A man was once on a journey and stopped at nightfall at a place notorious for criminals and robbery. He had a large amound of dirhams on him and was naturally afraid of being robbed. He, therefore, approached a man in the neighbourhood, who appeared to be honest, and requested whether he could spend the night at his home. The man agreed.

When the host realised that the traveller had money on him, he decided to kill and rob him of all his possessions. He put the traveller to sleep in the same room as his young son, who had no idea what his father had planned.

Late that night, when all was quiet, the man extinguished the lamp and approached the bed of the traveller. It so happened, that the traveller and the young boy had swapped beds before retiring. The man, thinking that he was at the bedside of the traveller, began to strangle him. The young boy offered no resistance and passed away almost immediately. The traveller was awakened and realised what had happened. He ran out of the house and notified the residents of the neighbourhood. The man was arrested and admitted to the murder of his own son. The traveller was handed back his money and departed as swiftly as he could. [al-Faraj Ba'dash Shiddah]

An evil plot has disastrous consequences upon the perpetrator in addition to the torment that awaits him in the Hereafter. [Pearls from the Path]