Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

100 Moral Stories

Akramulla Syed

Table of Contents

DON'T CHANGE THE WORLD.. 5

THE TRAVELERS AND THE PLANE TREE   6

THE BOYWHO CRIED 'WOLF' 7

THE FARMER AND THE STORK.. 8

THE HARE AND THE TORTOISE.. 9

THE ANT AND THE DOVE.. 10

THE MONKEYAND THE DOLPHIN   11

THE FOX AND THE STORK.. 12

THE WOLF AND THE LAMB.. 13

THE FOX AND THE GRAPES. 14

THE THIRSTYCROW... 15

THE MILKMAID.. 16

PARABLE OF THE PENCIL.. 17

THE BOYAND THE APPLE TREE.. 18

THE ANGEL.. 20

THE DEVOTED MOTHER.. 21

MENTALLYRETARDED! 22

PAID IN FULL.. 23

BEAUTIFULGIFT! 24

PAID IN FULL. 25

TRUE WEALTH.. 27

AHOLE IN THE FENCE.. 28

GRANDPA’S TABLE.. 29

BENJAMIN DISRAELI. 30

FATHERS EYES. 31

BUTTERFLYAND COCOON.. 34

THE OBSTACLE IN OUR PATH.. 35

THE WOLF IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING   36

DON’T JUDGE ABOOK BYITS COVER! 37

MOUNTAIN STORY.. 39

ALESSON FROM AFROG TALE.. 41

JUST P.U.S.H! 44

DETERMINATON.. 46

THE CRACKED POT.. 49

GOD EXISTS. 50

ABOYWITH STRONG BELIEF.. 51

WORDS AND ACTIONS SHOULD BE THE SAME   55

YOU'RE FAR MORE PRECIOUS THAN DIAMONDS AND PEARLS  57

THE ONE-EYED DOE.. 58

THE CAGE BIRD'S ESCAPE.. 59

THE THREE WISE MEN.. 61

THE CLEVER BOY.. 62

AMERCHANT AND HIS DONKEY.. 63

THE ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER   64

THE FOX WHO GOT CAUGHT IN THE TREE TRUNK   65

CATS AND ROOSTERS. 66

THE PROUD RED ROSE.. 68

THE SELFISH MAN.. 69

YOU ARE PRICELESS TO THOSE WHO LOVE YOU   70

BE CAREFULWHAT YOU PLANT   71

GENEROSITY.. 74

THE CRYSTALBALL.. 75

THE SIGNS OF HAPPINESS. 78

HOPE AND GREED.. 80

FOUR WIVES. 81

LION, RATS, SNAKE & THE HONEYCOMB   83

THE MOST BEAUTIFULHEART.. 84

THE CLUB 99. 86

REPENTANCE.. 89

THE NEIGHBOR.. 90

ABOX FULLOF KISSES. 91

THE THREE COWS. 92

AWHITE HAS NO SUPERIORITYOVER ABLACK   94

GHULAMHUSSEIN AND THE GAME OF CHANCE   95

FINDERS KEEPERS. 96

AN AGED STUDENT.. 97

WEALTH - LOVE - SUCCESS. 99

LOVE AND TIME.. 100

ALWAYS THANKFULTO GOD.. 101

THE MAYONNAISE AND THE COFFEE   102

LESSONS ON LIFE.. 104

PUT THE GLASS DOWN! 106

MAYI NEVER GET TOO BUSYIN MYOWN AFFAIRS! 107

DON’T WE ALL.. 108

THE STRANGER IN THE GARDEN   110

THE ROPE.. 113

THE SHIP.. 114

THE CLEVER KING! 115

THE ILLUSION OF REFLECTION.. 117

BUILDING YOUR HOUSE.. 119

ATEACHER’S PROTEST! 120

DO NOT DO EVILTO ANYONE.. 121

PUPPIES FOR SALE.. 122

OFFFICE BOY.. 123

ONE BEDROOM FLAT.. 124

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL! 127

BE PATIENT.. 129

THE FATHER AND HIS SONS. 130

MAKING ADIFFERENCE.. 131

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH THE MOST BENEFICENT AND MERCIFUL

As Salamo Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barkatahu,

I am thankful to Allah for giving me the opportunity to compile many of my favorite

Moral Stories, in the form of an electronic book, which I had collected from various

resources, since last few years. Even though many of these stories are fictional in

nature, but at the end they will give a great lesson to learn for a lifetime.

As the reader can himself see from these stories, the subject “Moral” is universal to

every human being. Hence these stories are not just for any particular sect or the

followers of particular faith, it is for the entire humanity, irrespective of there belief,

culture, race, color or age. So, let’s start with a Moral Story called as “A POND FULL

OF MILK.”

Once there was a king who told some of his workers to dig a pond. Once the pond was

dug, the king made an announcement to his people saying that one person from each

household has to bring a glass of milk during the night and pour it into the pond. So,

the pond should be full of milk by the morning. After receiving the order, everyone

went home.

One man prepared to take the milk during the night. He thought that since everyone

will bring milk, he could just hide a glass of water and pour inside the pond. Because it

will be dark at night, no one will notice. So he quickly went and poured the water in the

pond and came back. In the morning, the king came to visit the pond and to his

surprise the pond was only filled with water! What has happened is that everyone was

thinking like the other man that “I don't have to put the milk, someone else will do it.”

Dear friends, when it comes to help the Religion of Allah, do not think that others will

take care of it. Rather, it starts from you, if you don’t do it, no one else will do it. So,

change yourself to the way of Allah to serve Him and that will make the difference.

With this I will end my little introduction and pray that

May Almighty Allah accept it. So that we may all benefit

from these stories.

Wassalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmutallahi Wa Barkatahu

Akramulla Syed

Islamic Occasions Network

http://www.islamicoccasions.com

Dated: Sunday, March 20, 2005

DON'T CHANGE THE WORLD

Once upon a time, there was a king who ruled a prosperous country. One day, he went for a trip to

some distant areas of his country. When he was back to his palace, he complained that his feet were

very painful, because it was the first time that he went for such a long trip, and the road that he

went through was very rough and stony. He then ordered his people to cover every road of the

entire country with leather.

Definitely, this would need thousands of cows’ skin, and would cost a

huge amount of money.

Then one of his wise servants dared himself to tell the king, “Why do

you have to spend that unnecessary amount of money? Why don’t you

just cut a little piece of leather to cover your feet?”

The king was surprised, but he later agreed to his suggestion, to make

a “shoe” for himself.

There is actually a valuable lesson of life in this story: to make this world a happy

place to live, you better change yourself - your heart; and not the world.

THE TRAVELERS AND THE PLANE TREE

Two men were walking along one summer day. Soon it

became too hot to go any further and, seeing a large

plane tree nearby, they threw themselves on the

ground to rest in its shade.

Gazing up into the branches one man said to the other:

“What a useless tree this is. It does not have fruit or

nuts that we can eat and we cannot even use its

wood for anything.”

“Don’t be so ungrateful,” rustled the tree in reply.

“I am being extremely useful to you at this very

moment, shielding you from the hot sun.

And you call me a good-for-nothing!”

All of God’s creations have a good purpose.

Islam teaches us that we should never belittle Allah’s blessings.

LEARN FROM MISTAKES

Thomas Edison tried two thousand different materials in search of a filament for

the light bulb. When none worked satisfactorily, his assistant complained,

“All our work is in vain. We have learned nothing.”

Edison replied very confidently, “Oh, we have come a long way and we have

learned a lot. We now know that there are two thousand elements which we

cannot use to make a good light bulb.”

THE BOYWHO CRIED 'WOLF'

Once there was a shepherd boy who had to look after a flock of

sheep. One day, he felt bored and decided to play a trick on the

villagers. He shouted, “Help! Wolf! Wolf!”

The villagers heard his cries and rushed out of the village to help

the shepherd boy. When they reached him, they asked,

“Where is the wolf?”

The shepherd boy laughed loudly, “Ha, Ha, Ha! I fooled all of you.

I was only playing a trick on you.”

A few days later, the shepherd boy played this trick again.

Again he cried, “Help! Help! Wolf! Wolf!” Again, the villagers rushed up the hill to help him and

again they found that boy had tricked them. They were very angry with him for being so naughty.

Then, some time later, a wolf went into the field. The wolf attacked one sheep, and then another

and another. The shepherd boy ran towards the village shouting, “Help! Help! Wolf! Help!

Somebody!”

The villagers heard his cries but they laughed because they thought it was another trick. The boy

ran to the nearest villager and said, “A wolf is attacking the sheep. I lied before, but this time it is

true!”

Finally, the villagers went to look. It was true. They could see the wolf running away and many

dead sheep lying on the grass.

We may not believe someone who often tells lies, even when he tells the truth.

THE FARMER AND THE STORK

Finding that cranes were destroying his newly sown corn, a farmer

one evening set a net in his field to catch the destructive birds.

When he went to examine the net next morning he found

a number of cranes and also a stork.

“Release me, I beseech you,” cried the stork, “for I have eaten none of

your corn, nor have I done you any harm. I am a poor innocent stork,

as you may see - a most dutiful bird, I honor my father and mother.

I...”

But the farmer cut him short. “All this may be true enough, I dare say,

but I have caught you with those were destroying my crops, and you

must suffer with the company in which you are found.”

People are judged by the company they keep.

THE HARE AND THE TORTOISE

A tortoise one day met a hare who made fun of her.

“My, my, you move so slowly, you will never get far!”

The tortoises, upset by the hare’s manner, said,

“Let’s have a race and see who is faster.”

The hare laughed and said, “You must be joking! But all right, we’ll

see who reaches the other side of the hill first.” Off he ran, leaving

the tortoise far behind.

After a while, the hare stopped to wait for the tortoise to come long.

He waited and waited till he felt sleepy. “I might as well take a nap,”

he thought. “Even if she catches up with me, I can easily win the

race.” So he lay down under a shady tree and closed his eyes.

When the tortoise passed the sleeping hare, she walked on slowly

but steadily. By the time the hare woke up, the tortoise was near

the finishing line. He ran as fast as he could, but he could not catch

up with the tortoise.

Slow and steady can win the race.

THE ANT AND THE DOVE

One hot day, an ant was searching for some water.

After walking around for some time, she came to a spring.

To reach the spring, she had to climb up a blade of grass.

While making her way up, she slipped and fell into the water.

She could have drowned if a dove up a nearby tree had not

seen her. Seeing that the ant was in trouble, the dove quickly

plucked off a leaf and dropped it into the water near the

struggling ant. The ant moved towards the leaf and

climbed up there. Soon it carried her safely to dry ground.

Just at that time, a hunter nearby was throwing out his net

towards the dove, hoping to trap it.

Guessing what he was about to do, the ant quickly bit him on

the heel. Feeling the pain, the hunter dropped his net. The

dove was quick to fly away to safety.

One good turn deserves another.

THE MONKEYAND THE DOLPHIN

One day long ago, some sailors set out to sea in their sailing ship. One of

them brought his pet monkey along for the long journey.

When they were far out at sea, a terrible storm overturned their ship.

Everyone fell into the sea, and the monkey was sure that he would drown.

Suddenly a dolphin appeared and picked him up.

They soon reached the island and the monkey came down from the

dolphin’s back. The dolphin asked the monkey, “Do you know this place?”

The monkey replied, “Yes, I do. In fact, the king of the island is my best

friend. Do you know that I am actually a prince?”

