Islamic Stories - , The Power of Prostration

The following story was mentioned by brother Firoz who is originally
from Guyana and now living in Scarborough, Canada. Brother Firoz lived
in the USA before moving to Canada. He can easily be identified as a
Muslim as he wears a Muslim hat and has white beard. In USA, one day
he was going to the market to buy some things when he was approached
by a white American man who asked him whether he knew of any Halal
Muslim restaurant. Brother Firoz knew of one but was unable to give
him the proper direction. He figured that the American was a new
Muslim in this area. So, brother Firoz invited him to his house to
have some food. There were also some other Muslim brothers living with
Firoz at that time. When they reached home, everyone in the house
welcomed the special guest. They were also curious to know about the
reason why he accepted Islam.
The new brother told them that he was taking a world religions course
in the University. His teacher happened to be Jewish. When they came
to the topic about Islam, the Jewish teacher at one point started
showing the class how Muslims pray. "The moment I saw the teacher
doing prostration (sajdah), I knew that I belonged to this religion,"
said the new brother. This is what led him to Islam, a simple
demonstration of sajdah.
Just one act of Islam was enough to make this individual a Muslim.
Imagine, how many people will be convincedwhen all the Muslims start
practising Islam completely!

Spiritual Stories for Children: Do not Do Evil toanyone What Goes Around Comes Around

There was a man in Isfahan who used to beathis wife but unfortunately
she succumbed to his beatingthough he had not intended to kill her.
But when she was dead he became fearful of her relatives. In a state
of anxiety he came out of his house and met an acquaintance to whom he
posed his problem.
The friend told him to invite a young man to hishouse and behead him
and put the severed headnext to the wife's corpse. Then he would tell
the wife's relatives that he had found them togetherin bed and was
unable tocontrol his ire, and slew them both. The man likedthe idea
and sat at the doorway in anticipation of a young man. After sometime
a handsome youth passed by his house. He invited him inside and
beheaded him.
Then he summoned the wife's relatives and told them the fictitious
story. They were satisfied but the person who had devised this plan
had a teenage son who did not reach home that day. Theman was worried
and when the son failed to turn up he came to the house of the one
whom he had offered evil advice and asked him if he carried out the
plan suggested by him. Yes, said he and took him near the dead bodies.
He was shocked when he saw that the youth he had killed was his own
son.
His evil advice caused thedeath of his own son.
The moral of this story is that one who digs a pit for others falls
into it himself. History is replete with such incidents.
According to Tafserul Mizan the following saying was common among the
Arabs: One who digs a hole for his brother; Allah throws himheadlong
into it. A similarproverb is present in Persian also: Do not do evil
to anyone the same evil will turn towards you.
Reference: Greater Sins Vol. 3 (English) by Ayatullah Dastagaub Shirazi

Spiritual Stories for Children: Don't treat the Evildoer with Evil Tit for Tat, Backfire

There was a companion of the king who visited him all the time. He
would sit beside him and say, 'Treat the good-doer with good and don't
treat the evil-doer with evil for his evil will be sufficient for
him.'
Another man envied his position with the king and his good speech.
Theenvious man came to the king and related: 'Your companion that sits
beside you claimed that you had a bad smell.'
The king inquired, 'But how can I verify this?'
The man replied, 'Call himto you. He will put his hand on his nose as
he gets closer to you.'
The king said, 'Leave, andI will see!' This man left the king and
invited the king's companion to a meal that he had placed much garlic
in.
The companion of the king ate and then went to the king as usual and
said, 'Treat the good-doer with good and don't treat the evil-doer
with evil, for hisevil will be sufficient for him.'
The king said to him, 'Getcloser to me!' The man moved closer, and
placedhis hand over his mouth so that the king would not smell the
odor of garlic.
The king thought to himself, 'That man was truthful.' The king then
hand-wrote a letter and gave it to the companion.The king never wrote
anything unless he wanted to give someone a prize or gift.
But this letter was written to one of his administrators and contained
the following message: 'When the bearer of this letter comes to you,
slaughter him and skin him. Then fill his skin with straw and send him
back to me.'
Later, the envious man met the companion of the king on his way and
asked, 'What is this letter?'
The companion of the king replied, 'The king has given me a gift.'
The envious man asked, 'Would you give it to me.'
The companion of the king said, 'It's yours.'
The envious man took it and went to the administrator. The
administrator said to him, 'This letter is a command from the king to
slaughter you and skinyou.'
The envious man announced, 'This letter is not mine. I beseech you in
the Name of Allah to check with the king before you do anything.'
The administrator informed him that there would be no changes to what
the king had written. Then he slaughtered him, skinnedhim, filled his
skin with straw, and sent him back to the king.
In the meantime, the companion of the king returned to the king as
usual. The king was shocked and demanded, 'What happened to the
letter?'
Companion of the king said, 'So-and-so met me and asked me for it, so
I gave it to him.'
The king then challenged, 'Have you said that I have a bad smell?'
The companion of the king rebutted, 'No!'
So the king asked, 'Then why did you place your hand over your mouth?'
The companion of the king answered, 'So-and-so provided me with food
that had much garlic in it and I hated that you might smell it.'
The king declared, 'You are truthful. The evil of the evildoer is
sufficient for him.'
Noble Qur'an says:"Whoever works righteousness benefits his own soul;
whoever works evil, it is against his own soul: nor is your Lord ever
unjust (in the least) to His Servants." (41:46)

Spiritual Stories for Children: Fox and Stork What Goes Around ComesAround

A selfish fox once invited a stork to dinner at his home in a hollow
tree. That evening, the stork flew to the fox's home and knocked on
the doorwith her long beak. The fox opened the door and said, "Please
come in andshare my food."
The stork was invited to sit down at the table. Shewas very hungry and
the food smelled delicious! The fox served soup in shallow bowls and
he licked up all his soup veryquickly. However, the stork could not
have any of it as the bowl was too shallow for her long beak. The poor
stork just smiled politely and stayed hungry.
The selfish fox asked,"Stork, why haven't you taken your soup? Don't
you like it?"
The stork replied, "It was very kind of you to invite me for dinner.
Tomorrowevening, please join me for dinner at my home."
The next day, when the fox arrived at the stork's home, he saw that
they were also having soup for dinner. This time the soup was served
in tall jugs. The stork drank the soup easily but the fox could not
reach inside the tall jug. This time it was his turn to go hungry.
MORAL: A selfish act can backfire on you.