A Motivational Story for You and Me
Bismillaah
As Salaamu 'alaykum and Peace to all,
That day I went to the wet market with my sister at about 4 A.M in the morning. We went early for two reasons - a good parking space and better choice of fresh fish. So, there we were, in the wee hours in the morning, struggling our way through the crowd of fish retailers, trying to grab the best choice available for us. Two hours later, we were ready to load our ‘Catch of the Day’ into our car when I saw something that broke my heart.
An old man, with his wife, around their sixties were pushing a cart loaded with vegetables. I walked up to them and asked if the vegetables were for sale.
‘Yes, my dear’ the wife answered with a smile. With the intention so that this couple could profit faster and got to go home earlier, I decided to make a bulk purchase. After choosing, I paid up and started chatting with them.
Fifteen minutes into the conversation, I learnt that their children are all grown up, highly educated and are very successful too. Masya’Allaah. I got curious.
If they have successful children, why did they have to still labor in such an old age? Are they abandoned parents? Where are their children? Didn’t their children see how hard the life of their parents is? Don’t the children feel responsible towards them?
As if he could read the streams of questions in my head, the old man said to me,
‘You know dear, me and my wife grow our own vegetables and sell them here at this wet market since our younger days. That’s how we manage to send our children to school and college. We don’t get rich, but we have enough for everyone. Every food that goes into their mouth is earned from this vegetable business, Alhamdulillaah. So now, even though we are living a good life from the money sent by our children, we feel that, as long as we can earn an honest living ourselves, we should keep on working. It’s good for us, recommended by the Deen and plus, we needed the exercise too’ he told me and chuckled.
I was stunned. I could not believe my ears. This old couple actually had no reason to continue working? Their children are providing everything for them!
When I asked him how long is he planning to work, he said cheerfully ‘Till the day I stop breathing dear, till the day Allaah takes my ability to work away.’ I was speechless.
What an amazing attitude this couple has. I was totally dumbfounded by them. This is the first time in my live, that I saw people who are so proud of what they do and refuse to receive hand-me-downs despite having legal rights to do so. Subhanallaah.
Now I truly understand what Kahlil Gibran, a Lebanese poet once said,
Work is love made visible. And if you can't work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of the people who work with joy.
And I could see love and joy of working on the old couple’s face. Goodness, it was apparent how much they love what they are doing. They feel proud to the idea of still earning despite getting enough from their children.
I could just imagine the cheerfulness and chirpiness they must have in their heart every morning whenever they wake up - drive up to the farm, maybe plant new seeds, or pluck the fresh ones for the market. All that is done with love and pride in their hearts.
Reflecting on this couple, I bet many young people are put to shame. The ones who love to complain about having to work, wanting to have good life minus the hard work, the unworthy recipients to hand-me-downs and the look-at-me-and-pity-me type, among others.
I have seen individuals, much younger than this old couple, who hated working so much and are always trying to find loopholes within the organization’s policy to abuse. Things like fake medical certificate and fake emergency reasoning are always used by them to avoid a day to work. To many like that, it was a victory to fool the employer. Sometimes I wonder who is the real fool. Astaghfirullaah…
Ibn Al-Jowzee once said,
I haven't seen a flaw more sad in the community than those who stop working even though they have the ability to continue.
Then, no wonder our society is so full of flaws, don’t you think so?
He reminded me of one of the advices my beloved Prophet Muhammad SAW has left me,
Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “By Allaah, if one of you were to go out in the morning and gather firewood on his back, and sell it and make himself independent, and give some of it in charity, this is better for him than his coming to a man and asking for anything, whether he gives or refuses. The upper hand is better than the lower hand, and start with those who are under your care.” (Reported by Muslim, 3/96)
Here, Prophet (SAW) has advised me that I should learn to be independent in my life and not to depend on other’s pity, charity or welfare. No matter how trivial or small the source of income looks like, it would still be better than asking from others. Subhanallaah, this was what that old couple was doing. Following his sunnah.
Just look at the last statement from the Prophet SAW. The fact that the upper hand is better than lower hand, it was made very clear that a person who could give charity is much better than the ones receiving them, right?
So, now the question that arises is that how could a person be the upper hand? I mean, upper hand means giving charity, right? We all know there are many types of charity but I felt the urge to reflect back on the earlier sentence in the hadeeth which was talking about sustenance, money wise kind of charity.
Let me ask this question – to be the upper hand, to be able to give charity – money wise, what must I have? Ok, it is a giveaway. I know…
Yup, I need to have thick deep pockets. How deep and how thick is not the issue here. And I am not interested in debating that. But, the core issue is that I should have pockets that are not empty, don’t you think so? I mean, what good would ‘deep pockets’ do if it was empty and with holes all over? Well, it won’t be called deep pockets in the first place, would it?
