Kisah Islami

Iram, and her brother, Ahmed, were excited about the upcoming days. It was Ramadan (Ramadhan), a time to learn appreciation for the things they had, and to think of others who didn't have as much.

They had both been saving their money all year long. Iram, who was seven years old, sat on her bed and dumped out her money Jar. Coins ran all over the blanket. "This is a lot of money. Momma says we are supposed to help someone. She wants us to think about how much we have and then think of someone who doesn't have very much, and do something nice for them," Iram said, gathering the money into a pile. "Dump out your Jar, Ahmed," she told her brother.

The coins came spilling out of his Jar onto the bed. "Wow! We can do a lot for someone with all this money," Ahmed said, smiling. "This is such a special time of year. I'm glad we can help others."

"But we have to do it secretly, Ahmed, remember. We have to pick someone and do something very nice without them knowing it is from us. Who should we pick?" Iram asked.

"Let's pick our neighbors, Rashid, and Fatima. I noticed that they had holes in their shoes," Ahmed said.

"That's a good idea. We could buy some new shoes for them. They aren't as blessed as we are. We have a lot of shoes, don't we?" Iram asked with appreciation.

"I have three pair. You have more. Let's buy some new shoes for them this Ramadan (Ramadhan)," Ahmed said, smiling.

Iram and Ahmed found their momma. She was busy washing some dates. She saw her children come into the kitchen. "I'm going to make some baklawa for tonight," she said, knowing her family loved to eat that during Ramadan (Ramadhan).

"Pappa is at the mosque, in prayer. When he comes home, after the sun sets, we'll have some. In the meantime, you two look like you've got something on your minds."

"We want to help the poor. Ahmed and I have been saving our money all year long and we want to help Rashid and Fatima, our neighbors," Iram began.

Ahmed, with excitement, interrupted, "We want to buy them some shoes."

Momma smiled at her beautiful children. She was so proud of them.

"Aren't you hungry, Momma?" Ahmed asked. He knew she had not had anything to eat or drink since dawn that morning due to Ramadan (Ramadhan) fasting.

"I'm a little bit, but that is good for me. Don't worry about me. When you're older, you will understand more and be able to fast too," she explained. "Would you like me to take you to the store to buy the shoes?" she asked.

"Would you, Momma? Is that all right?" Iram begged.

"Why of course. Let's go," she said.

They walked to the shoe store and went inside. Iram picked out a pair of shoes for Fatima. Ahmed picked out a pair for Rashid. They were both so proud that they'd saved their money so they could do this to help. Later, they went home and wrapped the shoe boxes in plain brown paper. They waited anxiously for night to come. It would be dark and they could deliver their gifts.

The sun began to drop behind the horizon. A little while later, Pappa came home. He and Momma had some lentil soup, then tomato and cucumber sandwiches. Momma called to her children, "Iram. Ahmed. Come and have some baklawa, and some fresh dates." The children came running into the kitchen. Momma cut them a big piece.

They gobbled it down quickly as they were anxious to do their good deed. "Slow down, children," Pappa urged, laughing.

It was soon dark outside. Momma had the children go and get the boxes they'd wrapped so carefully. They put their coats on and walked quietly over to Rashid and Fatima's house. Momma whispered, "All right, children. We must be very quiet and very fast. Ahmed, you knock on the door and then run over here, to this bush, where Iram and I will be hiding. We'll watch as they come and find their gifts."

Iram and Ahmed giggled with delight. Iram and Momma hid, and Ahmed tiptoed up to the door. He put both of the boxes down on the porch, and knocked hard. Then he ran, and ran, and ran, as fast as he could, to where Iram and Momma were. "Shhh," Momma whispered. "Someone opened the door."

They watched as Rashid and Fatima came out onto the porch. "Look! There are presents for us. Someone left them here," Rashid cried out with excitement. He and Fatima looked around. It was very dark and they couldn't see anyone. They picked up the boxes and took them inside.

After a minute or two, waiting to make sure they wouldn't be seen, Momma, Ahmed, and Iram, snuck quietly back to their house. Ahmed started laughing. "Pappa! Pappa! We did it! We snuck up and left the presents!"

Iram added, "They didn't see us, Pappa. They don't know it was us." She was laughing too.

Momma and Pappa stood back and looked at their children. They were so proud of them. They knew their children knew the real meaning of giving and of sacrifice. The next morning, as Momma, Pappa, Iram, and Ahmed went to their car to drive into town, they saw Rashid and Fatima outside playing. They were both wearing their brand new shoes. Nobody said a thing. Iram and Ahmed just smiled, because it is one of the best Ramadan (Ramadhan) for them.

