Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

AN AGED STUDENT

Sikaki was a skilled artist an artisan. With great expertise and interest, he made such a nice and

beautiful inkpot that it could be presented to the king. He expected that, appreciating his artistic

skill, the king would encourage him as far as possible. So, with countless hopes and thousand of

desires, he presented that inkpot to the king. In the beginning the king was very impressed by his

artistic skill but afterwards an unpleasant event occurred that caused an extraordinary change in

Sikaki’ s life and way of thinking.

When the king was observing the skilled artistry of the beautiful inkpot and Sikaki was lost in the

world of thoughts, the people informed that a scholar-literary person or jury is about to enter the

court. As soon as the scholar entered, the king got so much absorbed in welcoming and talking to

him that he forgot Sikaki and his skilled artistry. This incident caused an adverse and deep effect

on the heart of Sikaki.

He realized that now he would not receive the encouragement he had expected and all his desires

and hopes are useless now. But Sikaki’s high spirited mind did not allow him to be in peace, so he

started thinking as to what should he do. He decided to do what the others have done and go on the

same way that the others have gone (uptill now). Therefore, he decided to search for his lost hopes

in the world of knowledge, literature and books. Although for a wise man who has passed the days

of his young age, it was not easy to study with young children and to start right from the

preliminary stage. But he did not have a choice After all whenever the fish is taken out of water,

it is fresh.

Worse than that, in the beginning he did not find any sort of interest in himself regarding reading

and writing. Perhaps spending a long time in artistic works and handicraft was the reason for

stagnancy in his scientific and literary talent. But neither his advanced age nor lack of capability,

none of these could change his decision. With great enthusiasm and zeal for attaining knowledge,

he strictly got busy with his studies, until another incident occurred:

The teacher who was teaching him Shafi’e jurisprudence (fiqh Shafi’e), taught him this lesson:

“The teacher believes that the skin of a dog becomes clean (tahir) after tanning.” Sikaki repeated

this sentence a lot of times so that at the time of examination he should be able to succeed. But

when he was asked to answer this question, he said: “The dog believes that the skin of a teacher

becomes clean after tanning.”

The audience upon hearing this answer started laughing. It was clear for everybody that this old

man is absolutely incapable of reading and writing. After this incident Sikaki not only left the

school , but he left the town and went towards the Jungle. By chance, he reached the

foot of a mountain, where he saw that the water is falling drop by drop from the top

and due to the continuous falling of water, a hole had been formed in that hard stone.

He reflected for sometime, a good idea crossed his mind like lightning. And he said:

“Maybe my heart is not ready to accept (knowledge) but it is not harder than this

stone. It is impossible that continuous studying and hard work would be ineffective.”

Therefore, he came back and with hard work, he got busy in the attainment of

knowledge. As a result he was reckoned as one of the popular scholars of his time.

You never be too old to learn something new.

WEALTH - LOVE - SUCCESS

A woman came out of her house and saw 3 old men with long white beards sitting in her front yard.

She did not recognize them. She said “I don’t think I know you, but you must be hungry.

Please come in and have something to eat.”

“Is the man of the house home?”, they asked.

“No,” she replied. “He’s out.”

“Then we cannot come in,” they replied.

In the evening when her husband came home,

she told him what had happened.

“Go tell them I am home and invite them in!”

The woman went out and invited the men in.

“We do not go into a House together,” they replied.

“Why is that?” she asked.

One of the old men explained: “His name is Wealth,” he said pointing to one of his friends, and said

pointing to another one, “He is Success, and I am Love.” Then he added, “Now go in and discuss

with your husband which one of us you want in your home.”

The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband was overjoyed. “How nice!,”

he said. “Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with wealth!”

His wife disagreed. “My dear, why don’t we invite Success?”

Their daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of the house. She jumped in with her

own suggestion: “Would it not be better to invite Love? Our home will then be filled with love!”

“Let us heed our daughter-in-law’s advice,” said the husband to his wife.

