The Creator

Saeed is a very promising boy.
He is very fond of studies. He also takes part in games and sports.
Sometimes he and his father went out for a walk.

One day both of them went to the riverside.
The scene all around was very beautiful.
The riverbed was full of water.
On the banks of the river it was all green.
Ducks, swans, and other water birds were gliding in the water.
Melodious birds were chirping in the trees.
The sun was peeping through the branches.

This charming scene pleased Saeed very much.
All of a sudden an idea crossed his mind and he asked his father:
"Dear father! Who has made all these lovely things?"

Father: "Allah has made them".
Saeed: "Can we see Allah? "
Father: "No, my son, we can't see Him".
Saeed: "Then how do we know that He exists and He has made everything?"

Thereupon his father pointed to a building surrounded by trees and said,
"Just look at that building. Do you know who has built it?"
"Surely masons have built it", Saeed replied.
Then his father said,
"Dear son! When we see that building we guess that masons have built it,
although we can't see them.
Similarly, when we see some footsteps on sand we know that someone has passed from there.
Now look at the Universe. It is very big and must also have a creator,
although we can't see Him. That great Creator is Allah.
This world and all things in it are a proof of His existence."

Saeed understood the point and thanked his father for explaining it to him.

Little Big Mouse

Once upon a time, a little mouse walked up a big hill on her way to the cheese shop. But when she got to the top of the hill, the hill tilted.

"Eek!" she cried. "Earthquake!"

But it wasn't an earthquake. As it turns out, the hill wasn't a big hill at all. It was a big lion!

The big lion jumped up and grabbed the little mouse by her tail.

"Mmmm," said the lion. "What a tasty little tidbit. I think I can fit this little nibble in before dinner."

But the little mouse didn't want to be eaten. She was going to have a big cheese party that night, and she was really looking forward to it.

So just when the big lion was about to drop her into his mouth, she said, "Please don't eat me! If you let me go, I'll return the favor and help YOU out one day!"

When the lion heard what the mouse said, he stopped, and began to roar with laughter. That was the funniest thing he had ever heard.

"What, a little mouse like you? Help a big lion like me? That's so ridiculous!"

The lion laughed some more, until his sides began to hurt.

"Whoo! That's a good one!"

One day, a year later, the big lion was walking in the jungle on the way to his club when suddenly he was swept up into the air and was hanging from a tree.

It was a hunter's net, and he was trapped!

"Help! Help!" he cried. "Somebody come help me, quick!"

As it happened, the little mouse was just then walking by, and she heard his scream.

"Sounds like someone is in trouble," she said, and she ran over there lickety-split. She looked up in the air, and saw . . .

"Hey, isn't that you?" she asked. "Aren't you the big lion who didn't eat me?"

Although the big lion was in a fix, he recognized the little mouse.

"That's me," he said, sounding angry and scared. "Quick, now is your chance to do your favor. Run and go get help!"

But the little mouse heard the hunters' footsteps approaching.

"There's no time for that," she said. She thought for a second, and then snapped her little fingers.

"I've got it. I'll get you free myself."

"What? Are you crazy?" said the lion. "How can a little mouse like you free me from this great big net?"

But while he was busy complaining, the mouse was busy running up the tree and chewing through the net.

"Almost . . . there . . ." panted the little mouse between nibbles, hearing the hunters getting closer and closer . . . .

Suddenly, the ropes snapped, and the big lion was free!

The lion stood up, roared a mighty roar, and the hunters all ran away. When the hunters were gone, the lion and the mouse shook hands.

The mouse said, "See? I told you I would help you someday!"

"Wow!" said the lion. "I'm sure glad I didn't eat you! That was some quick thinking you did!"

And from that day forward, the little mouse and the big lion were best friends. He would even let her walk on his back sometimes - when he wanted his back scratched.

The Boy and 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 Poor Man

It was a usual meeting. The Prophet (p.b.u.h.) was in his place and his companions gathered around him to hear the words of wisdom and guidance. Suddenly a poor man in rags appeared, saluted the assembly:

"Salamun Alaikum" and finding a vacant place, comfortably sat down. The Prophet (p.b.u.h.) had taught them that all Muslims were brothers and in an assembly one should sit wherever one finds a place, regardless of any status. Now, it so happened that this poor man sat next to a very rich man. The rich man felt disturbed and tried to collect the edges of his dress around himself, so that the poor man did not touch them. The Prophet (p.b.u.h.) observed this and addressing the rich man he said:

"Perhaps you were afraid that his poverty would affect you?"

"No, O Messenger of Allah," he said

"Then perhaps you were apprehensive about some of your wealth flying away to him?"

"No, O Messenger of Allah."

"Or you feared that your clothes would become dirty if he touched them?"

"No, O Messenger of Allah."

"Then why did you draw yourself and your clothes away from him?"

The rich man said: "I admit that was the most undesirable thing to do. It was an error and I confess. Now to make amends for it, I will give away half of my wealth to this Muslim brother so that I may be forgiven. "

Just as he said this, the poor man rose and said: "O Prophet of Allah, I do not accept his offer."

People present were all taken by surprise. They thought the poor man was a fool. But he explained:

"O Prophet of Allah, I refuse to accept his offer because I fear that I might then become arrogant and ill treat my Muslim brothers the way he did to me."

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.

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