Victory of Truth

A piece of land in India was once in dispute among Hindus and Muslims with each side claiming it as theirs. The Hindus of course wanted to build a temple on the land and the Muslims a mosque. The matter was so delicate and escalated to such a degree that the whole area threatened to by engulfed in war over the dispute, and the ruling British at the time worriedly sought a solution.

The British convened a court to try to resolve the issue and before its convening the presiding judge asked both sides for a potential settlement to the land dispute. The Hindus said that they had a possible resolution, and suggested that the judge call forth a specific Muslim alim of their choosing and the question of rightful ownership should be posed to him. The Hindu side further claimed they would be satisfied with that whatever that particular alim said but insisted against naming him in public but only in secret to the judge. The judge hence agreed and set a future date for the case.

The Hindu public was very irate at their spokesmen who had suggested this idea since now the dispute seemed guaranteed to be settled in favor of the Muslims, and in turn the Muslims were ecstatic that the decision would almost certainly be in their favor. An alim would certainly want a mosque to be built on the land instead of a Hindu temple.

People crowded the court on the date the case was to be heard and a venerable Muslim shaykh whose word even the Hindus greatly respected was presented in front of the judge. The judge asked this Muslim alim who the rightful owner of the land was and without hesitation the alim said the land belonged to the Hindus. The judge further asked if they could then build their temple there or not and the alim answered, “When the land belongs to them it is their right to build whatever they like, either a temple of a house.”

According to the prior agreement the judge ruled in favor of the Hindus but recorded his decision in historical words: He wrote that whereas Muslims lost the ruling Islam proved victorious.

Hearing this landmark decision the Hindu party present at the court were so touched by this alim’s character that they publicly said they would accept Islam and build a mosque on the land. Through the blessing of truthfulness Allah not only opened the door for the Hindus to accept Islam but also gave them the blessed opportunity to build a mosque. Truth always guarantees victory.

Faced with a thousand fears the tongue is still witness for the heart,
Thus has been the way of the conquerors of the past.