Knowing that no one lived on the island, the dolphin said, “Well, well, so

you are a prince! Now you can be a king!”

The monkey asked, “How can I be a king?”

As the dolphin started swimming away, he answered, “That is easy. As you are the only creature on

this island, you will naturally be the king!”

Those who lie and boast may end up in trouble.

THE FOX AND THE STORK

A selfish fox once invited a stork to dinner at his home in a hollow tree. That evening, the stork flew

to the fox’s home and knocked on the door with her long beak. The fox opened the door and said,

“Please come in and share my food.”

The stork was invited to sit down at the table. She was very hungry and the food smelled delicious!

The fox served soup in shallow bowls and he licked up all his soup very quickly. However, the stork

could not have any of it as the bowl was too shallow for her long beak. The poor stork just smiled

politely and stayed hungry.

The selfish fox asked, “Stork, why haven’t you taken your soup? Don’t you like it?”

The stork replied, “It was very kind of you to invite me for dinner.

Tomorrow evening, please join me for dinner at my home.”

The next day, when the fox arrived at the stork’s home, he

saw that they were also having soup for dinner. This time

the soup was served in tall jugs. The stork drank the soup

easily but the fox could not reach inside the tall jug. This

time it was his turn to go hungry.

A selfish act can backfire on you.

THE WOLF AND THE LAMB

A lamb was grazing with a flock of sheep one day. She soon found

some sweet grass at the edge of the field. Farther and farther she went,

away from the others.

She was enjoying herself so much that she did not notice a wolf

coming nearer to her. However, when it pounced on her, she was quick

to start pleading, “Please, please don’t eat me yet. My stomach is full of

grass. If you wait a while, I will taste much better.”

The wolf thought that was a good idea, so he sat down and waited.

After a while, the lamb said, “If you allow me to dance, the grass in my

stomach will be digested faster.” Again the wolf agreed.

While the lamb was dancing, she had a new idea. She said,

“Please take the bell from around my neck. If you ring it as hard as you

can, I will be able to dance even faster.”

The wolf took the bell and rang it as hard as he could. The shepherd heard the bell ringing and

quickly sent his dogs to find the missing lamb. The barking dogs frightened the wolf away and

saved the lamb’s life.

The gentle and weak can sometimes be cleverer than fierce and strong.

THE FOX AND THE GRAPES

It was a sunny day and fox was walking across the fields. Soon he came to a vineyard.

As he came nearer, he could see some bunches of juicy grapes.

The fox looked carefully around him. He had to make sure that he was safe from the hunters.

He decided to steal some before anyone came along.

He jumped upwards but he could not reach the grapes. He jumped

again as high as he could. He still could not reach them. The grapes

were just too high for him!

He was not ready to give up. He backed off, took some running steps

and leapt into the air towards the grapes. Again he failed to reach

them.

It was getting dark, and he was getting angry. His legs hurt with all

that running and jumping. At last he stopped trying.

As he walked away, he said to himself, “I don’t really want those

grapes. I’m sure they are too sour to eat.”

Sometimes when we cannot get what we want,

we pretend that it is not worth having.

THE THIRSTYCROW

One hot day, a thirsty crow flew all over the fields looking for

water. For a long time, she could not find any. She felt very weak,

almost giving up hope.

Suddenly, she saw a water jug below her. She flew straight down

to see if there was any water inside. Yes, she could see some water

inside the jug!

The crow tried to push her head into the jug. Sadly, she found

that the neck of the jug was too narrow. Then she tried to push

the jug down for the water to flow out. She found that the jug

was too heavy.

The crow thought hard for a while. Then looking around her, she

saw some pebbles. She suddenly had a good idea. She started

picking up the pebbles one by one, dropping each into the jug.

As more and more pebbles filled the jug, the water level kept

rising. Soon it was high enough for the crow to drink. Her plan had

worked!

If you try hard enough, you may soon find an answer to your problem.

THE MILKMAID

A milkmaid was on her way to the market to sell some milk from her cow. As she carried the large

jug of milk on top of her head, she began to dream of all the things she could do after selling the

milk.

“With that money, I’ll buy a hundred chicks to rear in my backyard. When they are fully grown.

I can sell them at a good price at the market.”

As she walked on, she continued dreaming, “Then I’ll buy

two young goats and rear them on the grass close by. When

they are fully grown, I can sell them at an even better price!”

Still dreaming, she said to herself, “Soon, I’ll be able to buy

another cow, and I will have more milk to sell. Then I shall

have even more money...”

With these happy thoughts, she began to skip and jump.

Suddenly she tripped and fell. The jug broke and all the

milk spilt onto the ground.

No more dreaming now, she sat down and cried.

Do not count your chickens before they are hatched.

PARABLE OF THE PENCIL

The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the box.

“There are 5 things you need to know,” he told the pencil, “Before I send you out into the world.

Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be.”

One: “You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in

someone’s hand.”

Two: “You will experience a painful

sharpening from time to time, but

you’ll need it to become a better

pencil.”

Three: “You will be able to correct

any mistakes you might make.”

Four: “The most important part of

you will always be what's inside.”

And Five: “On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the

condition, you must continue to write.”

The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart.

Now replacing the place of the pencil with you. Always remember them and never forget, and you

will become the best person you can be.

One: “You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in God’s

hand. And allow other human beings to access you for the many gifts you possess.”

Two: “You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various

problems in life, but you’ll need it to become a stronger person.”

Three: “You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.”

Four: “The most important part of you will always be what’s on the inside.”

And Five: “On every surface you walk through, you must leave your mark. No matter what the

situation, you must continue to do your duties.”

Allow this parable on the pencil to encourage you to know that you are a special person and only

you can fulfill the purpose to which you were born to accomplish.

Never allow yourself to get discouraged and think that

your life is insignificant  and cannot make a change.

