27. Think before you regret,too!!!

Photo by
Eugene



Once, a group of people were traveling on rocks at night. A voice came from the sky that whosoever picks up the rocks will regret and whosoever doesn't pick up the rocks will regret.
Now, the people were confused. How can this be? Whether you pick up the rocks or not, you will regret! Anyway, some people picked up the rocks and some didn't. In the morning when they reached their homes, they saw that the rocks turned into diamonds.
Now, those people who didn't pick up the rocks started regretting saying "If only we had picked up some rocks." Those people who did pick some rocks also started regretting saying “Why didn't we pick up more rocks?" Both sides ended up regretting.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Muslims, this same incident will take place with us on the Day of Judgment. Those people who spent their time in useless things will start regretting by looking at those who achieved a great position in Paradise by spending their time in the way of Allah. Now, those who did achieve a position in Paradise will start regretting by looking at those who did more than them and are higher in status. “Alas! If we had only done more to please Allah."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Prophet of Allah (salla Allaahu 'alaihi wa salam) said;
"Whoever guides or directs to good, then he gets the same amount of blessing (reward) as the one who does it" [Saheeh Muslim]

26. ~Beautiful Young Princess ~

There was this beautiful young princess who got lost while hunting and she came upon a hut, where a young attractive man was praying. He looked up and upon learning that she is lost, offered her some food and his bed to sleep in, as night was falling. The princess slept, while the young man put his prayer mat in a corner with a candle, and started praying.

by ebrulii

The next day, soldiers who had accompanied the princess on her hunt eventually found the princess in the hut, and took her to the king, and told him the story. The king asked his daughter if she was all right, and the princess just asked for that young man to be brought to the palace.
The young man was picked up and brought before the king and was questioned about being "disrespectful" to the princess. The princess heard of this and went to the king's court. On seeing her, the young man asked the princess if he had been disrespectful to her.
The princess asked the king to ask the young man what he did during the night. The young man replied that he prayed. The princess agreed that he did so, but she said to ask him why did he put his palm over the candle flame three times during the night.
The young man said:
"I prayed, but from time to time my mind would stray and I would think here is this young beautiful princess. If I go to her, who can stop us, she and me probably won't tell anyone. In any case I can run away from here. But every time this satanic urge got too much, I would say to myself :
"For this sin you will burn in Hell; let us see if you can stand burning from this candle.”
“So I would put my palm over the flame, and the pain of burning would be so much I would take my hand away, and continue praying. Then after a long time I would go through the same process again it happened three times during the night."

Author : unknown

by Stephane

25. THE DRESS

"Do you like my dress?" she asked of a passing stranger. "My mommy made it just for me." She said with a tear in her eye.

"Well, I think it's very pretty, so tell me little one, why are you crying?"

With a quiver in her voice the little girl answered."After Mommy made me this dress, she had to go away."

"Well, now," said the lady, "with a little girl like you waiting for her,I'm sure she'll be right back."

"No ma'am, you don't understand," said the child through her tears, "my Daddy said that she's up in heaven now with Grandfather."

Finally the woman realized what the child meant, and why she was crying. Kneeling down she gently cradled the child in her arms and together they cried for the mommy that was gone.

















Tears

by Maribel

Then suddenly the little girl did something that the woman thought was a bit strange. She stopped crying, stepped back from the woman and began to sing. She sang so softly that it was almost a whisper. It was the sweetest sound the woman had ever heard, almost like the song of a very small bird.

After the child stopped singing she explained to the lady, "My mommy used to sing that song to me before she went away, and she made me promise to sing it whenever I started crying and it would make me stop."

"See," she exclaimed, "it did, and now my eyes are dry!"

As the woman turned to go, the little girl grabbed her sleeve, "Lady, can you stay just a minute? I want to show you something."

"Of course," she answered, "what do you want me to see?"

Pointing to a spot on her dress, she said, "Right here is where my Mommy kissed my dress, and here," pointing to another spot, "and here is another kiss, and here, and here. Mommy said that she put all those kisses on my dress so that I would have her kisses for every boo-boo that made me cry."

