تسنيم رجب
05/12/2009, 09:35 PM
I Learn From My Little Daughter… A lot!
Writer: Muna Al'amd.
Translation: Tasneem Rajab.
One day, my little daughter came to me, holding her open hands before me. She said with a pretty, hopeful smile on her face, "mama! Give me some almonds, please!" I smiled back at her & lovingly kissed her palms. She uttered a short joyful laugh & said, "Mama! I held my hands for you to fill them with almonds not to kiss them." I said, "First I kiss them. Then I fill them, my little darling!" I took her hands & walked to the cupboard. I didn’t want to turn her down, after that demonstration of love & affection she had made to me. I filled her hands with almonds. She leapt with joy, kissed me gratefully & ran away overjoyed. My heart so overflowed with affection & compassion for her that I wished to grant her everything she desired.
I stood there gazing at her & wondering how similar the case of my daughter & me with that of the creature & its Creator. Of course, Allah is divine. No one is to be likened to him but just see the wisdom about it. I wondered if a man asked & pleaded with Allah in exactly the same way my daughter did to me. If a man raised his hands to the sky, hoping & pleading; asking whole-heartily Allah to give him what he yearns for; will Allah turn him down? According to a Hadith, if every single man or jinn was given his every single wish, Allah's kingdom will not lack or fall short of anything. On the contrary, Allah is the only Owner & the only Provider. If we ask Him, He will provide us & if we thank Him, He will shower us with more blessings. Allah says, (If ye are grateful, I will add more (favours) unto you)
When my daughter thanked me saying, "I love you, mama!" I felt so humble that I wished I would rather have given her more. That's exactly what happens when a man thanks Allah & feels gratitude for Allah's blessings. Allah grants him more.
When one of my children asks for what he wants in an ill-mannered way, I feel angry with him. & though my love for him never wavers but I deprive him of what he wants, to teach him a lesson. But then I wonder, how very for-bearing & tolerant Allah is! He blesses people with their wishes while they disobey Him. Some people even deny His existence. Some worship other than Him. Some make enormous mistakes & others never feel the urge to say, "thank you Lord!" but Allah's blessings shower like rain & deny no one of life's pleasure & comfort.
Once, my little daughter asked me for something & pleaded in every possible way. She cried & begged but I refused to yield. Well! She wanted a knife! Her little immature mind couldn’t imagine what harm a knife might subject her to. It is my love for her that makes me firm & unyielding & so I didn't permit her to have want she begged for. After that, I tried to distract her thoughts from the knife, I showed her a doll & tried to persuade her that this little toy is far more beautiful & charming than the knife. In this way, diverting her interests to the more beneficial & less harmful thing.
That is so much similar to what Allah does to us, we ask Him for things that we think suit us but Allah knows that they will harm more than benefit. It is because of His love & affection that He deprives us of what we ask for. Allah says in the Quran, (But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you, and that ye love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knoweth, and ye know not.)
But Allah, on the other hand, never turns down His slave. He grants him another blessing or something else that would prove more beneficial than what he had asked for.
Therefore, it should be a clear belief that we should always be grateful to Allah because however our life turns, as long as we are praying, it shall turn to the best even if we can't see it.
Well, I hope now you perceive why I said,
"I learn a lot from my daughter…"
Writer: Muna Al'amd.
Translation: Tasneem Rajab.
One day, my little daughter came to me, holding her open hands before me. She said with a pretty, hopeful smile on her face, "mama! Give me some almonds, please!" I smiled back at her & lovingly kissed her palms. She uttered a short joyful laugh & said, "Mama! I held my hands for you to fill them with almonds not to kiss them." I said, "First I kiss them. Then I fill them, my little darling!" I took her hands & walked to the cupboard. I didn’t want to turn her down, after that demonstration of love & affection she had made to me. I filled her hands with almonds. She leapt with joy, kissed me gratefully & ran away overjoyed. My heart so overflowed with affection & compassion for her that I wished to grant her everything she desired.
I stood there gazing at her & wondering how similar the case of my daughter & me with that of the creature & its Creator. Of course, Allah is divine. No one is to be likened to him but just see the wisdom about it. I wondered if a man asked & pleaded with Allah in exactly the same way my daughter did to me. If a man raised his hands to the sky, hoping & pleading; asking whole-heartily Allah to give him what he yearns for; will Allah turn him down? According to a Hadith, if every single man or jinn was given his every single wish, Allah's kingdom will not lack or fall short of anything. On the contrary, Allah is the only Owner & the only Provider. If we ask Him, He will provide us & if we thank Him, He will shower us with more blessings. Allah says, (If ye are grateful, I will add more (favours) unto you)
When my daughter thanked me saying, "I love you, mama!" I felt so humble that I wished I would rather have given her more. That's exactly what happens when a man thanks Allah & feels gratitude for Allah's blessings. Allah grants him more.
When one of my children asks for what he wants in an ill-mannered way, I feel angry with him. & though my love for him never wavers but I deprive him of what he wants, to teach him a lesson. But then I wonder, how very for-bearing & tolerant Allah is! He blesses people with their wishes while they disobey Him. Some people even deny His existence. Some worship other than Him. Some make enormous mistakes & others never feel the urge to say, "thank you Lord!" but Allah's blessings shower like rain & deny no one of life's pleasure & comfort.
Once, my little daughter asked me for something & pleaded in every possible way. She cried & begged but I refused to yield. Well! She wanted a knife! Her little immature mind couldn’t imagine what harm a knife might subject her to. It is my love for her that makes me firm & unyielding & so I didn't permit her to have want she begged for. After that, I tried to distract her thoughts from the knife, I showed her a doll & tried to persuade her that this little toy is far more beautiful & charming than the knife. In this way, diverting her interests to the more beneficial & less harmful thing.
That is so much similar to what Allah does to us, we ask Him for things that we think suit us but Allah knows that they will harm more than benefit. It is because of His love & affection that He deprives us of what we ask for. Allah says in the Quran, (But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you, and that ye love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knoweth, and ye know not.)
But Allah, on the other hand, never turns down His slave. He grants him another blessing or something else that would prove more beneficial than what he had asked for.
Therefore, it should be a clear belief that we should always be grateful to Allah because however our life turns, as long as we are praying, it shall turn to the best even if we can't see it.
Well, I hope now you perceive why I said,
"I learn a lot from my daughter…"