Children stories with good morals and wisdom so as to teach our children valuable lessons.
With the name of Allah most Beneficient ever Merciful
Sadia clasped her dad’s hands and pleaded to him to tell her a story. “Not today” replied her dad “It is school tomorrow and you have to do your school work and go early to bed.” “O dad, just one short story.” “No replied dad “but I promise to tell you and your brother a story on Friday night.”
Dad told lovely stories and Sadia just could not wait for Friday night. His stories were not really stories because they were true incidents that happened in times gone by.
That cold Friday night, after they had their supper, Sadia and her brother cuddled up to their dad and he began his story.
Once there was a man that hated working. While everyone else worked for food and good things this man would pray to Allah, The most Merciful, to give him food and shelter without having to work.
He always made the same prayer and everyone in the city knew of the lazy man and his prayer. They would mock him and tell him that his prayer would never get answered. They would tell him things like “without sowing seeds you would never be able to get crops.”
But the lazy man could not be convinced and he continued praying the same old prayer. Can you see where this story is going: a man in conflict with laws?
Now, it so happened that one day while the lazy man was making his usual prayer, a cow suddenly walked into his room and the man firmly believed that his prayer was answered.
He slaughtered the cow and fed everyone including himself. The next day the owner of the cow confronted him and told him that the cow that he had slaughtered was actually his and he demanded that he be compensated for the cow.
The man refused saying that while he was praying his usual prayer for food without having to work Allah Subhanatallah had answered his prayer and sent him the cow.
“How absurd” said the man? “That cow belongs to me and I have been grooming him since he was a little calf. How can you take it without my permission or without buying it from me? This is against the law,” but the lazy man would not hear of it and insisted that Allah Subhanatallah had given him the cow.
When the owner of the cow saw that he was not making head way he took the matter up with Hazrath Dawood (AS) who was the king at that time.
When Hazrath Dawood (AS) heard both sides of the story he ruled that the lazy man must pay for the cow that he had eaten. The lazy man began to cry so pitifully while still insisting that the cow was his, given to him by Allah Subhanatallah, that Hazrath Dawood (AS) felt the urge to think about the matter further and he adjourned the case to the next day.
Somehow this lazy man’s theory made sense too, not by way of manmade rules but by the natural order of nature. Which animal lays claim to food in the wild. Everything belongs to Allah ultimately and He has made their sustenance so they eat of it.
When the case came up again before him the next day, Hazrath Dawood (AS) changed his judgment and instead asked the owner to give up his claim on the cow or else things would get worse for him.
The man blankly refused and insisted on being paid. Hazrath Dawood (AS) then told the man to, not only give up his claim to the cow, but to also pay the lazy man a further sum of money equal to the value of the cow.
Not only was the man surprised but the entire court room felt the decision unfair. How could this be happening? This lazy man had eaten someone else’s cow and now the owner of the cow, instead of getting paid for the cow, has to pay the lazy man for eating his cow.
The owner of the cow still refused and said that the decision Hazrath Dawood (AS) was giving was ridiculous. To his shock, Hazrath Dawood (AS) asked him to give up half his property to the lazy man or else things would get even worse.
The man again refused and Hazrath Dawood (AS) began to say: ” smell the blood of a murdered man who lies buried under a tree at a certain spot. That murdered man was the master of you, who claims to be the owner of the cow. You murdered him and took all his belongings. This lazy man that had eaten your cow is the murdered man’s son and all that belongs to you at present is actually his. Allah Subhanatallah and I, myself wanted to keep your wrongdoings a secret but because you refuse to accept a settlement you will lose all your belongings and face the consequences of murdering that man. Story related in the Matnawi 3:1450
LESSONS:
1) Except for 3 things do not make hasty decisions. The Prophet, peace be upon him, has asked us to ponder and think carefully before making a decision. When we think, we must ask Allah Subhanatallah to guide us and Inshallah, He would help us to make the right decision like the way that Hazrath Dawood (AS) made.
2) When we continue doing wrong then Allah Subhanatallah exposes our sins like the way he did with the murderer in this story. There is a common saying that the ten days thief will get caught one day.
3) As humans we are unique to all other creatures and we have the opportunity of developing ourselves by purifying our hearts and souls to such an extent that we can see so much more than that which is before us. Our hearts would begin to get a sort of revelation which is termed “ilhaam” which is similar to the “wahee” that prophets received. Hazrath Dawood (AS) in this case received this sort of enlightenment about the murdered man.
