A pious young man by the name of Thabit

“One day, a young pious man by the name of Thabit had no food to eat. As he was walking, he came across a garden with an abundance of apple trees. Although the garden was fenced, the trees were so mature that their apples were hanging over the fence. Innocently, he took an apple and started to eat from it. After he finished that apple, he felt an extreme sense of shame and guilt as he did not take permission from the owner of that garden.

The guilt drove him to go and apologize to the owner and ask him what he could do to pay for the apple. To his surprise, the owner said, ‘The only way you can pay me back is by marrying my daughter.’ On the surface, it seemed like a pretty good deal. Then the owner said, ‘But you must know that my daughter is deaf, dumb (unable to speak), and blind.’

Thabit pondered upon this but not too long as he sensed that he had committed a great crime by eating the apple that didn’t belong to him. So he agreed to marry the man’s daughter to absolve himself of the sin. As he entered upon her, to his surprise the woman was beautiful and returned his salaam.

He looked at her and said, ‘But your father said that you are deaf, dumb, and blind!’

She smiled and responded, ‘I am deaf to all forms of backbiting, gossip, and lying, dumb to any thoughts that are displeasing to Allah, and blind to that which Allah has not permitted me to look at.’ It had become clear that Allah SWT had rewarded Thabit for his sincerity, good character, and honesty with a pious woman. Through that woman, Allah would bestow upon Thabit a son by the name of Nouman, otherwise known as Imam Abu Hanifa (RAA).”






A Story With A Moral… The Pencil And The Eraser.

Pencil: “I’m sorry.”

Eraser: “For what? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Pencil: “I’m sorry because you get hurt because of me. Whenever I made a mistake, you’re always there to erase it. But as you make my mistakes vanish, you lose a part of yourself. You get smaller and smaller each time.”

Eraser: “That’s true. But I don’t really mind. You see, I was made to do this. I was made to help you whenever you do something wrong. Even though one day, I know I’ll be gone and you’ll replace me with a new one, I’m actually happy with my job. So please, stop worrying. I hate seeing you sad.”

Moral: I found this conversation between the pencil and the eraser very inspirational. Parents are like the eraser whereas their children are the pencil. They’re always there for their children, cleaning up their mistakes. Sometimes along the way, they get hurt, and become smaller / older, and eventually pass on. Though their children will eventually find someone new (spouse), but parents are still happy with what they do for their children, and will always hate seeing their precious ones worrying, or sad. All my life, I’ve been the pencil. And it pains me to see the eraser that is my parents getting smaller and smaller each day. For I know that one day, all that I’m left with would be eraser shavings and memories of what I used to have. 

"Thy Lord hath decreed that ye worship none but Him, and that ye be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in thy life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honour. (24) And, out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility, and say: "My Lord! bestow on them thy Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood." 
Qura'an translation of surat 17 Al -Isra ( 23: 24 )