As Salaamu 'alaykum and peace to all,
The Story of a Rider and an Old Man- Motivational Story about Kindness and Compassion
That day, I was walking on the street and was about to cross the road. On the other side of the road, I saw a young man holding the hands of a physically-challenged man, getting him ready to cross the road too. Looking at both of them, I cannot help but smile.
SubhanAllah, I absolutely love watching the display of human kindness. It always made my heart feel all warm inside. The goodness shown by this person towards another being somehow has such great effect on me. It made me feel good. Really good.
Later in the evening, as I reflected on that incident, I realized something strange.
Even though I was watching in a distance the act of kindness of this man, and has no part in it, somehow, I felt very happy inside, as if the one receiving his kindness is me!
How strange is that, right, my brothers and sisters?
That thought kept me thinking.
If by just simply watching the act of kindness of others could make me feel happy and warm inside, imagine the happiness of the person who was actually receiving such kindness!
Come to think of it, was there like a 3-way effects from 1 act of kindness?
It somehow makes the you (the helper), he (the one being helped) and them (the ones watching the act of kindness displayed) feel so good inside!
It is sure a great way to spread joy and happiness in this world. Totally!
SubhanAllah... Amazing, you agree?
No wonder our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) stressed so much on the importance of being kind to others so much so that he (pbuh) once said,
"Allah is not kind to him who is not kind to people."
Hadith - Tirmidhi, Saheeh: Related by Aboo Daawood (no. 4177) and at-Tirmidhee (no. 1877). It was declared authentic by Imaam al-Albaanee in as-Saheehah (no. 417):
Nauzubillah.... Wow, how scary is that?
The thought of losing Allah's kindness scared the heck out of me! Yup, it does...
I remembered a quote by Charles H. Spurgeon who once said,
A good character is the best tombstone.
I think he was right. I reflected on the recent death of the King of Pop Michael Jackson, and one of the things that was highlighted about him during the memorial service was- yes, you guessed it- his kindness towards the unfortunate!
Let me share with you a story about a rider and an old man I once read.
It was a bitter, cold evening. The old man waited for a ride across the river. The wait seemed endless. His body became numb and stiff from the frigid north wind. He heard the faint, steady rhythm of approaching hooves galloping along the frozen path.
He watched as several horsemen approached and left without acknowledging his presence. Finally, the last rider neared the spot where the old man sat like a snow statue.
As this one drew near, the old man said, “Sir, would you mind giving an old man a ride to the other side? There doesn't appear to be a passageway by foot.” Reining his horse, the rider replied, “Sure. Hop aboard.”
Seeing the old man was unable to lift his half-frozen body from the ground, the horseman dismounted and helped the old man onto the horse. The horseman took the old man all the way to his home, which was just a few miles away.
As they neared the tiny cottage, the horseman inquired, “I noticed that you let several other riders pass by, then when I came, you immediately asked for a ride. I'm curious why, on such a bitter winter night; you would wait and ask the last rider. What if I had refused and left you there?”
The old man lowered himself from the horse, looked the rider straight in the eyes, and replied, “I've been around here for some time. I reckon I know people pretty good.”
He continued, “I looked into the eyes of the other riders and saw there was no concern for my situation. But when I looked into your eyes, kindness and compassion were evident. I knew that your gentle spirit would welcome the opportunity to give me assistance in my time of need.”
SubhanAllah, this story brings the quote 'Your eyes are the windows to your heart' a new meaning to me.
Needless to say, this story made me think hard that day. It is obvious that the kindness and gentleness a person has was reflected in his eyes.
I asked myself- what do my eyes reflects of when people look at me? Do they see kindness, gentleness, compassion and sympathy or resentment, hatred, bitterness and anger?
Astaghfirullah, I need to do a lot of reflection today. I truly do...
What about you, my friends? Have you ever wondered how does your eyes reflects what is in your heart? How does others see you thru your eyes? Are you the type of person people would come for help, or they hated even the thought of asking help from you?
I promised myself today that inshaAllah, I will strive to be like the rider whose eyes so gentle and kind that a stranger felt at ease asking him for help. And because of that, this rider will always get the help he needed from Allah the Al Mighty as His promise in His Book,
"Those who are kind and considerate to Allah's creatures, Allah bestows His kindness and affection on them. Show kindness to the creatures on the earth so that Allah may be kind to you." (The Noble Qur'an - Al-Fath 48:29)
Don't we want to receive His kindness and affection, my brother and sisters?
I know I do!
And by just being kind to His creatures, we are well on our way to surely and definitely receive our Lord's kindness and affection, you agree?
Now, does that make you feel all happy inside? I sure do!
Copyright © Sis Zabrina 2009
Sis Zabrina also known as Zabrina A. Bakar, is a Life Storyteller, motivational and inspirational writer and speaker; and author and creator of Islamic motivational book Life Open Secret book series http://wwww.LifeOpenSecret.com. She maintains an active blog at http://www.WisdomThruWords.blogspot.com. and social networking platform a Web 2.0 at http://www.LifeStoryteller.ning.com
Copyright © Sis Zabrina 2009
Sis Zabrina
Life Storyteller
Author of Life is an Open Secret Islamic Motivational Book Series:
Life is an Open Secret- Think about It
Life is an Open Secret- You, Me and We
Life is an Open Secret- Ramadan Special
Hidup Bukan Rahsia http://www.lifeopensecret.com
-18 Inspirational Stories from Ordinary life experiences-
Now blogging at http://www.wisdomthruwords.blogspot.com
~ Life Storyteller Blog: Your Source for Islamic Motivational and Inspirational Stories~
Tags : motivational stories, islamic stories, inspirational stories, spiritual stories, storyteller, muslim, islam, life is an open secret, motivational book, motivational quotes, short stories
Sis Zabrina, also known as Zabrina A. Bakar, is a Life Storyteller, motivational and inspirational writer and speaker; and author of Islamic motivational book series Life is an Open Secret http://www.lifeopensecret.com She maintains an active blog at http://www.wisdomthruwords.blogspot.com
and her personal Social Networking Platform http://www.LifeStoryteller.ning.com
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