A Clever Dog and his Employer

A butcher watching over his shop is really surprised when he sees a dog coming inside the shop. He shoos him away. But later, the dog is back again.

So, he goes over to the dog and notices he has a note in his mouth. He takes the note and it reads "Can I have 12 sausages and a leg of lamb, please. The dog has money in his mouth, as well."

The butcher looks inside and, lo and behold, there is a ten dollar bill there. So he takes the money and puts the sausages and lamb in a bag, placing it in the dog's mouth. The butcher is so impressed, and since it's about closing time, he decides to close up shop and follow the dog.

So off he goes. The dog is walking down the street when he comes to a level crossing.

The dog puts down the bag, jumps up and presses the button. Then he waits patiently, for the lights to turn. They do, and he walks across the road, with the butcher following him all the way.

The dog then comes to a bus stop, and starts looking at the timetable.

The butcher is in awe at this stage. The dog checks out the times, and then sits on one of the seats provided. Along comes a bus. The dog walks around to the front, looks at the number, and goes back to his seat.

Another bus comes. Again the dog goes and looks at the number, notices it's the right bus, and climbs on. The butcher, by now is open-mouthed, follows him onto the bus.

The bus travels through the town and out into the suburbs, the dog Looking at the scenery. Eventually he gets up, and moves to the front of the bus. He stands on 2 back paws and pushes the button to stop the bus. Then he gets off, his groceries still in his mouth.

Well, dog and butcher are walking along the road, and then the dog turns into a house. He walks up the path, and drops the groceries on the step.

Then he walks back down the path, takes a big run, and throws himself against the door. He goes back down the path, runs up to the door and again, it throws himself against it. There's no answer at the house, so the dog goes back down the path, jumps up on a narrow wall, and walks along the perimeter of the garden. He gets to the window, and beats his head against it several times, walks back, jumps off, and waits at the door.

The butcher watches as a big guy opens the door, and starts abusing the dog, kicking him and punching him, and swearing at him.

The butcher runs up, and stops the guy. "What in heaven's name are You doing? The dog is a genius. He could be on TV, for the life of me!" to which the guy responds: "You call this clever? This is the second time this week that this stupid dog's forgotten his key."

Reflection:

Looks like some, people will never be satisfied with what they've got.

When it comes to the work place, Employers do not know how to appreciate their people who have served them loyally through the years. I've seen companies lose good people for the simple fact their leaders failed to show appreciation. Employers with big egos enjoy the fact that they have more power and authority than others. They show, in the way they give orders and directions, that they think they are superior. They get a kick out of displaying this superiority. People who do this are fools, and everyone but them knows it. They are never satisfied because they could not be satisfied even if their people perform well.

They don't listen to the opinion and ideas of their subordinates.

Why? Because of their stupid pride and insecurity.

People of this kind will never be satisfied. Why? Because they are so busy wrapped up in themselves and, fact is, the self can never be satisfied. Happy and productive people are always those who are "others-centered" rather than "self- centered." The greatest idea of leadership is not someone who throws his weight around. Rather, he is a servant. , "He who wish to be a leader should first be a servant."

His joy is derived from delivering a job that others benefit from his contribution. Aim for service and success will follow.

A Stranger

“A few months before I was born, my dad met a stranger who was new to our small town. From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this enchanting newcomer, and soon invited him to live with our family. The stranger was quickly accepted and was around to welcome me into the world a few months later.

As I grew up I never questioned his place in our family. In my young mind, each member had a special niche. My brother, Yusuf, five years my senior, was my example. Samya, my younger sister, gave me an opportunity to play ‘big brother’ and develop the art of teasing. My parents were complementary instructors– Mom taught me to love Allah, and Dad taught me to how to obey Him. But the stranger was our storyteller. He could weave the most fascinating tales. Adventures, mysteries and comedies were daily conversations. He could hold our whole family spell-bound for hours each evening. If I wanted to know about politics, history, or science, he knew it.
He knew about the past and seemed to understand the present. The pictures he could draw were so life like that I would often laugh or cry as I watched. He was like a friend to the whole family. He took Dad, Yusuf and me to our first major league baseball game. He was always encouraging us to see the movies and he even made arrangements to introduce us to several famous people.
The stranger was an incessant talker. Dad didn’t seem to mind-but sometimes Mom would quietly get up– while the rest of us were enthralled with one of his stories of faraway places– go to her room, read the Qur’an.
I wonder now if she ever prayed that the stranger would leave. You see, my dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions. But this stranger never felt obligation to honor them. Profanity, for example, was not allowed in our house– not from us, from our friends, or adults. Our longtime visitor, however, used occasional four letter words that burned my ears and made Dad squirm.. To my knowledge, the stranger was never confronted. My dad was a teetotaler who didn’t permit alcohol in his home – not even for cooking.
But the stranger felt like we needed exposure and enlightened us to other ways of life. He offered us beer and other alcoholic beverages often.
He made cigarettes look tasty, cigars manly, and pipes distinguished. He talked freely (probably too much too freely) about sex. His comments were sometimes blatant, sometimes suggestive, and generally embarrassing.
I know now that my early concepts of the man-woman relationship were influenced by the stranger.
As I look back, I believe it was Allah’s Mercy that the stranger did not influence us more. Time after time he opposed the values of my parents. Yet he was seldom rebuked and never asked to leave. More than thirty years have passed since the stranger moved in with the young family on Morningside Drive. He is not nearly so intriguing to my Dad as he was in those early years. But if I were to walk into my parents’ den today, you would still see him sitting over in a corner, waiting for someone to listen to him talk and watch him draw his pictures.
His name you ask? We called him TV.