Then the lady realized that she wasn't just looking at a dress, no, she was looking at a Mother... Who knew that she was going away and would not be there to kiss away the hurts that she knew her daughter would get.

So she took all the love she had for her beautiful little girl and put them into this dress, that her child now so proudly wore.

She no longer saw a little girl in a simple dress. She saw a child wrapped...in her Mother's love.

24. The Most Important Body Part

My mother used to ask me, "What is the most important part of the body?"
Through the years, I would take a guess at what I thought was the correct answer.




Mother and Child
by Robby
(Coffee Monster)










When I was younger, I thought sound was very important to us as humans, so I said, "My ears, Mommy.” She said, "No, many people are deaf, but you keep thinking about it and I will ask you again soon."
Several years passed before she asked me again. Since making my first attempt, I had contemplated the correct answer, so this time I told her, “Mommy, sight is very important to everybody, so it must be our eyes. She looked at me and told me, "You are learning fast, but the answer is not correct because there are many people who are blind."
Stumped again, I continued my quest for knowledge. Over the years, Mother asked me a couple more times and always her answer was, "No, but you are getting smarter every year, my child."
Then last year, my grandpa died. Everybody was hurt. Everybody was crying. Even my father cried. I remember that especially because it was only the second time I saw him cry.
My Mom looked at me when it was our turn to say our final good-bye to Grandpa. She asked me, "Do you know the most important body part yet, my dear?"
I was shocked when she asked me this now. I always thought this was a game between her and me. She saw the confusion on my face and told me, "This question is very important. It shows that you have really lived in your life.
For every body part you gave me in the past, I have told you were wrong and I have given you an example why. But today is the day you need to learn this important lesson."
She looked down at me as only a mother can. I saw her eyes well up with tears. She said, "My dear, the most important body part is your shoulder."
I asked, "Is it because it holds up my head?" She replied, "No, it is because it can hold the head of a friend or a loved one when they cry.
Everybody needs a shoulder to cry on sometime in life, my dear. I only hope that you have enough love and friends that you will always have a shoulder to cry on when you need it."
Then and there I knew the most important body part is not a selfish one. It is sympathetic to the pain of others. People will forget what you said... People will forget what you did.... But people will NEVER forget how you made them feel.
True or not, the story makes you stop and think. Be blessed. Be a blessing. Get your shoulder ready..

23. HOW MUCH DOES IT COST, CHILD?

In a small village not far from the town, lived a poor woman with her four year old son, Tommy. Every day Tommy helped his mother by sweeping the house, washing the dishes, getting the water from the well for their tea. His mother taught him how to make his bed in the morning, and sometimes he prepared the breakfast for himself and his mother.When Tommy was six, his mother decided he should go to school and this really gave Tommy great joy but he didn't like leaving his mother alone; but his mother encouraged him to go to school so that he could learn more.So every morning before Tommy left for school, he did everything like he used to do. This made Tommy late sometimes but it didn't worry him because he loved his mother very much.One day, one of Tommy's best friends asked him why he used to come to school late. Tommy told him he had to help his mother to clean the house and pick up the rubbish before he left. Tommy's friend laughed and said, "Your mother is treating you like a servant, she should do all those work by herself and let you come to school so that you won't be late every day. If I were you, I would ask her to pay you for all the work that you had done."Tommy thought that all his friend said was right, so all the way home from school, he was wondering how to let his mother know what he wanted. Finally, an idea came.Next morning, Tommy woke early, prepared himself and went off without anything to eat, and without doing any work like he used to do; before he left, he put a letter on the table. Mother woke up and found out that there was a big difference in the house - nothing was done, not even his bed, the rubbish was still there, no breakfast etc: She came in the kitchen and saw an envelope on the table, so she sat down and started to read what was written.Dear Mom,I realize now that you are treating me like a servant, not as your real son, so I would like you to pay for all the work I have done.
For making my bed every morning
$4.00
Sweeping the floor
$2.00
Picking up the rubbish
$4.00
Getting water from the well
$3.00
Preparing breakfast
$2.00
The total is
$15.00
I want this money when I come home.
Your son TommyHis mother could hardly see anything, her eyes were full of tears and her heart was heavy. After school, Tommy came quickly home, he felt happy that his mother could give what he wanted. When he arrived, he opened the back door quietly and went in, he was very happy when he saw a white envelope on the table; he took it and went inside his room and started to read.My dear son,I accepted with much love and joy what you have asked for, but before I give you the money, I would like to tell you how much I love you.
I carried you in my womb for nine months
no charge
Washed and clothed you
no charge
Fed you
no charge
Cared and watched over you nights and days when you were sick
no charge
Took you to school
no charge
So when I add them all up the full cost of my love is
no charge
At that moment, the door opened and mother came in to give the money to Tommy, but Tommy was crying and trying to say something.His mother said, "My dear son, are you not satisfied with the money I am giving you? I am really sorry, you know I am very poor so that's all I could afford."Tommy came and knelt in front of his mother and told her that he was sorry, and he had been influenced by his friend. So starting from that time, Tommy and his mother once again lived happily together.

