THE ONE-EYED DOE

A Doe had the misfortune to lose one of her eyes, and could not see any one

approaching her on that side. So to avoid any danger she always used to feed ona high cliff near the sea, with her sound eye looking towards the land. By thismeans she could see whenever the hunters approached her on land, and oftenescaped by this means. But the hunters found out that she was blind of one eye,and hiring a boat rowed under the cliff where she used to feed and shot her fromthe sea. “Ah,” cried she with her dying voice. “You cannot escape your fate.”

YOU'RE FAR MORE PRECIOUS THAN DIAMONDS AND PEARLS

“If memory serves me correctly, I was wearing a little white tank top and ashort black skirt. I had been raised Orthodox Muslim, so I had never beforeworn such revealing clothing while in my father’s presence. When we finallyarrived, the chauffer escorted my younger sister, Laila, and me up to myfather's suite.As usual, he was hiding behind the door waiting to scare us. We exchangedmany hugs and kisses as we could possibly give in one day. My father took agood look at us. Then he sat me down on his lap and said something that Iwill never forget.He looked me straight in the eyes and said, “Hana, everything that God made valuable in the world is covered and hard to get to. Where do you finddiamonds? Deep down in the ground covered and protected. Where do youfind pearls? Deep down at the bottom of the ocean covered up and protected in a beautiful shell.Where do you find gold? Way down in the mine, covered over with layers and layers of rock. You’ve got to work hard to get to them.”He looked at me with serious eyes. “Your body is sacred. You’re far more precious than diamondsand pearls, and you should be covered too.”Source: More Than A Hero: Muhammad Ali’s Life Lessons Through His Daughter’s Eyes.

WORDS AND ACTIONS SHOULD BE THE SAME

There once was a boy who loved eating sweets. He always asked for sweets from his father. His
father was a poor man. He could not always afford sweets for his son. But the little boy did not
understand this, and demanded sweets all the time.
The boy’s father thought hard about how to stop the child asking for so many sweets. There was a
very holy man living nearby at that time. The boy’s father had an idea. He decided to take the boy
to the great man who might be able to persuade the child to stop asking for sweets all the time.
The boy and his father went along to the great man. The father said to him, “O great saint, could
you ask my son to stop asking for sweets which I cannot afford?” The great man was in difficulty,
because he liked sweets himself. How could he ask the boy to give up asking for sweets? The holy
man told the father to bring his son back after one month.
During that month, the holy man gave up eating sweets, and when the boy and his father returnedafter a month, the holy man said to the boy “My dear child, will you stop asking for sweets which
your father cannot afford to give you?”
From then on, the boy stopped asking for sweets.
The boy’s father asked the saint, “Why did you not ask
my son to give up asking for sweets when we came to
you a month ago?” The saint replied, “How could I ask a
boy to give up sweets when I loved sweets myself. In the
last month I gave up eating sweets.” A person’s example
is much more powerful than just his words. When we ask
someone to do something, we must do it ourselves also. We should not ask others to do what we do
not do ourselves.
Always make sure that your actions and your words are same.