The Weeping Willow

The darkness had arrived. But it didn't make a difference to the Tree. Day and night were the same. The Tree would stand alone. The morning light provided no comfort, except for, of course, the fact that it was essential for the sun to shine sometimes in order to survive. Survival of the fittest, The Tree smiled bitterly to himself. But only The Tree wasn't the fittest. In fact it was barely surviving. Loneliness is a killer......'Your too far out' they would say. 'It's not a proper place for our kind.' Meaning what? Am I not a tree, like you?

He knew the truth. It had nothing to do with the location as their branches reached out far and wide. He knew full well what they meant by 'our kind.' He was of an odd nature compared to them. His branches drooped whilst theirs expanded out. His trunk was hidden by waves of shadow, even if it was to be seen it was crumbled and wrinkled unattractive to the eye. Theirs a deep brown, strong and hard, perfect for climbing. Their leaves green, a forest green. But depending on seasonal change they shone golden and orange and at peak times they jeweled red. Not to forget being decorated with the pink and white blossoms under the crisp spring sky.

And me......Pale yellow fragile leaves, which naturally drooped as the downturn of a mouth would. In the rain they would become brown and give away to nothingness. Nothing but the remains of unwanted mess under shoes squelching in the mud. At my best, my leaves would turn a light shade of green (I rather like the colour) but my fellow trees would still scorn. Ooooh fancy that, faded green, who's known a tree to be of that colour. Indeed you are strange species. Rejected and hurt, I turn away. I have still some dignity left, I do not let them see me weep. I try to lift myself, but to no avail. I am weighed down by my branches. And there I remain. I stand alone again.

But then one early morning, before the morning sun rose, my life changed. Dramatically. Oh I will never forget that day of sweet sounding melody. I awoke like I do; just in time to see the pink horizon. This is my daily dose of hope of a better day. And the Lord above chose today to be that day, Alhamdulillah! (how can I not praise my Lord, the bestower of unexpected bounties). I felt a movement against me. Ok wake up, dream time finish, I told myself, you know in reality there is never any sign of life around me. But there it was again. The shuffling, the exclamations of delight, the warmth of a presence. Allahu Akbar! This was no dream. This was a different kind of motion. Whilst I was trying to figure out what this was, earnestly frowning at this strange visitor. The most beautiful sound came out. If I had a heart it would literally stop. Pleasure was not something I was familiar with, but this I knew to be pure pleasure. I crouched further to be in closer range so i could make out the words. And did they flow out. They carried out to reach the heavens I'm sure.

They said, "Alif Lam Mim.
This is the Book, whereof there is no doubt, a guidance to those who are Al Muttaqoon.
Who beleive in the Ghaib and perform As salat and spend out of what we have provided for them, (spend on themselves, their parents, their children, their wives and also give in charity to the poor and also in Allah's Cause)."
{Al Baqarah: 1-3}

I knew then what it was. It was The Book that our Lord had blessed the humans with. The divine scripture promised to be protected by God Himself. And I the weeping willow was shelter to the reciter of these beautiful words. Never had any object of nature reached such a status to give refuge to one reading the Qur'an. This person had voluntarily come to me. Out of all the trees, I was the most appropriate location. Why? Because it was the humility of my branches that stood out against all the upright boastful trees.

This person did not want their identity to be known out of shyness. She wanted to be hidden from everything else but Allah as it was Allah's Pleasure alone she was seeking. She knew the angels would surround the recitation at dawn time and she wanted them to go and report to Allah. We knew while the world was sleeping we were awake in harmony. How blessed I felt at that moment. Allah chose the ground under me to bear witness to her faith. In that instance I recalled the story of the tree that cried when the Messenger of Allah (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) moved away from it. I could now empathize the loss it must have felt. This moment, this memory will only die with me and not before.

I no longer wallowed in my loneliness, instead I looked forward to the morning dawn as my beautiful earthling would use my branches to carry out the Words of Allah to the world. Alhamdulillah I am The Weeping Willow, with a new meaning to life.

You can imagine how much the recitation of the following verses delighted me as they rose to the top of my trunk . I felt beautiful like I had never felt before. A true honour for the creation of His Majesty's trees...

"See you not how Allah sets forth a parable? A goodly word as a goodly tree, whose root is firmly fixed, and its branches (reach) to the sky.
Giving its fruit at all times, by the Leave of its Lord, and Allah sets parables for mankind in order that they may remember.
And the parable of an evil word is that of an evil tree uprooted from the surface of earth, having no stability.
Allah will keep firm those who believe, with the word that stands firm in this world and in the Hereafter. And Allah will cause to go astray those who are zaalimun and Allah does what He wills."
{Ibrahim: 24-27}

The Story of The Blind Sheikh Who Could Read the Holy Qur’an

One time a man saw the Holy Quran in the house of an old blind Saint. He happened to stay as a guest in this blind Saint's house during the summer time. For a good while the two Saints lived pleasantly. After some time, however, he thought that the presence of this Holy Quran is very surprising because this man is strictly blind and he cannot read it. He tried to comfort himself by thinking that someone else may be living here and reading the Quran, but when he gained certainty that this man lives alone and no one else lives here, his uneasiness and confusion increased. Then he thought, ‘ I cannot be informal and ill mannered and just ask him the reason forthright, now what should I do?’ Then he decided to himself, ‘No, I will not do anything. In fact I should stay quiet and adopt patience so that, through the blessings of patience I can reach my aim’. In the end, he was patient. For a few days, he remained in distress, but after a few more days, the secret was revealed to him; because patience is the source to success. Through the blessings (barkaat) of patience, his success was indefinite. Before we go on with the details of his success, it seems appropriate to advise a bit on patience.

