Base of a lighted lamp is dark

Mr. Maruf was a middle aged man. He was a government employee. His retirement was not far. He had two sons, two daughters and a wife. The elder daughter was a student of class ten, the elder son read in class eight, the younger son read in class six and the younger daughter  read in class four. One day Mr. Maruf was in rest after return from his office. Evening was about to come. Summon of evening prayer was announced. Mr. Maruf made ablution and stood for evening prayer. Just then the electricity failed. There was a single hurricane lantern in the house. Mr. Maruf’s wife lit it. After offering the prayer Mr. Maruf took seat in the drawing room.

The children entered into the reading room bringing the hurricane lantern. They put the lantern on the table and took their seats around.  Hurricane lantern created two shades in two sides. Children in shaded zones moved the lantern to get light in their sides. Others created objection. In that way they indulged themselves in a quarrel. Guessing the situation Mr. Maruf entered into reading room. He checked the situation. He told the younger ones, “You’re comparatively less aged. Let the elder ones to study as they’re student of higher classes than you. You’ll read after coming of electricity. Let’s come with me. I’ll tell you a charming story.” They agreed with him.

Mr. Maruf started to tell the story- Many years ago a king ruled a country. The king had an immense man-power as well as wealth. One day he wished to travel abroad. He informed his wish to his men. His men arranged everything for the travel. To the prior of his travel the king met everybody of the palace and asked, “I’ll go abroad. Tell me what is your desirable thing? I’ll bring that thing for you.” Everybody told the king about their desires. There was a parrot in the palace. It had been kept in an iron cage. It could talk like a man. Suddenly the king’s vision was reflected upon it. Coming near the king asked the bird, “Dear bird, I’ll go abroad. I’ve asked everybody of my palace about their desirable things except you. Please tell me what is your desirable thing? I’ll bring it for you.” The bird replied, “Your Excellency my lord, you’ve given me a good shelter with much care. I’ve no want. I used to get everything of my need before my demand. I’ve nothing to get any other desirable thing from you.” Hearing the speech of the bird the king said to it, “No, it’ll not be correct. I’ll bring the desirable things of all members of my palace, whereas if I’ll not bring anything for you, it would be very bad as you’re also a member of my palace. Please want anything to me for you. I’ll fulfil your desire by the grace of Almighty.” Finding no other way the bird replied, “Your Excellency my lord, you’ve to suffer a little for that.” The king replied, “What’s that?” The bird said, “There is a country far from here named ‘Kadimsthan’. That’s my home-land. There is a big banyan tree in that country. My close relatives live in that tree. If you go towards my country and if you’ll be able to find out the banyan tree you’ll tell them, “Oh birds, one of your offsprings lives in my palace under my supervision who’s sent a salutation for you.” If you do that, it would be enough for me.” The king replied, “It’s not any hard job for me. I’ll do that for you.”

The king started his travel. Many days, weeks, months were passed. The king traveled many countries. He collected all desirable things for the members of his palace. Then he started his return journey. Suddenly he remembered the bird’s word. He asked his minister, “Do you know how far the country ‘Kadimsthan’is from here? It’s the country of the bird of our palace. I’ve to go there.” The minister replied, “ It is not too much far from here.” The king ordered him to direct the travel towards that country. Approaching towords the correct way they reached the country. Searching a lot they became able to find out the banyan tree where many parrots were chattering. The king understood that these parrots were the relatives of his parrot. He addressed them, “Oh birds, one of your offsprings lives in my palace under my supervision. It has sent a salutation for you.” Immediately after hearing the king’s address an old parrot fell down from the tree and became inert like dead. Seeing the scene the king thought that- perhaps the bird was either father or mother of his bird. Knowing the prisoned condition of its offspring it became unbearable and dead. The king became very sad.

After return from the travel the king gave desirable things to all members of his palace but he didn’t go near the bird. He thought that if he had informed the bird about the death news of its relative the bird would be unable to bear the affection and would surely die. He loved the bird very much. So he decided not to disclose the death news of its relative to it. On the other hand the bird thought that perhaps the king had forgotten his matter. The bird became very sad thinking about its own ill-fate. With a very mournful mind it was spending its time.

One day the king came near the bird’s cage heedlessly. The bird got an opportunity to talk with him. The bird offered due salutation to him and asked, “Your Excellency my lord, did you go to my country?” The king replied, “Yes, I went there.”

The bird : Did you submit my salutation to my relatives?

The king : Yes, I submitted.

The bird : Did they do anything for me?

The king : I can’t say anything about the incident what was happened there.

The bird : Why my lord?

