Parable no. 13

A king fell sick A king would do justice to his subjects, dealt with their problems, and resolved their issues. Due to his habit of doing justice, all the subjects were contented. One night the king suddenly fell sick. His medical treatment was started; however, the sickness rose day by day to such an extent that hope of his survival faded. News spread all through the country. Upon hearing about his sickness, all the subjects made Du’a for his health. By virtue of Du’a made by the subjects, the king recovered quickly. Justice Dear children! The religion Islam teaches us about doing justice and adopting the balanced way, and it has different conditions. For example, one condition is that a person should perform such acts which Allah Almighty has allowed to perform. Likewise, if someone holds a big post, he should not do injustice to his colleagues and subordinates. The Holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم stated, ‘A day of justice is better than 60 years of worship.’ (Mu’jam-e-kabeer, vol. 11, p. 267, Hadith 11932) The best method of developing this good habit!! Make this mindset that our Sayyiduna Amir-ul-Mumineen Farooq-e-A’zam رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ was an upright person. Make this intention that we will do justice. اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه

Parable no. 13

A king fell sick A king would do justice to his subjects, dealt with their problems, and resolved their issues. Due to his habit of doing justice, all the subjects were contented. One night the king suddenly fell sick. His medical treatment was started; however, the sickness rose day by day to such an extent that hope of his survival faded. News spread all through the country. Upon hearing about his sickness, all the subjects made Du’a for his health. By virtue of Du’a made by the subjects, the king recovered quickly. Justice Dear children! The religion Islam teaches us about doing justice and adopting the balanced way, and it has different conditions. For example, one condition is that a person should perform such acts which Allah Almighty has allowed to perform. Likewise, if someone holds a big post, he should not do injustice to his colleagues and subordinates. The Holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم stated, ‘A day of justice is better than 60 years of worship.’ (Mu’jam-e-kabeer, vol. 11, p. 267, Hadith 11932) The best method of developing this good habit!! Make this mindset that our Sayyiduna Amir-ul-Mumineen Farooq-e-A’zam رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ was an upright person. Make this intention that we will do justice. اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه

Parable no. 14

Aftermath of breach of trust My father brought a box of mithai at home and forbade everyone to eat from it as it was Amanah of someone. The youngest boy was still adamant that he would eat from it. When everyone was going to asleep, he started eating mithai from the box. In the morning, he was feeling severe pain in his stomach. So, he told the whole truth to his father. Then the father educated him and told him, ‘I forbade you. You have caused a breach of trust. You are probably getting punishment for it.’ Breach (to use an entrusted thing without permission) Dear children! To use someone’s thing without his permission is called a breach of trust. For example, someone says to you, ‘Hold my candy. I take it shortly.’ But you have eaten it. So, this is a breach of trust. The Holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, ‘There are three signs of a hypocrite [Munafiq]: 1. Whenever he speaks, he tells a lie; 2. Whenever he promises, he always breaks it; and 3. He is trusted, he breaches his trust. (Muslim, Kitab-ul-imaan, p. 53, Hadith 211-214)) The method of refraining from this evil!! Make this mindset that if people come to know about the breach of a betrayer, it causes notoriety a lot. Make this intention that we will not cause a breach of trust.اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه

Parable no. 15

I didn’t have the courage to raise my head due to modesty A Madrasah teacher said to a student, ‘Son, fetch such-and-such book from the top rack.’ The student asked the teacher, ‘Teacher! Where is that rack?’ The teacher said shockingly, ‘You have been learning in this Madrasah for a long time, and you don’t know where the rack is.’ The student said humbly, ‘Teacher! I didn’t have the courage to raise my head in your presence. So, I never saw that rack.’ Modesty Dear children! To prevent oneself from a particular thing due to the fear of condemnation is called modesty. A person usually gets scared, because the people will condemn him. However, the greatest modesty is that a person gets shy with Allah Almighty. The Holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has stated, ‘Modesty is part of Iman, and Iman is an act that leads to Jannah.’ (Tirmizi, vol. 3, p. 406, Hadith 2016) The best method of developing this good habit!! Make this mindset that our Amir-ul-Mumineen Sayyiduna Usman Ghani رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ was a very modest person. Make this intention that we will also show modesty. اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه

