Akhlaq Stories for Shia Kids: 41 Stories of Good Manners

The son who served his blind mother

نابینا ماں کی خدمت کرنے والا بیٹا

In the city of Kufa lived a young man called Zakariya, the son of Ibrahim. His father, his mother and all his relatives were Christians. As Zakariya grew up, his heart was drawn to Islam, and in the end he became a Muslim, even though his family did not want him to.

When the season of Hajj came, Zakariya set off for Makkah. On the way he stopped in Madinah to meet Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (A.S.). He told the Imam how he had found Islam, and the Imam prayed for him. Then the Imam said, “Ask whatever you wish to ask.”

Zakariya had a worry in his heart. “My father, my mother and my family are all Christians,” he said. “My mother is blind. I live with them and eat with them. What should I do?”

The Imam asked, “Do they eat pork?” “No,” said Zakariya, “they do not even touch it.” The Imam said, “Then there is no harm in living and eating with them.” And then he gave Zakariya his real instruction: “Look after your mother and be kind to her while she lives. When she dies, do not leave her body to anyone else; take care of her funeral yourself.”

After Hajj, Zakariya went home to Kufa and did exactly as the Imam had said. He fed his mother with his own hands. He combed her hair, washed her clothes and helped her change them. He was gentler with her than he had ever been.

His mother noticed. “My son,” she said, “when you followed our religion you never treated me like this. Now you have left it, and you are kinder to me than ever. Why?”

“A man from the family of our Prophet told me to,” Zakariya replied. “Is he a prophet?” she asked. “No,” he said, “he is the son of a prophet. There is no prophet after Muhammad (S.A.W.W.).”

His mother was silent for a while. Then she said, “My son, your religion is the best of religions. Teach it to me.” Zakariya taught her the Shahadatayn, and she became a Muslim. He taught her to pray, and she prayed Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha that same day. That night she fell ill, and before she passed away she asked her son to repeat what he had taught her, and she said the words of faith once more.

The next morning the Muslims of Kufa came to help. Just as the Imam had told him, Zakariya himself prepared his mother for burial, led her funeral prayer and laid her in her grave with his own hands.

Source: Usul al-Kafi, al-Kulayni, vol. 2, p. 160–161; retold by Martyr Murtaza Mutahhari in Dastan-e Rastan.

Ismail (A.S.): “Father, do what you are commanded”

حضرت اسماعیل علیہ السلام کی اطاعت

Prophet Ibrahim (A.S.) had prayed for many years for a righteous son, and Allah gave him Ismail (A.S.). Ibrahim loved him dearly. When Ismail was old enough to walk and work beside his father, Allah tested them both with one of the greatest tests the world has seen.

Ibrahim saw in a dream that he was sacrificing his son. The dreams of prophets are true, so he knew this was a command from Allah. The Quran tells us that he did not force his son or keep it secret. He went to Ismail and spoke to him gently, asking for his view: “My dear son, I have seen in a dream that I am sacrificing you. So look, what do you think?”

Think about how a boy might answer such a question. Ismail could have cried, argued or run away. Instead he answered with words the Quran has kept for us forever: “O my father, do what you are commanded. You will find me, if Allah wills, among the patient.”

He called his father “Ya abati”, “my dear father”, with love and respect. He trusted his father, and above all he trusted Allah. When they both submitted to Allah's command and Ibrahim laid his son down, Allah called out: “O Ibrahim, you have fulfilled the vision.” Allah saved Ismail and sent a great sacrifice in his place. Every year at Eid al-Adha, Muslims all over the world remember this obedience.

Ismail's obedience was not fear. It came from love, trust and faith. And Allah honoured them both: father and son built the Ka'bah together, and Ismail became a prophet and an ancestor of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.W.).

Source: The Holy Quran, Surah al-Saffat 37:100–111.

Imam Ali (A.S.) washes the hands of his guests

امام علی علیہ السلام اپنے مہمانوں کے ہاتھ دھلاتے ہیں

One day a man and his son came to Imam Ali (A.S.) as guests. The Imam welcomed them warmly, seated them in the place of honour and sat opposite them. When the meal was over, Qanbar, the Imam's helper, brought a towel, a basin and a jug of water so the guests could wash their hands.

Imam Ali (A.S.) stood up and took the jug himself to pour water over the guest's hands. The man pulled his hands back. “How could I let you wash my hands?” he said. “It is I who should serve you!”

The Imam said, “You are my brother in faith. Let me serve you, for Allah will reward me for it.” The man still refused, so the Imam asked him firmly, by Allah, to allow it. At last the guest held out his hands, and the Imam washed them carefully, asking him to wash them properly and not to feel shy.

Then the Imam turned to his own son, Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah, and said, “My son, wash the hands of this boy.” And he explained why he had not done it himself: “If this boy had come to me alone, I would have washed his hands myself. But Allah loves that when a father and son are together, the father is given honour before the son.” So the son of the Imam washed the hands of the guest's son.

