When Allah the Almighty completed the creation of the entire universe, He decided to assign a specific lifespan and responsibilities to each creature. One by one, every creature came before His court. As He explained their tasks, He also told them how many years they would live on earth.
⚫ First came the donkey.
Allah the Almighty said,
“Your job will be to carry human burdens. You will work day and night, yet no one will show you affection. I have given you a lifespan of 40 years.”
The donkey, trembling, said,
“O Lord! I will work for humans my entire life without any complaints. Living for 40 years like this is too hard! Please give me only 20 years.”
Allah said,
“Very well, I have reduced your lifespan to 20 years.”
⚫ Next came the dog.
Allah said,
“You will guard human homes. You will stay awake all night and bark, yet humans will still chase you away. Your lifespan is also 40 years.”
The dog said,
“O Master! Guarding for so many years will tire me out. I’ll be happy with just 20 years.”
Allah said,
“Alright, your lifespan is now 20 years.”
⚫ Then came the monkey.
Allah said,
“Your job will be to entertain humans and make them laugh. Your days will pass in fun and games. I have given you a lifespan of 40 years.”
The monkey scratched his head and said,
“O Lord! If I keep making people laugh, one day I will cry myself. I’ll be fine with 20 years.”
Allah said,
“Very well, I have given you 20 years of lifespan too.”
⚫ Finally came the human.
Allah said,
“I have determined your lifespan to be 40 years. You will be My representative, setting examples of wisdom, intelligence, and justice on earth.”
The human thought for a moment and said,
“O Lord! 40 years seems too short. What if You give me the extra 20+20+20 = 60 years returned by the donkey, dog, and monkey?”
Allah smiled and said,
“So be it. You will live your own 40 years along with 20 from the donkey, 20 from the dog, and 20 from the monkey — a total of 100 years.”
Now, if we look at human life, we will see—
First 40 years: A person builds life with intelligence, effort, and courage — living through joys and sorrows.
Next 20 years: The donkey’s life — a person works hard, bears all family responsibilities; nothing happens without them.
Another 20 years: The dog’s life — a person silently worries about family safety and their children’s future; loneliness sets in.
Last 20 years: The monkey’s life — a person laughs and plays with grandchildren, and they play with them as if the person is a toy.