22. The Frogs

A farmer came into town and asked the owner of a restaurant if he could use a million frog legs. The restaurant owner was shocked and asked the man where he could get so many frog legs!The farmer replied, "There is a pond near my house that is full of frogs – millions of them. They all croak all night long and they are about to make me crazy!" So the restaurant Owner and the farmer made an agreement that the farmer would deliver frogs to the restaurant, five hundred at a time for the next several weeks.The first week, the farmer returned to the restaurant looking rather sheepish, with two scrawny little frogs. The restaurant owner said, "Well... where are all the frogs?" The farmer said, "I was mistaken. There were only these two frogs in the pond. But they sure were making a lot of noise!"Next time you hear somebody criticizing or making fun of you, remember, it's probably just a couple of noisy frogs. Also remember that problems always seem bigger in the dark. Have you ever laid in your bed at night worrying about things which seem almost overwhelming like a million frogs croaking? Chances are pretty good that when the morning comes, and you take a closer look, you'll wonder what all the fuss was about.

21. The Pear Tree

There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly. Therefore, he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away. The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in the fall. When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen. The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted. The second son said no--it was covered with green buds and full of promise. The third son disagreed, he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet, and looked so beautiful, and it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen. The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment. The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but ONLY one season in the tree's life. He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of whom they are--and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life--can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.

Seasonscape by alexiuss

If you give up when it is winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, and fulfillment of your fall. Do not let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest. Do not judge life by one difficult season. Persevere through the difficult patches and better times are sure to come some time or later.

20. THERE WAS A RICH MERCHANT WHO HAD 4 WIVES.

He loved the 4th wife the most. He adorned her with rich robes and treated her to delicacies. He took great care of her & gave her nothing but the best.

He also loved the 3rd wife very much. He's very proud of her and always wanted to show her off to his friends. However, the merchant is always in great fear that she might run away with some other men!!

He too, loved his 2nd wife. She is a very considerate person, always patient and in fact is the merchant's confidante. Whenever the merchant faced some problems, he always turned to his 2nd wife and she would always help him out and tide him through difficult times.

Now, the merchant's 1st wife is a very loyal partner and has made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and business as well as taking care of the household. However, the merchant did not love the first wife and although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her.

One day, the merchant fell ill. Before long, he knew that he was going to die soon. He thought of his luxurious life and told himself, "Now I have 4 wives with me. But when I die, I'll be alone. How lonely I'll be!"

Thus, he asked the 4th wife, "I loved you most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep my company? "No way!" replied the 4th wife and she walked away without another word. The answer cut like a sharp knife right into the merchant's heart.

The sad merchant then asked the 3rd wife, "I have loved you so much for all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No!" replied the 3rd wife. "Life is so good over here! I'm going to remarry when you die!" The merchant's heart sank and turned cold.

He then asked the 2nd wife, "I always turned to you for help and you've always helped me out. Now I need your help again. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?" "I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!" replied the 2nd wife. "At the very most, I can only send you to your grave." The answer came like a bolt of thunder and the merchant was devastated.

