tree. A week later, he came home early from work and found his wife sleeping in the arms of her lover. He did not react immediately. Instead, he quietly took what he needed and left the city. He journeyed to a distant city, where he found a crowd gathered near the king’s palace. Curious, he asked what was happening, and they told him, “The king’s treasury has been stolen.” As he stood observing, a man walked by on his tiptoes. He asked, “Who is this man?” They replied, “That is the city judge. He walks on tiptoe to avoid stepping on an ant, out of fear of disobeying God.” The man looked at the judge and declared, “I swear to God, I know who the thief is. Take me to the king.” Once before the king, the man said, “My lord, I have found the thief, and he is the judge of this city. If I am wrong, cut off my head.”
The judge was brought before the king, and after some questioning, he confessed to the theft. The king asked the stranger, “How did you know the judge was the thief?” The man replied, “When caution is exaggerated, and talks of virtue are overstated, it is a clear sign that it is a cover-up of a big crime.”
The husband, moved by her apparent chastity and piety, kissed her between the eyes and, in an act of devotion, took an axe and chopped down the tree. A week later, he came home early from work and found his wife sleeping in the arms of her lover. He did not react immediately. Instead, he quietly took what he needed and left the city. He journeyed to a distant city, where he found a crowd gathered near the king’s palace. Curious, he asked what was happening, and they told him, “The king’s treasury has been stolen.” As he stood observing, a man walked by on his tiptoes. He asked, “Who is this man?” They replied, “That is the city judge. He walks on tiptoe to avoid stepping on an ant, out of fear of disobeying God.” The man looked at the judge and declared, “I swear to God, I know who the thief is. Take me to the king.” Once before the king, the man said, “My lord, I have found the thief, and he is the judge of this city. If I am wrong, cut off my head.”
The judge was brought before the king, and after some questioning, he confessed to the theft. The king asked the stranger, “How did you know the judge was the thief?” The man replied, “When caution is exaggerated, and talks of virtue are overstated, it is a clear sign that it is a cover-up of a big crime.”