The Prophet of Islam Mohammed (may Allah's peace and our salams be unto him and his Ahlul Bayt) had just finished the Asr prayer and he was sitting in the mosque surrounded by his companions. Suddenly a man appeared in the mosque and addressing the assembly in the mosque, he said: "I am hungry, can some one feed me, I have nothing to wear, and can some one provide clothes for me, and I am a wayfarer lost miles away from home, can some one provide for me so that my needs be fulfilled?

No one said anything. Then the Prophet of Islam Mohammed (pbuh) spoke. He said to the man: "I personally do not have anything to help you, but I will send you to a home, where all your needs will be fulfilled. The people of that house love Allah and his Prophet, and Allah and His Prophet love the inhabitants of that house. That is the house of Ahlul Bayt of Naboowah where the family of my daughter Fatima Zahra lives." The Prophet of Islam Mohammed (pbuh) beckoned to Bilal so that he may take the stranger to the house of Fatima Zahra, which was adjacent to the mosque. Bilal did that. The man came to the door and said: "My salam to you O Ahlul Bayt of Naboowah, O you the inhabitants of the house where Jibreel descends and where other angels come and go. I am hungry, please feed me, I have no clothes please provide some clothes for me, and I am lost away from home and destitute, please help me get home."

Fatima Zahra heard the voice. She looked around. The only thing she could see in the house was a goatskin on which his two little children, Hasan and Husayn used to sleep. She picked up the goatskin and came to door. She extended that goatskin to the stranger from behind the door and said: "Please take this and fulfill your needs." The stranger looked at the goatskin and replied: "what can I do with this goatskin? It will not be sufficient for anything." Fatima Zahra thought and then she realized that she was wearing a necklace which was wedding gift her from the daughter of Hamza bin Abdul-Muttalib. Fatima Zahra took the necklace off and gave it to the stranger.

The stranger came back to the mosque and showed to the Prophet of Islam Mohammed (pbuh) what he had been given by Fatima Zahra. The Prophet of Islam Mohammed (pbuh) looked at the necklace and his eyes filled up with tears.

The Prophet of Islam Mohammed (pbuh) turned to the stranger and said: "Fatima Zahra has fulfilled your needs, now you pray for her." The man raised his hands to the heavens and said: "Ya Allah give Fatima Zahra all that which no eyes have ever seen and no ears have ever heard."

Ammar Yasir was also among the companions. He said to the stranger: "Are you selling the necklace?" The man replied: "Yes."

Thus Ammar Yasir bought the necklace for three hundred dirhams. That was sufficient money for the stranger to buy food, clothing and a horse; and soon he was on his way.

Ammar Yasir came home. He wrapped the necklace in a Yamani chadar and daubed it with fragrance. Ammar Yasir had a slave boy named Sahm. He gave the necklace thus wrapped to the boy and asked him to take it to the Prophet of Islam Mohammed (pbuh). Ammar Yasir also said to Sahm that he (the slave boy) too was being given away to the Prophet of Islam Mohammed (pbuh) as a gift. The Prophet of Islam Mohammed (pbuh) said to Sahm: "Take this necklace to Fatima Zahra and after, that you are a free man."

As Sahm returned the necklace to Fatima Zahra and returned from her house, he laughed. People who had been watching the whole thing, asked Sahm for the reason of his laughing.

Sahm replied: "What a glorious necklace - it came out of the house, fed a hungry man, clothed a naked man, and provided for a lost wayfarer. It then freed a slave from his bond and then returned to its rightful owner/mistress."

MORAL OF THE STORY: The Prophet of Islam Mohammed (pbuh) taught us, the Muslims at large, to be grateful to anyone who provides any kind of help. The best expression of that gratitude is doing a Dua for your benefactor. Fatima Zahra did not need any Dua from a stranger, but that was the teaching of the Prophet of Islam Mohammed (pbuh) and his methodology.

That legacy continued in the Prophet's own family and each and every member of that family provided the best example of social and personal morality.

In the 61 year of Hijra, after the tragedy of Karbala, the surviving women and children were taken prisoners and they were being paraded in the streets of Koofa. On both sides, people were watching the passing caravan from their balconies. On one camel back Husayn's sister Zaynab and his orphan daughter Sukayna who was four years old, were riding. As the camel arrived close to a house, there was a woman standing there. Sukayna was thirsty and asked the woman if she could give her a drink. The woman came back quickly with a cup full of water and said: "You appear to be an orphan; Allah accepts an orphan's prayer very quickly. I have longing, I would like you to pray for my wish after you had your drink."

Zaynab, immediately stopped the four year old and said: "You pray for the lady first and then drink the water."

Who would think about morals in such difficult circumstances - no one but the Ahlul Bayt.

This was the character and ideal of the Ahlul Bayt. It is for this reason that the devotees of Ahlul Bayt revere them and look up to them for all their guidance in religious as well as worldly matters.

By: Syed-Mohsin Naquvi