You should be patient because patience is a glorious blessing (AZEEM UL SHAAN Nemat). Through its blessings you will gain freedom from your distress and be cured from all your old diseases in which you are involved. Remember, that patience has a very big role in the revelation (inkishaaf) of thousands of secrets, given no larger matter is at hand. And although, according to your Nafs (inner-self), patience is disliked its result is extremely pleasant. Now we will lecture on an incident reflecting how patience is the key to secrets being revealed to you.

So, this guest adopted patience and immediately the condition of the blind Saint was unveiled to him. This is what happened

In the middle of the night he heard the recitation of the Holy Quran and due to this, he sat up. He saw the perplexing situation of the blind Saint reading the Quran. His reading was perfectly accurate. From seeing this, he became overwhelmed and asked the blind Saint, 'Hazrat, what is the secret behind this? When there is no light in your eyes, then how can you see? How can you read like this? I see that whatever you are doing recitation of, that is the exact place of your eyes attention and that is where your hand is pointing. The movement of your finger shows that undoubtedly you can see each word of each verse.' He replied, 'You are a Saint with elevated ranks and you are separate from the ignorant ones; why do you have surprise in the miracles of Allah? I requested from Allah that I have extreme passion to read the Quran and it is dear to me as my life is dear.

 I am not Haafiz that I could read from my memory, so give my eyes light during the times I want to read the Quran so I don't have difficulty in reading. And when I want to recite, then give me eyes so that I can take the Quran and read it word for word. So, the response came from Haq Subhaana ,'You are a valuable man and in every distress you relied only on me for the solution and this is your good faith and high hope due to which I give you even more closeness to me in every way. In other words, I promise you that I will give you eyes so that, Oh Precious Creation! You can read the Quran.' Then, He did just that. Whenever I opened the Quran to read it, that Wise Secret who is never careless from anything and that Respected Being that has no partners, grants me enlightened eyes.'----

Now that this story has reached an end, listen. The Wali that does not do any criticism on the acts of Allah, in fact he follows without chun o chura, one reason is this;

he knows that Allah gives equal in return for that thing which He takes. If He burns your garden, He will give you grapes; in the midst of distress, He grants you happiness and comfort. He gives hands to the handicapped; those in worry, He makes their hearts drunk with His Love. The Wali knows that when he’s getting greater in return from that which he even planned for, he leaves all chun o chura and criticism; because in this case criticism is useless.

 For example, if we get heat without fire, then why should we complain or be distressed if our fire goes out? And if He gives you sight without eyes, then what worry do you have that you are blind? This blindness in itself is a great enlightenment/sight! What reason is there for worry? And if you are getting light without a candle, in this case, if He blows out your candle, then what is the reason for your ‘haee’ and sighs of distress?

The summary is that Haq Ta'ala has made thousands of high level sources to reveal the essence of the heart. But mankind does not have any greater cure than patience. From this, you can estimate what great treasure patience is.

LITTLE EYES SEE A LOT.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you hang my
first painting on the refrigerator, and I
immediately wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I
wasn't looking, I saw you feed a
stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind
to animals.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make my
favorite cake for me and I learned that the little
things can be the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I heard you say
a
prayer, and I knew there is a God I could always
talk to and I learned to trust in God.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make a
meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I
learned that we all have to help take care of each other.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you give
of
your time and money to help people who had nothing
and I learned that those who have something should
give to those who don't.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you take
care of our house and everyone in it and I learned
we have to take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw how you
handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't
feel good and I learned that I would have to be
responsible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw tears come
from your eyes and I learned that sometimes things
hurt, but it's all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw that you
cared and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I learned most of
life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and
productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I
wasn't looking, I looked at you
and wanted to say, "Thanks for all the things I saw
when you thought I wasn't looking."




LITTLE EYES SEE A LOT.

Each of us (parent, grandparent, aunt,
uncle,
teacher or friend) influence the life of a child.
How will you touch the life of someone today?
Just by sending this to someone else, you will
probably make them at least think about their
influence on others .

Islam is another name for service of fellow-man

The Isha prayer was over. Everyone came out of the great Masjid of Madinah. Among them there was one whose clothes were simple, but whose face proclaimed him to be a man far above the commoners. This man was the King of the Muslims.

A little later, as he was accustomed to doing, this king left his bed, and at the dead of night visited a village a good few miles away from the town. Here he came across a family that was still up, at this late hour of the night. The mother had kindled a fire by her tent and around the fire were squatted her three dear little ones on the ground. The children were crying their tiny hearts out. And the kettle on the fire showed that the mother was doing some cooking for them.

"What makes these children cry?" asked the stranger tenderly, as he approached the fire.

"Pray, mind your own business. Worry not an unfortunate woman with questions!" replied the gloomy mother.