When Imam Hasan al-Askari (A.S.) later told this story, he said that a true Shia is one who behaves like this.

Source: Bihar al-Anwar, al-Majlisi; retold by Martyr Murtaza Mutahhari in Dastan-e Rastan.

Imam Ali and Lady Fatima share the housework

امام علی اور حضرت فاطمہ گھر کا کام بانٹتے ہیں

After Imam Ali (A.S.) and Lady Fatima al-Zahra (S.A.) were married, they went to the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.) and said, “We would like your advice on how to share the work of our home.”

The Prophet gave the work outside the house to Imam Ali, and the work inside the house to Lady Fatima. Both were happy with his advice. So Imam Ali brought water from the well, fetched firewood and did the shopping, and Lady Fatima ground the barley, baked the bread, cooked, washed and kept the house clean. Whenever Imam Ali had free time, he came and helped her.

One day the Prophet visited and found them working together. He said, “Whichever of you is tired, rest, and I will take your place.” Imam Ali said, “Fatima is tired.” So Lady Fatima rested, and the Prophet of Allah himself sat and did her work.

When their children were born, there was even more to do, and they had no servant. Lady Fatima's hands became sore from the hand mill, and her clothes were dusty from the oven. Imam Ali suggested she ask her father for a helper. She went, but there were many people with the Prophet, and she was too shy to ask in front of them, so she came home.

The Prophet knew she had come for something, so the next morning he visited them. When he heard what they needed, he thought of the poor families of Madinah, and he did not want his own family to live better than them. Instead he said, “Shall I teach you something better than a servant?” And he taught them to say, before sleeping, Allahu Akbar 34 times, Alhamdulillah 33 times and Subhanallah 33 times. This is the Tasbih of Lady Fatima (S.A.).

Lady Fatima answered, three times, “I am pleased with what Allah and His Prophet are pleased with.” You can count this tasbih yourself with the Tasbih counter in our Namaz book.

Source: Bihar al-Anwar, al-Majlisi; retold by Martyr Murtaza Mutahhari in Dastan-e Rastan.

“Have you no care for your wife and children?”

اپنے گھر والوں کو مت چھوڑو

After the Battle of Jamal, Imam Ali (A.S.) came to Basra and visited one of his companions, al-Ala ibn Ziyad, who lived in a large house. Al-Ala said, “O Commander of the Faithful, I have a complaint about my brother Asim.”

“What is wrong with him?” asked the Imam. Al-Ala explained that Asim had put on a rough woollen cloak and left the world behind. He spent his time only in worship and no longer cared for anyone, not even his own wife and children.

The Imam called for Asim. When he came, the Imam said to him firmly, “O little enemy of yourself! Shaytan has led you astray. Have you no pity for your wife and your children? Do you think Allah has made good things lawful for you, and then dislikes you taking them?”

Asim replied, “But O Commander of the Faithful, you yourself wear rough clothes and eat simple food.” The Imam answered, “Woe to you, I am not like you. Allah has made it a duty on just leaders to live like the weakest of the people, so that the poor are not upset by their poverty.”

In other words, the Imam lived simply because he was the ruler of the Muslims and wanted to share the life of the poorest. But Asim was not a ruler; he was a husband and a father, and his duty was to look after his family.

Source: Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 209 (numbered 208 in some editions); Sharh Nahj al-Balagha; retold by Martyr Murtaza Mutahhari in Dastan-e Rastan.

Prophet Yusuf (A.S.) forgives his brothers

حضرت یوسف علیہ السلام اپنے بھائیوں کو معاف کرتے ہیں

Prophet Ya'qub (A.S.) had twelve sons, and he loved young Yusuf (A.S.) very much, because Yusuf was pure and good. His older brothers became jealous. One day they took Yusuf out with them and threw him into a deep well. Then they came home crying and told their father that a wolf had eaten him.

Yusuf did not die. Travellers found him and sold him in Egypt. For many years he faced hard tests, even prison, but he stayed patient and faithful to Allah. In the end Allah made him a trusted minister of Egypt, in charge of its food stores.

Years later a great famine came, and Yusuf's brothers travelled to Egypt to buy grain. They stood in front of the minister without knowing he was their brother. When at last Yusuf told them who he was, they were terrified and ashamed. They had hurt him so badly. Now he had power over them. What would he do?

Yusuf did not shout, punish or remind them of every wrong. He said: “No blame on you today. May Allah forgive you, and He is the Most Merciful of the merciful.” Then he sent his shirt to his father, whose sight had gone from years of weeping, and Ya'qub's sight returned. The whole family came to Egypt and was together again.

Source: The Holy Quran, Surah Yusuf 12.