“Go out and invite Love to be our guest.”

The woman went out and asked the 3 old men,

“Which one of you is Love? Please come in and be our guest.”

Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other 2 also got up and followed him.

Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success: “I only invited Love, Why are you coming in?”

The old men replied together: “If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would’ve

stayed out, but since you invited Love, wherever He goes, we go with him. Wherever there is Love,

there is also Wealth and Success!!!”

LOVE AND TIME

Once upon a time, there was an island where all the feelings lived: Happiness, Sadness, Knowledge,

and all of the others, including Love. One day it was announced to the feelings that the island

would sink, so all constructed boats and left. Except for Love.

Love was the only one who stayed. Love wanted to hold out until the last possible moment. When

the island had almost sunk, Love decided to ask for help.

Richness was passing by Love in a grand boat. Love said, “Richness, can you take me with you?”

Richness answered, “No, I can’t. There is a lot of gold and silver in my boat. There is no place here

for you.”

Love decided to ask Vanity who was also passing by in a beautiful vessel. “Vanity, please help me!”

“I can’t help you, Love. You are all wet and might damage my boat,” Vanity answered.

Sadness was close by so Love asked, “Sadness, let me go with you.” “Oh . Love, I am so sad that

I need to be by myself!” Happiness passed by Love, too, but she was so happy that she did not even

hear when Love called her.

Suddenly, there was a voice, “Come, Love, I will take you.” It was an elder.

So blessed and overjoyed, Love even forgot to ask the elder where they were

going. When they arrived at dry land, the elder went his own way. Realizing

how much was owed the elder, Love asked Knowledge, another elder, “Who

Helped me?”

“It was Time,” Knowledge answered.

“Time?” asked Love. “But why did Time help me?” Knowledge smiled with deep wisdom and

answered, “Because only Time is capable of understanding how valuable Love is.”

ALWAYS THANKFULTO GOD

Arthur Ashe, the legendary Wimbledon player was dying of AIDS. From world over, he received

letters from his fans, one of which conveyed: “Why does GOD have to select you for such a bad

disease?”

To this Arthur Ashe replied: The world over

5 Crore children start playing tennis,

50 Lakh learn to play tennis,

5 Lakh learn professional tennis,

50,000 come to the circuit,

5000 reach the grand slam,

50 reach Wimbledon,

4 to semi final,

2 to the finals,

When I was holding a cup I never asked GOD “Why me?”.

And today in pain I should not be asking GOD “Why me?”

Be thankful to GOD for 98% of good things in life.

THE MAYONNAISE AND THE COFFEE

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are

not enough, remember the mayonnaise Jar...and the Coffee...

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items

in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a

very large and empty mayonnaise Jar and proceeded to fill it with

golf balls.

He then asked the students if the Jar was full. They agreed that it was. So the professor then picked

up a box of pebbles and poured them into the Jar. He shook the Jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into

the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the Jar was full. They

agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the Jar. Of course, the sand filled up

everything else. He asked once more if the Jar was full. The students responded unanimous “yes.”

The professor then produced two cups of Coffee from under the table and poured the entire

contents into the Jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

“Now,” said the professor, as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this Jar

represents your life. The golf balls are the important things, your God, family, your children, your

health, your friends, and your favorite passions things that if everything else was lost and only they

remained, your life would still be full.” The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job,

your house, and your car. The sand is everything else the small stuff.

“If you put the sand into the Jar first,” he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or the golf

balls.” The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will

never have room for the things that are important. Pay attention to the things that are critical to

your happiness. Play with your children. Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really

matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Coffee represented. The professor

smiled. “I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem,

there’s always room for a couple of cups of Coffee with a friends.”

THE BAR

A tale is told about a small town that had historically been “dry,”

(no alcohol sold) but then a local businessman decided to build a

tavern. A group of Christians from a local church were concerned

and planned an all-night prayer meeting to ask God to intervene.

