I Broke My Mother's Vase and Her Heart

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

ا سَـــــــلاَمُ عَلَيــْــكُم وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكـَـاتُه

It was Wednesday night. Reiichi asked his mother if he could go for a movie with his friends on weekend. But his mother said no. Annoyed, he shouted at his mother before throwing his mother's favourite vase on the floor. Then he left the house angrily. He wandered alone and aimlessly around the neighbourhood under light rain. He felt hungry. Then he saw a hot dog stand on the side of the road under the yellow street light. Before he could jog there, realization hit him. He remembered that he didn't bring his wallet along with him.

Soaked in wet, he forced his feet to an old bus stand, located only metres from the hot dog stand. The old man looked at him under his grey brows. When Reiichi's stomach pathetically growled, he swore the old could hear it and probably resisting himself from bursting out laughing while rolling on the ground. 

Instead, the old asked the cute shivering little boy. "What's your name, son?"

Stammering, he answered. "Re..Reiichi.."

"You hungry?" He said as he pulled out a bun and put the hot dog on the griller. The smell was so tempting Reiichi couldn't speak. The old man then put the hot dog on the bun, squeezed the mayo and chili on top before handing it to the boy. "Here."

Automatically Reiichi's hand reached forward, receiving the hot dog. "B..But I have no money with me." 

"It's on me." The old man replied, before placing a stool next to him, urging Reiichi to seat. Then he made the little boy some hot chocolate.

Savouring the hot dog and his drink, his eyes suddenly wet with tears. The old man waited for the boy to finish before he asked. "What's wrong, young boy?"

"It's nothing..." Reiichi answered. "You're just so nice. You don't even know me but you offer me food and drink. But my mother...after we fought she drove me out from house. She's mean." He added, wiping his tears. 

Upon hearing the little boy, the old man slowly sighed. "Son, what makes you think it that way? I only gave you a hot dog and a drink, but you are already touched and feel that you owe me. Your mother raised you since you were small, fed you and took care of you, why don't you be thankful but instead you fought with her?"

The words hit Reiichi like a brick. After thanking the old man he returned home. 

"How could I not think of that...What kind of horrible son I am..." He muttered under his breath, feeling remorseful. He thought of what he would say in front of him mum later. He would kneel in front of her, asking forgiveness.

As he arrived, he saw his mother on the lawn, her clothes slightly wet from the rain, but the worried look on her face changed to relieved. Reiichi dropped to his knees, holding his mother's hand, and cried. "I'm sorry mommy...I'm truly am. Please let me work at Uncle Chakir's so I could replace your vase." He said, sobbing.

She lowered herself on the wet grass, caressing Reiichi's hair softly. "I don't care if I lose the vase, but I don't know what I would do if I lose you, Rei" 

*** In our lives, we are easily appreciate small thing that others do for us. But for our family, we feel that what they have sacrificed for us are normal and should be done without appreciation. >_<"

*** Parents' love and their concern for us are the most valuable gift for us since we were born. How many parents ask their children to pay back the cost of raising them? NONE !
But have we ever feel obligated to repay them with love and appreciation for their sacrifices-without-conditions?

A Gift To Papa

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

ا سَـــــــلاَمُ عَلَيــْــكُم وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكـَـاتُه

Reiichi was just finished dinner with his family, where his forth son said, "Daddy, there will be Fathers' Day celebration at my school, will you come?" said Ren, who was 8 years old.

At the age of 48, Reiichi would probably prefer to relax on weekends reading books. However, when his son and his two wives pushed him, he reluctantly agreed. On that day he brought along his Sudoku Book, afraid the teachers and all the children will bore him to death. 

As what he had expected, on that day the children must present what they are capable of in front of their fathers. 
Reiichi watched in pain as one at a time the students were called forward to show their skills. They were given 5 minutes each. After that the teacher in charge would call the student's father forward, so his son or daughter could present whatever gift they have prepared for their fathers in front of hundreds pair of eyes. Some showed their talents in singing, story telling, reciting poetry and acting. 

Ren heard his name being called through the mic. Slowly, he stepped on the stage, sometimes glancing at his father who eyed him from the back of the crowd. 

Reiichi didn't have a single clue about his son's talent. He assumed Ren's would probably be pretty much the same like his friends. He had given it a thought. At the end of his show, Reiichi would pretend to be touched and ran towards the stage, hugging his son so he could get the hell out of there.  

"What would you do, Ren?" A teacher stood beside him, asking.

"Can I present it with Ustaz Rush?" He said, energetic. The teacher called upon Ustaz Rush, and explained to the fellow fathers about him coming to the school three times a week to teach al-Quran to the students.   

