The Queen's Justice | عَدْلُ المَلِكَةِ
"A wise queen rules Oman with unprecedented justice during her husband's absence"
عَدْلُ المَلِكَةِ
The Queen's Justice
الفصلُ الأَوَّلُ: غِيابُ السُّلْطانِ
Chapter One: The Sultan's Absence
سافَرَ السُّلْطانُ أَحْمَدُ لِلْحَرْبِ، وَتَرَكَ زَوْجَتَهُ المَلِكَةَ فاطِمَةَ تَحْكُمُ. قالَ الوُزَراءُ سِرًّا: «اِمْرَأَةٌ تَحْكُمُ؟ سَتَكُونُ فَوْضَى!»
Sultan Ahmad traveled to war and left his wife Queen Fatima to rule. The ministers said secretly: "A woman ruling? There will be chaos!"
لَكِنَّ فاطِمَةَ كانَتْ ذَكِيَّةً وَحازِمَةً. جَلَسَتْ عَلى العَرْشِ وَبَدَأَتْ تَسْتَقْبِلُ الشَّكاوَى.
But Fatima was intelligent and firm. She sat on the throne and began receiving complaints.
الفصلُ الثَّانِي: القَضِيَّةُ المُسْتَحِيلَةُ
Chapter Two: The Impossible Case
جاءَ رَجُلانِ يَتَنازَعانِ عَلى أَرْضٍ. كِلاهُما لَدَيْهِ وَثائِقُ، وَكِلاهُما يَدَّعِي أَنَّهُ المالِكُ الحَقِيقِيُّ.
Two men came disputing over land. Both had documents, and both claimed to be the true owner.
قالَتِ المَلِكَةُ: «سَنَذْهَبُ إِلى الأَرْضِ غَدًا.»
The Queen said: "We shall go to the land tomorrow."
فِي الأَرْضِ، أَمَرَتِ الجُنُودَ بِحَفْرِ حُفْرَةٍ عَمِيقَةٍ. وَجَدُوا قَبْرًا قَدِيمًا عَلَيْهِ اسْمُ عائِلَةِ أَحَدِ الرَّجُلَيْنِ.
At the land, she ordered soldiers to dig a deep hole. They found an ancient grave with one man's family name on it.
قالَتْ: «الأَمْواتُ لا يَكْذِبُونَ. هَذِهِ الأَرْضُ لِمَنْ دُفِنَ فِيها أَجْدادُهُ.»
She said: "The dead do not lie. This land belongs to the one whose ancestors are buried in it."
الفصلُ الثَّالِثُ: عَوْدَةُ السُّلْطانِ
Chapter Three: The Sultan's Return
عادَ السُّلْطانُ بَعْدَ عامٍ فَوَجَدَ البِلادَ أَفْضَلَ مِمَّا تَرَكَها! الفَسادُ انْخَفَضَ، وَالعَدْلُ انْتَشَرَ، وَالنَّاسُ راضُونَ.
The Sultan returned after a year and found the country better than when he left! Corruption decreased, justice spread, and people were satisfied.
سَأَلَ الوُزَراءَ: «ماذا حَدَثَ؟» قالُوا مُحْرَجِينَ: «المَلِكَةُ حَكَمَتْ بِعَدْلٍ فاقَ عَدْلَنا جَمِيعًا.»
He asked the ministers: "What happened?" They said embarrassed: "The Queen ruled with justice exceeding all of ours."
قالَ السُّلْطانُ: «إِذَنْ سَتُشارِكُنِي الحُكْمَ مِنَ الآنَ.»
The Sultan said: "Then she shall share rule with me from now on."
حَكَما مَعًا بِعَدْلٍ، وَصارَ عَصْرُهُما أَزْهَى عُصُورِ عُمانَ.
They ruled together with justice, and their era became Oman's most flourishing age.
تَمَّتِ القِصَّةُ | The End