"So Daddy can I keep the change?" Asked Fatima, her eyes beaming with anticipation.
"Why?" Her father asked in response, looking distracted as he searched for more kpomo in his vegetable soup. He had a slight smile from the corner of his face, as he already knew what her response would be.
She was his daughter, through and through. She had taken after him so much so that whenever he was with her, it felt like he was with a younger version of himself. Her curiosity, sharpness & courage, all reminded him of his own self, except that he wanted her to be so much better.
He had always told himself that he would take every chance to help her become a better person than he ever was. To teach her from what he knew of life, virtues, & wisdom. To share from his experiences & mistakes, to give her the priceless gift of beneficial knowledge, as every father should, and here just in this brief moment it seemed to him that yet another opportunity has come.
"For being honest..." She answered, nodding her head as if acknowledging to herself that she did the right thing.
"Well....weren't you supposed to be honest?" Her father said, now looking up at her trying to keep a straight face.
"Umm...I was...."
"So why should I reward you then?"
She was given some money to buy a textbook for her younger sister at school, & it turned out that she got it at a lower price than he assumed. Her father would not have known if she had kept the change unless he went all the way to the school shop to ask which was unlikely. He wasnt expecting any change but still she decided to let him know.
She expected that her honesty would impress him and he would ask her to keep the change as he normally did when he even knew & was expecting to get change from an errand.
What she didn't know was that he had an even better gift for her today, more valuable than the change, a gift of the advice he was about to give.
"Honesty is a part of good character yes or no?" He continued.
"Yes..."
"Just like kindness, generosity, respect, justice & humility...
These are virtues we have been commanded to have by our Lord and they make us good people...
When you are kind to someone, e.g you help an old woman on the street, do you expect her to reward you?"
"No..."
"How about when you give some money to the poor? Your reward can only from who?"
"Allaah..."
"Perfect...So, this applies to every other kind of good. Whether it is being truthful, being fair, showing love, helping others, we must never expect our reward from people because these are what our Lord has commanded us to do and our reward is with Him. He brought us into this world, He enjoined us to be good & avoid doing bad, everything we do should be for Him, seeking His face, His pleasure & mercy.
Once we start expecting people to acknowledge and reward us for doing the right thing, the things we are supposed to do, then it becomes like we are forfeiting the reward of Allah for the reward of the people. It's like saying you would take a drop of water instead of the ocean.
People can never be able to reward you fully for any good you have done so never look towards them. If you get a reward from the people then see it only as an extension of the generosity of Allah but that should not be your goal or motivator.
As you grow, you'll realize there'll be many times you will do good and not even get gratitude talk little of a reward. You will help some people and they will not appreciate it in any way. You will give and may even get insults in return. All these are possible, plus even more. So If you did all good for the people then you will surely stop doing good someday. But if it is for Allah, then He is Perfect, Ever-appreciative, All-capable of rewarding you in the best & most beautiful way. May He grant us the ability to do good only for His sake and reward us with Jannah Firdaus."
"Aameen.." said Fatima, head slighted, looking thoughtfully & admiringly at her father.
"Alhamdulillaah for Islam..."
"Alhamdulillaah" her father replied, feeling satisfied and grateful that she understood the depth of his message.
"So Daddy where should I keep it for you?" She asked, since he still had some food to finish.
"Uhh...how about inside that pink purse on the center table" he said, winking at his daughter.
"Haa! That's my purse daddy!" She smiled widely at him. she knew what he meant, her funny kind man.
"Thank you so much Daddy, JazakAllahu khairan"
"Wa anti fa Jazakillahu khairan my princess" He replied, licking his fingers after wiping his plate clean. "And Alhamdulillaah for this delicious meal by your mother"
"Why?" Her father asked in response, looking distracted as he searched for more kpomo in his vegetable soup. He had a slight smile from the corner of his face, as he already knew what her response would be.
She was his daughter, through and through. She had taken after him so much so that whenever he was with her, it felt like he was with a younger version of himself. Her curiosity, sharpness & courage, all reminded him of his own self, except that he wanted her to be so much better.
He had always told himself that he would take every chance to help her become a better person than he ever was. To teach her from what he knew of life, virtues, & wisdom. To share from his experiences & mistakes, to give her the priceless gift of beneficial knowledge, as every father should, and here just in this brief moment it seemed to him that yet another opportunity has come.
"For being honest..." She answered, nodding her head as if acknowledging to herself that she did the right thing.
"Well....weren't you supposed to be honest?" Her father said, now looking up at her trying to keep a straight face.
"Umm...I was...."
"So why should I reward you then?"
She was given some money to buy a textbook for her younger sister at school, & it turned out that she got it at a lower price than he assumed. Her father would not have known if she had kept the change unless he went all the way to the school shop to ask which was unlikely. He wasnt expecting any change but still she decided to let him know.
She expected that her honesty would impress him and he would ask her to keep the change as he normally did when he even knew & was expecting to get change from an errand.
What she didn't know was that he had an even better gift for her today, more valuable than the change, a gift of the advice he was about to give.
"Honesty is a part of good character yes or no?" He continued.
"Yes..."
"Just like kindness, generosity, respect, justice & humility...
These are virtues we have been commanded to have by our Lord and they make us good people...
When you are kind to someone, e.g you help an old woman on the street, do you expect her to reward you?"
"No..."
"How about when you give some money to the poor? Your reward can only from who?"
"Allaah..."
"Perfect...So, this applies to every other kind of good. Whether it is being truthful, being fair, showing love, helping others, we must never expect our reward from people because these are what our Lord has commanded us to do and our reward is with Him. He brought us into this world, He enjoined us to be good & avoid doing bad, everything we do should be for Him, seeking His face, His pleasure & mercy.
Once we start expecting people to acknowledge and reward us for doing the right thing, the things we are supposed to do, then it becomes like we are forfeiting the reward of Allah for the reward of the people. It's like saying you would take a drop of water instead of the ocean.
People can never be able to reward you fully for any good you have done so never look towards them. If you get a reward from the people then see it only as an extension of the generosity of Allah but that should not be your goal or motivator.
As you grow, you'll realize there'll be many times you will do good and not even get gratitude talk little of a reward. You will help some people and they will not appreciate it in any way. You will give and may even get insults in return. All these are possible, plus even more. So If you did all good for the people then you will surely stop doing good someday. But if it is for Allah, then He is Perfect, Ever-appreciative, All-capable of rewarding you in the best & most beautiful way. May He grant us the ability to do good only for His sake and reward us with Jannah Firdaus."
"Aameen.." said Fatima, head slighted, looking thoughtfully & admiringly at her father.
"Alhamdulillaah for Islam..."
"Alhamdulillaah" her father replied, feeling satisfied and grateful that she understood the depth of his message.
"So Daddy where should I keep it for you?" She asked, since he still had some food to finish.
"Uhh...how about inside that pink purse on the center table" he said, winking at his daughter.
"Haa! That's my purse daddy!" She smiled widely at him. she knew what he meant, her funny kind man.
"Thank you so much Daddy, JazakAllahu khairan"
"Wa anti fa Jazakillahu khairan my princess" He replied, licking his fingers after wiping his plate clean. "And Alhamdulillaah for this delicious meal by your mother"