“First the neighbour, then our home”

پہلے پڑوسی، پھر گھر

Imam Hasan (A.S.) was a young boy. One Thursday night, the night before Friday, he watched his mother, Lady Fatima al-Zahra (S.A.), standing in prayer in a corner of the room, facing the Qibla.

She prayed, bowed in ruku and fell into sajdah, again and again, all through the night. And she made dua. Imam Hasan listened carefully. He heard her mention, one by one, the names of believing men and women, and ask Allah to bless them, help them and grant them good. He stayed awake until morning, but he never once heard her ask for anything for herself.

In the morning he asked her, “Mother, why did you not pray for yourself as you prayed for others?”

Lady Fatima (S.A.) answered with words that are remembered to this day: “My son, first the neighbour, then the home.”

Source: Bihar al-Anwar, al-Majlisi; retold by Martyr Murtaza Mutahhari in Dastan-e Rastan.

The man who carried his furniture into the street

پڑوسی کی شکایت

A man came to the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.) to complain about his neighbour, who kept troubling him and would not let him live in peace. The Prophet said, “Be patient, and do not trouble your neighbour in return. Perhaps he will change.”

The man went home and was patient. But the neighbour did not change, and after a while the man came back with the same complaint. Again the Prophet said, “Be patient.”

When the man came a third time and said that his neighbour was still harming him and his family, the Prophet told him, “On Friday, when people are on their way to the prayer, take your furniture and belongings out of your house and put them in the street. When people ask you why, tell them it is because of your neighbour's harm.”

The man did this. People gathered and asked what had happened, and he told them. Soon the whole town was talking about the neighbour who would not leave his neighbour in peace. The neighbour, who had thought nothing would ever happen to him, came running. He apologised again and again, begged the man to take his things back inside, and promised never to trouble him again.

Source: Usul al-Kafi, al-Kulayni, vol. 2, p. 668, chapter on the rights of the neighbour; retold by Martyr Murtaza Mutahhari in Dastan-e Rastan.

Forty houses in every direction

ہر طرف چالیس گھر

A man from the Ansar of Madinah bought a house in a new part of the city. Soon he found that his nearest neighbour was a troublesome man who was rude to him, and he did not feel safe from his harm. So he came to the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.) for advice.

The Prophet called four of his companions: Imam Ali (A.S.), Salman, Abu Dharr and Miqdad. He told them to go to the mosque and announce in a loud voice to all the men and women: “Whoever's neighbours do not feel safe from his harm has no faith.” They called it out three times.

Then the Prophet pointed in four directions, in front, behind, to the right and to the left, and said that forty houses on every side are neighbours.

Source: Usul al-Kafi, al-Kulayni, vol. 2, p. 666, chapter on the rights of the neighbour; retold by Martyr Murtaza Mutahhari in Dastan-e Rastan.

The scholar who would not eat

وہ عالم جو کھانا نہ کھا سکا

More than two hundred years ago, in the holy city of Najaf, lived a great scholar called Sayyid Mahdi Bahr al-Ulum. One of his students, Sayyid Jawad al-Amili, later became a great scholar himself. One night, as Sayyid Jawad sat down to his dinner, there was a knock at the door. It was his teacher's servant. “Come at once,” he said. “The Sayyid is waiting for you and will not eat until you arrive.”

Sayyid Jawad left his food and hurried to his teacher's house. His teacher, who was always gentle, looked at him sternly and said, “Sayyid Jawad! Do you not fear Allah? Are you not ashamed before Him?”

Sayyid Jawad was astonished. “What have I done?” he asked. His teacher said, “Your neighbour and his family have had no bread or rice for a week. They have been buying dates on credit from the grocer. Tonight the grocer refused to give them any more, and they have gone to bed hungry. And you, living right next to them, did not know!”

Sayyid Jawad said, “I swear I did not know. If I had known, I would have helped.” His teacher answered that not knowing was itself the mistake: a neighbour should know how his neighbours are living.

Then the teacher said, “My servant will carry a large tray of food for you to your neighbour's door, and here is some money. “Knock, and tell him you are sorry you did not look after him as a neighbour should. Eat with him, and leave the money under his mat quietly. I will not eat until you come back and tell me he has eaten.”

Sayyid Jawad did exactly that. That night the hungry family ate, and only then did the great scholar eat his own dinner.

Source: al-Kuna wa al-Alqab, Shaykh Abbas al-Qummi, vol. 2, p. 62; retold by Martyr Murtaza Mutahhari in Dastan-e Rastan.

Two young Imams teach an old man wudu

دو ننھے امام ایک بزرگ کو وضو سکھاتے ہیں

When Imam Hasan and Imam Husain (A.S.) were still young boys, they saw an old man doing wudu. They noticed that he was not doing it correctly.