THE BOYAND THE 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 under the shadow. He loved the

tree and the tree loved to play with him. Time went by, the little boy had grown up and he 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, I do not 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. So, 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.

The tree was sad.

One day, the boy who now turned into a man returned and

the tree was excited.

“Come and play with me” the tree said.

“I do not have time to play. I have to work for my family. We need a house for shelter.

Can you help me?”

“Sorry, but 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.

This is a story of everyone. The tree is like our parents. When we were young, we loved to play with

our Mum and Dad. When we grow up, we leave them; only come to them when we need something

or when we are in trouble. No matter what, parents will always be there and give everything they

could just to make you happy.

You may think the boy is cruel to the tree, but that is how all of us treat our parents. We take them

for granted; we don’t appreciate all they do for us, until it’s too late. Wallahi, May Allah forgives us

of our shortcomings and may He guide us.

THE ANGEL

Once upon a time there was a child ready to be born. One day the child asked God, “They tell me

you are going to send me to earth tomorrow but how am I going to live there being so small and

helpless?” God replied, “Among the many angels I have chosen one for you. She will be waiting for

you and will take care of you.”

Said child, “But tell me here in Heaven I don’t do anything else but sing and smile. That’s what I

need to be happy!” God replied, “Your angel will sing for you every day. And you will feel your

angel’s love and be happy.”

And, said the child, “How am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me, if I don’t

know the language that men talk?” “That’s easy”, God said, “Your angel will tell you the most

beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will

teach you how to speak.” The child looked up at God saying, “And what am I going to do when I

want to talk to you?” God smiled at the child saying, “Your angel will teach you how to pray.”

The child said, “I’ve heard on earth there are bad men. Who will protect me?” God replied, “Your

angel will defend you, even if it means risking life!” The child looked sad, saying, “But I will always

be sad because I will not see you anymore.” God replied, “Your angel will always talk to you about

me and will teach you the way to come back to

me, even though I will always be next to you.”

At that moment there was much peace in Heaven,

but voices from earth could already be heard.

The child in a hurry, asked softly, “Oh God, if

I am about to leave now please tell me my angel’s

name!” God replied, Your angel’s name is of no

MOTHER!

importance… you will simply call her

THE DEVOTED MOTHER

A mother duck and her little ducklings were on their way

to the lake one day. The ducklings were very happy

following their mother and quack-quacking along the way.

All of a sudden the mother duck saw a fox in the distance.

She was frightened and shouted, “Children, hurry to the

lake. There’s a fox!”

The ducklings hurried towards the lake. The mother duck

wondered what to do. She began to walk back and forth dragging one wing on the ground.

When the fox saw her he became happy. He said to himself, “It seems that

she’s hurt and can’t fly! I can easily catch and eat her!” Then he ran

towards her.

The mother duck ran, leading the fox away from the lake. The fox followed

her. Now he wouldn’t be able to harm her ducklings. The mother duck

looked towards her ducklings and saw that they had reached the lake. She was relieved, so she

stopped and took a deep breath.

The fox thought she was tired and he came closer, but the mother duck quickly spread her wings

and rose up in the air. She landed in the middle of the lake and her ducklings swam to her.

The fox stared in disbelief at the mother duck and her ducklings. He could not reach them because

they were in the middle of the lake.

Dear children, some birds drag one of their wings on the ground when an enemy is

going to attack. In this way they fool their enemies into thinking they are hurt. When

the enemy follows them this gives their children time to escape.

MENTALLYRETARDED!

A few years ago, at the Seattle Special Olympics, nine contestants, all physically or

mentally disabled, assembled at the starting line for the 100-yard dash.

At the gun, they all started out, not exactly in a dash, but with a relish to run the

race to the finish and win. All, that is, except one little boy who stumbled on the

asphalt, tumbled over a couple of times, and began to cry. The other eight heard the boy cry. They

slowed down and looked back. Then they all turned around and went back.....every one of them.

One girl with Down’s syndrome bent down and kissed him and said, “This will make it better.”

Then all nine linked arms and walked together to the finish line. Everyone in the stadium stood,

and the cheering went on for several minutes. People who were there are still telling the story.

Why? Because deep down we know this one thing: What matters in this life is more

than winning for ourselves. What matters in this life is helping others win, even if it

means slowing down and changing our course.

PAID IN FULL

A little boy came up to his mother in the kitchen one evening while she was fixing supper, and he

handed her a piece of paper that he had been writing on. After his mom dried her hands on an

apron, she read it, and this is what it said:

For cutting the grass: $5.00

For cleaning up my room this week: $1.00

For going to the store for you: $.50

Baby-sitting my kid brother while you went shopping: $.25

Taking out the garbage: $1.00

For getting a good report card: $5.00

For cleaning up and raking the yard: $2.00

Total owed: $14.75

Well, his mother looked at him standing there, and the boy could see the memories flashing

through her mind. She picked up the pen, turned over the paper he had written on, and this is what

she wrote:

For the nine months I carried you while you were growing

inside me: No Charge.

For all the nights that I’ve sat up with you, doctored and

prayed for you: No Charge.

For all the trying times, and all the tears that you’ve caused

through the years: No Charge.

For all the nights filled with dread, and for the worries I

knew were ahead: No Charge.

For the toys, food, clothes, and even wiping your nose:

No Charge.

When you add it up, the cost of my love is: No Charge.

When the boy finished reading what his mother had

written, there were big tears in his eyes, and he looked

straight up at his mother and said, “Mom, I sure do love you.”

And then he took the pen and in great big letters he wrote:

“PAID IN FULL.”

BEAUTIFULGIFT!

A young man was getting ready to graduate college. For many months he had admired a beautiful

sports car in a dealer’s showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was

all he wanted. As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had

purchased the car. On the morning of his graduation his father called him into his private study.

