FORGIVENESS

She thought till late at midnight and finally decided how to take revenge from him. She could
not sleep all night, because she was too eager to take revenge for the idols she worshiped. Even
before the first ray of sunlight had entered her window, she was busy sweeping her house. She
saved all the garbage in a basket, placed it on the roof of her house and proudly looked at it for
a while, then with an impatient look on her face
She picked up the basket in her hands and threw all the garbage on him when he passed by.
Much to the woman's disappointment, he did not say anything and continued on his way.

She did the same the following day but Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was too gentle to shout at
a woman. She misinterpreted his attitude as fear and decided to repeat the same mischief
everyday in order to keep him frightened, so that he might stop preaching the Oneness of God.

This gentleman whom the woman hated so much was Muhammad (PBUH), the last prophet of
Allah Almighty. He did not want to disappoint the woman and so continued to walk down the
street everyday, instead of picking an alternate route, and prayed for the woman to recognize
the Truth.

One day, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) did not find the woman to be on the roof of her
house with the basket. This worried him, because he thought something must have happened to
her for not being over there. So he knocked at the door. "Who is it?" asked a feeble voice.
"Muhammad bin Abdullah," was the reply, "can I come in?" The woman feared, "I am sick, and
too weak to fight or talk back, therefore Muhammad has come to take revenge for what I have
been doing to him." But the permission to enter her house was in such a gentle voice that she
allowed him in.

Muhammad (PBUH) entered the house and told the woman that not finding her on the roof had
worried him and he thus wanted to inquire about her health. On finding out how ill she was, he
gently asked if she needed any help. Hypnotized by the affectionate tone in the Holy Prophet's
(PBUH) blessed voice, she forgot all fear and asked for some water. He kindly gave her some in a
utensil and prayed for her health, while she quenched her thirst. This made her feel very guilty
for being so cruel to him in the past and she apologized for her mean behavior. He forgave her
and came to her house everyday to clean it, to feed her and to pray for her, till she was on her
feet again. The kind attitude of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) inspired her into the recognition of the
Truth, and his prayers were answered in the form of yet another addition into the growing
number of Muslims.

Moral:
It’s important to forgive because one cannot see the true pain
and nature of another.
RESPECT FOR WORK

Prophet Muhammad and his companions went on a journey. They travelled by camels.

After much travelling they got tired. On the way they stopped to rest. They decided to

make a small camp and cook their food. So they put their camels comfortably to rest

and gave them grass to eat. After that his companions decided to divide the work

among themselves.

One companion said, “I will go and kill the lamb for meat.”

Another companion said, “I will clean the ground around the camp.”

The third companion said, “I will do the cooking.”

Prophet Muhammad said, “I will bring wood for the fire.”

All the companions said with one voice, “No, Sir, we will do that for you.”

The Prophet replied, “I very well know that you all will do that for me. But it is not good

for me to sit idle while you work. I am your companion. I must work as much as you do.

Allah does not like any one to enjoy any superiority over his companions.”

So saying the Prophet went to gather firewood.

Moral:

It is not good to sit idle while others work; you should

always share the work with your companions.
KINDNESS
More than 1400 years ago in Arabia the people were living very much in fear. They
feared their neighbors. They feared other tribes. They even feared their idols. For
this was the time before Islam. The Arabs were worshipping idols. In their ignorance
they would bury their newly born daughters alive. As Islam began to spread among
Arabs such cruel practices stopped. For Islam taught love and peace. It taught
kindness and respect.
Prophet Muhammad himself was a very kind and loving person. He treated every
one, young and old, with kindness and respect.
Prophet Muhammad was spreading the word of God and changing the lives of many
Arabs and because some felt that by the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
their old idols were losing power they planned to kill him. Every time they tried to
kill him, they failed. This angered the enemies of Islam even more. So they began to
harass him in every way they knew.
On another occasion, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was on a journey. One day, at
noon, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) chose the shade of a small tree and rested.
One of the enemies seeing that Muhammad was alone thought it a good time to kill
him quickly and quietly. He went towards him with a drawn sword and asked the
Prophet:
“Tell me who can help you now?”
“Allah”, replied the Prophet calmly with manifest confidence.
Seeing this calm assurance, the enemy was frightened, and the sword fell away from
his hands. With the same calm, the Prophet took that sword in his own hand and
asked: “Now, you tell me who is there to save you?”
“No one” replied the enemy.
“No, you are wrong, the same Allah will help you also,” said the generous Prophet
and let the enemy go free.
Seeing this noble example the man accepted the Islam then and there.

Moral:
Be kind to those who may not deserve your kindness
ORPHANS
Rasulullah* (pbuh*) was going to Eid Salah in the company of his companions. They
were walking and chanting the Takbeer. “Allahu Akbar*, Allahu Akbar”.

And the streets of Medina Munawara were echoing in “Allahu Akbar”.


Everyone was excited and dressed nicely and everyone had their perfume on.

Rasulullah (pbuh) suddenly saw a young child sitting on the side with his face buried on
his hand and he’s crying away.

Rasulullah (pbuh) stopped and told the companions” You may continue and I will join
you later.”

He went to the child, he sat next to him on the side of the street.

He patted him on the back and said:

Young child, why are you crying?”

The young child said ,”Today is the day of Eid*. And all the young children are holding
their father’s hand and they are going for Eid Salah. My father was matyred in the battle
of Uhud. I have no father. There is no father’s hand for me to hold”.

And he continue to sit there crying on the side of the street.

He said, “Leave me alone, let me sit here and cry while the rest of the world enjoys
itself”.

Rasulullah (pbuh) said to this child “If you are crying, Muhammad will also not celebrate
the day of Eid”.
Rasulullah (pbuh) held the child’s hand and he said, “While all the children are holding
the hands of their fathers, you will hold the hand of Muhammad (pbuh). And from today
onwards you will never say you do not have a father. From today onwards Muhammad
is your father and Aisha (may God be pleased with her) is your mother.”

Rasulullah (pbuh) then walked with the child all the way up to the place of Eid Salah and
when Rasulullah (pbuh) was giving the Khutbah*, he had this child sitting on his thigh (in
another narration he had the child sit on his shoulders).

MORAL:
Be kind, respectful and caring towards orphans as they seek
happiness in the smallest acts of kindness.
WEALTH AND POVERTY
It was a usual meeting. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) 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: “Asslam-O-Alaikum”
(Peace be on you) and finding a vacant place, comfortably sat down.
The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) 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 was seated next to a very rich man.
The rich man felt very disturbed and tried to collect the edges of his dress around
himself, so that the poor man didn't touch them. The Prophet (S) observed this and
addressing the rich man he said:
“ Perhaps you are 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 my
guilt. 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 this offer.”
People present were taken by surprise, they thought that the poor man was a fool,
but then he explained:
“ O Prophet of Allah, I refuse to accept this offer because I fear that I might then
become arrogant and ill-treat my Muslim brothers the way he did to me.”

Moral:
Being wealthy is a responsibility to care for the poor and one
should not forget that the poor and wealthy are equal in the
eyes of God