"Take me for your brother, madam," reassured the stranger, "and do tell me what the matter is with these children. I feel you are in trouble and I must help you."

"For the last two days," said the mother with a sob, "I have not had a morsel to put into these hungry mouths. They cling to me crying for food. I have nothing to give. So far I have been putting them off. Now it has become unbearable. Yet I have no food to give them. The kettle on the fire contains nothing but water. This is just to console them. They think I am cooking something for them. But alas, it is only a short-lived consolation. In a little while they will find it out and disappointment this time may break their little hearts."

"Poor little things!" exclaimed the stranger with tears in his eyes, as he rose to his feet. "Worry no more! Be of good cheer! I shall be back with food." And with a parting kiss to each one of the children he left the family.

It was past midnight and as the King was coming home to fetch provisions for the family in distress, his heart trembled with the fear of God. "God has appointed me to look after the welfare of my people," he said to himself. "Woe unto me if in the kingdom of Islam there should be a single soul suffering from starvation. In the eyes of God, the responsibility is mine. In Islam the King is there not to wear a crown and roll in plenty. He is there to bear the burden of his people. He must feel for his people and work for his people. In fact, Islam is another name for service of fellow-man and no Muslim is a Muslim who does not live up to that ideal. But a Muslim King is doubly accountable for any omission of this Islamic duty."

Thus musing within himself, the King arrived home speedily and collected a quantity of flour, butter, sugar and dates. This made quite a heavy load and the place it had to go to was a very long way off. One of his men offered to carry the load for him. "Will you carry my load for me on the Day of Judgement?" came the sharp reply. "As a King, it is my duty to look to the well-being of my subjects and it is, therefore, for me to carry this load." And cheerfully he shoved the load on his own kingly back and carried it all those miles to the starving mother and children.

As the King sat down by the fireside and the children helped themselves to the dates and the bread that the mother had soon cooked for them, his face beamed with the delight of seeing misery relieved. "My bread is sweet," shouted the boy. "But my dates are sweeter," retorted his sister.

 As they merrily frolicked about, the King's heart was filled with joy that no kingly crown could give. He had done his duty and would face God with a clean conscience. As to the mother, she was overwhelmed with emotion. "You ought to be the king instead of Umar," she said, her eyes bursting with tears of gratitude, little knowing that this unknown visitor was none other than the great Caliph Umar,  Radiallahu Ta’ala Anhu.himself.

The next day, a stipend was duly allotted to the widow and the orphans out of the public treasury.

Your mother’s dua has been accepted

Once a lady came to Baqi bin Mukhallid (Rahmatullah alaih) and wailed: “The Romans have captured my son. I have no wealth with which to ransom him. For me there is neither night nor day; nor sleep or rest.” He said to her: “Go, I shall look into your matter, Insha’Allah.” The lady departed, and the Shaikh lowering his head supplicated to Allah Ta’ala. After some time the lady came to Baqi bin Mukhallid (Rahmatullah alaih) with her son and thanked him profusely. She said that her son had a wonderful story to tell. The son explained: “I was among a group of prisoners taken by the Romans. A man had taken us into his service. Daily the overseer would take us into the desert to work and in the evening we would be returned with our chains fitted o­n. O­ne day after Maghrib we returned with our overseer.

Suddenly the chains o­n my leg fell off. The guard hearing the clang of the chain hurried to me. When he saw the chain broken and lying o­n the ground, he screamed: “You have broken your chain!” I said: “No, it fell off.” He was amazed. He reported the matter to his master who instructed the blacksmith to replace the chain. After I had walked o­nly a few steps with the new chain, it broke and fell to the ground. They were astonished. They called their priests and explained the episode. The priests said to me: “Do you have a mother?” I said: “Yes.” They responded: “Your mother’s dua has been accepted. Allah has set you free. Henceforth we shall not be able to imprison you.” They then honored me and sent a group of people to accompany me to the border of the Land of the Muslimeen.”

The priests of the Christians are described in the Qur’an as Ruhbaan. In the early days, a large part of the Truth of the Taurat and Injeel was intact with the Ruhbaan, hence they were able to discern the Truth when they witnessed it. The young son of the lady had noted the time and the date when his leg chains had miraculously fallen off. After he related his story, it transpired that the time and the date coincided with the time and date when his mother had pleaded to Baqi bin Mukhallid (Rahmatullah alaih) and the latter had made his Dua.

The Beautiful Story Of Julaybib (Radiya Allahu 'Anhu)

His name was unusual and incomplete. Julaybib (Radiya Allahu 'Anhu) means "small grown" being the diminutive form of the word "Jalbab ". The name is an indication that Julaybib (Radiya Allahu 'Anhu) was small and short, even of dwarf-like stature. More than that, he is described as being "damim" which means ugly, deformed, or of repulsive appearance.

Even more disturbing, for the society in which he lived, Julaybib's (Radiya Allahu 'Anhu) lineage was not known. There is no record of who his mother or his father was or to what tribe he belonged. This was a grave disability in the society in which he lived. Julaybib (Radiya Allahu 'Anhu) could not expect any compassion or help, any protection or support from a society that placed a great deal of importance on family and tribal connections. In this regard, all that was known of him was that he was an Arab and that, as far as the new community of Islam was concerned, he was one of the Ansar. Perhaps he belonged to one of the outlying tribes beyond Madinah and had drifted into the city or he could have even been from among the Ansar of the city itself.

