The story of the smartest people - Encyclopedia of #puzzles
It is said that an unjust king said in front of his people: “I believe that the smartest and most useful people to people are merchants,” so everyone agreed with his words.
A young student stood up and politely said, “As for me, sir, I believe that the smartest people are scientists.”
The king objected to the student’s words and said to him: What is the evidence for what you say if you are honest?
The student said to him confidently, “I will prove to you the truth and veracity of my words, sir, if you allow me.”
The student asked the king to host one of the merchants, provide him with the best food, and eat with him. The king responded to his request, and the king presented the merchant with a roasted lamb and sat down to eat with him.
The merchant began to eat voraciously, so the king asked him: Why do you eat a sheep as if its mother had gored you? The merchant replied, “Why do you feel sorry for him? His mother breastfed you.” The king was angry because he dared to speak such words in front of him.
He ordered his soldiers to kill him, but the student asked him to pardon him this time
After that, the student summoned one of the scholars from a neighboring town, who was one of the most prominent and famous scholars in his town, and he also asked the king to provide him with the best food and to eat with him.
So the king presented him with a grilled lamb and he sat with it to eat. Then the scholar ate a little. Then he began to speak to the king and advise him to be fair among his subjects and not to oppress the people. He knew that he was an unjust king.
The king said to him: Do you dare to speak in front of me? The scholar quickly replied, “O King.” The Messenger of God says, “There is not a single one of you except that God will speak to him, and there is no interpreter between him and him.”
The king quickly interrupted him, “Do you dare to argue with me?” The scholar replied. God Almighty says, “On the day when every soul will come to argue for itself.”
Do they speak to God Almighty and argue with Him, and you do not accept that we speak to you and argue with you? The king said to him, “Yes, woe to you, you have defeated me.”
When the king felt embarrassed among his subjects, he began to disparage this scholar and insult him. When he remained silent, the scholar said to him, and he was gentle, as is the custom of scholars. May God reward you for what is right and forgive you for your mistakes.
Then the king’s anger increased and he said to him, “If you say a word, I will listen to you ten times.” The scholar said to him, “If you say ten things, you will not hear a word from me.”
The scholar left the king and was unable to gain anything from him. Rather, he insulted him among his companions and subjects, so the king feared that the rest of the people would dare against him.
So he ordered his soldiers to gather around him and gave them a reward if they insulted this scholar and they did not know his name. He told them his sign that he was the master of the neighboring town and he wanted mastery in knowledge.
In fact, the soldiers asked about him in the neighboring town, and the people directed them to him, so they went to his knowledge gathering, and they beat him and insulted him.
Then this scholar asked them: Why did you do this to me? The soldiers said: The king granted us a reward if we were the lord of this town. Then the scholar said to them: You did not do anything, for so-and-so is the lord of this town.
The soldiers asked about the ruler of the town, and the people showed them his location. The king was at this time walking in the market checking on the conditions of his subjects. The soldiers found him there, and they all attacked him. The king thought that they wanted to assassinate him, so he drew his sword and called his guards, so they gathered against them, arrested them, and imprisoned them all. When he reached that world, he said, “By God, I have imprisoned them.”
The king learned of what had happened and was certain of the truth of the student’s words, and everyone knew that scholars are the smartest, most pious, and most beneficial people to people.