The king : It was a sad news. You can’t bear it. If you hear it then it may create any bad affect.

The bird : My lord, staying a long period in your palace I’ve made my mind too able to bear all sorrows. Now my mind is much strong. Any types of sad news can’t upset me. You may disclose it without any hesitation.

On repeated requests of the bird the king ultimately expressed the death news of its relative. Immediately after hearing the death news the bird began to flap severely and ultimately became inert and laid down inside the cage as if it were dead. The king called the minister and said to him, “The incident which already happened here what I had suspected before. The bird has died. For that reason I didn’t express the death news of its relative so long. But when I had expressed the death news today the bird didn’t tolerate. I’ve committed a great mistake. Now we’ve nothing to do.” The king ordered the minister to open the lock of the cage and bring the bird out and bury it in the flower-garden. The minister unlocked the cage and brought out the bird and put it on the floor. At that very moment the bird flew off and sat on high tree. The king, minister and other men of the palace became highly astonished. The bird said to the king from the tree, “Your Excellency my lord, I was prisoned in the iron cage in your palace for a long time. I thought a lot for my release but I didn’t get any way. When you told me about my desirable thing prior to you travel to abroad I remembered my guide bird. He used to solve our all problems. I thought that if I can inform him about my captivity he’ll must give me a solution. That’s why I sent information about my captivity tactfully by you by sending a salutation to my guide bird. He understood the matter and demonstrated the way of my release. He flapped, dropped down and acted like a dead. From his lesson I also understood the way of my release. That’s why I flapped and acted like a dead and I succeeded to escape myself from the iron cage prison. Now I’m free and I’ll go to my own country.” The bird began to fly and went behind the vision. The king, minister and all men of the palace became highly astonished and observed the liberation of the bird.

Mr. Maruf asked his children, “Do you know who composed this story?” Mr. Maruf said, “A great Persian saint Maolana Jalaluddin Rumi (Rh.). He wanted to express the lesson through the story that who’ll follow the lesson of real guide he’ll be able to over come his all problems. If we want the real emancipation of our souls we’ve to die before our deaths. That’s we’ve to leave our own sense and to follow the direction of spiritual guide. So if you follow the lessons of your parents, teachers and guide then you’ll be able to solve your problems. Do you understand the matter ? You’ll get more lessons from the story when you would be aged.”

The electricity came back after the completion of the story. Mr. Maruf said to his children, “Now go to your reading room  and make your lessons but remember that- don’t make any noise and quarrel.” The children entered into the reading room but a cluster of thinking didn’t go from the brain of Mr. Maruf. A picture of a hurricane lantern was flashed in the screen of his mind and an invisible man began to say in his inner ears- “When a lamp is put on, the dark goes away and when the lamp is put off, the dark overwhelms than and there. There is a fine game of hide and seek of light and dark in the nature. The light is an energy but what is the dark? It always lies by the side of light. What is there in the dark? When light was created the dark was in existence. Only there was dark every where. The light was created from the dark. The dark is the root of all creations. The dark is the initial power. The dark is infinite. 

The representative of the Almighty creator the human baby is created in the dark mother-womb. The prophet Hazrat Muhammad (S.) achieved the light of Islam from the dark cave of the mountain Hera. The dark is a mysterious world. In many cases the dark is considered as the symbol of ignorance but in other sense the dark is root of  all knowledge and power. A lighted lamp spreads light to its surroundings but there always lies dark in its base. A lamp can’t eradicate the dark of its own base. The dark surrounds the light. The dark was in existence initially, it is in existence at present and will be existed in future. The dark emerged the light from its own breast. Light is so valuable only due to the existence of dark.”

Mr. Maruf remembered the great men of the world. They were just like lighted lamps. They spreaded the light of truth throughout the world but at their own places there remained the dark. The great man Goutama Budhya preached the message of non-violence and love to the organisms  but the men of his own country didn’t accept his message. They dishonoured and tortured him. Budhya preached his lesson to the places beyond the Great Himaloya. For that reason there are many budhists found in Tibet, China, Japan etc. The prophet Hazrat Muhammad (S) preached the message of Islam. The men of his motherland Mecca didn’t accept Islam and tortured him. He was bound to leave his motherland Mecca. He went to Medina where Islam was accepted. Mecca was remained dark. Due to continious torture by the people of Mecca the race of the prophet (S) was bound to migrate to Persia after his time. That’s why the light of Islam was  spreaded widely in Persia. The births of many saints in Persia are the evidences of the facts. All these events remind us the quotation- “Base of a lighted lamp is dark.”