A long time ago, in a land far, far away, there lived an old woman who was carrying a heavy load along the road in the desert. It was a bit difficult for her, but she was managing as best as she could. A young man asked if he could help her with her load, and she readily obliged. Here is the conversation that transpired:
“It would be such a pleasure to have you come alone with me. I accept your gracious offer of kindness and company,” she said. She was a very talkative woman, and the young man did not want to interrupt her. So, he let her speak the entire time they were together without interruption:
“But as we walk along young man and as you help me with my load, I have only one request as we travel down this road: Don’t talk to me about Muhammad (sallalahu alaih wasallam)! Because of him there is no peace and I have trouble in my mind. So, don’t talk to me about Muhammad (sallalahu alaih wasallam)! And as we walk along together, we will get along just fine.”
She continued:
“That man upsets me so, so much more than you could know! I hear of his name and reputation every where I go. Though his family and his clan once knew him as an honest man, he’s dividing everyone with his claim that God is one!”
“He’s misled all the weak, the poor, and the slaves. They think they’ve all found wealth and freedom by following his way!” she sarcastically snorted.
“He’s corrupted all of our youth with his twisted brand of truth. He’s convinced them that they all are strong and gave them somewhere to belong. So, don’t you dare talk to me about Muhammad (sallalahu alaih wasallam)!”
They reached their destination, and the man helped the woman put away her belongings. The old woman, with a wide smile of gratitude at this stranger’s kindness, turned to him and said, “Thank you now, young man. You’ve really been so kind. That generosity and smile is very rare to find now a days. Let me give you some advice, since you’ve been so very nice to me. Stay away from Muhammad (sallalahu alaih wasallam). Don’t heed his word or emulate his way. If you do, you will never have true peace, and all you will find is trouble.”
As the young man turned to walk away, she stopped him: “Now before we part and go, if it’s alright just the same, may I ask my dear young man, who are you? What’s your name?”
He told her, and she stopped dead in her tracks.
“Forgive me, but what was that? Your words weren’t very clear. My ears are getting old, and sometimes I have a hard time hearing. You know, it’s truly rather funny, but I’m sure I must be wrong. Yet, I thought I heard you said that your name is Muhammad (sallalahu alaih wasallam).”
“I am Muhammad (sallalahu alaih wasallam),” the Prophet (sallalahu alaih wasallam) told the old woman.
She replied, “I bear witness there is nothing worthy of worship except God, and Muhammad (sallalahu alaih wasallam) is the Messenger of God.”
This conversation was based upon a hadith in the Prophetic literature.
Dawud Wharsby video
June 17, 2010
A selfish man loses honesty
One day, the man lost thirty gold coins. He went to his friend's house and told him how he lost his gold coins. His friend was a kind man.
As his friend's daughter was coming from an errand she found thirty gold coins, when she arrived home, she told her father what she had found. The girl's father told her that the gold coins belong to his friend and he sent for him. When the selfish man arrived, he told him how his daughter had found his thirty gold coins and handed then to him. After counting the gold coins the man said that ten of them was missing and had been taken by the girl as he had forty gold coins. He further commented that he will recover the remaining amount from him (the girl's father). But the father refused.
The selfish man left the gold coins and went to the court and informed the judge there about what had taken place between him and the girl's father.
The judge sent for the girl and her father, and when they arrived asked the girl how many gold coins did she find. She replied thirty gold coins. The Judge that asked the selfish man how many gold coins did he lose and he answered forty gold coins.
The judge then told the selfish man that the gold coins did not belong to him because the girl found thirty and not forty as he claimed to have lost and then told the girl to take the gold coins and that if anybody is looking for them he will send for the girl.
The judge told the selfish man that if anybody reports that they have found forty gold coins he will send for him. It was then that the selfish man confessed that he lied and that he lost thirty gold coins but the judge did not listen to him.
Moral: This story of honesty teaches us to be always honest as dishonest never pays.