It just so happened that shortly thereafter lightning struck the bar and it burned to the ground.

The owner of the bar sued the church, claiming that the prayers of the congregation were

responsible, but the church hired a lawyer to argue in court that they were not responsible.

The presiding judge, after his initial review of the case, stated that “No matter how this case comes

out, one thing is clear. The tavern owner believes in prayer and the Christians do not.”

LESSONS ON LIFE

There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to

judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go

and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away. The first son

went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and

the youngest son in the fall.

When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to

describe what they had seen. The first son said that the tree was ugly,

bent, and twisted. The second son said no it was covered with green

buds and full of promise. The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled

so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen. The last son

disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but only

one season in the tree’s life. He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one

season, and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that

life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.

If you give up when it’s winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your

summer, fulfillment of your fall. Don’t let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest.

Don’t judge life by one difficult season. Persevere through the difficult patches and better times are

sure to come some time or later.

THE ROSE WITHIN

A certain man planted a rose and watered it faithfully and before it blossomed,

he examined it. He saw the bud that would soon blossom, but noticed thorns

upon the stem and he thought, “How can any beautiful flower come from a

plant burdened with so many sharp thorns?” Saddened by this thought, he

neglected to water the rose, and just before it was ready to bloom... it died.

So it is with many people. Within every soul there is a rose. The good qualities planted in us at

birth, grow amid the thorns of our faults. Many of us look at ourselves and see only the thorns,

the defects.

We despair, thinking that nothing good can possibly come from us. We neglect to water the good

within us, and eventually it dies. We never realize our potential.

Some people do not see the rose within themselves; someone else must show it to them. One of the

greatest gifts a person can possess is to be able to reach past the thorns of another, and find the

rose within them.

This is one of the characteristic of love... to look at a person, know their true faults and accepting

that person into your life... all the while recognizing the nobility in their soul. Help others to realize

they can overcome their faults. If we show them the “rose” within themselves, they will conquer

their thorns. Only then will they blossom many times over.

The most favorable friend to me is that who shows me my flaws. Imam Sadiq (AS)

PUT THE GLASS DOWN!

A professor began his class by holding up a glass with some water in it. He held it up for all to see

and asked the students, “How much do you think this glass weighs?”

‘50 gms!’.... ‘100 gms!’...... ‘125 gms’ the students answered.

“I really don’t know unless I weigh it,” said the professor, “but, my question

is: What would happen if I held it up like this for a few minutes?”

“Nothing” the students said.

“Ok! What would happen if I held it up like this for an hour?” the professor

asked. “Your arm would begin to ache,” said one of the students.

“You’re right, now what would happen if I held it for a day?”

“Your arm could go numb, you might have severe muscle stress and paralysis and have to go to

hospital for sure!” ventured another student; and all the students laughed.

“Very good. But during all this, did the weight of the glass change?” asked the professor.

“No” the students said.

“Then what caused the arm ache and the muscle stress?” The students were puzzled.

“Put the glass down!” said one of the students.

“Exactly!” said the professor. “Life’s problems are something like this. Hold it for a few minutes in

your head and they seem okay. Think of them for a long time and they begin to ache. Hold it even

longer and they begin to paralyze you. You will not be able to do anything.”

“It’s important to think of the challenges (problems) in your life, but EVEN MORE IMPORTANT is

to have trust in Allah (swt) and to ‘put them down’ at the end of every day before you go to sleep.

That way, you are not stressed, you wake up every day fresh and strong and can handle any issue,

any challenge that comes your way!”

So, as it becomes time for you to leave office today, Remember friend to “PUT THE GLASS DOWN

TODAY” and have tranquility by putting trust in Almighty Allah (swt).