Then a voice called out: “ I'll leave with you. I'll follow you no matter where you go!!" The merchant looked up and there was his first wife. She was so skinny, almost like she suffered from malnutrition. Greatly grieved, the merchant said, "I should have taken much better care of you while I could have!"


Actually, we all have 4 wives in our lives...

The 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it'll leave us when we die.

Our 3rd wife is our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, they all go to others.

The 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how close they had been there for us when we're alive, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave.

The 1st wife is in fact our soul. Often neglected in our pursuit of material wealth and sensual pleasure. It is actually the only thing that follows us wherever we go.
Perhaps it's a good idea to cultivate and strengthen it now rather than to wait until we're on our deathbed to lament.

Think about it.................
(O mankind, Keep your duty to your Lord and fear a Day when the parent will not be able to avail the child in aught, nor the child to avail the parent.
Allah's promise is the very truth.
Let not the life of the world beguile you, nor let the deceiver beguile you, in regard to Allah)
(Meanings from Surat Luqmaan Ayah: 33)

19. THE FARMER’S DAUGHTER

Many years ago in a small Indian village, a farmer had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to a village moneylender.

The moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the farmer's beautiful daughter. So he proposed a bargain.


Daughters of India
by kenglye











He said he would forgo the farmer's debt if he could marry his daughter. Both the farmer and his daughter were horrified by the proposal. So the cunning money-lender suggested that they let providence decide the matter. He told them that he would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty money bag.

Then the girl would have to pick one pebble from the bag.

1) If she picked the black pebble, she would become his wife and her father's debt would be forgiven.
2) If she picked the white pebble she need not marry him and her father's debt would still be forgiven.
3) But if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into jail.

They were standing on a pebble strewn path in the farmer's field. As they talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. As he picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two black pebbles and put them into the bag. He then asked the girl to pick a pebble from the bag.

Now, imagine that you were standing in the field. What would you have done if you were the girl? If you had to advise her, what would you have told her?

Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:

1. The girl should refuse to take a pebble.
2. The girl should show that there were two black pebbles in the bag and expose the money-lender as a cheat.
3. The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order to save her father from his debt and imprisonment.

The above story is used with the hope that it will make us appreciate the difference between lateral and logical thinking. The girl's dilemma cannot be solved with traditional logical thinking. Think of the consequences if she chooses the above logical answers.
Well, here is what she did ....

The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a pebble. Without looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles.

"Oh, how clumsy of me," she said. "But never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked."

Since the remaining pebble is black, it must be assumed that she had picked the white one. And since the money-lender dared not admit his dishonesty, the girl changed what seemed an impossible situation into an extremely advantageous one.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Most complex problems do have a solution. It is only that we don't attempt to think

18. The Proud Red Rose

One beautiful spring day a red rose blossomed in a forest. Many kinds of trees and plants grew there.

As the rose looked around, a pine tree nearby said, "What a beautiful flower. I wish I was that lovely." Another tree said, "Dear pine, do not be sad, we can not have everything."

The rose turned its head and remarked, "It seems that I am the most beautiful plant in this forest." A sunflower raised its yellow head and asked, "Why do you say that? In this forest there are many beautiful plants. You are just one of them." The red rose replied, "I see everyone looking at me and admiring me."

Then the rose looked at a cactus and said, "Look at that ugly plant full of thorns!" The pine tree said, "Red rose, what kind of talk is this? Who can say what beauty is? You have thorns too."
The proud red rose looked angrily at the pine and said, "I thought you had good taste! You do not know what beauty is at all. You can not compare my thorns to that of the cactus."
"What a proud flower", thought the trees.

The rose tried to move its roots away from the cactus, but it could not move. As the days passed, the red rose would look at the cactus and say insulting things, like: This plant is useless? How sorry I am to be his neighbor."

The cactus never got upset and he even tried to advise the rose, saying, "God did not create any form of life without a purpose."