His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told

him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautiful wrapped

gift box. Curious, but somewhat disappointed the young man opened

the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Holy Qur’an. Angrily, he

raised his voice at his father and said, “With all your money you give

me a Holy book?” and stormed out of the house, leaving the holy book.

He never contacted his father again for long long time. Many years

passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a

beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old, and thought perhaps he

should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation day.

Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away,

and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care

things. When he arrived at his father’s house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began

to search his father’s important papers and saw the still new Holy Qur’an, just as he had left it years

ago. With tears, he opened the Holy Qur’an and began to turn the pages. As he Read those words, a

car key dropped from an envelope taped behind the Holy Qur’an. It had a tag with the dealer’s

name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his

graduation, and the words

PAID IN FULL.

How many times do we miss GOD blessings because

they are not packaged as we expected?

WHAT IS AFAMILY?

A man came home from work late, tired and irritated,

to find his 5-year old son waiting for him at the door.

SON: “Daddy, may I ask you a question?”

DAD: “Yeah sure, what is it?” replied the man.

SON: “Daddy, how much do you make an hour?”

DAD: “That’s none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?” the man said angrily.

SON: “I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?”

DAD: “If you must know, I make $20 an hour.”

“Oh,” the little boy replied, with his head down. Looking up, he said,

“Daddy, may I please borrow $10?”

The father was furious, “If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy

a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed.

Think about why you are being so selfish. I work hard everyday for such this childish behavior.”

The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door. The man sat down and started to get even

angrier about the little boy’s questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money?

After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think: Maybe there was

something he really needed to buy with that $10 and he really didn’t ask for money very often.

The man went to the door of the little boy’s room and opened the door.

“Are you asleep, son?” He asked. “No daddy, I’m awake,” replied the boy.

“I’ve been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier,” said the man. “It’s been a long day and

I took out my aggravation on you. Here’s the $10 you asked for.”

The little boy sat straight up, smiling. “Oh, thank you daddy!” He yelled.

Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills.

The man, seeing that the boy already had money, started to get angry again.

The little boy slowly counted out his money, and then looked up at his father.

“Why do you want more money if you already have some?” the father grumbled.

“Because I didn’t have enough, but now I do,” the little boy replied.

“Daddy, I have $20 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow.

I would like to have dinner with you.”

Share this story with someone you like.... But even better, share $20 worth of time with someone

you love. It’s just a short reminder to all of you working so hard in life.

We should not let time slip through our fingers without having spent some time with those who

really matter to us, those close to our hearts.

If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of

days.

But the family & friends we leave behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives. And come to

think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than to our family. An unwise investment indeed!

So what is the moral of the story???

Don’t work too hard...and you know what’s the full word of FAMILY?

FAMILY = (F)ATHER (A)ND (M)OTHER,(I)(L)OVE (Y)OU!

TRUE WEALTH

One day a father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the purpose of

showing his son how the poor people live so he could be thankful for his wealth.

They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.

On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, “How was the trip?” “It was great, Dad.”

“Did you see how poor people can be?” the father asked. “Oh yeah” said the son. “So what did you

learn from the trip?” asked the father.

The son answered, “I saw that we have one dog and they had four.

We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they

have a creek that has no end.” “We have imported lanterns in our

garden and they have the stars at night.” “Our patio reaches to the

front yard and they have the whole horizon.” “We have a small

piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our

sight.” “We have servants who serve us, but they serve others.”

“We buy our food, but they grow theirs.” “We have walls around

our property to protect us; they have friends to protect them.”

With this the boy’s father was speechless. Then his son added, “Thanks dad for showing me how

poor we are.”

AHOLE IN THE FENCE

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His Father gave him a bag of nails and told him

that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.

The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to

control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it

was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence....

Finally the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the

father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his

temper. The day passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were

gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, “You have done well,

my son, but look at the holes in the fence.”

The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one.

You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won’t matter how many times you say I’m sorry,

the wound is still there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.

Friends and loved ones are a very rare jewel, indeed.

They make you smile and encourage you to succeed.

They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they

always want to open their hearts to us. Water your

relationships with kindness… and they will grow. So be

careful little lips what you say…! And you won't chase

friendships away.

GRANDPA’S TABLE

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 in 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

“Little Things Affect Little Minds”

any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the

tablecloth soiled.

BENJAMIN DISRAELI

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.

“Life is about people connecting with people, and making a positive difference.

Take care of yourself, and those you love, today, and everyday!”

FATHERS EYES

A teenager lived alone with his father, and the two of them had a very special relationship. The

father believed in encouragement. Even though the son was always on the bench, his father was

always in the stands cheering. He never missed a game.

This young man was the smallest of the class when he entered high school. His father continued to

encourage him but also made it very clear that he did not have to play football if he didn’t want to.

But the young man loved football and decided to hang in there. He was determined to try his best

at every practice, and perhaps he’d get to play when he became a senior. All through high school he

never missed a practice or a game, but remained a bench warmer all four years. His faithful father

was always in the stands, always with words of encouragement for him. When the young man went

to college, he decided to try out for the football team as a “walk-on.”

Everyone was sure he could never make the cut, but he did. The coach admitted that he kept him

on the roster because he always puts his heart and soul to every practice, and at the same time,

provided the other members with the spirit and hustle they badly needed. The news that he had

survived the cut thrilled him so much that he rushed to the nearest phone and called his father.

His father shared his excitement and was sent season tickets for all the college games. This

persistent young athlete never missed practice during his four years at college, but he never got to

play in the game.

It was the end of his senior football season, and as he trotted onto the practice field shortly before

the big play off game, the coach met him with a telegram. The young man read the telegram and he

became deathly silent. Swallowing hard, he mumbled to the coach, “My father died this morning.

Is it all right if I miss practice today?”

The coach put his arm gently around his shoulder and said, “Take the rest of the week off, son.