A VERY POWERFUL STORY

He remembered his grandmother’s warning about praying on time: “My son, you shouldn’t leave
prayer to this late time.” His grandmother’s age was 70 but whenever she heard the Adhan, she got
up like an arrow and performed Salah/Namaz/prayer. He, however could never win over his ego to
get up and pray. Whatever he did, his Salah was always the last to be offered and he prayed it
quickly to get it in on time. Thinking of this, he got up and realized that there were only 15 minutes
left before Salat-ul Isha. He quickly made Wudhu and performed Salat-ul Maghrib. While making
Tasbih, he again remembered his grandmother and was embarrassed by how he had prayed. His
grandmother prayed with such tranquility and peace. He began making Dua and went down to
make Sajdah and stayed like that for a while.
He had been at school all day and was tired, so tired. He awoke abruptly to the sound of noise and
shouting. He was sweating profusely. He looked around. It was very crowded. Every direction he
looked in was filled with people. Some stood frozen looking around, some were running left and
right and some were on their knees with their heads in their hands just waiting. Pure fear and
apprehension filled him as he realized where he was.
His heart was about to burst. It was the Day of Judgment. When he was alive, he had heard many
things about the questioning on the Day of Judgment, but that seemed so long ago. Could this be
something his mind made up? No, the wait and the fear were so great that he could not have imag-
ined this. The interrogation was still going on. He began moving frantically from people to people
to ask if his name had been called. No one could answer him. All of a sudden his name was called
and the crowd split into two and made a passageway for him. Two people grabbed his arms and led
him forward. He walked with unknowing eyes through the crowd. The angels brought him to the
center and left him there. His head was bent down and his whole life was passing in front of his
eyes like a movie. He opened his eyes but saw only another world. The people were all helping oth-
ers. He saw his father running from one lecture to the other, spending his wealth in the way of
Islam. His mother invited guests to their house and one table was being set while the other was
being cleared.
He pleaded his case; “I too was always on this path. I helped others. I spread the word of Allah.
I performed my Salah. I fasted in the month of Ramadan. Whatever Allah ordered us to do, I did.
Whatever he ordered us not to do, I did not.” He began to cry and think about how much he loved
Allah. He knew that whatever he had done in life would be less than what Allah deserved and his
only protector was Allah. He was sweating like never before and was shaking all over. His eyes were
fixed on the scale, waiting for the final decision. At last, the decision was made. The two angels with
sheets of paper in their hands, turned to the crowd. His legs felt like they were going to collapse. He
closed his eyes as they began to read the names of those people who were to enter Jahannam/Hell.
His name was read first. He fell on his knees and yelled that this couldn’t be, “How could I go toJahannam? I served others all my life, I spread the word of Allah to others.” His eyes had become
blurry and he was shaking with sweat. The two angels took him by the arms. As his feet dragged,
they went through the crowd and advanced toward the blazing flames of Jahannam. He was yelling
and wondered if there was any person who was going to help him. He was yelling of all the good
deeds he had done, how he had helped his father, his fasts, prayers, the Qur’an that he read, he was
asking if none of them would help him. The Jahannam angels continued to drag him. They had got-
ten closer to the Hellfire. He looked back and these were his last pleas. Had not Rasulullah [saw]
said, “How clean would a person be who bathes in a river five times a day, so too does the Salah
performed five times cleanse someone of their sins?” He began yelling, “My prayers? My prayers?
My prayers?”
The two angels did not stop, and they came to the edge of the abyss of Jahannam. The flames of the
fire were burning his face. He looked back one last time, but his eyes were dry of hope and he had
nothing left in him. One of the angels pushed him in.
He found himself in the air and falling towards the
flames. He had just fallen five or six feet when a hand
grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back. He lifted
his head and saw an old man with a long white beard.
He wiped some dust off himself and asked him,
“Who are you?” The old man replied, “I am your prayers.”
“Why are you so late! I was almost in the Fire! You
rescued me at the last minute before I fell in.”
The old man smiled and shook his head. “You always
performed me at the last minute, and did you forget?”
At that instant, he blinked and lifted his head from
Sajdah. He was in a sweat. He listened to the voices
coming from outside. He heard the adhan for Salat-ul
Isha. He got up quickly and went to perform Wudhu.
“Say Your Prayers Before Prayers For You Are Said.”
“Namaz Parh Is Se Pehle Ke Teri Namaz Parhi Jaye.

A BOY WITH 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 my feet’s are my conveyance.” I explained, “I am asking you regarding bread and water.”
He replied! “Oh Shaykh if someone invited you to his house, would it be appropriate to take your
own food?” I exclaimed, “No!” “Similarly, My Lord has invited His servant to His house, it is only
the weakness of your Yaqeen that makes us carry provisions. Despite this, do you think Allah will
let me go to waste?” “Never” I replied. He then left. Sometime later I saw him in Makkah. He
approached me and inquired, “Oh Shaykh are you still of weak belief?”
Source: Stories of the Pious by Shaikh Ahmad Ali.

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.”

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.