Let Allah's will be done

The Crown Prince Dara Shikoh was good, sincere and pious. He studied the Hindu Upanishads and translated them. He was a sincere spiritual seeker, but his younger brother, Aurangzeb, was undivine to the extreme. When Shah Jahan fell ill, Aurangzeb was determined to prevent Dara Shikoh from becoming the Emperor, so he gathered a large army and started fighting against him.

The commander of Dara Shikoh's army said to him, "We will definitely win. Our army is much more powerful, and I am sure that it is Allah's wish that we win."

Dara Shikoh replied, "I do not know what Allah's wish is, but I am praying to Allah that His Will be done. Whomever He chooses to be Emperor, I will be equally happy. If He thinks that my brother will take better care of the empire than I will, then Allah should allow my brother to defeat me and proclaim himself the Emperor. I want Allah's children — all our subjects — to be well protected and well guided. Right now, my brother may be very undivine. But, who knows, if he becomes Emperor, perhaps he will be transformed. Perhaps he will become very nice, kind and pious. I do not know the future. If Allah feels that my brother will far surpass me in good qualities and that, under his rule, the empire will prosper much more, then I feel that my brother should be victorious and not me. I want only Allah's Will to be done so that His children can be really happy."

Although he had an heroic soul and would have made an excellent Emperor, in a short space of time Dara Shikoh was executed by his cruel younger brother, Aurangzeb.