And don’t even plan to come back to the game on Saturday.” Saturday arrived, and the game was

not going well.

In the third quarter, when the team was ten points behind, a silent young man quietly slipped into

the empty locker room and put on his football gear. As he ran onto the sidelines, the coach and his

players were astounded to see their faithful team-mate back so soon.

“Coach, please let me play. I’ve just got to play today,” said the young man.

The coach pretended not to hear him. There was no way he wanted his worst player in this close

playoff game. But the young man persisted, and finally feeling sorry for the kid, the coach gave in.

“All right,” he said. “You can go in.” Before long, the coach, the players and everyone in the stands

could not believe their eyes. This little unknown, who had never played before, was doing

everything right. The opposing team could not stop him. He ran, he passed, blocked and tackled

like a star. His team began to triumph.

The score was soon tied. In the closing seconds of the game, this kid intercepted a pass and ran all

the way for the winning touchdown. The fans broke loose. His team-mates hoisted him onto their

shoulders. Such cheering you’ve never heard!

Finally, after the stands had emptied and the team had

showered and left the locker room, the coach noticed

that the young man was sitting quietly in the corner all

alone. The coach came to him and said, “Kid, I can’t

believe it. You were fantastic!”

Tell me what got into you? How did you do it? He

looked at the coach, with tears in his eyes, and said,

“Well, you knew my dad died, but did you know that my

dad was blind?” The young man swallowed hard and

forced a smile, “Dad came to all my games, but today

was the first time he could see me play, and I wanted to

show him I could do it!”

BUTTERFLYAND COCOON

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared; he sat and watched the

butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed

to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no

farther.

Then the man decided to help the butterfly, so he took a pair of scissors

and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then

emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any

moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the

body, which would contract in time.

Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling

around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.

What this man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the

restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get

through the tiny opening were nature's way of forcing fluid from the body

of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it

achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If nature allowed us to go

through our life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong

as what we could have been. And we could never fly...

THE OBSTACLE IN OUR PATH

In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to

see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers

came by and simply walked around it.

Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting

the big stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. On

approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side

of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. As the peasant picked up his

load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been.

The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the

king indicating that the gold was for the person who

removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant

learned what many others never understand.

Every obstacle presents an opportunity to

improve one’s condition.

THE WOLF IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING

A Wolf found great difficulty in getting at the sheep owing to the vigilance of the

shepherd and his dogs. But one day it found the skin of a sheep that had been

flayed and thrown aside, so it put it on over its own pelt and strolled down

among the sheep. The Lamb that belonged to the sheep, whose skin the Wolf

was wearing, began to follow the Wolf in the Sheep’s clothing; so, leading the

Lamb a little apart, he soon made a meal off her, and for some time he

succeeded in deceiving the sheep, and enjoying hearty meals.

Appearances are deceptive.

DON’T JUDGE ABOOK BYITS COVER!

A lady in a faded gingham dress and her husband, dressed in a homespun threadbare suit, stepped

off the train in Boston and walk timidly without an appointment into the Harvard University

President’s outer office.

The secretary could tell in a moment that such backwoods, country hicks had no business at

Harvard and probably didn’t even deserve to be in Cambridge.

“We want to see the president,” the man said softly.

“He’ll be busy all day,” the secretary snapped.

“We’ll wait,” the lady replied.

For hours the secretary ignored them, hoping that the couple would finally become discouraged

and go away. They didn’t and the secretary grew frustrated and finally decided to disturb the

president, even though it was a chore she always regretted.

“Maybe if you see them for a few minutes, they’ll leave,” she said to him.

He sighed in exasperation and nodded. Someone of his importance obviously didn’t have the time

to spend with them, but he detested gingham dresses and homespun suits cluttering up his outer

office.

The president, stern faced and with dignity, strutted toward the couple.

The lady told him, “We had a son who attended Harvard for one year. He loved Harvard. He was

happy here. But about a year ago, he was accidentally killed. My husband and I would like to erect a

memorial to him, somewhere on campus.”

The president wasn’t touched.... He was shocked.

“Madam,” he said, gruffly, “we can’t put up a statue for every person who attended Harvard and

died. If we did, this place would look like a cemetery.”

“Oh, no,” the lady explained quickly. “We don’t want to erect a statue. We thought we would like to

give a building to Harvard.”

The president rolled his eyes. He glanced at the gingham dress and homespun suit, and then

exclaimed, “A building! Do you have any earthly idea how much a building costs? We have over

seven and a half million dollars in the physical buildings here at Harvard.”

For a moment the lady was silent.

The president was pleased. Maybe he could get rid of them now.

The lady turned to her husband and said quietly, “Is that all it

costs to start a university? Why don’t we just start our own?”

Her husband nodded.

The president’s face wilted in confusion and bewilderment. Mr.

and Mrs. Leland Stanford got up and walked away, traveling to

Palo Alto, California where they established the University that

bears their name, Stanford University, a memorial to a son that

Harvard no longer cared about.

You can easily judge the character of others by how

they treat those who they think can do nothing.

MOUNTAIN STORY

A son and his father were walking on the mountains.

Suddenly, his son falls, hurts himself and screams: “AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!”

To his surprise, he hears the voice repeating, somewhere in the mountain: “AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!”

Curious, he yells: “Who are you?”

He receives the answer: “Who are you?”

And then he screams to the mountain: “I admire you!”

The voice answers: “I admire you!”

Angered at the response, he screams: “Coward!”

He receives the answer: “Coward!”

He looks to his father and asks: “What’s going on?”

The father smiles and says: “My son, pay attention.”

Again the man screams: “You are a champion!”

The voice answers: “You are a champion!”

The boy is surprised, but does not understand.

Then the father explains: “People call this ECHO,

but really this is LIFE.”