Teaching someone who does not know is a duty. But the two brothers knew that if they simply told an old man, “You are doing it wrong,” he might feel embarrassed, become upset, or even stop praying altogether. So they thought of a wiser way.

They walked up to him and began a friendly argument where he could hear. One said, “My wudu is better than yours.” The other said, “No, mine is better!” Then they turned to the old man and said, “Please, would you be the judge between us? We will each do wudu in front of you, and you tell us whose is more correct.”

The old man agreed. The two boys did wudu slowly and perfectly, step by step, while he watched. As he watched, the old man understood. He saw what a correct wudu looks like, and he realised that the boys had done this for his sake, so that he could learn without being shamed.

He smiled and said, “Both of your wudus are correct and complete. It was I who did not know how to do it properly. Thank you for teaching me in such a kind way.”

Source: Bihar al-Anwar, al-Majlisi; retold by Martyr Murtaza Mutahhari in Dastan-e Rastan. Children can read more about Imam Hasan and Imam Husain (A.S.) in Ahlulbayt (A.S.) for Kids.

The Prophet joins the circle of learners

نبی اکرم صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ علم کے حلقے میں

One day the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.) came into his mosque in Madinah. In those days the mosque was not only a place of prayer; it was also where Muslims met, learned and heard important news.

Inside, the Prophet saw two groups of people sitting in circles. The people in one circle were busy with worship and dua, praying to Allah. The people in the other circle were busy with learning: some were teaching and others were studying.

The Prophet looked at both groups and was pleased. He said, “Both groups are doing good, and both are on the path of blessing.” Then he added, “But I was sent to teach.”

And the Messenger of Allah went and sat down with the circle of learners.

Source: Munyat al-Murid, al-Shahid al-Thani, p. 10; retold by Martyr Murtaza Mutahhari in Dastan-e Rastan.

“Do not get angry”: the advice that stopped a war

غصہ نہ کرو: وہ نصیحت جس نے جنگ روک دی

A man from the desert tribes travelled all the way to Madinah to ask the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.) for advice. The Prophet gave him just one piece of advice: “Do not get angry.” The man thought it was very little advice for such a long journey, but he went home.

When he reached his tribe, he found terrible news. Some young men of his tribe had stolen from a neighbouring tribe. That tribe had taken revenge, and now both tribes stood facing each other, armed and ready for war.

The man was furious. He put on his armour and took up his weapons to join his people. But as he was about to go, he remembered the words of the Prophet: “Do not get angry.” He stopped and thought, “Why am I so angry? Why am I rushing to fight?”

He calmed down, put his weapons aside and walked over to the leaders of the other tribe. “Why should we kill each other?” he said. “Whatever our young men took or damaged, I will pay for it from my own wealth.”

The other tribe was moved. “We will not be less generous than you,” they said, and they gave up their claim. Both sides went home, and no blood was shed, all because one man remembered three words of the Prophet.

Source: Usul al-Kafi, al-Kulayni, vol. 2, p. 404 (as cited by Mutahhari); retold by Martyr Murtaza Mutahhari in Dastan-e Rastan.

The Prophet and the rude Bedouin

نبی اکرم اور سخت مزاج بدو

A rough man from the desert came to Madinah hoping the Prophet would give him gold or silver. He found the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.) sitting with his companions in the mosque and asked for help. The Prophet gave him something, but the man thought it was too little. He became angry and shouted rude words at the Prophet.

The companions were furious and wanted to punish him, but the Prophet stopped them. Then he took the man to his own home as his guest. In the Prophet's house, the man saw that the Messenger of Allah lived very simply, with no treasures at all. His heart changed, and he thanked the Prophet warmly and said he was satisfied.

The Prophet said to him, “Yesterday you spoke harshly, and my companions were angry with you. Would you say these kind words in front of them, so that their anger goes away?” The man agreed. The next day, in the mosque, he repeated his thanks in front of everyone, and the companions smiled.

Then the Prophet told them a story. “A man's camel ran away. People chased it, shouting, and the more they chased, the faster it ran. The owner said, ‘Leave her to me; I know her better.’ He picked up some fresh grass, walked to the camel gently, held out the grass, and calmly took hold of her rein.”

And the Prophet said, “If I had left you to deal with this man yesterday, you would have harmed him. But I dealt with him with gentleness.”

Source: Kuhl al-Basar fi Sirat Sayyid al-Bashar, Shaykh Abbas al-Qummi, p. 70; retold by Martyr Murtaza Mutahhari in Dastan-e Rastan.

Imam al-Baqir (A.S.) answers a man who mocked him

امام باقر علیہ السلام اور مذاق اڑانے والا

Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (A.S.), the fifth Imam, was called Baqir al-Ulum, “the one who splits open knowledge”, because he explained knowledge so deeply.

One day a Christian man wanted to make fun of him. He twisted the Imam's title and said, “You are baqar,” which means a cow.