The disabilities under which Julaybib (Radiya Allahu 'Anhu) lived would have been enough to have him ridiculed and shunned in any society and in fact he was prohibited by one person, a certain Abu Barzah of the Aslam tribe, from entering his home. He once told his wife: “Do not let Julaybib (Radiya Allahu 'Anhu) enter among you. If he does, I shall certainly do (something terrible to him).” Probably because he was teased and scoffed at in the company of men, Julaybib (Radiya Allahu 'Anhu) used to take refuge in the company of women. Was there any hope of Julaybib (Radiya Allahu 'Anhu) being treated with respect and consideration? Was there any hope of his finding emotional satisfaction as an individual and as a man? Was there any hope of his enjoying the relationships which others take for granted? And in the society emerging under the guidance of the Prophet, was he so insignificant as to be overlooked in the preoccupation with the great affairs of the state and in the supreme issues of life and survival which constantly engaged the attention of the Prophet?

Just as he was aware of the great issues of life and destiny, the Prophet of Mercy Sal Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam was also aware of the needs and sensibilities of his most humble companions.

With Julaybib (Radiya Allahu 'Anhu) in mind, the Prophet Sal Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam went to one of the Ansar and said: “I want to have your daughter married.” “How wonderful and blessed, O Messenger of Allah and what a delight to the eye (this would be),” replied the Ansari man with obvious joy and happiness. “I do not want her for myself,” added the Prophet Sal Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam. “Then for whom, O Messenger of Allah?” asked the man, obviously somewhat let down. “For Julaybib (Radiya Allahu 'Anhu),” said the Prophet Sal Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam. The Ansari must have been too shocked to give his own reaction and he merely said: “I will consult with her mother.” And off he went to his wife. “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, wants to have your daughter married,” he said to her. She too was thrilled. “What a wonderful idea and what a delight to the eye (this would be),” she said. “He does not want to marry her himself but he wants to marry her to Julaybib (Radiya Allahu 'Anhu),” he added. She was flabbergasted.

“To Julaybib! No, never to Julaybib! No, by the living Allah we shall not marry (her) to him.” she protested.

As the Ansari was about to return to Rasulullah Sal Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam to inform him of what his wife had said, the daughter who had heard her mother’s protestations, asked: “Who has asked you to marry me?” Her mother told her of Rasulullah Sal Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam request for her hand in marriage to Julaybib. When she heard that the request had come from Rasulullah Sal Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam and that her mother was absolutely opposed to the idea, she was greatly perturbed and said: “Do you refuse the request of the Messenger of Alllah? Send me to him for he shall certainly not bring ruin to me.”

This was the reply of a truly great person who had a clear understanding of what was required of her as a Muslim. What greater satisfaction and fulfillment can a Muslim find than in responding willingly to the requests and commands of the Messenger of Allah! No doubt, this companion of Rasulullah Sal Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam  whose name we do not even know had heard the verse of the Quran:

وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلاَ مُؤْمِنَةٍ إِذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَمْرًا أَنْ يَكُونَ لَهُمْ الْخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ وَمَنْ يَعْصِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلاَلاً مُبِينًا

“Now whenever Allah and His Apostle have decided a matter, it is not for a believing man or believing woman to claim freedom of choice in so far as they themselves are concerned. And he who disobeys Allah and His Prophet has already, most obviously, gone astray.”    (Surah al-Ahzaab 33:36).

This verse was revealed in connection with the marriage of Zainab bint Jahsh ( radi Allahu anhu) and Zayd ibn al-Haritha (radi Allahu anhu) which was arranged by Rasulullah Sal Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam to show the egalitarian spirit of Islam. Hazrat Zainab at first was highly offended at the thought of marrying Hazrat Zayd a former slave and refused to do so. Rasulullah Sal Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam prevailed upon them both and they were married. The marriage however ended in divorce and Zainab (radi Allahu anhu) was eventually married to Rasulullah Sal Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam  himself. It is said that the Ansari girl read the verse to her parents and said: “I am satisfied and submit myself to whatever the Messenger of Allah deems good for me.” When Rasulullah Sal Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam heard of her reaction and prayed for her: “O Lord, bestow good on her in abundance and make not her life one of toil and trouble.”

Among the Ansar, it is said there was not a more eligible bride than she. She was married by Rasulullah Sal Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam to Julaybib and they lived together until he was killed.

How was Julaybib (Radiya Allahu 'Anhu) killed? He went on an expedition with Rasulullah Sal Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam and an encounter with some mushrikin (polytheists) ensued.When the battle was over, Rasulullah Sal Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam asked his companions: “Have you lost anyone?” They replied giving the names of their relatives of close friends who were killed. He put the same questions to other companions and they also named the ones they had lost in the battle. Another group answered that they had lost no close relative whereupon Rasulullah Sal Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam said: “But I have lost Julaybib. Search for him in the battlefield.”  They searched and found him beside seven mushrikeen whom he had struck before meeting his end.

Rasulullah Sal Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam stood up and went to the spot where Julaybib (Radiya Allahu 'Anhu), his short and deformed companion, lay. He stood over him and said: “He killed seven and then was killed?

This (man) is of me and I am of him.”

He repeated this two or three times. Rasulullah Sal Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam then took him in his arms and it is said that he had no better bed besides the forearms of the Messenger of Allah.

Rasulullah Sal Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam then dug for him a grave and himself placed him in it. He did not wash him for martyrs are not washed before burial.