It gives you back everything you say or do.

Our life is simply a reflection of our actions.

If you want more love in the world,

create more love in your heart.

If you want more competence in your team,

improve your competence.

This relationship applies to everything, in all aspects of life;

Life will give you back everything you have given to it.”

“Your life is not a coincidence. It’s a reflection of you!”

ALESSON FROM AFROG TALE

A group of frogs were hopping contentedly through the woods, going about their froggy business,

when two of them fell into a deep pit. All of the other frogs gathered around the pit to see what

could be done to help their companions. When they saw how deep the pit was, the rest of the

dismayed group agreed that it was hopeless and told the two frogs in the pit that they should

prepare themselves for their fate, because they were as good as dead.

Unwilling to accept this terrible fate, the two frogs began to jump with all of their might. Some of

the frogs shouted into the pit that it was hopeless, and that the two frogs wouldn’t be in that

situation if they had been more careful, more obedient to the froggy rules, and more responsible.

The other frogs continued sorrowfully shouting that they should save their energy and give up,

since they were already as good as dead. The two frogs continued jumping as hard as they could,

and after several hours of desperate effort were quite weary.

Finally, one of the frogs took heed to the calls of his fellows. Spent and disheartened, he quietly

resolved himself to his fate, lay down at the bottom of the pit, and died as the others looked on in

helpless grief. The other frog continued to jump with every ounce of energy he had, although his

body was wracked with pain and he was completely exhausted.

His companions began a new, yelling for him to accept his fate, stop the pain and just die.

The weary frog jumped harder and harder and - wonder of wonders! Finally leapt so high that he

sprang from the pit. Amazed, the other frogs celebrated his

miraculous freedom and then gathering around him asked,

“Why did you continue jumping when we told you it was

impossible?” Reading their lips, the astonished frog

explained to them that he was deaf, and that when he saw

their gestures and shouting, he thought they were cheering

him on. What he had perceived as encouragement inspired

him to try harder and to succeed against all odds.

This simple story contains a powerful lesson. Your encouraging words can lift someone up and help

him or her make it through the day. Your destructive words can cause deep wounds; they may be

the weapons that destroy someone’s desire to continue trying - or even their life. Your destructive,

careless word can diminish someone in the eyes of others, destroy their influence and have a lasting

impact on the way others respond to them.

WEAKNESS OR STRENGTH?

Sometimes your biggest weakness can become your biggest strength. Take, for example, the story of

one 10-year-old boy who decided to study Judo despite the fact that he

had lost his left arm in a devastating car accident.

The boy began lessons with an old Japanese Judo Master Sensei.

The boy was doing well, so he couldn’t understand why, after three

months of training the master had taught him only one move.

“Sensei,” the boy finally said, “Shouldn’t I be learning more moves?”

“This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you’ll ever need to know,”

the Sensei replied.

Not quite understanding, but believing in his teacher, the boy kept training.

Several months later, the Sensei took the boy to his first tournament. Surprising himself, the boy

easily won his first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time,

his opponent became impatient and charged; the boy deftly used his one move to win the match.

Still amazed by his success, the boy was now in the finals.

This time, his opponent was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. For a while, the boy appeared

to be overmatched. Concerned that the boy might get hurt, the referee called a time-out.

He was about to stop the match when the sensei intervened.

“No,” the Sensei insisted, “Let him continue.”

Soon after the match resumed, his opponent made a critical mistake: he dropped his guard.

Instantly, the boy used his move to pin him. The boy had won the match and the tournament.

He was the champion.

On the way home, the boy and Sensei reviewed every move in each and every match.

Then the boy summoned the courage to ask what was really on his mind.

“Sensei, how did I win the tournament with only one move?”

“You won for two reasons,” the Sensei answered. “First, you’ve almost mastered one of the most

difficult throws in all of Judo. And second, the only known defense for that move is for your

opponent to grab your left arm.”

The boy’s biggest weakness had become his biggest strength.

JUST P.U.S.H!

A man was sleeping at night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light, and the Lord

told the man he had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin.

The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might. So, this the man

did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sun up to

sun down; his shoulders set squarely against the cold,

massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all of

his might. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and

worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain.

Since the man was showing discouragement, the Adversary

(Satan) decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into

the weary mind: “you have been pushing against that rock for

a long time, and it hasn’t moved.” Thus, giving the man the

impression that the task was impossible and that he was a

failure. These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the

man. Satan said, “Why kill yourself over this?”

“Just put in your time, giving just the minimum effort; and that will be good enough.”

That’s what he planned to do, but decided to make it a matter of prayer and take his troubled

thoughts to the Lord. “Lord,” he said, “I have labored long and hard in your service, putting all my

strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock

by half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?”

The Lord responded compassionately, “My Servant, when I asked you to serve Me and you

accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all of your strength, which you

have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push.

And now you come to Me with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But, is that really

so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back sinewy and brown, your hands

are callused from constant pressure, your legs have become massive and hard.

Through opposition you have grown much, and your abilities now surpass that which you used to

have. Yet you haven’t moved the rock. But your calling was to be obedient and to push and to

exercise your faith and trust in My wisdom. This you have done. Now I, my servant, will move the

rock.” At times, when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own intellect to decipher what

He wants, when actually what God wants is just a simple obedience and faith in Him. By all means,

exercise the faith that moves mountains, but know that it is still God who moves mountains.

When everything seems to go wrong just P.U.S.H!

When the job gets you down just P.U.S.H!

When people don’t react the way you think they should just P.U.S.H!

When your money is “gone” and the bills are due just P.U.S.H!

When people just don’t understand you just P.U.S.H!

P + U + S + H = Pray + Until + Something + Happens

DETERMINATON

In 1883, a creative engineer named John Roebling was inspired by an idea to build a spectacular

bridge connecting New York with the Long Island. However bridge building experts throughout the

world thought that this was an impossible feat and told Roebling to forget the idea. It just could not

be done. It was not practical. It had never been done before.