The Imam did not become angry. He said calmly, “No, I am not baqar. I am Baqir.”

The man tried again. “You are the son of a cook!” The Imam replied, “That was her work. There is no shame in it.”

Then the man said rude and false things about the Imam's mother. Anyone would be hurt by that. But the Imam answered: “If what you say is true, may Allah forgive her. And if it is false, may Allah forgive you for your lie.”

The man was amazed. He had insulted the Imam three times, and the Imam, who could easily have had him punished, had answered him only with calm words and even a prayer for him. This gentleness touched his heart, and he later became a Muslim.

Source: Bihar al-Anwar, al-Majlisi; retold by Martyr Murtaza Mutahhari in Dastan-e Rastan. Read about Imam al-Baqir (A.S.) in Ahlulbayt (A.S.) for Kids.

Imam Husain (A.S.) and the man from Syria

امام حسین علیہ السلام اور شام کا آدمی

In those days, the rulers of Syria spread lies about Imam Ali (A.S.) and his family for many years, and many people there were taught to hate them. One of them was a man called Isam ibn al-Mustaliq.

Isam came to Madinah. There he saw a man whose face shone with dignity, and he asked who he was. “That is Husain, the son of Ali ibn Abi Talib,” he was told. All the hatred Isam had been taught boiled up inside him. He went up to Imam Husain (A.S.) and insulted him and his father with every bad word he knew.

Imam Husain looked at him with kindness and recited verses of the Quran: “Hold to forgiveness, command what is good, and turn away from the ignorant…” Then he said to him gently, “You have been misled. We ask Allah's forgiveness for ourselves and for you.” And, using the words Prophet Yusuf said to his brothers, he added: “No blame on you today. May Allah forgive you.”

Then the Imam asked, “Are you from Syria?” “Yes,” said Isam. “You are a stranger in our city,” said the Imam. “If you need anything, a place to stay, clothes or money, tell us and we will help you.”

Isam later said, “I felt so ashamed that I wished the earth would open and swallow me. Before that moment, there was no one on earth I hated more than him and his father. After that moment, there was no one on earth I loved more than them.”

Source: Safinat al-Bihar, Shaykh Abbas al-Qummi (entry “Isam”); retold by Martyr Murtaza Mutahhari in Dastan-e Rastan. Read about Imam Husain (A.S.) in Ahlulbayt (A.S.) for Kids.

The friendship that ended with one insult

ایک گالی سے ختم ہونے والی دوستی

Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (A.S.) had a companion who was with him so often that people called him “the Imam's friend”. One day this man walked with the Imam through the shoemakers' market in Madinah. His servant, a man from the land of Sind, walked behind them.

The man turned round to look for his servant, but he was not there. He turned again, and again. The fourth time he saw him, lagging behind, and in his anger he shouted a filthy insult about the servant's mother.

The Imam raised his hand and struck his own forehead in shock. “Subhanallah!” he said. “You insult his mother? I thought you were a man of piety, but I see you have none.”

The man tried to excuse himself. “His mother is from Sind and is not a Muslim,” he said. The Imam answered, “Did you not know that every nation has its own way of marriage? Her marriage was lawful in her own religion.” And then he said: “Stay away from me.”

The narrator says that after that day, no one ever saw them walking together again.

Source: Usul al-Kafi, al-Kulayni, vol. 2, p. 324; Wasa'il al-Shi'ah; retold by Martyr Murtaza Mutahhari in Dastan-e Rastan.

The Prophet gathers the firewood

نبی اکرم لکڑیاں جمع کرتے ہیں

The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.) was on a journey with his companions. When they stopped to rest, they decided to cook a sheep for their meal, and everyone offered to help. One said, “I will slaughter it.” Another said, “I will skin it.” Another said, “I will cook it.”

The Prophet said, “And I will gather the firewood from the desert.”

The companions said, “O Messenger of Allah, please rest! We will do it. It is our honour to serve you.”

The Prophet replied, “I know you would gladly do it. But Allah does not like to see His servant set himself apart from his companions, as though he were better than them.” And he went into the desert and came back carrying the firewood himself.

Source: Kuhl al-Basar fi Sirat Sayyid al-Bashar, Shaykh Abbas al-Qummi, p. 68; retold by Martyr Murtaza Mutahhari in Dastan-e Rastan.

The pilgrim who only prayed

وہ حاجی جو صرف نماز پڑھتا رہا

A man came back from Hajj and visited Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (A.S.). He told the Imam about the journey and about his travelling companions, and he spoke with great admiration about one of them.

“He was a wonderful man,” he said. “Whenever we stopped, he went to a corner, spread his prayer mat and spent all his time in prayer and worship.”

The Imam asked, “Then who did his work for him? Who looked after his camel?”

“We did,” said the man. “We were happy to serve him, so that he could spend all his time in worship.”

