A successful Amir [leader] who was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over from him. Instead of choosing one of his close friends or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the responsible people in his community together.

He said, "I'm old and I cannot devote myself to the affairs of the community adequately so after much consideration I feel it is time to choose a new leader. I have decided to choose one of you. "The people there were shocked, but the Amir continued. "I am going to give each one of you a SEED today – one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next Amir[leader]."

One man, named Sideeck, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed. Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other people began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.

Sideeck kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks,five weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Sideeck didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure.

Six months went by — still nothing in Sideeck's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Sideeck didn't say anything to his friends, however. He just kept watering and fertilizing the soil – He so wanted the seed to grow.

A year finally went by and all the people who were given seeds brought their plants to the Amir for inspection.

Sideeck told his wife that he was not going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Sideeck felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the Amir. When Sideeck arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other people. They were beautiful — in all shapes and sizes. Sideeck put his empty pot on the floor and many of his friends laughed, a few felt sorry for him!

When the Amir arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his people. Sideeck just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown," said the Amir. "Today one of you will be appointed the next Amir!"

All of a sudden, the Amir spotted Sideeck at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered that to bring him to the front. Sideeck was terrified. He thought, "The Amir I'm a failure! Maybe he will punish me!"

When Sideeck got to the front, the Amir asked him what had happened to his seed – Sideeck told him the story.

The Amir asked everyone to sit down except Sideeck. He looked at Sideeck, and then announced to the people, "Behold your next Amir!"

His name is Sideeck!" Sideeck couldn't believe it. Sideeck couldn't even grow his seed. "How could he be the new Amir?" the others said.

Then the Amir said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead – it was not possible for them to grow.

All of you, except Sideeck, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Sideeck was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Amir!"

* If you plant honesty, you will reap trust

* If you plant goodness, you will reap friends

* If you plant humility, you will reap greatness

* If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment

* If you plant faith in Allah, you will reap a harvest in Jannah

So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later. "Verily, verily the truth leads to virtue and virtue leads to Jannah [Heavens]."