THE
SEED
-----------
A successful Amir [leader] who was growing old and knew
it was time to choose a successor to take over from him.
Instead of choosing one of his close friends or his children,
he decided to do something different. He called all the
responsible people in his community together.
He
said, "I'm old and I cannot devote myself to the affairs
of the community adequately so after much consideration
I feel it is time to choose a new leader. I have decided
to choose one of you. "The people there were shocked,
but the Amir 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 the seed I have
given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring,
and the one I choose will be the next Amir[leader]."
One man, named Sideeck, was there that day and he, like
the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly,
told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil
and compost and he planted the seed. Everyday, he would
water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three
weeks, some of the other people began to talk about their
seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.
Sideeck kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three
weeks, four weeks,five weeks went by, still nothing. By
now, others were talking about their plants, but Sideeck
didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure.
Six months went by -- still nothing in Sideeck's pot. He
just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees
and tall plants, but he had nothing. Sideeck didn't say
anything to his friends, however. He just kept watering
and fertilizing the soil - He so wanted the seed to grow.
A
year finally went by and all the people who were given seeds
brought their plants to the Amir for inspection.
Sideeck
told his wife that he was not going to take an empty pot.
But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Sideeck
felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing
moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took
his empty pot to the Amir. When Sideeck arrived, he was
amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other people.
They were beautiful -- in all shapes and sizes. Sideeck
put his empty pot on the floor and many of his friends laughed,
a few felt sorry for him!
When
the Amir arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his people.
Sideeck
just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants,
trees, and flowers you have grown," said the Amir.
"Today one of you will be appointed the next Amir!"
All
of a sudden, the Amir spotted Sideeck at the back of the
room with his empty pot. He ordered that to bring him to
the front. Sideeck was terrified. He thought, "The
Amir I'm a failure! Maybe he will punish me!"
When
Sideeck got to the front, the Amir asked him what had happened
to his seed - Sideeck told him the story.
The
Amir asked everyone to sit down except Sideeck. He looked
at Sideeck, and then announced to the people, "Behold
your next Amir!"
His
name is Sideeck!" Sideeck couldn't believe it. Sideeck
couldn't even grow his seed. "How could he be the new
Amir?" the others said.
Then
the Amir said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone
in this room 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; they were dead - it was not possible
for them to grow.
All
of you, except Sideeck, 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. Sideeck
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 Amir!"
*
If you plant honesty, you will reap trust
* If you plant goodness, you will reap friends
* If you plant humility, you will reap greatness
* If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment
* If you plant faith in Allah, you will reap a harvest in
Jannah
So,
be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you
will reap later. "Verily, verily the truth leads to
virtue and virtue leads to Jannah [Heavens]."