CHILDREN'S CORNER

In the days of old, there was a scholar in Baghdad who was known as Jahiz. He was renowned throughout Baghdad for his learning. But, his personality was such that people got frightened on seeing his ugly face. The emperor prevailed upon him to teach his children all the wisdom he possessed. It was impossible in those days to refuse the orders of the emperor without making him angry. So Jahiz reluctantly agreed to act as a tutor to the princes and princesses of the palace.

On the first day, he met a princess whom he was supposed to teach. She was extremely beautiful and she recoiled in horror when she looked at her tutor. After she had recovered herself, she asked him: “Why is that Almighty Allah saw fit to put all the knowledge of Baghdad and beyond in the head of so hideous a vessel?”

Jahiz replied calmly: “Why does your father – the Emperor – keeps all his wine in earthen vessels?”
“How else should we keep it?” She asked.

“People of your rank,” replied Jahiz “should keep their wine in vessels of gold and silver.
On hearing this reply from the great scholar, the princess, persuaded her father to transfer all the wine in the palace from earthen pots to vessels made of gold and silver. However, the wine turned sour. The Emperor summoned Jahiz before his presence, and asked him to state the reasons for giving his daughter such poor advice.

Jahiz replied; “I did it in order to show your daughter that wisdom, like wine, is best kept in plain vessels.”

But, the princess objected, “Are there not handsome scholars, as there are ugly ones?”
“Yes,” replied Jahiz, “but they would have been greater scholars, if they had been ugly and I would not have been tasked with the duty of teaching the Emperor's children!”

The number of species of living beings recorded to exist on the planet Earth has risen to 19 lakh. This has been documented by Australian scientists in the world's most comprehensive catalogue of plants and animals. The figure has 114,000 new species discovered since the catalogue was last compiled by Australian researchers in 2006. This is a 6.3 per cent increase. However, it is estimated that the total number of species on the planet must be much higher. The calculations vary from 30 lakh to 10 crore.

But many of the species are in real danger of being lost. Renowned scientist Jose Sarukhan Kermez says that all these livings being are important for us as they render important services to the conditions in which we live. Without them the conditions would change and make our life difficult. These services are more vital than what the banks or car makers do for us. He guesses that the rate of loss of these species might be as high as 30 per cent by 2050.
(Source: http://ourworld.unu.edu/en)

Allah is the Master, Allah is the Creator.
He sent us Muhammad, as a teacher.
He created ocean, moon, and all creatures.
He is the supreme, full of power.

Allah, you are ar -Rahim, and ar Rahman,
When we have faith in you, that is called eimaan.
To teach us, you sent us Al Qur,an.
So, we can read it and become good insaan.

To live here, you gave us air, food and shelter,
Without your permission nothing had been here.
No earth, sun, moon, animals and nobody ever,
May Allah give hidaya to us, be on right path forever.

SadaqaAllah- Al-Adheem

There was a young man who went overseas to study for quite a long time. When he returned, he asked his parents to find him a religious scholar or any expert who could answer his Three Questions.

Finally, his parents were able to find a Muslim scholar.

"Who are you? Can you answer my questions?," asked the young man "I am one of Allah's slaves and Insha'Allah, I will be able to answer your questions," replied the Scholar.

"Are you sure? A lot of Professors and experts were not able to answer my questions," replied the young boy "I will try my best, with the help of Allah"

"I have Three questions," began the boy

1. Does God exist? If so, show me His shape.

2. What is takdir (fate)?

3. If shaitan (Devil) was created from the fire, why at the end he will be thrown to hell that is also created from fire. It certainly will not hurt him at all, since Shaitan (Devil) and the hell were created from fire. Did God not think of it this far?

Suddenly, the Scholar slapped the young man's face very hard!

The young man, who was shocked and hurt by the slap became confused, "Why do are you angry at me?" he asked

"I am not angry," answered the scholar, "The slap is my answer to your three questions."

"I really don't understand," the young man said. He was really confused.

The scholar began to explain, "How did you feel after I slapped you?," he asked

"Of course, I felt the pain. it hurt," he replied

"So do you believe that pain exists?" the scholar asked

"Yes."

"Now Show me the shape of the pain!" said the wise Scholar

"I cannot," the young man replied

"That is my first answer. All of us feel God's existence without being able to see His shape... Last night, did you dream that you will be slapped by me?," the scholar replied

"No"

"Did you ever think that you will get a slap from me, today?," the scholar continued

"No."

"That is takdir (fate)........" The scholar continued, "My hand that I used to slap you, what is it created from?"

"It is created from flesh," replied the young man

"How about your face, what is it created from?"

"Flesh, as well" replied the young man

"How did you feel after I slapped you?"

"In pain."

"Even though Shaitan (satan) and Jahunnum (Hell-fire) were created from fire, if Allah wants, insha'Allah (God willing), the Hell-fire will become a very painful place for Shaitan (Devil)" ended the wise Scholar.

The wise Scholar had answered all three of the tough questions by one slap. n

Once, Emperor Akbar leading his army entered into a city which belonged to a rebellious Muslim King. The governor of the city fled to the capital of his ruler with his soldiers as he knew that his army did not stand a chance to win against the well-equipped Mughal army. The learned judge, who was next in the line of command to govern the city welcomed the emperor and asked the citizens to extend hospitality to the Mughal army.

The next day the learned judge took leave of Akbar to attend his duties at the court. Akbar was eager to learn how justice was done in this city and desired that he accompany the judge to his court. The judge agreed to this demand, and once in the court, the judge asked Akbar to sit by his side.

The first case that was presented to the judge pertained to two Muslim men. One of them said: “I have purchased a house from this man and while repairing it, a treasure was found beneath the floor. When, I tried to return the treasure to him, he refuses to accept it, saying that it does not belong to him.

The seller presented his case thus: “I knew nothing about the treasure, so it does not belong to me. Once, I have sold him the house and the plot, the treasure is his own.”
The learned judge who knew both the persons asked the first man: “Don't you have a son who has reached the age of marriage? The answer was yes. He asked the second man. “Don't you have a daughter who has reached the age of marriage?” Again, the answer was yes. “Then,” continued the judge: “Marry them to one another and keep the treasure as their dowry, and go away in peace from here.”

The Emperor – who loved to do justice between his own people - was astonished at the way the judge dealt with the case. He said to the Judge: “In my empire, I have passed a law that the Emperor takes for himself, whatever that is found that does not belong to others.”

Now, it was the turn of the judge to look at the Emperor with disbelief about what he had just heard from him. He asked him: “Does the sun shine in your land? Does the rain ripen the grains and fruits of your fields and orchards?”

“Yes,” answered the Emperor with pride.

“And,” the judge continued: “Are their beasts, birds and insects in your land?”

“Yes,” replied the Emperor again, “our forests are full of them.”

“Then, surely, Almighty Allah lets the sun shine and causes the clouds to rain in your land for the sake of the innocent beasts, and not for the sake of unjust men, who seek to take away from others what does not belong to them. However, in our land, the sun shines and the rain descends from the sky for the sake of our people for they are ordered by the Holy Qur'an to deal with to return the trusts, and deal with each other in perfect justice.”

The Emperor received the hidden message. He had come out with his army to this faraway land that was governed with perfect justice, to add it to his empire, and for its king to act as his subordinate by paying a yearly tribute. He realized that he would be doing a great injustice to the people of the land, if he got rid of the king who was ruling his subject with people who had such a proper sense of justice.

On return to his camp, he commanded his generals to issue orders for his soldiers to fold up camp and immediately leave for Delhi.