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

Don’t Talk to Me About Muhammad (sallalahu alaih wasallam)

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

A selfish man loses honesty

Once upon a time, there was a selfish man. He liked everything to be his own. He could not share his belongings with anyone, not even his friends or the poor.

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.

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)