The Imam said, “Then all of you were better than him.”

Source: Kuhl al-Basar fi Sirat Sayyid al-Bashar, Shaykh Abbas al-Qummi, p. 69; retold by Martyr Murtaza Mutahhari in Dastan-e Rastan.

Imam al-Kazim (A.S.) works in the field

امام موسیٰ کاظم علیہ السلام کھیت میں

One hot day, a man called Ali ibn Abi Hamza passed by a field and saw Imam Musa al-Kazim (A.S.), the seventh Imam, working the land himself. The Imam was working so hard that sweat was running down from his head to his feet.

Ali ibn Abi Hamza said, “May I be your ransom! Why do you not let others do this work for you?”

The Imam answered, “Why should I let others do it, when people better than me have done this work?”

“Who?” asked Ali ibn Abi Hamza. The Imam said, “The Messenger of Allah, the Commander of the Faithful, and all my fathers. Working the land with one's own hands is the work of the prophets, their successors and the righteous servants of Allah.”

Source: Bihar al-Anwar, al-Majlisi; Wasa'il al-Shi'ah; retold by Martyr Murtaza Mutahhari in Dastan-e Rastan.

Aqil and the hot iron

عقیل اور گرم لوہا

When Imam Ali (A.S.) was the ruler of the Muslims, his older brother Aqil came to him. Aqil had become very poor. He brought his children with him; their hair was untidy and their faces were pale from hunger. Aqil asked his brother to give him a little extra wheat from the public treasury, the Bayt al-Mal, which belonged to all the Muslims.

Aqil asked again and again, and Imam Ali listened. Aqil thought his brother was about to agree. Instead, the Imam heated a piece of iron in the fire and brought it close to Aqil's body, so that he could feel its heat. Aqil cried out in pain.

Imam Ali said: “O Aqil, you cry out because of a piece of iron that a man has heated for a moment. Yet you want to drag me towards the fire that Allah has lit in His anger?”

Imam Ali loved his brother. But the treasury was a trust that belonged to every Muslim, and he would not take one grain of it unfairly, even for his own brother.

Source: Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 224; a related account is retold by Martyr Murtaza Mutahhari in Dastan-e Rastan.

The Commander of the Faithful in court

امیر المومنین عدالت میں

When Imam Ali (A.S.) was the ruler of the Muslims, he lost his armour. Later he saw it with a Christian man in Kufa. The Imam did not order his guards to take it back. Instead, like any ordinary citizen, he took the matter to the judge, Shurayh.

In court, Imam Ali said, “This armour is mine. I have not sold it or given it away.” The judge asked the Christian, “What do you say?” The man said, “The armour is mine. But I do not say that the Commander of the Faithful is lying.”

The judge turned to the Imam. “O Commander of the Faithful, do you have any proof?” Imam Ali laughed and said, “Shurayh is right. I have no proof.” So the judge ruled that the armour belonged to the Christian. The ruler of the whole Muslim land accepted the ruling and did not complain.

The man took the armour and walked away. But after a few steps he came back. “I bear witness,” he said, “that this is the justice of the prophets. The ruler of the believers takes me to his own judge, and the judge rules against him!” Then he said the Shahadatayn and became a Muslim. “The armour is yours, O Commander of the Faithful,” he admitted. “It fell from your camel when you were on your way to Siffin.”

Imam Ali said, “Now that you have become a Muslim, it is yours,” and gave it to him as a gift. The man stayed with the Imam and later fought on his side at the Battle of Nahrawan.

Source: al-Gharat, Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Thaqafi, vol. 1, p. 124; Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 101, p. 290.

The Prophet's patience at Ta'if

طائف میں نبی اکرم کا صبر

In the tenth year of his mission, the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.) lost, within a short time, the two people who had protected and comforted him most: his uncle Hazrat Abu Talib (A.S.) and his wife Lady Khadijah (S.A.). That year is called the Year of Sorrow. With Abu Talib gone, the idol-worshippers of Makkah began to hurt the Prophet more than ever.

So the Prophet travelled to the town of Ta'if, in the mountains near Makkah, to invite its people to Islam. He spoke to their leaders and asked them to believe in One God.

They refused, and mocked him. Worse, they told the foolish people and boys of the town to follow him, shouting and throwing stones at him as he left. His blessed feet were wounded and bleeding.

The Prophet took shelter in a garden outside the town. Tired and hurt, he did not curse the people of Ta'if. He turned to Allah in dua, telling Him of his weakness and asking for His help, and then he returned to Makkah and carried on calling people to Islam.

The Prophet's patience was not weakness. He kept going, year after year, until Islam reached the whole of Arabia, and later Ta'if too.

Source: Bihar al-Anwar, al-Majlisi, vol. 19 (events of the Year of Sorrow and the journey to Ta'if).