Holy Quran (48:4) says: “He it is who sent down tranquility into the hearts of the believers that

they might have more faith added to their faith.”  Tranquility is sign of strong faith while worries

and stress is sign of weak faith. Tell to your mind every day before you go to sleep: “YAA

AYYATUHAN NAFSUL MUTMAINNAH, IRJI’II ILAA RABBIKI RADHIYATAN MARDHIYYAH,

FADKHULII FII IBAADII WADKHULII JANNATII”. (Al-Fajr 89:27-30)

“O soul that is at rest satisfied. Return to your Lord well-pleased (with Him), well-pleasing (Him).

So, enter among My servants, and enter into my Paradise.”

By worrying so much, do not turn your life to hell. Good luck.

MAYI NEVER GET TOO BUSYIN MYOWN AFFAIRS!

It was a bitter, cold evening. The old man’s beard was glazed by winter’s frost while he waited for

a ride across the river. The wait seemed endless. His body became numb and stiff from the frigid

north wind. He heard the faint, steady rhythm of approaching hooves galloping along the frozen

path.

Anxiously, he watched as several horsemen rounded the bend. He let the first one pass by without

an effort to get his attention. Then another passed by... and another.

Finally, the last rider neared the spot where the old man sat like a

snow statue.

As this one drew near, the old man caught the rider’s eye and said,

“Sir, would you mind giving an old man a ride to the other side?

There doesn’t appear to be a passageway by foot.”

Reining his horse, the rider replied, “Sure thing. Hop aboard.”

Seeing the old man was unable to lift his half-frozen body from the ground, the horseman

dismounted and helped the old man onto the horse. The horseman took the old man not just across

the river, but to his destination, which was just a few miles away.

As they neared the tiny but cozy cottage, the horseman’s curiosity caused him to inquire, “Sir, I

notice that you let several other riders pass by without making an effort to secure a ride. Then I

came up and you immediately asked me for a ride. I’m curious why, on such a bitter winter night;

you would wait and ask the last rider. What if I had refused and left you there?”

The old man lowered himself slowly down from the horse, looked the rider straight in the eyes, and

replied, “I’ve been around here for some time. I reckon I know people pretty good.”

The old-timer continued, “I looked into the eyes of the other riders and immediately saw there was

no concern for my situation. It would have been useless even to ask them for a ride. But when I

looked into your eyes, kindness and compassion were evident. I knew, then and there, that your

gentle spirit would welcome the opportunity to give me assistance in my time of need.”

Those heartwarming comments touched the horseman deeply.

“I’m most grateful for what you have said,” he told the old man. “May I never get too busy in my

own affairs that I fail to respond to the needs of others with kindness and compassion.”

Ya Allah, Make me among those about whom the Holy Quran (Hashr 59:9) has said: “And they give

them preference over their own selves even though they are in need.”

DON’T WE ALL

I was parked in front of the mall wiping off my car. I had just come from the car wash and was

waiting for my wife to get out of work. Coming my way from across the parking lot was what society

would consider a bum. From the looks of him, he had no car, no home, no clean clothes, and no

money.

There are times when you feel generous but there are other times that you

just don’t want to be bothered. This was one of those “don’t want to be

bothered times.”

“I hope he doesn’t ask me for any money,” I thought. He didn’t.

He came and sat on the curb in front of the bus

stop but he didn’t look like he could have enough

money to even ride the bus. After a few minutes he

spoke. “That’s a very pretty car,” he said.

He was ragged but he had an air of dignity around

him. His scraggly blond beard keeps more than his face warm.

I said, “Thanks,” and continued wiping off my car.

He sat there quietly as I worked. The expected plea for money never came.

As the silence between us widened something inside said, “Ask him if he needs any help.”

I was sure that he would say “yes” but I held true to the inner voice.

“Do you need any help?” I asked.

He answered in three simple but profound words that I shall never forget. We often look for

wisdom in great men and women. We expect it from those of higher learning and accomplishments.

I expected nothing but an outstretched grimy hand. He spoke the three words that shook me.

“Don’t we all?” he said.

I was feeling high and mighty, successful and important, above a bum in the street, until those

three words hit me like a twelve gauge shotgun. Don’t we all?