The teacher stepped aside, signalling Ren to start his presentation. 

Ren started by giving salam, and a few forewords. He added that he would be reciting verses from Suratul Kahfi, which has 100 Ayats. But because he had only few minutes, he urged Ustaz Rush to point any random verses for him to read.

The other fathers were dumbstruck. They realized that Ren would not be only reciting Suratul Kahfi, but he had memorized it ! 

Ustaz Rush pulled out a small Quran from his pocket, flipping pages to 293. "Alright, start with Ta'awudz and Bismilllah and recite from the first verse."

Ren read from the first to the tenth verse. Ustaz Rush nodded, following his beautiful recitation without stopping. Then he asked Ren to read from verse 60. Again, Ren read it with his lovely and calming voice. 

Every pair of eyes were set on Ren, hoping that their children would be like him. Reiichi on the other hand, his mood shifted from feeling half-hearted to excited.

Then Ustaz Rush asked him to read from verse 100 to 110, ending his presentation. Ren, without hesitation read it flawlessly. 
 
As soon as he finished, Reiichi stood from his seat, jogging halfway forward and hugged his son with unfeigned love, not giving the teacher any chance to formally call him. He felt proud. Few other fathers looked from their seats, not realizing their cheeks wet with tears. 

Then the teacher asked Ren, why he chose to read Quran. She had to ask twice.

Ren looked up to his dad. "Daddy..."

Reiichi watched him, before he realized he was still hugging. "Owh...okay. Sorry" He let go. 

"Ustaz Rush once taught me to always study and recite al-Quran. He said those who memorized al-Quran would make his parents noble on the Resurrection Day. Both parents will get crowns where the lights would be more beautiful that the sunshine. I want mommy and daddy to get that kind of honour from Allah s.w.t. That's why i'm studying and memorizing al Quran with Ustaz Rush." 

"Subhanallah..." A crying voice came from the crowd. Everyone of them want their children to be like him. 

Reiichi cleared his throat. "May I say something?"
Silence fell. The teacher edged over so he could have the mic. 

"Today would be the most happiest day of my life. All of you feel the same. We send our kids to the best school in town, with expensive fees and all of the facilities. Perhaps we have forgotten, that we are truly chasing the world. I'm almost 50, and Ren is my youngest son. With my foolish ambition, I send him here so that he could have a good future, for the WORLD. But now I realize that he too are preparing learning al Quran so that his parents will have a good future, but for AKHIRAT. Thank you Ren...I'm sorry to forget teaching you al Quran...

The Bee who Obeys Allah

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

ا سَـــــــلاَمُ عَلَيــْــكُم وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكـَـاتُه

Reiichi remembered vividly the day he was not feeling very well. He had a fever and he coughed badly. His mummy told him: “What you need is a nice hot drink with honey, sweetie. I'll go the the market and find some honey to help you feeling better." She said softly under her angelic tone. 

"I wanna come too." Reiichi replied. Before his mother could detest, Reiichi had already put on his jacket and socks along with his teddy bear snow cap.  

As Reiichi and his mother were at the supermarket, they stopped in front of a small makeshift booth. The shelves were stocked with different kinds of honey.

“Oh, Mummy, there are all sorts of different colours!” Reiichi said excitedly. 

“Look, this honey is almost white, and this one is golden, and that one over there is brownish.” The little kid added.

“Yes, Reiichi”, her mum answered. “There are different sorts of honey. There’s clover honey, lavender honey, eucalyptus honey... and mixed wildflower honey.”

“But then, does honey come from flowers?” Reiichi asked.

Mummy chuckled. “No, it does not darling” his mum told him. 

“You know bees make honey. The bees fly from flower to flower to collect a fine powder called pollen and a liquid called nectar. And then they make the honey with their bodies. Since there are different sorts of flowers with different colours and smells, this produces different sorts of honey." She gestured Reiichi closer to the shelves.

"If the bees have been only on clover flowers, they make clover honey, which is almost white, like the one in this jar." She said, pointed to one of the jar.

"If the bees have been on lavender, as in the South of France, you get this nice golden colour. And if the bees go about on all sorts of wild flowers, they produce mixed wildflower honey.”

Reiichi looked amazed. “And what colour is mixed wildflower honey?”

“Well, it depends on the flowers." Mummy answered. “Look, the honey in this jar is yellow, this one is brownish, and yet they’re both mixed wildflower honey.”

Reiichi thought for a while and then he asked: “But who has taught the bees how to make honey?”

His mum smiled at him.

“Allah has taught them, Reiichi”, she explained. “When the bees make honey, they obey Allah.

Do you know Allah tells us about bees in the Quran? Listen to what He says.”

