In a kingdom once, a magnificent mosque was constructed by the benevolent king. His beloved daughter had once expressed a wish that upon its completion, she would enter the mosque to offer extra prayers. True to her word, as the mosque was finished, the princess stepped inside and began her voluntary prayers.
Most of the laborers who worked on the mosque had already left, except for a young man who was still wrapping up his tasks. Unnoticed by all, he witnessed the princess engrossed in her prayers. Struck by her ethereal beauty, he couldn’t take his eyes off her.
As time passed, the young man went home, but the image of the princess remained etched in his mind. When he recounted the sight to his mother, he expressed his desire to marry the princess. His mother, fully aware of their social status, tried to dissuade him, but his heart remained steadfast.
The laborer’s life was marked by destitution. He neither had proper food nor shelter and remained unnoticed by society. Days turned into weeks, and his situation deteriorated further. Approaching the brink of death, his mother became anxious and decided to approach the king for help.
The mother recounted their plight to the king, sharing the laborer’s admiration for the princess. Touched by their sincerity, the king proposed a solution: if the laborer could sustain a vigil of forty nights in the mosque after everyone had departed, he would allow the marriage to proceed.
The young man’s mother returned home and shared the king’s condition with her son. The young man was resolved. He committed to the challenge, ready to spend forty nights in the mosque after the last worshipper had left.
Each night, he remained steadfast in the mosque, watching the moon wax and wane, stars twinkling in the dark sky. Forty nights turned into more, but the young man remained unfaltering in his commitment. He was determined to prove his love and dedication.
However, as the weeks went by, the laborer’s health began to deteriorate, and he was teetering on the edge of death. His mother’s concern drove her to approach the king once more, narrating her son’s condition and unwavering resolve.
Impressed by the young man’s determination and moved by the depth of his love, the king decided to visit the mosque himself. There, he found the laborer on the brink of life, weakened by his vigil.
The king recognized the purity of the young man’s heart and said, “If you have endured this vigil with such sincerity, I shall allow you to marry my daughter.” The mother returned home and conveyed the king’s message to her son, who finally agreed.
However, the king imposed one last condition: if the young man didn’t show up on the final night of the vigil, the marriage proposal would be invalidated. Nights passed, and the young man continued his vigil, unwavering in his commitment.
As the last night approached, he lay weak and exhausted in the mosque. Thoughts of marrying the princess were now distant, overshadowed by his devotion to his Creator. As dawn broke, he realized he had missed his chance to fulfill the king’s condition.
Finally, the young man approached the king, his heart heavy but content. He explained that the tranquility he had found in the mosque, the peace he experienced in prayer, surpassed any worldly desire, even the love he had for the princess.
With a humble heart, he revealed that the serenity he found while standing in prayer was incomparable. He acknowledged that his love for the princess paled in comparison to the presence of his Lord.
The king, deeply moved by the young man’s sincerity, appreciated the depths of his devotion. Acknowledging his selflessness, the king bid him farewell, allowing him to depart with a heart that had found the truest of loves.