In a village, there lived an honest farmer named Basheer. He didn’t own much land, but whatever little he had, he was content with. He worked tirelessly day and night and lived a simple life with his wife and two children. The villagers often cited his honesty as an example. He also handled the donations for the village mosque with utmost integrity, presenting its yearly accounts publicly.

Basheer’s neighbor, Qazi Akram, had a very different personality. He was greedy for wealth and power and enjoyed using his cunning ways to seize other people’s lands. He could not tolerate Basheer’s honesty and growing popularity, as people began to seek Basheer’s advice instead of Qazi’s.

The Beginning of a Conspiracy

One day, Qazi Akram injured his own ox and went to the village chief, claiming that Basheer had wounded his ox after a disagreement between them. A local court was convened, and Basheer was summoned.

Qazi, along with false witnesses, tried his best to prove his accusation. Some villagers who benefited from Qazi’s favors supported his claims. Basheer listened quietly. When asked to respond, he calmly said:

“I have not even touched the ox. I know my Lord is watching, and truth can never be harmed.”

The chief grew doubtful. According to village tradition, if there was uncertainty, both parties were required to swear an oath. Qazi quickly swore that Basheer had injured the ox. Then came Basheer’s turn. With teary eyes, he looked up to the sky and said:

“I swear by my Lord that I am innocent.”

The chief decided to delay the final verdict and ordered further investigation the next day.

Testimony of Nature

The next morning, something astonishing happened. Qazi Akram’s injured ox suddenly went missing. When the villagers went searching, they found it dead near the riverbank. A few village boys came forward and said they had seen the ox licking its own wounds the day before, and the injuries were from thorns, not inflicted by a human.

It was discovered that the ox had run away into the fields and got injured in the bushes and thickets.

Now the truth became clear to the entire village. The chief called Qazi Akram again and exposed his conspiracy in front of everyone. The village council publicly shamed Qazi and imposed a fine on him.

The Triumph of Truth

As time passed, Basheer’s children also followed in his footsteps of integrity. His elder son became a teacher, and the younger one took up the role of the village mosque’s imam. The younger son would often repeat his father’s words:

“Truth can never be harmed.”

Truth Revealed

When the ox was initially found injured, Qazi saw an opportunity to take revenge. He made a public scene, blaming Basheer for the attack, pointing to a minor argument they had the day before. Basheer was shocked by the accusation, but remained silent and held firmly to the truth.

Qazi convinced a few of his loyal supporters to testify falsely, and the matter was brought to the village court. The village chief listened to both sides.

Proof from Nature

The next morning, children came running, shouting that the ox had died, and its body had been found in the bushes near the fields. Village elder Haji Ismail and a few young men examined the wounds and confirmed that the ox had been injured by thorns, not by any human action.

Before Qazi could spin another lie, a boy stepped forward and said:

“I saw the ox running into the bushes last evening. It looked scared. That’s probably when it got hurt.”

The Final Judgment

The chief fined Qazi Akram and ordered him to publicly apologize to Basheer. Qazi tried to hush the matter, but the villagers were no longer on his side. Eventually, he came to Basheer, bowed his head and said:

“I’m ashamed. Please forgive me. I falsely accused you.”

Basheer replied softly:

“I trust that Allah protects the innocent. I never prayed for your downfall.”

Qazi’s eyes welled up with tears. His arrogance was shattered, and the village began to hold Basheer in even higher esteem.

The Reward of Patience

A few years later, Qazi passed away. His heirs fought bitterly over his wealth, and his family was ruined. On the other hand, Basheer’s sons, guided by their father’s principles, earned the village’s respect.

Whenever a new child started school, their parents would tell them Basheer’s story:

“Remember, my child — truth may be suppressed temporarily, but it never dies. Truth can never be harmed.”

---

Moral of the Story

This story teaches us that truth may face trials temporarily, but in the end, it always prevails. Those who trust in God and live with honesty are protected by nature itself. Lies may bring temporary gain, but eventually, they only lead to disgrace and downfall.

---

Would you like this formatted for publication, perhaps as a children’s moral story or for a school article layout?