The boy who liked eating sweets - A Motivational Story on Showing Examples

Bismillaah

As Salaamu 'alaykum and peace to all,

I was at my dad's place that day. To my delight, both my sister and brother were there. My sister has 3 lovely children, 2 girls and a boy. While my brother has 2 boys. I adore them all. They are this Masya'Allaah typical hyperactive children, always on the lookout of things to explore, curious, handful, very intelligent, creative which sometimes of course, has resulted them getting into trouble. My sisters sometimes commented on how much they wished that whatever they say will be obeyed immediately by their children without having to use the 'i am going to cane you' facial expression, or having to repeat the words again and again like parrots!

I do actually wonder why sometimes, when we say something to a person, it didnt go through, but , if the exact same thing being said by another person, he or she may just agrees and follows. Have that ever occured to you? Hmmm... i was pondering upon this mystery of life when i 'bumped' into this inspirational story


Words vs. Actions - The boy who liked eating sweets

There once was a boy who loved eating sweets. He always asked for sweets from his father. His father was a poor man. He could not always afford sweets for his son. But the little boy did not understand this, and demanded sweets all the time.

The boy's father thought hard about how to stop the child asking for so many sweets. There was a very holy man living nearby at that time. The boy's father had an idea. He decided to take the boy to the great man who might be able to persuade the child to stop asking for sweets all the time.

The boy and his father went along to the great man. The father said to him, "O great saint, could you ask my son to stop asking for sweets which I cannot afford?" The great man was in difficulty, because he liked sweets himself. How could he ask the boy to give up asking for sweets? The holy man told the father to bring his son back after one month.

During that month, the holy man gave up eating sweets, and when the boy and his father returned after a month, the holy man said to the boy "My dear child, will you stop asking for sweets which your father cannot afford to give you?"

From then on, the boy stopped asking for sweets.

The boy's father asked the saint, "Why did you not ask my son to give up asking for sweets when we came to you a month ago?" The saint replied, "How could I ask a boy to give up sweets when I loved sweets myself. In the last month I gave up eating sweets."


Volume 9, Book 91, Number 352:
Narrated Malik: We came to the Prophet and we were young men nearly of equal ages and we stayed with him for twenty nights. Allah's Apostle was a very kind man and when he realized our longing for our families, he asked us about those whom we had left behind. When we informed him, he said, "Go back to your families and stay with them and teach them (religion) and order them (to do good deeds). The Prophet mentioned things some of which I remembered and some I did not. Then he said, "Pray as you have seen me praying, and when it is the time of prayer, one of you should pronounce the call (Adhan) for the prayer and the eldest of you should lead the prayer. "

This hadeeth does indicates that teaching should be done by example. That makes me think more. If everything that we try to teach others,we must practice first, that would actually make us better person, right? And if we really want someone to change when we tell them to, we must surely reflect on ourselves first and analyze, if we are ready to be an example to that person. I think this is wonderful method of teaching that we should follow. Tough, but, hey, if we want people to change something, it better start with us changing first, right? And we shouldnt ask people to change something we ourselves are not ready to change.

And Allaah the Almighty says, "O you who believe! Why do you say that what you do not do? It is deeply abhorrent to Allah that you should say what you do not do." (61:2-3)

A person's example is much more powerful than just his words. No wonder Allaah has asked us to analyze our day before going to sleep every night. When we analyze, we would want to improve ourselves, when we want to improve ourselves, we can be a better exmaple to others, when we are better examples to others, they will change and become better too. Subhanallaah. Look at the chain of events, action and reaction, that can happen simply by us understanding the importance of 'doing what we say'. Maybe the world leaders should learn something from us today, dont you think? Oh yes, and i am sure my sisters would also like to try this out on their kids. I shall tell them tomorrow!

To all, change starts with small steps... Let us all make one tiny weeny little step today to change ourselves! And may we have a better tomorrow, Insya'Allaah...



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