I needed help. Maybe not for bus fare or a place to sleep, but I needed help. I reached in my wallet

and gave him not only enough for bus fare, but enough to get a warm meal and shelter for the day.

Those three little words still ring true. No matter how much you have, no matter how much you

have accomplished, you need help too. No matter how little you have, no matter how loaded you

are with problems, even without money or a place to sleep, you can give help.

Even if it’s just a compliment, you can give that. You never know when you may see someone that

appears to have it all. They are waiting on you to give them what they don’t have. A different

perspective on life, a glimpse at something beautiful, a respite from daily chaos, that only you

through a torn world can see.

Maybe the man was just a homeless stranger wandering the streets. Maybe he was more than that.

maybe he was sent by a power that is great and wise, to messenger to a soul too comfortable in

themselves. Maybe God looked down, called an Angel, dressed him like a bum, and then said,

“Go messenger to that man cleaning the car, that man needs help.” Don’t we all?

“.....Even a smile can be charity.....” Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him)

THE STRANGER IN THE GARDEN

Once upon a time there was a man who had a big garden. He had planted many fruit trees and

cared for them till they bear fruits. Now he wanted to pick up the fruits and sell them to make

money for his family.

One fine day while picking fruits with his son, the man saw a stranger

sitting on the branch of a tree and picking the fruits. This man become

angry and shouted, “Hey you! What are you doing on my tree? Aren’t you

ashamed of stealing fruits in the day time?” The stranger on the branch

just looked at the gardener but didn’t reply, and continued picking the

fruits. The gardener was very angry and shouted again, “For a whole year

I have taken care of these trees, you have no right to take the fruits without

my permission so come down at once!”

The stranger on the tree answered, “Why should I come down? This is the garden of God and I am

the servant of God, so I have the right to pick these fruits and you should not interfere between the

work of God and his servant.” The gardener was very surprised at this answer and thought of a

plan. He called his son and said, “go bring a rope and get this man down from the tree.” His son

brought the rope and the gardener ordered him to tie the stranger to the tree. The gardener then

took a stick and started to beat the stranger. The stranger began to scream. “Why are you beating

me? You have no right to do this.”

The gardener paid no attention and continued beating him. The stranger screamed, “Don’t you

fear God, you are beating an innocent man? The gardener answered, “Why should I fear? This

wood in my hand belongs to God and I am too the servant of God, so I have nothing to fear, and

you shouldn’t interfere with the work of God and his servant.” The stranger hesitated and then

spoke, “Wait don’t beat me, I am sorry for taking the fruits. This is your garden and I should seek

your permission before taking the fruits. So, please forgive and set me free.”

The gardener smiled and said, “Since you have now realized your mistake, I will forgive you but

remember that God has given all his servants brains so every person’s deeds are in his own hands.”

Then the gardener untied him and let him go free.

TO TELLTHE TRUTH

“Who did this?” asked my teacher. Thirty children tried to think about

not only what they had done, but also what our teacher may have found

out. “Who did this?” asked my teacher once more. She wasn’t really

asking, she was demanding an answer. She seldom became angry, but

she was this time. She held up a piece of broken glass and asked, “Who

broke this window?”

“Oh, oh,” I thought. I was the one who broke the window. I had not done it intentionally. It was

caused by an errant throw of a baseball. I was working on my knuckleball. It needed more work.

Why did it have to be me? It wasn’t really my fault. If I admitted guilt, I would be in a lot of trouble.

How would I be able to pay for a big window like that? I didn’t even get an allowance. “My father is

going to have a fit,” I thought. I didn’t want to raise my hand, but some force much stronger than I

was pulled it skyward. I told the truth. “I did it.” I said no more. It was hard enough saying what I

had.