And then Reiichi's Mum recited for him the verses from surat an-Nahl, “The bees".

And your Lord inspired to the bee, "Take for yourself among the mountains, houses,
and among the trees and [in] that which they construct.

Then eat from all the fruits and follow the ways of your Lord laid down [for you]." There emerges from their bellies a drink, varying in colors, in which there is healing for people.
Indeed in that is a sign for a people who give thought.

(Qur'an - Surah Nahl l, 68-69).

From Him Comes Everything

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

ا سَـــــــلاَمُ عَلَيــْــكُم وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكـَـاتُه

Out of nowhere a few coins dropped beside a worker who was busy mixing cement. Looking at the small nickel, he stopped for a while and picked up the coins, deftly putting in into his pocket. Then he continued his work. 

Then he noticed several coins landed not far from his feet. Although it was rowdy and loud with the drilling and welding, nobody seemed to pay him any attention. Quickly he turned to his left and right before hurriedly crouched down and picked up those coins, keeping it in his pocket.

A minute hardly past by before the same thing happened again. Few coins fell and landed just inches from his feet, and he heard the metals clashed with the marble floor. Just as before, he picked up the coins and kept it. "Lucky me", he deemed inside his heart. The worker, Reiichi did not realise that the coins actually was thrown by his employer, Chakir who was on the 9th floor. He tried to call him but Reiichi did not hear him calling. After tired of shouting, Chakir started to drop the coins, hoping that his worker would look up and notice him as he had few messages for him. But sadly Reiichi still did not notice him.

Then, Chakir collected few pebbles from a nearby plant which was put for decoration. He dropped the pebbles. Few of them managed to hit Reiichi several times over his body. Feeling pain and frustrated, Reiichi looked up to see it was his own boss who was throwing the pebbles. He then learned that his boss was trying to get his attention. 

PS: Dear Friends, this simple story is actually a message to evaluate our relationship with our own Creator, Allah s.w.t. Without us realising it, Allah s.w.t always throwing "coins" which resembles fortune, income and sustenance to us, just for us to remember and feel grateful for his gift. However we always forget to "look up" and keep receiving without thanking Him. 

Like the story between ungrateful Reiichi and his boss, when dropping coins didn't work out, he dropped "pebbles and stones" to remind you of failure, pain, agony and disaster not to mention bad experience. When we start to feel pain and despair, then we will look for Him, look up and pray to Allah s.w.t, our Creator, The Provider (Ar-Razzaq)

And there is no creature on earth but that upon Allah is its provision, and He knows
its place of dwelling and place of storage. All is in a clear register.

Everything Happens For A Good Reason

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

ا سَـــــــلاَمُ عَلَيــْــكُم وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكـَـاتُه

        Once upon a time there was an African king who had a close friend that he grew with. The friend had a habit to face each situation that happened in its life (positive or negative) saying: " That is good! Almighty ALLAH knows more".

The king and his friend one day left for a haunt. The friend loaded and prepared the weapons for the king. Apparently, the friend had made something missed in the preparation of one of the weapons, the king shot and took his thumb away. When examining the situation, the friend observed as always: "That is good! Almighty ALLAH knows more". The king answered, "No, this is not good! He commanded the soldier who arrested his friend and put him in prison.


After one year, the king was hunting in a region where, cannibals appeared, and captured the king and took him to their village. They tied his hand, and piled up the firewood. When the cannibals came closer to the fire they noticed that the king did not have the thumb. As they were superstitious, they never ate who had a part of his body missing.

Thus , after setting the king free, they banished him from the village. When the king arrived at its palace, remembered the incident about his thumb and felt remorse for the treatment given to his friend. Immediately, he pays a visit to the prisoner and speak with his friend. " You were right", said the king " It was good that I lost my thumb". The king started to tell his friend everything that happened to him. "I am sorry that I have ordered you to prison for such long period. It was a great mistake".


" No" The friend said, "That was the good decision because Almighty ALLAH knows more". "What do you mean by that? How it can be good decision ? I ordered my best friend to prison?" The friend answered: "Remember that Almighty ALLAH knows more? And if  I was not in the prison certainly I would be with you in the hunt, then you know what would have happened to me?

Moral: Do not judge the facts or events for the immediate results! Almighty ALLAH, the Highest the Omniscient and the Wise, knows more. When we faced by circumstances that are no good, we react quickly, " This is not good". But perhaps we did not know the reason behind it. It can become a good thing also. Hence, from next time onward, when we face any type of situation. Let us not jump into any conclusion, always remember. This life is a test. The good and the bad, nothing happen without any reason. our mind is not prepared to understand the reason.