June 13, 2010
May Allah reward you so much for your visit and especially for the “fiery” sermon
A Musalli of a certain Masjid, who previously had been attending salah in congregation regularly, stopped going. After a few weeks, the Imam decided to visit him. It was a chilly evening. The Imam found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire. Guessing the reason for the Imam’s visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a big chair near the fireplace and waited. The Imam made himself comfortable but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the play of the flames around the burning logs.
After some minutes, the Imam took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the earth all alone. Then he sat back in his chair, still silent. The host watched all this in quiet fascination. As the one lone ember’s flame diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and “dead as a doornail.” Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting.
Just before the Imam was ready to leave, he picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.
As the Imam reached the door to leave, his host said, “May Allah reward you so much for your visit and especially for the “fiery” sermon. I shall be back for salah in the Masjid at Fajr.”
Invite (all) to the Way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and reason with them in ways that are best and most gracious: for your Lord knows best, who have strayed from His Path, and who receive guidance. (Qur’an Surah An-Nahl: 125)
June 12, 2010
The secret of happiness
Rather than finding a saintly man, though, our hero, on entering the main room of the castle, saw a hive of activity: tradesmen came and went, people were conversing in the corners, a small orchestra was playing soft music, and there was a table covered with platters of the most delicious food in that part of the world. The wise man conversed with everyone, and the boy had to wait for two hours before it was his turn to be given the man's attention.
The wise man listened attentively to the boy's explanation of why he had come, but told him that he didn't have time just then to explain the secret of happiness. He suggested that the boy look around the palace and return in two hours.
"Meanwhile, I want to ask you to do something", said the wise man, handing the boy a teaspoon that held two drops of oil. "As you wander around, carry this spoon with you without allowing the oil to spill".
The boy began climbing and descending the many stairways of the palace, keeping his eyes fixed on the spoon. After two hours, he returned to the room where the wise man was.
"Well", asked the wise man, "Did you see the Persian tapestries that are hanging in my dining hall? Did you see the garden that it took the master gardener ten years to create? Did you notice the beautiful parchments in my library?"
The boy was embarrassed, and confessed that he had observed nothing. His only concern had been not to spill the oil that the wise man had entrusted to him.
"Then go back and observe the marvels of my world", said the wise man. "You cannot trust a man if you don't know his house".
Relieved, the boy picked up the spoon and returned to his exploration of the palace, this time observing all of the works of art on the ceilings and the walls. He saw the gardens, the mountains all around him, the beauty of the flowers, and the taste with which everything had been selected. Upon returning to the wise man, he related in detail everything he had seen.
"But where are the drops of oil I entrusted to you?" asked the wise man. Looking down at the spoon he held, the boy saw that the oil was gone.
"Well, there is only one piece of advice I can give you", said the wisest of wise men. "The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon".
June 10, 2010
June 6, 2010
Don’t you recognize the man who is helping you?
Tired and exhausted with the water-skin on her back, she was gasping and going towards her house where innocent children, their eyes fixed at the door, were eagerly waiting for the arrival of their mother. On her way, an unknown man approached her. He took the water-skin from her and placed it on his back. The door opened and the children saw their mother entering the house with a stranger. He placed the water-skin on the ground and said:"Well, it seems you don't have anyone to fetch water for you; how come you are so forlorn?"
"My husband was a soldier; Ali Radi Allahu anhu sent him to the frontier where he was killed. Now I am alone with these small children."
The stranger said no more. Bowing down his head he went away. But the thought of the helpless widow and orphans remained in his mind. He could hardly sleep in the night. Early in the morning he picked up a basket; put some meat, flour and dates in it; went straight to her house and knocked at the door.
"Who are you?"
"I am the man who brought your water yesterday. Now I have brought some food for the children."
"May God bless you and judge between us and Ali Radi Allahu anhu"
She opened the door. Entering the house he said: "I wish to do some good acts. Either let me knead the flour and bake the bread or allow me to look after the children."
"Very well, but I can do the job of kneading and cooking better than you. You take care of the children till I finish cooking".