Roebling could not ignore the vision he had in his mind of this bridge. He thought about it all the

time and he knew deep in his heart that it could be done. He just had to share the dream with

someone else. After much discussion and persuasion he managed to convince his son Washington,

an up and coming engineer, that the bridge in fact could be built.

Working together for the first time, the father and son developed concepts of how it could be

accomplished and how the obstacles could be overcome. With great excitement and inspiration,

and the headiness of a wild challenge before them, they hired their crew and began to build their

dream bridge.

The project started well, but when it was only a few months underway a tragic accident on the site

took the life of John Roebling. Washington was injured and left with a certain amount of brain

damage, which resulted in him not being able to walk or talk or even move.

“We told them so.”

“Crazy men and their crazy dreams.”

“It’s foolish to chase wild visions.”

Everyone had a negative comment to make and felt that the project should be scrapped since the

Roeblings were the only ones who knew how the bridge could be built. In spite of his handicap

Washington was never discouraged and still had a burning desire to complete the bridge and his

mind was still as sharp as ever.

He tried to inspire and pass on his enthusiasm to some of his friends, but they were too daunted

by the task. As he lay on his bed in his hospital room, with the sunlight streaming through the

windows, a gentle breeze blew the flimsy white curtains apart and he was able to see the sky and

the tops of the trees outside for just a moment.

It seemed that there was a message for him not to give up. Suddenly an idea hit him. All he could

do was move one finger and he decided to make the best use of it. By moving this, he slowly

developed a code of communication with his wife.

He touched his wife’s arm with that finger, indicating to her that he wanted her to call the

engineers again. Then he used the same method of tapping her arm to tell the engineers what to do.

It seemed foolish but the project was under way again.

For 13 years Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger on his wife’s arm, until the

bridge was finally completed. Today the spectacular Brooklyn Bridge stands in all its glory as a

tribute to the triumph of one man’s indomitable spirit and his determination not to be defeated by

circumstances. It is also a tribute to the engineers and their team work, and to their faith in a man

who was considered mad by half the world. It stands too as a tangible monument to the love and

devotion of his wife who for 13 long years patiently decoded the messages of her husband and told

the engineers what to do.

Perhaps this is one of the best examples of a never-say-die attitude that overcomes a terrible

physical handicap and achieves an impossible goal.

Often when we face obstacles in our day-to-day life, our hurdles seem very small in comparison to

what many others have to face.

The Brooklyn Bridge shows us that

dreams that seem impossible can be

realized with determination and

persistence, no matter what the

odds are.

Even the most distant dream

can be realized with

determination and persistence.

THE CRACKED POT

Once upon a time there was a water-bearer in India

who had two large pots, each hung on each end of a

pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots

had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect

and always delivered a full portion of water at the end

of the long walk from the stream to the master’s house,

the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer

delivering only one and a half pot full of water in his

master’s house.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its

accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was

made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own

imperfection, and miserable that it was able to

accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water-bearer one day by

the stream. “I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you.” “Why?” asked the bearer.

“What are you ashamed of ?”

“I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my

side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master’s house. Because of my flaws, you have

to do all of this work and you don’t get full value from your efforts, the pot said. The water-bearer

felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, “As we return to the master’s

house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.”

Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful

wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some.

But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it

apologized to the bearer for its failure.

The bearer said to the pot, “Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path,

but not on the other pot’s side?

That’s because have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower

seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you’ve watered

them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master’s table.

Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house.”

Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it’s the cracks and flaws we each have that

make our lives together so very interesting and warding. You’ve just got to take each

person for what they are and look for the good in them.

GOD EXISTS

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair and his beard cut

as always. He started to have a good conversation with the

barber who attended him. They talked about so many things on

various subjects.

Suddenly, they touched the subject of God. The barber said:

“Look man, I don’t believe that God exists as you say so.”

“Why do you say that?”

Asked the client. Well, it’s so easy; you just have to go out in

the street to realize that God does not exist. Oh, tell me, if God

existed, would there be so many sick people? Would there be

abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither

suffering nor pain. “I can’t think of a God who permits all of

these things.” The client stopped for a moment thinking but he

didn’t want to respond so as to prevent an argument.

The barber finished his job and the client went out of the shop.

Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with a long hair and beard (it seems

that it had been a long time since he had his cut and he looked so untidy). Then the client again

entered the barbershop and he said to the barber: “know what? Barbers do not exist.”

“How come they don’t exist?” asked the barber. “Well I am here and I am a barber.” “No!” - the

client exclaimed. “They don’t exist because if they did there would be no people with long hair and

beard like that man who walks in the street.”

“Ah, barbers do exist, what happens is that people do not come to us.” “Exactly!” - Affirmed the

client. “That’s the point. God does exist, what happens is people don’t go to Him and do not look

for Him that’s why there’s so much pain and suffering in the world.”

ABOYWITH STRONG BELIEF

Shaykh Fath al-Mowsily relates, once I saw a young boy walking through the jungle. It appeared as

if he was uttering some words. I greeted him with Salaam and he replied accordingly. I inquired,

“Where are you going?” He retorted, “To the house of Allah

(Makkah).” I further asked, “What are you reciting?”

“The Qur’an” he replied. I remarked, “You are at a tender

age, it is not an obligation that you are required to fulfill.”

He said, “I have witnessed death approach people younger

than me and therefore would like to prepare if death was to

knock on my door.” I astoundingly commented, “Your steps

are small and your destination far.” He responded, “My duty

is to take the step and it remains the responsibility of Allah

to take me to my destination.” I continued to ask, “Where is

your provision and conveyance (means of transport).”

He replied, “My Yaqeen (belief) is my provision and