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In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful .
Stories to Reflect Upon
. Most of the stories written here have been sent to me in emails, I don't know where they originate. If you know who wrote any of these stories please let me know so proper credit may be given. .
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| Wooden Bowl |
| The Neighbor |
The Wooden Bowl
A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year-old grandson. The old man's hands trembled,his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth. The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. We must do something about Grandfather," said the son. I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor. So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl.
When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.
The four-year-old watched it all in silence. One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, "What are you making?" Just as sweetly, the boy responded, "Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food when I grow up." The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.
The words so struck the parents that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.
Children are remarkably perceptive. Their eyes ever observe, their ears ever listen, and their minds ever process the messages they absorb. If they see us patiently provide a happy home atmosphere for family members, they will imitate that attitude for the rest of their lives. The wise parent realizes that every day the building blocks are being laid for the child's future. Let's be wise builders and role models.
I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the
way he/she handles three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and a
whining child.
I've learned that making a "living" is not the same
thing as making a "life."
I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have
to be one.
People will forget what you said ... people will forget what
you did ... but people will never forget how you made them feel.
The Neighbor
There was a very active Muslim man with a non-Muslim
neighbor. They argued and debated every day. Finally the non-Muslim
man accepted Islam and converted.
One night after midnight he heard a person knocking on the door.
The convert asked, "Who's there?"
to which the Muslim replied, "It's me, open up!"
The convert asked very curiously, "What do you want at this
time of the night?"
The eager Muslim replied, "Let's go to the mosque and pray.
The Prophet, peace be upon him, has said there is a great reward
in the mid-night prayers." So he took the man to the mosque
and they prayed all night.
When it got close to dawn the Muslim said to the
convert, "Don't go anywhere, the morning prayer is close.
Here." said the Muslim as he handed the convert a Qur'an,
"Read this until the morning prayer."
The convert agreed and read from the Qur'an until time for the
morning prayer.
After the morning prayer the Muslim told the convert,
"Wait, read some more Qur'an and let's do Nafila (extra
prayers)." The convert agreed.
The Muslim then said, "Oh, by the way. I suggest you fast
today, it is highly recommended and rewarding." So the
convert agreed.
Still at the mosque the Muslim said, "Stay here
because noon prayer is not that far ahead, read some Qur'an in
the meanwhile." And they stayed for the noon prayer.
After the noon prayer the Muslim said to the convert, "Now
that we prayed noon prayer let's learn about some hadith"
The convert agreed and stayed for hadith discussion.
"Stay here for Asr prayer it's almost time for
that and afternoon prayer is one of the best prayers." said
the Muslim. The convert agreed and stayed.
After they prayed the afternnon prayer, the Muslim said, "Stay
here, because soon it will be time for breaking the fast"
So, he stayed. After they prayed the dusk prayer and ate, the
Muslim said, "Let's pray until the time comes for the
Evening prayer." The convert stayed for the evening prayer
and then went home.
The next night the convert heard knocking on his door
again, very reluctantly the convert asks, "Who's there?"
to which he heard the reply, "It's me, your neighbor. Let's
go to the mosque and pray."
The convert answered from behind the closed door, "I changed
my mind, go ahead and find someone else who does not have a life
and can spend all his time in the mosque, I have a wife and
children to feed!"
Sometimes when we find a new convert, we are so happy, we want them to start learning right away how beautiful Islam is, and we also want them to become the best Muslim that they can be. Please, take time with new Muslims, teach them properly and don't overburden them. What is easy for some may be very difficult for others.
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