The deepness or shallowness of our pockets does not matter. The matter now is of the question HOW. Yes, how do I fill up my pockets? Interested to know?
I believe the answer could be found here...
"Seek, amidst that which God has given thee, the Last Abode, and forget not thy portion of the present world; and do good, as God has been good to thee." [Qur'an, Surat al-Qasas: 77]
Do not forget thy portion of the present world. This is what Allaah has clearly stated in the above verse. I should remember- find my portion in this world. Don’t forget to do that. InshaAllaah, my Lord, I would not forget it.
When I read this Quranic verse I felt so confident that Allaah has provided me and you with our own share of sustenance in this world. Just look at the verse. Allaah says, forget not thy portion. And He is talking to each and every one of us.
Now, why are you reminded to ‘claim’ our portion in this world? In His verse Surah al-Zukhruf, Allaah said…
“It is We Who portion out between them their livelihood in this world, and We raised some of them above others in ranks, so that some may employ others in their work
[ Surah al-Zukhruf 43:32]
MashaAllaah. Here, in this verse Allaah has announced that everyone’s sustenance has been provided for in this world. The difference was just that some were raised at a ranking higher than the other, but not without responsibilities. These people who were raised should employ their brothers and sisters so that their sustenance could be distributed through them.
Undeniably, He is Al-Mughith, The Sustainer…
The hadeeth below is an example of a Prophet whom has not forgotten his portion in this world,
Narrated Al-Miqdam: The Prophet said, "Nobody has ever eaten a better meal than that which one has earned by working with one's own hands. The Prophet of Allah, David used to eat from the earnings of his manual labor."(Saheeh Bukhari 13: Volume: 3, Book Number: 34, Hadith Number: 286)
Subhanallaah.
He is the Prophet of Allaah, the king of his kingdom, the man who fasted alternate days, and HE worked? Do you know as a what? Bear in mind that he owns a kingdom at that time. And what did this king work as? You wouldn’t believe me. He worked as a weapon crafter because that was his strength. That was what he was good at. He would sell them and claim for him and his family his ‘portion’ of this world. Alllahu Akbar.
And we sometimes felt that we are too good to do certain type of work, right? Astaghfirullaah. A Prophet, a king and a weapon crafter – all in one person. I felt like sticking my head in the sand. I am utterly embarrassed.
If Prophet David (as) did all that, what more of me, a servant with no title at all, a mere speck of dust in Allaah Al Mighty Kingdom? Don’t you think I should be striving harder?
I believe that was why my mother had taught me this prayer…
'Our Lord, give to us in this world good, and good in the world to come, and guard us against the chastisement of the fire.’ [Qur'an, Surat al-Baqara: 201]
Ameen…
Let me share with you a story I read once about a man who has the perfect job. Well, his perfect job, that is…
My first job was working in an orange juice factory, but I got canned...couldn't concentrate.
After that I tried to be a tailor, but I just wasn't suited for it...mainly because it was a so-so job.
Then I tried to be a chef -- figured it would add a little spice to my life, but I just didn't have the thyme.
Next I tried working in a muffler factory but that was too exhausting.
I managed to get a good job working for a pool maintenance company, but the work was just too draining.
I attempted to be a deli worker, but any way I sliced it, I couldn't cut the mustard.
Then I worked in the wood as a lumberjack, but I just couldn't hack it, so they gave me the ax.
Next was a job in a shoe factory; I tried but I just didn't fit in.
So then I got a job in a workout center, but they said I wasn't fit for the job.
After many years of trying to find steady work I finally got a job as a historian until I realized there was no future in it.
I studied a long time to become a doctor, but I didn't have any patient.
My best job was being a musician, but eventually I found I wasn't noteworthy.
I became a professional fisherman, but discovered that I couldn't live on my net income.
My last job was working at Starbucks, but I had to quit because it was always the same old grind.
SO I RETIRED AND FOUND I'M PERFECT FOR THE JOB!
Ahh… The ‘I am perfect-for-the-job’ syndrome. As I giggled away while reading this nice ranting of a ‘retired’ man, I know that he would not be someone I would rather not to be close with. Seriously.
There was a time when I was a misfit too, but as I worked hard and prayed hard in my 'misfit' environment, Allaah has shown me the place where I fit the best, alhamdulillaah. And I am so thankful to Allaah, it was not a retirement home!
What about you, my friends? Are you now with your perfect job? If you are, then, that is great! Alhamdulillaah. But if you are not, just do your best in whatever you are doing now, and kept on searching for your perfect job. If we prayed hard enough, Allaah shall show us the way. I know that is true, because I have gone thru that phase.
And InshaAllaah, you would too! See you at your perfect job!
Copyright © Sis Zabrina 2007
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