Parable no. 16

The lion has come, the lion has come A boy had a habit that he would go up the hill and call the villagers while crying out, ‘The lion has come, the lion has come.’ The villagers would always come with the sticks and weapons to his aid who called out for help. Whenever they arrived, they would not find any lion nearby. After it happened many times, the villagers were fed up of his habit, and they stopped trusting in him. The boy did not give up but continued to make mischief in that way. One day when he went up the hill, the lion really showed up. The boy let out a hue and cry, ‘The lion has come, the lion has come.’ However, no one trusted in him, and they did not come to his aid. Therefore, the lion ate him. Lying Dear children! Lying is a cause of destruction in the world as well as in the hereafter. Truth brings about deliverance in both the worlds. The Holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has said, ‘Surely, truth guides towards righteousness, and righteousness guides towards Jannat, and a man keeps telling the truth to such an extent that he becomes Siddeeq [truthful].’ (Bukhari, vol. 4, p. 125, Hadith 6094) The method of refraining from this evil!! Make this mindset that Satan is a liar and the one who calls towards a lie. Make this intention that we will not commit any Satanic activity. War against a lie will continue. اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه

Parable no. 17

A glass of water Two students would study in a class. One would find fault with everything and make unfair guesses about the people. While the other one would find a positive aspect in everything. The former would have something in his heart and something else in his tongue, whereas the latter would avoid such attitudes. Their teacher would notice a lot of things about them. One day the teacher asked for a glass of water, put it in front of the former student first, and asked, ‘What do you say about it?’ He said, ‘It’s a hot weather, and the servant has brought little water. Look! The glass is half empty.’ Then the teacher called the second student and said, ‘What do you say about this glass?’ He said, ‘This glass is half full, it can reduce raging thirst.’ Upon listening to this, the teacher explained it to the class, ‘Develop a habit of finding positive aspects.’ Protection of the heart (to be pure-hearted) Dear children! Allah Almighty has stated in Quran: اِلَّا مَنۡ اَتَی اللّٰہَ بِقَلۡبٍ سَلِیۡمٍ ﴿ؕ۸۹﴾ 'Except the one who wholeheartedly presented himself with a pure heart in the Majestic Court of Allah.' [Kanz-ul-Iman (translation of Quran)] (Part 19, Surah Al-Shu’araa, verse 89) The best method of developing this good habit!! Make this mindset that successful is the one who will present himself with a pure heart against Kufr, Shirk, and Nifaq on the Judgement Day. Evil heart is of Satan, and the heart that stays away from is a protected one. Make this intention that we will save ourselves from all these evils. اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه

Parable no. 18

The king’s intention A king once went on an excursion alone and lost his direction. He tried his best to look for a direction until the night fell. He came across a house, so he reached an agreement to spend a night in there. As he entered the house, a little girl in the house milked a cow in front of him. The king was really surprised to see that the cow produced the quantity of milk that was equivalent to (the milk quantity) many animals (could produce). After noticing it, he thought to himself that as he reached (his palace), he would take that cow from them. As the morning dawned, he saw that the cow gave quite insufficient milk. He asked the little girl, ‘Why did it happen?’ The girl answered, ‘It seems that our king has made an intention to do injustice.’ Upon listening to this, the king reversed his intention. Oppression Dear children! To usurp someone’s right and do injustice with someone is oppression. Oppression has many forms, for example, to call someone’s name, to spread his faults among others, to usurp someone’s wealth, or to beat him, etc. The Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has stated, ‘If one mountain oppresses the other mountain, then the oppressor mountain will turn into dust.’ (Shu’ab-Al-Iman vol. 5, p. 291, Hadith 6693) The method of refraining from this evil!! Make this mindset that those who oppress and cause any trouble to others, are bad humans. Make this intention that we will become good Muslims and will not oppress. اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه

