Great Lesson - Believe Me~

A young boy, a wise grandfather, a beautiful reminder... and this... is OUR story... Here it goes:

An old American Muslim lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading his Qur'an. His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to imitate him in every way he could.

One day the grandson asked,
"Grandpa! I try to read the Qur'an just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Qur'an do?"

The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and replied,
"Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water."



The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out before he got back to the house.

The grandfather laughed and said,
"You'll have to move a little faster next time,"

He sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was impossible to carry water in a basket, and he went to get a bucket instead.

The old man said,
"I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You're just not trying hard enough,"

He went out the door to watch the boy try again. At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would Leak out before he got back to the house. The boy again dipped the basket into river and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty.

Out of breath, he said,
"See Grandpa, it's useless!"

"So you think it is useless?"

The old man said,
"Look at the basket."

The boy looked at the basket and for the first time realized that the basket was different. It had been transformed from a dirty old coal basket and was now clean, inside and out.

"Son, that's what happens when you read the Qur'an. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, you will be changed, inside and outside. That is the work of Allah in our lives."

Subhanallah.. and THANK YOU ALLAH~

It Was A Post Without A Title

It's been quite a while since I last posted a real entry into this humble blog. So many things have been happening over the last two weeks, many of which are significant ones. Concerning the lack of updates for the past month, I’ll try to make it up with this entry which obviously doesn’t have a title. Or perhaps the most unique title I’ve ever used.

When I was trying to look at this world from a different perspective, I know that each and everyone of us are on a long but temporary journey, and that the destination is the hereafter, either Paradise, or Hell. Keep that in mind. Indeed, no one said this journey was gonna be easy.

Whenever we feel that patience is running out as a result of the things that go against us, just recount the endless blessings that God has endowed us with. All this time, when my faith is being tested, I remember all the whines and complaints that I make whilst adapting the reality prompts me into thinking "What an ungrateful slave of Allah am I?" It's not like I don't have enough foods in the kitchen, or that I am starving to death. How lucky am I compared to the so many unfortunate people out there?

People in Gaza are deprived of foods, clean water, or even a shelter to protect themselves from the adverse weather. The children in Africa are malnourished, lying helplessly with flies all around them, surrounded by vultures waiting to eat them once they die.

They are never given the opportunity to enjoy the life I, You and We have. Yet they adapted, in a circumstance worse than us truly. How ungrateful am I when these people, amid their struggles, can still praise and thank Allah whenever they are blessed with a loaf of bread, or even a bottle of plain water.

Allah teach us patience in the most beautiful way we can ever imagine. But, I am just like everyone else. I cry when things go beyond my control. I cry when trials just kept on coming over and over again. I cry when I feel helpless in the battle I face. But my dearest friends, it's really ok to cry. That’s what my good friend said. Natural it is for a human being to feel sorrow over times of hardship. The heart doesn't have to be dead or numb. Our beloved Prophet cried over the death of his son, Ibrahim, yet he is the epitome of strength in the face of trials and tribulations.

The important thing is how we reacted after we cried. That’s what differentiate us from others.

In life, we choose who becomes our friend. We determine the type of person we want around us, be it a good or a bad friend. A friend you'd hope will remain by your side through the thick and thin. But try as we might, we always feel that friends can only help us to a certain limit before we know we're on our own.

Families, we don't choose them. They are God's gift to us. Curse your luck for getting a nasty sister or a big fat brother, they are part of you and that is final. It's not exchangeable. But ironically we can always be sure that families will always be there for us, when no one else does.

As one saying goes, the only rock I know that remains steady, and the only institution that I know works, is FAMILY.

Love your family. Pray for their well-being in this world and in the hereafter. Don't break their hearts for you're only gonna break yours.

Through thick and thin, WE WILL ALWAYS STAY TOGETHER~

InshaAllah