Julaybib (Radiya Allahu 'Anhu) and his wife are not usually among the companions of Rasulullah Sal Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam  whose deeds are sung and whose exploits are recounted with reverence and admiration as they should be. But in the meager facts that are known about them and which have here been recounted we see how humble human beings were given hope and dignity by Rasulullah Sal Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam where once there was only despair and self-debasement.

The attitude of the unknown and unnamed Ansari girl who readily agreed to be the wife of a physically unattractive man was an attitude which reflected a profound understanding of Islam. It reflected on her part the effacement of personal desires and preferences even when she could have counted on the support of her parents. It reflected on her part a total disregard for social pressures. It reflected above all a ready and implicit confidence in the wisdom and authority of Rasulullah  Sal Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam in submitting herself to whatever he deemed good. This is the attitude of the true believer.

In Julaybib (Radiya Allahu 'Anhu), there is the example of a person who was almost regarded as a social outcast because of his appearance. Given help, confidence and encouragement by the Noble Rasulullah Sal Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam, he was able to perform acts of courage and make the supreme sacrifice and deserve the commendation of Rasulullah Sal Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam :

“He is of me and I am of him.”

70 Goats for One

It is related in a story that in the times of old, a king by name, Sultan Malik Shah Seljuki ruled the Kingdom of Persia. One day, he set out on a hunt along with his soldiers on the banks of a river.

 After a long journey, the king decided to rest for a while before continuing on the hunt. He got down form his horse and pitched camp on a green meadow, under a tree, which grew on the banks of the river. One of the servants of Sultan Malik Shah who was the chief of all his bodyguards decided to get the Sultan some food as they rested under the tree. He went to the nearby village seeking food, and unable to find any, seized a large goat that was grazing on the riverbank. He ordered his companion to slaughter it and roast its flesh.

Now, the goat belonged to an old man whose only means of food was the milk that he got from the goat. When he became aware of the incident, he rushed towards the bridge where the Sultan and his retinue had to pass, in order to continue on with their journey. He waited eagerly until the magnificent decked horse of the Sultan, accompanied by his soldiers arrived in front of him. Running forward, he caught the reins of the Sultan’s horse. The chief of the Sultan’s bodyguard flourished his whip in order to strike at him for this disrespectful act. The Sultan said, “Leave him, for he appears to be an oppressed man and a helpless creature. Let me see what his grievance is.” He then turned and faced the old man, and asked him what he had to say.

The old man said, “O Sultan! If you do not give me redress at the entrance of this bridge, I swear by the Glory of Allah, the Almighty God that I will not let the hand of my resentment quit your royal robes at the entrance of the Sirat Bridge, until I get justice from you. Think well; which of the two bridges will you choose before you will grant me to put right the injustice that was done to me?” The Sultan was struck with terror on hearing those words, and said, “Take care, my friend! I even as the Sultan do not have the strength to face that bridge! Who has oppressed you?” The old man replied, “O Sultan, the same person who had just flourished his whip to strike at me in your presence, has slaughtered and roasted the only goat that I had in my possession, from whose milk, I used to sustain myself for my daily food.” Malik Shah immediately turned to his chief of bodyguard to find out the truth.

When he admitted his guilt, Malik Shah ordered him to be punished with the same whip, which he held in his hand. He ordered his other soldiers to go into the nearby villages and purchase 70 goats and present them to the old man in compensation for the goat he had lost. After some time, the old man heard the news that Sultan Malik Shah had died. He journeyed to the city the same night and made his way to his grave where he was buried, and spreading a prayer-mat besides the grave, and raising his hands in supplication prayed to God, with tears flowing out of his eyes, “O Allah, this slave of Yours who lies buried in this earth, helped me on one occasion when I was in distress.

Now, it is possible that he may be in trouble, please help him out of Your Mercy! I was helpless like him on the day when I sought justice from him. He took compassion on me and relieved me of my distress in a handsome manner. At this moment, he himself is helpless and is in need of Your Compassion. You are the Lord of the worlds. Please help him out and take pity on him!” On that night, one of the servants of the Sultan saw him in a dream. The servant asked the Sultan how Allah, the Almighty had treated him. The Sultan replied in the dream, “If the prayer of the old man had not come to my help, then I would not have escaped the Wrath of Allah and his Punishment! The justice, which I had got for him, and the blessings of his prayers, opened the door of Allah’s Mercy on me!”

Moral of the story    : Grant redress to the oppressed and fulfill the desires of the disappointed so that Allah may show compassion on you and shower you with His Mercy in the Hereafter!

Coversation between Marble Statue and Marble Tile

There was this museum laid with beautiful marble tiles, with a huge marble statue displayed in the middle of the lobby. Many people came from all over the world just to admire this beautiful marble statue. One night, the marble tiles started talking to the marble statue.

Marble tile: “Marble statue, it’s just not fair, it’s just not fair! Why does everybody from all over the world come all the way here just to step on me while admiring you? Not fair! “

Marble statue: “My dear friend, marble tile. Do you still remember that we were actually from the same cave?”

Marble tile: “Yeah! That’s why I feel it is even more unfair. We were born from the same cave and yet we receive different treatment now. Not fair!”

Marble statue: “Then, do you still remember the day when the designer tried to work on you, but you resisted the tools?”

Marble tile: “Yes, of course I remember. I hate that guy! How could he use those tools on me, it hurt so badly.”