Spring passed, and the weather became very warm. Life became difficult in the forest, as the plants and animals needed water and no rain fell. The red rose began to wilt. One day the rose saw sparrows stick their beaks into the cactus and then fly away, refreshed.

This was puzzling, and the red rose asked the pine tree what the birds were doing. The pine tree explained that the birds got water from the cactus. "Does it not hurt when they make holes?" asked the rose.

"Yes, but the cactus does not like to see any birds suffer," replied the pine.

The rose opened its eyes in wonder and said, "The cactus has water?"

"Yes you can also drink from it. The sparrow can bring water to you if you ask the cactus for help."

The red rose felt too ashamed of its past words and behavior to ask for water from the cactus, but then it finally did ask the cactus for help. The cactus kindly agreed and the birds filled their beaks with water and watered the rose's roots. Thus the rose learned a lesson and never judged anyone by their appearance again.

(by nisrin mannan)

17. Poison Your Mother-in-Law...

A long time ago in China, a girl named Li-Li got married and went to live with her husband and mother-in-law.




HUIZHOU Bride
by qianyu




















In a very short time, Li-Li found that she couldn't get along with her mother-in-law at all.
Their personalities were very different, and Li-Li was angered by many of her mother-in-law's habits. In addition, she criticised Li-Li constantly.
Days passed days, and weeks passed weeks. Li-Li and her mother-in-law never stopped arguing and fighting. But what made the situation even worse was that, according to ancient Chinese tradition, Li-Li had to bow to her mother-in-law and obey her every wish.
All the anger and unhappiness in the house was causing Li-Li's poor husband great distress.
Finally, Li-Li could not stand her mother-in-law's bad temper and dictatorship any longer, and she decided to do something about it.
Li-Li went to see her father's good friend, Mr. Huang, who sold herbs. She told him the situation and asked if he would give her some poison so that she could solve the problem once and for all. Mr. Huang thought for a while, and finally said, Li-Li, I will help you solve your problem, but you must listen to me and obey what I tell you. Li-Li said, "Yes, Mr. Huang, I will do whatever you tell me to do."




Chinese wiseman
by Vanxee














Mr.Huang went into the back room, and returned in a few minutes with a package of herbs.
He told Li-Li, "You can't use a quick-acting poison to get rid of your mother-in-law, because that would cause people to become suspicious. Therefore, I have given you a number of herbs that will slowly build up poison in her body.
Every other day prepare some delicious meal and put a little of these herbs in her serving. Now, in order to make sure that nobody suspects you when she dies, you must be very careful to act very friendly towards her. Don't argue with her, obey her every wish, and treat her like a queen."
Li-Li was so happy. She thanked Mr. Huang and hurried home to start her plot of murdering her mother-in-law.
Weeks went by, and months went by, and every other day, Li-Li served the specially treated food to her mother-in-law. She remembered what Mr.Huang had said about avoiding suspicion, so she controlled her temper, obeyed her mother-in-law, and treated her like her own mother. After six months had passed, the whole household had changed.
Li-Li had practiced controlling her temper so much that she found that she almost never got mad or upset. She hadn't had an argument with her mother-in-law in six months because she now seemed much kinder and easier to get along with.
The mother-in-law's attitude toward Li-Li changed, and she began to love Li-Li like her own daughter. She kept telling friends and relatives that Li-Li was the best daughter-in-law one could ever find. Li-Li and her mother-in-law were now treating each other like a real mother and daughter.
Li-Li's husband was very happy to see what was happening.
One day, Li-Li came to see Mr. Huang and asked for his help again. She said, "Dear Mr. Huang, please help me to keep the poison from killing my mother-in-law! She's changed into such a nice woman, and I love her like my own mother. I do not want her to die because of the poison I gave her."
Mr. Huang smiled and nodded his head. "Li-Li, there's nothing to worry about. I never gave you any poison. The herbs I gave you were vitamins to improve her health. The only poison was in your mind and your attitude toward her, but that has been all washed away by the love which you gave to her."