“But Dad”, Sadia said: “you have always taught us to work hard and to be responsible. How is it then that this lazy man got his wishes?” Dad’s eyes lit up because Sadia had asked a question which would prompt him to teach more beautiful lessons which he loved to do. “Yes,” he said: “the Prophet, peace be upon him, has taught us to be responsible people but at the same time we must not wear blinkers.
There is so much more to life than that which catches the eye. Sometimes people can do good deeds but they do them for the wrong reasons and sometimes people do bad deeds but because they do it for a good reason their bad deeds are actually good.”
Suhail, sadia’s brother suddenly said: “O dad, you are confusing me. How can a bad deed be a good deed? Just then, Sadia’s mother came in with a bowl of popcorn and a mug of tea. As they crunched into their popcorn dad said: “It seems like I would have to tell you another story to explain this.”
Sadia and Suhail happily agreed, settling down to listen to yet another story.
This, is an amazing story from the Holy Quran. This is a story where reason fails, figures lose their count, time has no tick or tock, where the dead come to life and the living are dead, where wrong is no longer wrong and right is no longer right, where heaven is hell, and hell is heaven.
The Quraan talks about this aspect of Islam in the form of a story—the story of Hazrath Moosa Alayhis Salaam’s encounter with Hazrath Kizar Alayhis Salaam.
Suratul Khaf (18) verses 60 to 82, Hazrath Moosa (AS) asked Allah Subhanatallah if there was anyone more knowledgeable than himself and when Allah told him that there was such a person, he wanted to meet this person.
Allah Subhanatallah told him to carry a dead fish in a basket and walk along the sea shore and where that fish comes alive and swims away then it is at that point you would meet this person.
For how long he walked along the shore I am not sure, but anywhere, there was a point at which the fish came to life and swam out to sea and it was at this point, as predicted, he met Hazrath Kizar (AS).
Hazrath Kizar (AS) did not want Hazrath Moosa (AS) to accompany him but when Hazrath Moosa (AS) insisted he allowed him on the condition that he does not question.
A man gave them a lift in his boat and as soon as they got across the river, Hazrath Kizar (AS) purposely damaged the man’s boat.
Hazrath Moosa (AS) began to question him but Hazrath Kizar (AS) reminded him of his promise. Hazrath Moosa (AS) apologised and as they went their way, Hazrath Kizar (AS) killed a little boy.
This was too much and again Hazrath Moosa (AS) questioned and again he apologized in order to continue keeping his company.
Then they came to a village where no one would grant them hospitality even to the extent of giving them water to drink.
Hazrath Kizar (AS) came to a well in this village which was on the verge of collapsing and he began to repair it. Hazrath Moosa (AS) could bear it no longer and asked: “How can you assist a people who would refuse a traveller water to drink.”
Hazrath Kizar (as) explained all three incidents and then insisted that they part company. On the first occasion, the king of the land had ordered his men to capture all boats so that he could amass a navy for war.
When the soldiers would encounter the broken boat they would not take it and the man could repair his boat and continue his work.
On the second occasion the child was the son of pious, God fearing parents and he was growing up to be a bad person that would hurt his parents.
Thirdly in this village there lived two orphans and their parents had hidden a treasure for them behind the wall of the well. Had the well broken then the evil villagers would have taken the treasure for themselves.
Morels of the story:
1) A spiritual guide will always test the mettle of his disciple before teaching him. Does my student respect and trust me? Whenever you are learning under a guide you have to be patient and this is a difficult thing to do because even Hazrath Moosa (AS) had difficulty in this aspect.
2) What Hazrath Kizar (AS) had done was by the instruction of Allah Subhanatallah. When we develop ourselves, then we too can be His instruments.
3) Do not judge anyone no matter how bad or how good they may appear to be. One of the advices that the Prophet, peace be upon him, has left for our generation is that we should read Sura Khaf.
This sura and especially this incident is very relevant for us today because appearances and reality seldom coincide. We have to be discerning and we have to look beneath the surface.
The media portrays evil in a positive manner and good in a negative manner today. In our times we would have lots of people dressed in the robes of piety and talking about good but they may be evil inside. End.
Peace and salutations be upon Allah’s Messengers who are responsible for guiding humanity throughout time. Ameen.
Published by Anjuman e Waris e Mohammedi.
The Anjuman e Waris e Mohammedi was founded by Dr/Hakim Hazrath Khwaja Sayed Shareef Ahmed Ali Shah RA (lovingly known as Hazrath Poona Wale Shah Saab RA).
Author: Mohamed Hassan Gaffoor WhatsApp; +27 84 910 1486