Marble statue: “That’s right! He couldn’t work on you at all as you resisted being worked on.”

Marble tile: “So???”

Marble statue: “When he decided to give up on you and start working on me instead, I knew at once that I would be something different after his efforts. I did not resist his tools, instead I bore all the painful tools he used on me.”

Marble tile: “Mmmmmm…….”

Marble statue: “My friend, there is a price to everything in life. Since you decided to give up half way, you can’t blame anybody who steps on you now.”

The moral of the story:

It simply means that the more hard knocks you go through in life, the more you’ll learn and put them to use in the future !! Do not be discouraged by setbacks and failures.

Past is past, you can’t change it but it is actually a blessing in disguise. Past was good, present is better and the future will always be the best.

She picked up the basket in her hands and threw all the garbage on him

She thought  late till midnight and finally decided how to take revenge on him. She could not sleep all night, because she was so eager to get revenge for the idols she worshiped. Even before the first ray of sunlight had entered her window, she was busy sweeping her house. She saved all the garbage in a basket, placed it on the roof of her home and proudly looked at it for a while, then with an impatient look on her face, she looked at the street that she lived on, and thought, "No one has ever seen him angry. Everybody will praise me when they will see him shouting at me and getting mad. They will laugh at him and make fun of him." She looked at the basket again and grinned.

Meanwhile, she heard footsteps, announcing the approach of the end of her waiting. "Finally my prey has arrived," she thought, as she saw a man dressed in clean, white clothes coming that way. She picked up the basket in her hands and threw all the garbage on him when he passed by. Much to the woman's disappointment, he did not say anything and continued on his way.

She did the same the following day thinking, "Maybe this time I will be able to annoy him." But he was too gentle to shout at a woman. She misinterpreted his attitude as fear and decided to repeat the same mischief everyday in order to keep him frightened, so that he might stop preaching the Oneness of God.

This gentleman whom the woman hated so much was Hazrat  Muhammad  sal-lal-lahu alai hi wa sallam,  He did not want to disappoint the woman and so continued to walk down the street everyday, instead of picking an alternate route, and he prayed for the woman to recognise the Truth.

One day, the Holy Prophet Muhammad  (Choicest blessing and peace be upon him) did not find the woman to be on the roof of her house with the basket. This worried him, because he thought something must have happened to her for not being over there. So he knocked at the door. "Who is it?" asked a feeble voice. "Muhammad bin Abdullah," was the reply, "can I come in?" The woman feared, "I am sick, and too weak to fight or talk back, therefore Muhammad has come to take revenge for what I have been doing to him." But the permission to enter her house was in such a gentle voice that she allowed him in.

Muhammad  (Choicest blessing and peace be upon him) entered the house and told the woman that not finding her on the roof had worried him and he thus wanted to inquire about her health. On finding out how ill she was, he gently asked if she needed any help. Hypnotised by the affectionate tone in the Holy Prophet's  (Choicest blessing and peace be upon him) blessed voice, she forgot all fear and asked for some water. He kindly gave her some in a utensil and prayed for her health, while she quenched her thirst. This made her feel very guilty for being so cruel to him in the past and she apologised for her mean behaviour. He forgave her and came to her house everyday to clean it, to feed her and to pray for her, till she was on her feet again. The kind attitude of the Holy Prophet  (Choicest blessing and peace be upon him) inspired her into the recognition of the Truth, and his prayers were answered in the form of yet another addition into the growing number of Muslims.

The story of the Pencil - by Paul Cohello

A boy was watching his grandmother write a letter. At one point he asked:

"Are you writing a story about what we've done? Is it a story about me?
His grandmother stopped writing her letter and said to her grandson

"I am writing about you, actually but more important than the words is the pencil i'm using. I hope that you will be like this pencil when you grow up.

Intrigued the boy lookeds at the pencil. It didn't seem very special.

"But its just like any other pencil i've ever seen!"

"That depends on how you look at things. It has five qualities which which, if you manage to hang on to them, will always make you a person who is always at peace with the world.

"1st Quality" - you are capable of great things, but you must never forget that there is a hand guiding your steps. We call that the hand of God, and He always guides us according to his will.

...all this takes is belief in its weakest of forms too...coz ur weakness is ur strength!

"2nd Quality" - now and then, i have to stop writing and use a sharpener. That makes the pencil suffer a little, but afterwards, he's much sharper. So you, too must learn to bear certain pains and sorrows, because they will make you a better person.

...problem is we get sharper and sharper until there is no lead left....but a used pencil is better than an untouched/blunt one since the best of qualities it has will remain in limbo as no caligrapher even notices it

"3rd Quality" - The pencil always allows us to use an eraser to rub out any mistakes. This meanst that correcting something we did is not necessarily a bad thing: it helps to keep us on the road to justice.

...if u keep making the same mistake...eventually the eraser gets worn out and the page on which the pencil left the mark turns from a mere smudge to a permanant dark tear on the page...

"4th Quality" - what really matters in a pencil is not its wooden exterior, but the graphite inside. So always pay attention to what is happening inside you.

...focus on your inner...and the you will be amazed to how the outer can blossom

Finally the pencils "5th Quality" : it always leaves a mark. In just the same way you should know that everythng you do in life will leave a mark, so try to be concious of that in your every action.

sign your mark .....without recognition

Carry me in your arms

When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I've got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes.

Suddenly I didn't know how to say it. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly. She didn't seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why? I avoided her question. This made her angry. She shouted at me, " you are not a man!"