Winds in high herbs
~Dream









Winds in high herbs
~Harmony









Winds in high herbs
~Peace








by Rose des Vents (Szellorozsa)
Chinese symbols inspired from the art of Chinese artist Xiaoqian Li-Columeau

I heard whispering voices across the gentle wind ...
Giving me pieces of a long lost truth
Images in my head of an eternal time
Dream... Peace... Harmony...

16. ~ True Love ~

It was a busy morning, approximately 8:30 am, when an elderly gentleman, in his 80's, presented to have sutures (stitches) removed from his thumb.He stated that he was in a hurry, as he had an appointment at 9:00 am. I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound. On exam it was well healed. So, I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures, and redress his wound. While taking care of his wound, we began to engage in conversation. I asked him if he had a doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. I, then, inquired as to her health. He told me that she had been there for awhile and that she was a victim of Alzheimer Disease. As we talked and I finished dressing his wound, I asked if she would be worried if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now. I was surprised and asked him, "And you still going every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?" He smiled, as he patted my hand, and said, "She doesn't know me. But, I still know who she is." I had to hold back tears, as he left. I had goose bumps on my arm and thought, "That is the kind of love I want in my life." True love is neither physical or romantic.

True love is an acceptance of all that is,has been, will be, and will not be.

15. Good To The Last Drop

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.
Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil without saying a word. In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.
Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what do you see?" "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied. She brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they had gotten soft. She then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma, and then asked, "What's the point, Mother?"
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity- boiling water - but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water they had changed the water.
"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?"

Think of this: Which am I?
a.. Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity, do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

b.. Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart?

c.. Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor.
If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hours are the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate to another level? How do you handle adversity?

"Invite all to the way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; And consult with them in ways that are best and most gracious."

(Al Qur'an, 16:125)

14. NIGHT WATCH

A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside. "Your son is here," she said to the old man.
She had to repeat the words several times before the patient's eyes opened. Heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack, he dimly saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside the oxygen tent. He reached out his hand.
The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old man's limp ones, squeezing a message of love and encouragement. The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the bed.
All through the night the young Marine sat there in the poorly lighted ward, holding the old man's hand and offering him words of love and strength.
Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest awhile. He refused. Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the Marine was oblivious of her and of the night noises of the hospital - the clanking of the oxygen tank, the laughter of the night staff members exchanging greetings, the cries and moans of the other patients. Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words. The dying man said nothing, only held tightly to his son all through the night.
Along towards dawn, the old man died. The Marine released the now lifeless hand he had been holding and went to tell the nurse. While she did what she had to do, he waited. Finally, she returned. She started to offer words of sympathy, but the Marine interrupted her. "Who was that man?" he asked. The nurse was startled; "He was your father" she answered. “No, he wasn't," the Marine replied. "I never saw him before in my life." "Then why didn't you say something when I took you to him?" "I knew right away there had been a mistake, but I also knew he needed his son, and his son just wasn't here. When I realized that he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, I knew how much he needed me. I stayed."

The next time someone needs you...be there. Stay. You’ll be glad you did.

Asad Mahmood

13. SCARS

Some years ago on a hot summer day in south Florida, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house.
In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went. He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward him.

His mother, in the house, was looking out the window and saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, she ran toward the water, yelling to her son as loudly as she could. Hearing her voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his mother. It was too late.

Just as he reached her, the alligator reached him. From the dock, the mother grabbed her little boy by the arms just as the Alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the mother, but the mother was much too passionate to let go. A farmer happened to drive by, heard her screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator.

Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal, and on his arms,were deep scratches where his mother's fingernails dug into his flesh in her effort to hang on to the son she loved. The newspaper reporter who interviewed the boy after the trauma asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, "But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my Mom wouldn't let go."

You and I can identify with that little boy. We have scars, too. No, not from an alligator, or anything quite so dramatic, but the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret. But some wounds, my friend, are because Allah has refused to let go. In the midst of your struggle, He's been there holding on to you.

