The Shade of the Tree In a quiet village lived a boy named Salem. He was known for his intelligence and quick understanding, but he was often hasty in his judgments. He believed he could understand things at first glance and did not like to listen carefully to others’ opinions. At the edge of the village stood a large, old tree. Beneath its shade sat an elderly man named Imran. The villagers would turn to him whenever a dispute arose, because he listened well before speaking. One day, Salem passed by and saw people gathered around the old man. He said to himself, “Why are they wasting their time? There is too much talk, and the truth is obvious!” The next day, a disagreement occurred between Salem and his friend Maher over a small piece of land. Salem became angry, raised his voice, accused his friend of injustice, and refused to listen to any explanation. One of the neighbors said, “Go to Sheikh Imran. He judges with fairness.” Salem hesitated, but reluctantly agreed. They sat beneath the tree, and the old man smiled and said, “I will speak to each of you separately.” Maher went in first and spoke calmly, then left. When Salem entered, he spoke emotionally and insisted that he was right. The old man nodded and said, “I understand your words, Salem.” They both left, and then the old man said, “Come back to me tomorrow, here in this place.” The next day, they found the old man had placed two similar stones on the ground. He said, “Salem, take this stone and look at it from here.” Salem looked and said, “It is smooth and round.” Then the old man said to Maher, “And you, look at it from the other side.” Maher said, “I see it as rough and uneven.” The old man smiled and said, “The stone is one, but the view is different. And so is the dispute between you.” Salem fell silent and felt something change in his heart. He realized that he was not wrong because he was foolish, but because he did not listen. Salem apologized to his friend and learned that wisdom is not in quick judgment, but in deep understanding. From that day on, Salem sometimes sat under the shade of the tree — not to speak, but to learn how to listen. Moral: Not everyone who believes they are right truly is. Understanding begins with listening, and wisdom is born from patience.