Realization of a Prince
There was once a very wealthy king in the Banu Israaeel who was blessed with a long life and many children. However, the problem he was facing was that whenever any of his children grew up, they would leave the kingdom, adopt ascetism, and spend the rest of their lives in the mountains (devoting themselves to the worship of Allah Ta‘ala), leaving no one to succeed him. Without exception, all his sons adopted this practice.
When the king reached old age, he was blessed with another son. He summoned his people and addressed them saying, “I have been blessed with a son in old age and you are aware of my compassion (and concern) for you. However, I fear that he will also follow in the footsteps of his brothers (i.e. he will leave the kingdom, opting for a life of ascetism and worship of Allah Ta‘ala). […]