Islam teaches us that Allah loves us. He wants to protect us and provide for us in every way. But sometimes we foolishly wade into dangerous situations. The swimming hole of life is filled with peril and we forget that the enemy(Satan) is waiting to attack. That's when the tug-of-war begins, and if we have the scars of His love on our arms, be very, very grateful. He did not and will not let us go.

Allah has blessed you, so that you can be a blessing to others. You just never know where a person is in his/her life and what they are going through. That is why it is so important that we make duaa for each other and hope for the best for each other.

12. Have you sharpen your axe?

Once upon a time, there was a very strong woodcutter. He asked for a job from a timber merchant, and he got it.The pay was really good and so were the work conditions.For that reason, the woodcutter was determined to do his best. His boss gave him an axe and showed him the area where he was supposed to work. The first day, the woodcutter brought down 18 trees. The Boss was very much impressed and said, "Congratulations, Go on that way!" Very motivated by the words of the boss, the woodcutter tried harder the next day, but he only could bring down 15 trees. The third day he tried even harder, but he only could bring down 10 trees. Day after day he was bringing down less and less trees. "I must be losing my strength", the woodcutter thought to himself.He went to the boss and apologized, saying that he could not understand what was going on. "When was the last time you sharpened your! axe?" the boss asked. "Sharpen? I had no time to sharpen my! axe. I have been very busy trying to cut trees.

The moral of the story:
Our lives are like that. We sometimes get so busy that we don't take time to sharpen the axe. In today's world, it seems that everyone is busier than ever, but less happy than ever. Why is that? Could it be that we have forgotten how to stay sharp?There's nothing wrong with activity and hard work. But we should not get so busy that we neglect the truly important things in life, like our personal life, taking time to care for others, taking time to read etc.We all need time to relax, to think and meditate, to learn and grow. If we don't take time to sharpen the axe, we will become dull and lose our effectiveness. So start from today, think about the ways by which you could do your job more effectively and add a lot of value to it. Hope this story has given you some insight to life, may you be happy always!

"To handle yourself, use your head. To handle others, use your heart".

11. RAIN

To my friends!
She had been shopping with her Mom in Wal-Mart. She must have been 6 years old, this beautiful red haired, freckle faced image of innocence.
It was pouring outside. The kind of rain that gushes over the top of rain gutters, so much in a hurry to hit the earth it has no time to flow down the spout. We all stood there under the awning and just inside the door of the Wal-Mart. We waited, some patiently, others irritated because nature messed up their hurried day.
I am always mesmerized by rainfall. I got lost in the sound and sight of the heavens washing away the dirt and dust of the world. Memories welcome reprieve from the worries of my day.
Her voice was as sweet as it broke the hypnotic trance we were all caught in. "Mom, let's run through the rain," she said.
"What?" Mom asked.
"Let's run through the rain!" She repeated. “No honey. We'll wait until it slows down a bit," Mom replied.
This young child waited about another minute and repeated:” Mom, let's run through the rain."
"We'll get soaked if we do," Mom said.
"No, we won't, Mom. That's not what you said this morning," the young girl said as she tugged at her Mom's arm. "This morning? When did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet?
"Don't you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said, 'If God can get us through this, he can get us through anything!'"

The entire crowd stopped dead silent. I swear you couldn't hear anything but the rain. We all stood silently. No one came or left in the next few minutes.

Mom paused and thought for a moment about what she would say. Now some would laugh it off and scold her for being silly.

Some might even ignore what was said. But this was a moment of affirmation in a young child's life.

A time when innocent trust can be nurtured so that it will bloom into faith.

"Honey, you are absolutely right. Let's run through the rain. If GOD let's us get wet, well maybe we just needed washing," Mom said.

Then off they ran. We all stood watching, smiling and laughing as they darted past the cars and yes, through the puddles. They held their shopping bags over their heads just in case. They got soaked. But they were followed by a few who screamed and laughed like children all the way to their cars.

And yes, I did. I ran. I got wet. I needed washing. Circumstances or people can take away your material possessions, they can take away your money, and they can take away your health. But no one can ever take away your precious memories...

So, don't forget to make time and take the opportunities to make memories everyday. To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven.

A friend sent this to me to remind me of life. Hope you enjoy it.