She went to knead the flour. Immediately he grilled some meat, which he had brought and fed the children saying to each child while putting morsel in his mouth: "My son, forgive Ali Radi Allahu anhu if he has failed in his duty towards you"
The flour got ready; she called: "Gentleman! Put fire in the oven". He went and put fire in the oven. When flames rose up, he brought his face near the fire and said, "Taste the heat of fire. It is the punishment for those who fail in their duty towards orphans and widows."
By chance, a woman from the neighboring house came in. Recognizing the stranger, she cried: "Woe, don't you recognize the man who is helping you? He is Ameer-ul-Momineen (commander of the faithful), Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib Radi Allahu anhu ."
The widow came forward and shamefacedly cried: "Curse and shame to me. I beg your pardon."
"No, I beg your pardon for I failed in my duty towards you."
June 5, 2010
A Sheltering Cloud
“Those individuals who are involved in religious work often face instances wherein they have to point out the faults of others in order to save them from acts of sin. In these instances it is essential to ensure that one does not belittle the person he is advising.It is narrated that there was an individual from the Banu Israeel whose piety was so great that Allah ta’ala had instructed a cloud to shelter him at all times. Once whilst this pious person was resting during a journey a person who was renowned for his sins passed by.
Upon seeing the pious person this sinful person thought to himself that let me benefit from the company of this pious servant of Allah. Thus the sinner came and sat right next to the pious man.
The pious person immediately and with great anger got up from his place for he could not bear the fact that such a great sinner should sit next to him. As he stood up however the pious person noticed to his amazement that the cloud was no longer sheltering him. Rather, it was sheltering the sinner.
In confusion the pious man at once went to the Prophet of that time and requested him to explain what has happened. The Prophet explained to him thus:
Because the man who came to you came with admiration for your taqwah Allah ta’ala elevated him to your status and because you looked down upon him Allah ta’ala degraded you to his status.
As a result the cloud was removed from you and given to him.
June 2, 2010
The happy and content farmer
There was a farmer in Africa who was happy and content. He was happy because he was content. He was content because he was happy. One day a wise man came to him and told him about the glory of diamonds and the power that goes along with them. The wise man said, "If you had a diamond the size of your thumb, you could have your own city.If you had a diamond the size of your fist, you could probably own your own country." And then he went away. That night the farmer couldn't sleep. He was unhappy and he was discontent. He was unhappy because he was discontent and discontent because he was unhappy.
The next morning he made arrangements to sell off his farm, took care of his family and went in search of diamonds. He looked all over Africa and couldn't find any. He looked all through Europe and couldn't find any. When he got to Spain, he was emotionally, physically and financially broke. He got so disheartened that he threw himself into the Barcelona River and committed suicide.
Back home, the person who had bought his farm was watering the camels at a stream that ran through the farm. Across the stream, the rays of the morning sun hit a stone and made it sparkle like a rainbow. He thought it would look good on the mantle piece. He picked up the stone and put it in the living room.
That afternoon the wise man came and saw the stone sparkling. He asked, "Is Hafiz back?" The new owner said, "No, why do you ask?" The wise man said, "Because that is a diamond. I recognize one when I see one." The man said, no, that's just a stone I picked up from the stream. Come, I'll show you.
There are many more." They went and picked some samples and sent them for analysis. Sure enough, the stones were diamonds. They found that the farm was indeed covered with acres and acres of diamonds.*
What is the moral of this story? There are five morals:
1. When our attitude is right, we realize that we are a ll walking on acres and acres of diamonds. Opportunity is always under our feet. We don't have to go anywhere. All we need to do is recognize it.
2. The grass on the other side always looks greener.
3. While we are dyeing the grass on the other side, there are others who are dyeing the grass on our side. They would be happy to trade places with us.
4. When people don't know how to recognize opportunity, they complain of noise when it knocks.
5. The same opportunity never knocks twice. The next one may be better or worse, but it is never the same one.
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