That night, we didn't talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; I had lost my heart to a lovely girl called Dew. I didn't love her anymore. I just pitied her!

With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, 30% shares of my company and the car. She glanced at it and then tore it to pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said, for I loved Dew so dearly.

Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me, her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.

The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn't have supper but went straight to sleep and fell fast asleep because I was tired after an eventful day with Dew. When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did'nt care so I turned over and was asleep again.

In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn't want anything from me, but needed a month's notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month, we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month's time and she didn't want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.

This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day. She requested that everyday for the month's duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door ever morning. I thought she was going crazy.

Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request. I told Dew about my wife's divorce conditions. She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she has, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully. My wife and I hadn't had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mummy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly, don't tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.

On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest.. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn't looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.

On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me. On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn't tell Dew about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.

She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily. Suddenly it hit me, .. she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart.

Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head. Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it's time to carry mum out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come close and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day.

But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn't noticed that our life lacked intimacy. I drove to office... jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind... I walked upstairs. Dew opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Dew, I do not want the divorce anymore.

She looked at me, astonished. Then touched my forehead. Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Dew, I said, I won't divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn't value the details of our lives, not because we didn't love each other any more. Now I realized that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until one of us departs this world.

Dew seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away. At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The sales girl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote: I ll carry you out every morning until we are old.

Kid & his Apple Tree

A long time ago, there was a huge apple tree. A little boy loved to come and play around it everyday. He climbed to the treetop, ate the apples, and took a nap in its shadow.

He loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him. Time went by and the little boy had grown up and no longer played around the tree every day.

One day, the boy came back to the tree and he looked sad. "Come and play with me", the tree asked the boy. "I am no longer a kid and I don't play around trees any more," the boy replied. "I want toys.

I need money to buy them." "Sorry, but I do not have money, but you can pick all my apples and sell them. Then, you will have money." The boy was so excited. He grabbed all the apples on the tree and left happily.The boy never came back after he picked the apples and the tree felt sad.

One day, many years later, the boy who had now turned into a man returned. The tree was excited and said, "Come and play with me." The boy replied, "I do not have time to play. I have to work for my family and we need a house for shelter. Can you help me?"

"Sorry, I do not have any house. But you can chop off my branches to build your house". So the man cut all the branches of the tree and left happily. The tree was glad to see him happy but the man never came back since then. The tree was again lonely and sad.

One hot summer day, the man returned and the tree was delighted. "Come and play with me!" the tree said. "I am getting old. I want to go sailing to relax myself. Can you give me a boat?" said the man. "Use my trunk to build your boat. You can sail far away and be happy." So the man cut the tree trunk to make a boat. He went sailing and never showed up for a long time.

Finally, the man returned after many years. "Sorry, my boy. But I do not have anything for you anymore. No more apples for you", the tree said. "No problem, I do not have any teeth to bite," the man replied. "No more trunk for you to climb on". "I am too old for that now," the man said. "I really cannot give you anything, the only thing left is my dying roots," the tree said with tears.

"I do not need much now, just a place to rest. I am tired after all these years," the man replied. "Good! Old tree roots are the best place to lean on and rest, come sit down with me and rest." The man sat down and the tree was glad and smiled with tears.

Now, replace the tree in the story with parents. When we are young, we love to play with our Mum and Dad; but when we grow up, we leave them, only to come to them whenever we need support - material or emotional, or when we are in trouble. And no matter what, our parents always are there by our side and give us everything they can just to make us happy.

Always, we take them fo granted and don"t appreciate all they do for us, until its too late.

It's the same with our divine parent too.

Whenever we are beset with problems, we cry out to Him for help, how many times do we think of Him when everything is going pleasant and beautiful in our lives?

Something to think about.

By God, I came to the Masjid especially to seek forgiveness for you

Once, Maalik Ashtar (Commander in cheif of Imam Ali Alaihis Salaam ) was passing through the market of Kufah looking very indigent.  He was dressed in coarse canvas apparel and had placed canvas on his head instead of a turban.

One of the traders was sitting in his shop when his eyes fell upon Maalik.  He looked at him with contempt and scornfully hurled a lump of earth towards him.

Hazrat Maalik disregarded him and proceeded on his way.  However, a person who had recognized Hazrat Malik and had witnessed the incident, reprimanded the trader:

“Shame on you!  Do you know who you have just humiliated?”

“No,” replied the trader.

“He was Hazrat Maalik Ashtar, Commander in cheif of ‘Ali Alaihis Salaam.”

A shiver ran through the body of the trader at the thought of the evil deed he had committed. He immediately set off after Hazrat Maalik in order to offer his apologies.  He noticed that Hazrat Maalik had entered a  Masjid where he was engaged in prayers and decided to wait for him.  As soon as Hazrat Maalik had finished praying, the trader fell at his feet and began kissing them.  Hazrat Maalik raised him and asked him what he was doing.

“ I am apologizing for the sin I have committed,” answered the trader.

Hazrat Maalik explained, “There is no sin upon you.  By God, I came to the  Masjid especially to seek forgiveness for you.”

Ref: Muntahal Aa’maal, vol. 1, pg. 212; Majmua’h Warraam Ibn Abi Farraas

Moral: You should have a habbit of forgiving others as it may change the other persons behavior but if you react in the same manner enmity will take birth and end will be very bad