I HOPE YOU STILL TAKE THE TIME TO RUN THROUGH THE RAIN

Take the time to live!!! Keep in touch with your friends; you never know when you'll need each other.

10. [FRIENDS FOR ALLAH] OUR CHILDREN

This is the story of a Muslim named Mo.
It’s a symbolic story that many of us may know.

He was born in a Muslim family but they were weak in the Deen.
He was a lovely child, he was more precious then anything you've seen.

He grew up so quick; it was just a flash before his parents’ eyes.
They didn't get to teach him about Islam. You know how the time just flies.

Before they knew it, they were sending him off to school.
They were so happy; he shined like a precious little jewel.

He was taught that he was a Muslim, but that's about all he knew.
He wanted to know more but his dad had way too many things to do.

He had cute little cheeks; they turned rosy as he got tired.
He was a handsome little guy, he was always admired.

But with his parents so busy, he never got to learn about Allah.
The days passed by and his parents never taught him how to do Salah.

Some more years passed by, and by now his voice began to change.
He felt new emotions, and he liked them, even though they felt strange.

His dad finally took him one day to some Islamic Sunday school.
But he had already learned from his friends that religion just wasn't cool.

Time past by and the little man grew older.
With the passage of time his temper became bolder.

His mother was getting worried, he was found to be ditching school.
But she didn't say anything, or else his temper would flare up like fuel.

He would go to parties and come home all drunk.
And in some of his classes he was now beginning to flunk.

Her cute little rosy cheeked child had become a wild young man.
She cried every night because teaching him Islam was never in her plan.

He met a pretty girl named Rose; he thought he loved her for sure.
She noticed how he felt, so she asked him to go out with her.

He thought it was love at first sight; she kissed him on the first date.
But she just wanted to sleep with him, yet to that he had no debate.

He would go out all night with her, sometimes without even saying good-bye.
"Why didn't I show him the deen?" His father could only cry.

He kept on partying while his family kept on weeping.
And he met other girls, and with them too he was also sleeping.

He started to look sick, and he wasn't really feeling so good.
His mother just had to cry, he didn't look like the way he should.

He went to the doctor for what he thought was a cold.
"Young man, you've got AIDS," is what he was told.

When his mom found out she just couldn't take the pain.
For not teaching him his Deen, she knew she was to blame.

Mo got sicker and you could see him getting weaker day by day.
And he didn't know Allah, so to Him he never prayed.

What could she do now for her once precious little guy?
She knew he needed the Deen, but now she could only cry.

His time came one day so the Angel came for his spirit.
His dad told him to say la ilaha illalah, but Mo didn't hear it.

"What's that dad? I can't seem to hear you, everything's going dull."
But before Mo ever heard it, the Angel was off with his soul.

His father fell to his knees and cried like he never did before.
He knew he should have taught him the deen, so he felt guilty to the core.

This is the story of little Mo. Lets not let it be the story of our kid's situation.
So please, my dear brothers and sisters, take this deen to the next generation!

By: Masood

9. DID YOU GET A BILL FROM ALLAH?

A man reached 70 years of age and he faced a disease, he could not urinate. The doctors told him that he needs an operation to cure this disease. He agreed to do the operation as the problem was giving him much pain for days. When the operation was completed, his doctor gave him the bill which covered all the costs. The old man looked at the bill and started to cry. Upon seeing this, the doctor told him that if the cost is too high then they could make some other arrangements. The old man said "I am not crying because of the money but I am crying because Allah let me urinate for 70 years and He never sent me a bill."

Subhanallah! We rarely thank Allah for these things which are indeed great favours. We ask Allah to grant us the quality of being able to thank Him much and remember Him always.

8. GOD EXISTS

A man went to barber shop 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 and 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 barber shop 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 barber shop 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 me". "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."

O Allah, set aright our religious life which is a safeguard in all our affairs, set aright our wordly life which is a source of our maitenance, set aright our life of the hereafter unto which we are bound to return; and make our life a source of earning more and more good and make our death a refuge against all troubles.