My teacher went to one of our library shelves

and took down a book. She then began walking "Do not be like persons on whom advice has no

effect; they require punishments to improve them.

towards my desk. I had never seen my teacher

A sensible man acquires guidance through

to strike a student, but I feared she was going to

advice, while brutes and beasts always improve

start with me and she was going to use a book

through punishments." Imam Ali (AS)

for the swatting.

“I know how you like birds,” she said as she stood looking down at my guilt-ridden face. “Here is

that field guide about birds that you are constantly checking out. It is yours. It’s time we got a new

one for the school anyway. The book is yours and you will not be punished as long as you

remember that I am not rewarding you for your misdeed, I am rewarding you for your

truthfulness.”

WHEN THE WINDS BLOW

Years ago a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired

hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful

storms that raged across the ocean, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops. As the farmer

interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals.

Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer. “Are you a good

farmhand?” the farmer asked him. “Well, I can sleep when the wind blows,” answered the man.

Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked

well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work.

Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed

a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand’s sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and

yelled, “Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!”

The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly,

“No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows.”

Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire

him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for

the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the

haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were

in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors

were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow

away.

The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep

while the wind blew.

When you’re prepared, spiritually, mentally, and physically, you have nothing to fear. Can you sleep

when the wind blows through your life? The hired hand in the story was able to sleep because he

had secured the farm against the storm.

We with faith secure ourselves against the storms of life by putting our trust in the

God, Our Prophet (SAW) and his Ahlul Byat (AS), We don’t need to understand, and

we just need to hold His hand to be secure in the midst of the storms.

THE ROPE

The night fell heavy in the heights of the mountains and the man could not see anything. All was

black. Zero visibility, and the moon and the stars were covered by the clouds. As he was climbing

only a few feet away from the top of the mountain, he slipped and fell in to the air, falling at great

speed. He could only see black spots as he went down, and the terrible sensation of being sucked by

gravity.

He kept falling, and in the moments of great fear, it came to his mind all the good and bad episodes

of his life. He was thinking now about how close death was getting, when all of a sudden he felt the

rope tied to his waist pull him very hard. His body was hanging in the air.

Only the rope was holding him and in that moment of stillness he had no other choice other to

scream: “Help me God.”

All of a sudden a deep voice coming from the sky answered, “What do you want me to do?”

“Save me God.”

“Do you really think I can save you?”

“Of course I believe You can.”

“Then cut the rope tied to your waist.”

There was a moment of silence and the man decided to hold on to the rope with all his strength.

The rescue team tells that the next day a climber was found dead and frozen, his body hanging

from a rope. His hands holding tight to it. Only one foot away from the ground.

And We? How attached we are to our rope will we let go??? Don’t ever doubt about

the words of God. We should never say that He has forgotten us or abandoned us.

THE SHIP

A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men on it were able to swim

to a small, desert like island.

The two survivors, not knowing what else to do, agreed that they had no other recourse but to pray

to God. However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they agreed to divide the territory

between them and stay on opposite sides of the island.

The first thing they prayed for was food. The next morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree

on his side of the land, and he was able to eat its fruit. The other man’s parcel of land remained

barren.

After a week, the first man was lonely and he decided to pray for a wife. The next day, another ship

was wrecked, and the only survivor was a woman who swam to his side of the land. On the other

side of the island, there was nothing.

Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, more food. The next day, like magic, all of these

were given to him. However, the second man still had nothing.

Finally, the first man prayed for a ship, so that he and his wife

could leave the island. In the morning, he found a ship docked at

his side of the island. The first man boarded the ship with his wife

and decided to leave the second man on the island.

He considered the other man unworthy to receive God’s blessings,

since none of his prayers had been answered.

As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from heaven booming, “Why are you

leaving your companion on the island?”

“My blessings are mine alone, since I was the one who prayed for them,” the first man answered.

“His prayers were all unanswered and so he does not deserve anything.”

“You are mistaken!” the voice rebuked him. “He had only one prayer, which I answered. If not for

that, you would not have received any of my blessings.”

