Nice Story

Assalamualaikum,

Two days ago was the first time I heard a story, or Qasas, told in Arabic. On that general note, I feel that after a month I can basically communicate with someone without them running away in shocked terror, and understand 100% more in the recitation of the Qura'an. That may be a slightly deciveing statistic, because I probably understand 0% of the Qura'an beforehand. Anyhow, here's the story, dramatized in English.

"A long time ago, a young, poor man was walking down a street. Starving from his poverty, he passed past a garden that was so rich with produce that the apple trees were hanging over the gate. Succumbing to his stomach, the youth took an apple and took a bite out of it. Instantly, he regretted it, fearing Allah. So he went into the garden to apologize. Eventually, he found someone in the garden, but the person told him that the owner of the garden was in a city far away. The owner was the Sheik of the City, no less.

The young man walked on, starving but determined to make amends for his wrong. Eventually, he arrived in the city and inquired about the Sheikh. (By the way, according to Ustad Ayman, he had been walking from Isha of the previous day till Asr now). The Sheikh was apparently praying Asr. The young man went to the Masjid, prayed, and went to the mimbar to make apologies. However, immediatly after prayer the Shiekh stood up and began to give a khutba, accordingly about the sin of stealing and about good character. He talked all the way till Maghrib, then broke for prayer. Immediately after Maghrib, he got up again and talked till Isha. By this time, the youth hadn't eaten for a whole day and was about to collapse. However, he went to the Sheikh and told him what had happened. He showed him the apple, with the tiny bite that had been taken from it.

"Nope, I'm not going to forgive you."

"What? Please, ya Sheikh, I'm a poor man. I'll do anything."

"Anything?"

"Yes, anything."

"Alright then, marry my daughter."

The youth didn't understand.

"Ah, you see, my daughter is deaf, dumb, blind, mute, and lame. Do you agree to marry her."

The youth was in a serious dilemna. (According to Ustad Ayman, he had to choose between Athab in this world or in the next.) The youth finally decided that he didn't want to be punished at all, for he hadn't wronged anyone till that day.

"All right then," said the Sheikh. He got everyone to witness the wedding, then took the youth to his bride.

Of course, the bride turned out to be deaf,dumb, blind, mute, and lame- but to evil. A year later, a son was born to the couple. The son was named Abu Hanifa."

Nice story huh?

And here's a poem to inspire us on:
IF I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.

Wasalam

-Mustafa