CHILDREN'S CORNER

Compassion is a virtue that we should nurture, and its primary aspect is to be kind to young children..


Children were always certain of kind treatment by the Prophet (peace be upon him). Whenever he saw a child, he received him/her with a smile and said some pleasant words, even when the Prophet was preoccupied with something very serious. Anas ibn Malik, who served the Prophet throughout his 10-year stay in Madinah, said: “I never saw anyone who was more kind to children than God’s Messenger.” (Related by Muslim.) He did not differentiate between boys and girls; he was very kind to all, teaching his companions that kindness to children must be an essential characteristic of every Muslim. We should put this in its proper perspective; his was a society characterized by its rough attitude in all situations, and particularly harsh in its treatment of girls and women. Some Bedouins visiting Madinah saw him kissing one of his grandchildren. One of them asked: “Do you kiss your young ones; by God we never do that.” The Prophet said: “What can I do for you if God has removed compassion from your heart?” This was a pointed answer, telling those rough people that their attitude was wrong and it should better be changed. Compassion is a virtue that we should nurture, and its primary aspect is to be kind to young children.

Whenever a child was with the Prophet, he would teach that child something simple, short and very effective. Abdullah ibn Abbas was a young boy when he once rode behind the Prophet on his mount. The Prophet said that he wanted to teach him some very useful words. These were: “Be careful with what God has given you, and He will take care of you. Remain within the limits God has set and you will always find Him before you. Get to know God in times of ease, and He will know you in times of hardship. Learn that what you have missed would have never been yours, and what you have got you would have never missed. Learn also that victory is assured with perseverance, a way out is certain to come after a time of stress, and that hardship is followed by ease.” (Related by Al-Bukhari.)

1. Vatican City - The worlds smallest state, the Vatican has a population of 770, and is sprawled over an area that is just 0.2 square miles. None of the 770 persons are permanent residents here. The tiny country which surrounds St. Peters Basilica is the spiritual center for the worlds Roman Catholics (over 1 billion strong). Vatican City is surrounded by Rome, the capital of Italy, on all sides.

2. Monaco - The tiny state of Monaco lies along the French Riviera on the French Mediterranean coast near Nice. An impressive 32,000 people live in this state known for its Monte Carlo casinos and Princess Grace. It has been independent off-and-on since the 13th century. It has an area of 0.7 sq miles.

3. Nauru - It is just 8.5 square miles. The 13,000 residents of the Pacific island Nauru rely on diminishing phosphate deposits. The state became independent in 1968 and was formerly known as Pleasant Island.

4.Tuvalu - It has an area of nine square miles. Tuvalu is composed of nine coral atolls along a 360 mile chain in Polynesia. They gained independence in 1978. The former Ellice Islands are home to 12,000 people.

5. San Marino - It has an area of 24 square miles. Located on Mt. Titano in north central Italy, San Marino has 29,000 residents. The country claims to be the oldest state in Europe, having been founded in the fourth century.

6. Liechtenstein - It has an area of 62 square miles. This microstate of 34,000 is located on the Rhine river between Switzerland and Austria in the Alps.

7.Marshall Islands - The atolls and 34 islands (population 58,000) gained independence in 1986; they were formerly part of the Trust Territory of Pacific Islands (and administered by the United States).

8. Saint Kitts and Nevis - This Caribbean country of 39,000 gained independence in 1983. Nevis is the smaller island of the two and is guaranteed the right to secede. These have an area of 104 sq. miles.

9. Seychelles - The 81,000 residents of this Indian Ocean island group have been independent of the United Kingdom since 1976. It has an area of 107 square miles.

10. Maldives - Maldives group of islands are spread over 115 square miles. Only 200 of the 2,000 Indian Ocean islands which make up this country are occupied by 340,000 residents. The islands gained independence from the U.K. in 1968. Male is the capital. One can make a bicycle tour of Males entire coast within two hours.

Harun Rashid was an able and kind Caliph. He was liked by all his subjects. He had a son by name Mamun. When Mamun was young, he considered himself superior to all his subjects and even men of the highest rank. The Caliph had unfortunately entrusted his education to a teacher who did not have the courage to correct his behaviour.

The Caliph was deeply concerned about his son. He knew that his son would be the ruler after him. He knew, if he ignored his son’s education and moral training, he would change his faithful subjects into enemies through his unwise ways. That would push his kingdom and his subjects to revolt and ruin.

When a son was born to Mamun, the King decided that it was the best time to teach him that part of the education, which would put aside all false ideas he had in his mind about the nobility of his birth. For this end, on the morning the child was born, he asked his close advisors to search for an infant of the same age with similar features of face. As luck would have it, his advisors soon found a boy in a short time.

Harun al-Rashid dressed the child exactly like the newborn baby, and when his son went to sleep, he had the boy placed in the cradle by his side. The Prince on rising in the morning went to see his infant boy; but to his surprise he found two children so exactly alike that he could not distinguish his own!

He angrily called out to his servants, and asked them to tell him, which boy in the cradle was exactly his son. The servants could not do so and they were equally embarrassed. At this, the Prince burst into a rage vowing that all his servants would be dismissed immediately from his service and severely punished for not guarding his true son properly.

It was time for Harun Rashid to make his appearance on the scene, and on hearing the fury of his son, he smiled and said: “How is it possible that you cannot recognize your own child? Is there any other in my Kingdom of such noble blood? Can any other child dare to resemble your son so as to deceive you? If this is not the case, then why do you always boast of your position as my son and treat others as inferiors and worthy of all your contempt?

Then, taking his infant grandson in his arms, he said: “This, my son, is your child; but, even I would have been unable to distinguish him from the little innocent lying by his side, if I had not taken the precaution to tie a ribbon around his leg. In what then, I ask you again, consists of your superiority over others, which arises only from good conduct and good fortune.

His son was deeply ashamed of himself over his earlier bad behavior, and he promised his father that he had truly learnt his lesson, and henceforth he would remove his uncharitable feelings he entertained in his heart towards others who were his subjects.