Parable no. 19

A bird got shot While a king was sitting beneath a tree, he heard a bird chirping. Upon hearing it, he shot an arrow at the bird. The arrow hit the bird, and the chirping bird fell to death. Upon this, the king said, ‘Protection of the tongue benefits both a human and a bird. If it had not chirped, it would have lived.’ (Al-Mustatraf, Al-Bab Al-Salas ’shr, vol. 1, p. 741) Protection of the tongue (appropriate use of the tongue) Dear children! Pointless conversation is that it doesn’t benefit someone regarding the religion and the world. For example, to ask unnecessarily, ‘How much did you pay for this toy?’, ‘When will the goat be slaughtered?’, ‘How much Eidi did you get?’, etc. Our tongue should remain busy in performing the acts that can please Allah Almighty, such as it should recite, do Zikr, recite Na’t, recite Durood and Salam, and deliver Bayan and Dars. The Holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has said, ‘Do not talk excessively without remembering Allah Almighty, because such excessive talk without the mention of Allah Almighty causes the heart to harden, and the people furthest from Allah Almighty are the people with a hard heart.’ (Tirmizi, vol. 4, p. 184, Hadith 2419) The best method of developing this good habit! Make this mindset that pointless conversation wastes the time. On the other hand, one gets a reward by remembering Allah Almighty. Make this intention that we will refrain from speaking pointlessly, but we will remember Allah Almighty. اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه اُذْکُرُوا اللہ!! اللہ،اللہ،اللہ،اللہ

Parable no. 20

Outcome of a bad habit A boy would call names every time, use very vulgar language, fight in the playground, and speak ill of his friends. Whenever the people tried to make him understand, he would argue with them as well. At last, all his friends got angry with him and left playing with him. That way, the boy was alienated because of his vulgar language and inappropriate activities. Immodesty (to do vulgar talking) Dear children! It is our own loss in doing vulgar talking. The one who talks like this is sometimes beaten, his parents also get angry. The Holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has stated, ‘Indeed, Allah Almighty does not like an immodest person and the one who does vulgar talking.’ (Al-Adab Al-Mufrad, p. 123, Hadith 464) The method of refraining from this evil! Make this mindset that the people stay away from the one who does vulgar talking and that his friends turn into his enemies. Make this intention that we will not do obscene talking, but we will recite the hoy Quran. اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه .

Parable no. 21

A righteous merchant A righteous merchant was going to his home from the market. As he, on his way to home, stopped at a particular place for some work, he saw some poor workers eating their food under a tree. All at once, one of them said, ‘O brother! Come, eat with us.’ He dismounted his ride, sat with them, and said, ‘Surely, Allah Almighty does not like those who show arrogance.’ Then he started eating with them. After eating food, he said to them, ‘Where will you be in the evening?’ They said, ‘Here only.’ Upon listening to this, he left. When the evening fell, he came to them with many cars and said, ‘I accepted your feast, so you should also now accept my feast.’ Therefore, all the workers went to his house with him. He provided them with food, water, and lots of gifts and sent them back to their houses in the cars. Humility Dear children! To consider someone like you or better than you is humility. (Minhaj-ul-‘Aabideen, p. 81) Those who show humility will have high ranks, so we should also show humility. Sayyiduna Abu Sa’eed رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ narrated that the one who shows humility one level for Allah Almighty, then Allah Almighty will increase one level of his. (Ibn-e-Majah, vol. 4, p. 458, Hadith 4176) The best method of developing this good habit!! Showing humility is a Sunnah. Make this intention that we will show kindness and humility.اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه

Parable no. 22

End of a crow It became a routine of a crow that he would backbite amongst the animals of the forest. If he went to a rabbit, he would backbite a turtle; if he went to the turtle, he would backbite the rabbit. Likewise, if he went to a deer, he would backbite a peacock; if he went to the peacock, he would backbite the deer. Animals would not like that habit of his. When all animals got fed up of his habit, they went to the lion all together and complained to him about the crow. The lion said, ‘Unless I see this habit of the crow by myself, I cannot punish him.’ After some days, the crow came to the lion with a complaint against a bear. The lion understood his habit. Therefore, he announced harsh punishment to the crow, imprisoning him for 10 days. Due to that punishment, the crow reformed and the animals in the forest got safe from his bad habit. Backbiting Dear children! Backbiting diminishes Nooraniyat [luminescence] of Salah and fasting. The one who backbites a lot, his Du’a is not answered. The whole ocean would become smelly if backbiting were put into it. We should not unnecessarily mention to another person about any shortcoming or mistake of someone. Understand the example of backbiting from this Hadith When a person was mentioned in front of the Holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم in a way that someone said that he was very weak, the Holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, ‘You have backbitten him.’ (Musnad Abe Ya’la, Musnad Abe Hurayrah, vol. 5, p. 362, Hadith 6125) The method of refraining from this evil!! Make this mindset that if the one who you are backbiting comes to know about that you are backbiting him, he will be very displeased with you. For further information, please read the book, ‘Backbiting: A Cancer of Society’. Make this intention that war against backbiting will continue. We will not backbite nor will listen to it. اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه

Parable no. 23

A jealous one A wise man would come to the court of a king and said, ‘Do good to the righteous people, and the one who does bad, he will see its result soon.’ The king would respect him a lot and seek suggestions from him. The minister started to get jealous with him. One day the minister said to the king, ‘You respect such a man who backbites you that you have bad breath.’ The king said, ‘If he comes again, I will see.’ Next day the minister held a feast for the wise man. The minister fed him with garlics and onions, and sent him to the king. As the man came to the king putting his hand on his mouth due to bad breath, the king thought that the minister probably told the truth. The king wrote a letter, gave it to him, and said that it was his gift and that he should go and take it from such-and-such governor. The man went out of the palace. As the minister saw the letter in the wise man’s hand, the minister was driven by greed and said, ‘Give the letter to me.’ The wise man gave it to him. The minister went to the governor to claim the gift, but something else was written in the letter. Therefore, as the governor read the letter, he immediately killed the minister. (‘Uyoon-ul-Hikayat vol. 1, p. 299, Summarised) Jealousy Dear children! To wish that a religious or a worldly blessing bestowed on a person is taken away is called jealousy. (Al-Hadiqa-tul-Nadiyyah, vol. 1, p. 600) If Allah Almighty has given someone a blessing, we should remain happy with that and make this Du’a, ‘O Allah! If the blessing that You have given to him is better for us, give this blessing to us as well.’ The Holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has stated, ‘Jealousy devours good deeds just as fire consumes woods.’ (Abu Dawood, vol. 4, p. 360, Hadith 4903) The method of refraining from this evil!! Make this mindset that whatever someone has, Allah Almighty has bestowed it to him and that you are nobody to criticize the distribution of Allah Almighty. Make this intention that we will not get jealous upon seeing a person who has a blessing. اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه

Parable no. 24

A farmer fell sick In a village, all the people would live together, wake up early in the morning, perform Salah and start doing their work. Some would give fodder to animals and some would go to work in the field. Among them, there would also live a farmer who would envy his neighbour for nothing. Consequently, he would barely meet him, and he would not talk to him much. One day the farmer fell sick. Since he would not socialize much with his neighbourhood, the neighbour did not come to know that the farmer had fallen sick. However, later on, when the neighbour came to know about it, he immediately rushed at the farmer’s house and got him received medical treatment. On that day, the farmer realized that he should not have a hard corner in his heart for anyone. Envy (to have hatred in your heart) Dear children! It is not best to have hatred for a Muslim without any Shar’i reason. Sayyiduna Anas رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ stated that the Holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has said to me, ‘O my child! If you can do it that you should spend your day and night in a way that you don’t have envy in your heart for anyone, then you should do it.’ He added, ‘O my child, ‘This is my Sunnah, and the one who loved my Sunnah, he loved me; and the one who loved me, he will be with me in Jannat.’ (Tirmizi, vol. 4, p. 309, Hadith 7863) That is, you should also be free from envy for your brother regarding any worldly matter. The method of refraining from this evil!! Keep in mind that our Holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم did not have envy in his heart for any Muslim. Make this intention that we will not have envy for any Muslim either. اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه