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 There
was no timetable nor a room designated for PRAYERS in the School. The
School was 'secular', hence prayers were not supposed to be allowed.
After being interviewed and accepted by the school administration, the eager teaching prospect said in protest: "Let me see if I have got this right?"
You want me to go into that room with all those kids and fill their
every waking moment with a love for learning. And I'm supposed to
instill a sense of pride in their ethnicity, modify their disruptive
behavior, observe them for signs of abuse and even censor their T-shirt
messages and dress habits.
You want me to wage a war on drugs and sexually transmitted
diseases, check their backpacks for weapons of mass destruction, and
raise their self-esteem.
You want me to teach them firm belief in God, patriotism, good
citizenship, sportsmanship, and fair play, how and where to register to
vote, how to balance a checkbook, and how to apply for a job.
I am to check their heads for lice, maintain a safe environment,
recognize signs of antisocial behavior, offer advice, write letters of
recommendation for student employment and scholarships, and encourage
respect for their elders and future employers.
And I am to communicate regularly with the parents by letter, telephone, newsletter, and report card.
All of this I am to do with just a piece of chalk, a blackboard, a
few books, a bulletin board, and a big smile AND on a starting salary
that qualifies my family for food stamps!
You want me to do all of this, and you expect me NOT TO PRAY.
You expect me not to pray when Noble Qur'an says: "Nay, seek
(Allah's) help with patient perseverance and PRAYER: It is indeed hard,
except to those who bring a lowly spirit". (Surah Baqarah 2:45).
"O my Lord! Make me and my children among those who establish prayers". (Surah Ibrahim 14:40)
"Indeed it is the Prayers, which helps to refrain from indecent acts and evils". (Surah Ankabut 29:45)
You want me to do all of this and you expect me not to pray when SUCCESS of every one depends on Prayers. Noble Qur'an says that successful believers are: "...... those who are punctual in their prayers". (Surah Al-Mu'minun 23:9)
Dear sir, since I am sure that I will not be able to fulfill your
expectations, nor I will be successful in my career WITHOUT prayers, "I
resign willingly from the post".
The Administrator looked down for a while then suddenly declared:
"Young man, go ahead with your job. You have taught me a very important
lesson today: Without prayers and help from God, no work is a success.
We shall make special arrangements for prayers from today". |
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 Once
there was a group of men - a young hot-blooded, strong chap and a big
number of old folks, doing timber job (Wood cutting) in a jungle.
This young chap is very hard working. He always continues to work
through his break time and complains that those old folks were wasting
time, taking break few times a day to drink and chat.
The first day, the young woodcutter brought fifteen (15) trees.
"Congratulations," the boss said, "Carry on with your work!" Highly
motivated by the words of his boss, the woodcutter tried harder the
next day, but he only could bring ten (10) trees. The third day he
tried even harder, but he was only able to bring seven (7) trees. Day
after day he was bringing less and less trees.
As times goes by, this young chap noticed that even though he worked
through break time and hardly took a rest, those old folks are chopping
the same amount of trees as he did and sometimes did more than he did.
It was as if those old folks work through the break time as he did. So
he decided to work harder the next day, unfortunately the results were
even worse. "I must be losing my strength." The young woodcutter
thought.
One day, one of the old folk invited him for a drink during their
break time. That young chap refused and said he has no extra time to
spend! Then the old man smiled to him and said it was just a waste of
effort to keep chopping trees without re-sharpening your Axe. Sooner or
later you will give up or be so exhausted as you have spent too much
energy.
Suddenly the young chap realized that actually during break times
while those old folks were having a chat, they were also re-sharpening
their Axe at the same time! And that's how they can chop faster than
him and yet spending lesser time! The old folk said what we need is
efficiency by making use of our skill and ability intelligently. Only
then can we have more times to do other things.
Otherwise you will always keep saying ... I have no time!
Moral of the Story: By taking a short break during work, it would
make you feel fresher, think well and work better after the break! (Or
am I just finding excuse to take a break). But by taking a break, it is
not to stop work but to rest and re-think our strategy to go about it
from another angle. Also, most of us never update our skills. We think
that whatever we have learned is very much enough. But good is not good
when better is expected. Sharpening our skills from time to time is the
key to success. |
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 There
was once snake catcher who once went to the mountains. Due to the
winter cold and heavy snow, many very big snakes lay motionless, as if
they were dead.
The Snake Catcher picked up one of these seemingly lifeless snakes
and took it to Baghdad, with the purpose of using it for a show.
Showing it off, he made big claims as to how he had brilliantly
captured the snake.
However, when the sun began to shine and its warmth cloaked the
snake, the coldness in its body disappeared. The signs of life were
soon apparent and when the snake began to move, the Snake Catcher and
all those around, fled.
Moral of the Story: Our Nafs (self)
is like that Snake. With Tazkyia (purification), Mushaqqat (effort),
our Nafs becomes frozen. It appears to be dead. But give it a little
heat from the fire of sin and it will bite again. A little exposure to
some past sins and the Nafs swings back to life.
We should not think that we have killed our Nafs and thus become
unmindful. Yes, with some Mujahadah (striving), Suhbat (company) of the
Sheikh, Tilawat (recitation) of the Noble Qur'an, Dikrullah, following
Deen and Shariah and in building up that contact and love for Allah
Ta'ala and Rasulullah (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam), and the Nafs can be
frozen. However, a little taste of sin revives the evil Nafs. |
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 A
man with his donkey carrying two sacks of wheat was on his way to the
market. After a little while he was tired and they rested under a tree.
When he woke up from his nap he could not see the donkey and started
searching for the donkey everywhere. On the way he met a boy, he asked
the boy, "Have you seen my donkey?" The boy asked, "Is the donkey's
left eye blind, his right foot lame and is he carrying a load of
wheat?" The man was happy and said, "Yes, exactly! Where have you seen
it?" the boy answered "I haven't seen it." This made the man very angry
and he took the boy to the village chief for punishment.
The judge asked, "Dear boy, if you had not seen at the donkey, how
could you describe it?" The boy answered, "I saw the tracks of a donkey
and the right and left tracks were different from this I understood
that the donkey that passed there was limping. And the grass on the
right side of the road was eaten but the grass on the left was not.
From that I understood that his left eye was blind. There were wheat
seeds scattered on the ground and I understood that he must have been
carrying a load of wheat. The judge understood the boy's cleverness and
told the man to forgive the boy.
This story teaches us that we should not be quick to judge the people. |
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 Two
men were walking along one summer day. Soon it became too hot to go any
further and, seeing a large plane tree nearby, they threw themselves on
the ground to rest in its shade.
Gazing up into the branches one man said to the other: "What a useless
tree this is. It does not have fruit or nuts that we can eat and we
cannot even use its wood for anything."
"Don't be so ungrateful," rustled the tree in reply. "I am being
extremely useful to you at this very moment, shielding you from the hot
sun. And you call me a good-for-nothing!"
All of God's creations have a good purpose. Islam teaches us that we should never belittle Allah's |
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