“Tell me,” the first man asked the voice, “What did he pray for that I should owe him anything?”

“He prayed that all your prayers be answered.”

For all we know, our blessings are not the fruits of our prayers alone, but those of another praying for us.

THE CLEVER KING!

There was a country long time ago where the people would change a king every year. The person

who would become the king had to agree to a contract that he would be sent to an island after his

one year of being a king.

One king finished his term and it was time for him to go to the island and live there. The people

dressed him up in expensive clothes and put him on an elephant and took him around the cities to

say goodbye to all the people. This was the moment of sadness for all the kings who ruled for one

year. After saying farewell, the people took the king with a boat to remote island and left him there.

On their way back, they discovered a ship that had sunk just recently. They saw a young man who

survived by holding on to a floating piece of wood. As they needed a new king, they picked up the

young man and took him to their country. They requested him to be a king for a year. First he

refused but later he agreed to be a king. People told him about all the rules and regulations and

that how he will be sent to an island after one year.

After three days of being a king, he asked the ministers if they could show him the island where all

the other kings were sent. They agreed and took him to the island. The island was covered with

thick Jungles and sounds of vicious animals were heard coming out of them. The king went little bit

inside to check. Soon he discovered the dead bodies of all the past kings. He understood that as

soon as they were left in the island, the animals came and killed them.

The king went back to the country and collected 100 strong workers. He took them to the island

and instructed them to clean the Jungle, remove all the deadly animals & cut down all excess trees.

He would visit the island every month to see how the work was progressing. In the first month, all

the animals were removed and many trees were cut down. In the second month, the whole island

was cleaned out. The king then told the workers to plant gardens in various parts of the island.

He also took with himself useful animals like chickens, ducks, birds, goats, cows etc. In the third

month, he ordered the workers to build big houses and docking stations for ships. Over the months,

the island turned into a beautiful place.

The young king would wear simple clothes and spend very little

from his earnings as a king. He sent all the earnings to the island

for storage. When nine months passed like this, the king called the

ministers and told them: “I know that I have to go the island after

one year, but I would like to go there right now.” But the ministers

didn’t agree to this and said that he has to wait for another 3

months to complete the year.

3 months passed and now it was a full year. The people dressed up

the young king and put him on an elephant to take him around the

country to say goodbye to others. However, this king is

unusually happy to leave the kingdom.

People asked him, “All the other kings would cry at this moment and why are you laughing?”

He replied, “Don’t you know what the wise people say? They say that when you came to this world

as a baby, you were crying and everyone was smiling. Live such a life that when you are die, you

will be smiling and everyone around you will be crying. I have lived that life. While all the other

kings were lost into the luxuries of the kingdom, I always thought about the future and planned for

it. I turned the deadly island into a beautiful abode for me where I can stay peacefully.”

The moral lesson from this story is about how we should live our life. The life of this world is to

prepare for the life hereafter. In this life, we shouldn’t get lost into the deceiving and attractive

things of this world and forget about what is to come in the afterlife. Rather, even if we are kings,

we should live a simple life like our beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and save all our

enjoyments for the hereafter. May Allah make it easy for us all. Amin.

Holy Quran (31:34) says: Verily the knowledge of the Hour is with Allah (alone). It is He Who

sends down rain, and He Who knows what is in the wombs. Nor does any one know what it is that

he will earn on the morrow: Nor does any one know in what land he is to die. Verily with Allah is

full knowledge and He is acquainted (with all things).

Holy Quran (59:18) urges us to prepare for tomorrow: O ye who believe! Fear Allah, and let every

soul look to what (provision) He has sent forth for the morrow. Yea, fear Allah: for Allah is

well-acquainted with (all) that ye do.

Some body asked Imam Hassan (AS),

Why are we reluctant to die, why don’t we like death?

“Because,” replied the Imam Hassan (AS),

“You ruined your next world and developed this one; naturally,

you do not like to be transferred from flourishing to decline.”

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