The poor man who did not ask

وہ غریب جس نے مانگنے کے بجائے محنت کی

One of the companions of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.) became so poor that he could not feed his wife and children. His wife said, “Why not go to the Prophet and ask him for help?”

So he went. But before he could speak, he heard the Prophet saying to the people: “Whoever asks us, we will give him. But whoever makes himself free of need, Allah will make him free of need.” The man thought about these words and went home without asking.

The next day, still poor, he went again, and again he heard the same words, and again he went home. The third day, the same thing happened. This time he understood: “I must not depend on others. I will trust Allah and use the strength He has given me.”

He borrowed an axe, went out into the desert and gathered firewood. He sold it in the town and bought food for his family. He did this day after day. Soon he saved enough to buy his own axe, then a camel to carry more wood, and later he even hired workers of his own.

One day he met the Prophet and told him what had happened. The Prophet smiled and said, “Did I not tell you: whoever asks us, we will give him, but whoever makes himself free of need, Allah will make him free of need?”

Source: Usul al-Kafi, al-Kulayni, vol. 2, p. 139; Safinat al-Bihar; retold by Martyr Murtaza Mutahhari in Dastan-e Rastan.

Imam al-Sadiq (A.S.) leaves the feast

امام صادق علیہ السلام دعوت چھوڑ دیتے ہیں

The ruler Mansur often forced Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (A.S.) to come from Madinah to Iraq, so that he could keep an eye on him. During one of these visits, an army commander held a great feast to celebrate his son's circumcision. He invited the most important people of the city, and the Imam was among the guests.

The food was served, and everyone began to eat. Then one of the guests asked for a drink of water, and instead of water he was handed a glass of wine.

At once, Imam al-Sadiq (A.S.) stood up and left the table, in the middle of the meal. The hosts hurried after him and begged him to come back, but he refused. He explained that the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.) had said that whoever sits at a table where wine is drunk is far from Allah's mercy.

The Imam was polite, but he did not stay where Allah was being disobeyed, however important the people were.

Source: Bihar al-Anwar, al-Majlisi; the hadith is in Furu' al-Kafi, al-Kulayni, vol. 6, p. 268; retold by Martyr Murtaza Mutahhari in Dastan-e Rastan.

Imam Ali (A.S.) walks with a stranger

امام علی علیہ السلام اور ہم سفر

On the road to Kufa, a Muslim and a non-Muslim, a man from the People of the Book, met and began to travel together. They talked about many things in a friendly way. The non-Muslim said he was going to a place near Kufa, and the Muslim said he was going to Kufa itself.

When they reached the place where the road divided, the non-Muslim was surprised to see that his companion did not take the road to Kufa but kept walking beside him. “Did you not say you were going to Kufa?” he asked. “Yes,” said the Muslim. “Then why are you coming this way? The road to Kufa is over there!”

The Muslim answered, “I know. But our Prophet taught us that when two people travel together, each has a right over the other. You have been my companion, so I wanted to walk a few steps with you to honour that right. Then I will go on my way.”

The man was deeply moved. “If your Prophet taught such beautiful manners, no wonder his religion has spread so quickly,” he said. Then he discovered who his companion was: it was Ali ibn Abi Talib (A.S.), the ruler of the Muslims himself. He became a Muslim and one of the Imam's devoted companions.

Source: Usul al-Kafi, al-Kulayni, vol. 2, p. 670, chapter on good companionship; retold by Martyr Murtaza Mutahhari in Dastan-e Rastan.

Water for a thirsty Christian

پیاسے عیسائی کو پانی

Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (A.S.) was travelling between Makkah and Madinah with his helper, Musadif. On the way they saw a man lying at the foot of a tree, weak and exhausted.

The Imam said, “Let us go to him. Perhaps he is suffering from thirst.” They went to him, and the Imam told Musadif to get down and give him water. Musadif did so. From the man's appearance and clothing, they could see that he was a Christian.

As they rode on, Musadif asked, “Is it allowed to give charity to a Christian?” The Imam answered, “Yes, when there is a need like this one.”

Source: Wasa'il al-Shi'ah, al-Hurr al-Amili; retold by Martyr Murtaza Mutahhari in Dastan-e Rastan.

Three nights without food: the story of Surah al-Insan

سورۂ دہر: تین راتیں بھوکے

Once, Imam Hasan and Imam Husain (A.S.) fell ill when they were children. Imam Ali and Lady Fatima (A.S.) made a vow to Allah that if their sons got better, they would fast for three days in thanks. The two boys and the family's helper, Fiddah, made the same vow.

Allah cured the children, and the whole family began to fast. There was hardly any food in the house, so Imam Ali brought some barley, and Lady Fatima ground it and baked a few small loaves of bread.

At sunset on the first day, as they sat down to break their fast, there was a knock at the door. A poor man stood there and said, “Peace be upon you, O family of Muhammad. I am a poor Muslim. Feed me, and may Allah feed you.” The family gave him all their bread, and broke their fast with only water.

On the second evening, an orphan knocked and asked for food. Again they gave him all their bread, and drank only water. On the third evening, a captive came, and once more they gave everything away.

The next day, when the Prophet saw how weak they were from hunger, he was moved. Then Jibrail came down with a surah of the Quran about this family: Surah al-Insan, also called Surah al-Dahr.

Source: The Holy Quran, Surah al-Insan 76:5–12; al-Amali, Shaykh al-Saduq; Tafsir al-Qummi.

The stranger who carried the water

پانی کا مشکیزہ اٹھانے والا اجنبی

One day Imam Ali (A.S.) saw a woman struggling along a street in Kufa with a heavy water-skin on her shoulder. He took it from her and carried it to her house. On the way he asked about her life. She said her husband had been sent by Ali to one of the frontiers and had been killed. “Now I am alone with little orphans,” she said, “and I work in other people's houses to feed them.”

Imam Ali went home, but he could not rest that night. In the morning he filled a basket with flour, meat and dates and carried it on his own back. Someone offered to carry it for him. He said, “And who will carry my burden for me on the Day of Judgement?”

He knocked at the widow's door. “I am the man who carried your water yesterday,” he said. “I have brought some food for the children.” She thanked him and said, “Either knead the dough, or look after the children.” He sat with the orphans, fed them meat and dates with his own hands and played with them gently.

When the dough was ready, she asked him to light the oven. As the fire blazed up, the Imam brought his face close to its heat and said to himself, “Taste this, Ali. This is the punishment for one who neglects widows and orphans.”

Just then a neighbour came in and recognised him. “Do you not know who this is?” she said to the widow. “This is the Commander of the Faithful, Ali ibn Abi Talib!” The widow cried out, “I am so ashamed!” Imam Ali said, “No, it is I who am ashamed before you, for I fell short in my duty to you.”

Source: al-Manaqib, Ibn Shahrashub, vol. 2, p. 115; Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 41, p. 52; retold by Martyr Murtaza Mutahhari in Dastan-e Rastan (“The Stranger”).

The answer the Imam held back

وہ جواب جو امام نے روکے رکھا

A man called Abd al-A'la ibn A'yan travelled from Kufa to Madinah to see Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (A.S.). The Shia of Kufa had given him a list of written questions, and one more question to ask in person: “What are the rights of a Muslim over his Muslim brother?”

The Imam answered all the written questions, but said nothing about the last one. The next day, the same. When Abd al-A'la came to say goodbye, he reminded the Imam, “You have not answered our last question.”

The Imam said, “I did not answer on purpose, because I fear that I will tell you the truth and you will not act on it.” Then he said that the hardest duties Allah has placed on people are three:

• Fairness to your brother: to want for him what you want for yourself.
• Sharing: not holding back your wealth from your brother when he needs it.
• Remembering Allah at every moment: not only saying “Subhanallah” and “Alhamdulillah”, but remembering Allah so that, when you face something haram, that remembrance stops you.

Source: Usul al-Kafi, al-Kulayni, vol. 2, p. 170; retold by Martyr Murtaza Mutahhari in Dastan-e Rastan.

Zainab and the word “uff”

زینب اور لفظ “اُف”

Zainab was ten and lived in Birmingham with her parents, her little brother and her grandmother, whom everyone called Nano. One Saturday she was building a castle in her favourite game on the tablet when her mother called from the kitchen.

“Zainab, could you set the table, please?”

“In a minute!” Zainab called back, without looking up.

A few minutes later: “Zainab, the food is getting cold.”

“Uff, Mum! I said in a minute!”

The house went quiet. Her mother set the table herself and said nothing. But Nano, sitting on the sofa with her tasbih, looked at Zainab with sad eyes and patted the seat next to her.

“Do you know,” Nano said softly, “that the little word you just said is in the Quran?” Zainab was surprised. Nano opened her Quran to Surah al-Isra and read: “Do not say ‘uff’ to them, and do not shout at them, but speak to them with noble words.”

“Allah is talking about parents,” Nano explained. “Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (A.S.) said that ‘uff’ is the very smallest way of hurting a parent, and if there were anything smaller, Allah would have forbidden that too.”

Zainab felt her cheeks grow hot. “But I was busy, Nano.”

“Your mother was busy too,” said Nano with a smile. “She was busy cooking for you.”

Zainab put the tablet down, went into the kitchen and hugged her mother. “Sorry, Mum. Next time I'll come the first time.” Her mother kissed her head. “Thank you, my jaan.”

That night Zainab made a little card and stuck it on her door: First call = first answer. And she added the dua Nano taught her from the same surah: “My Lord, have mercy on them as they raised me when I was small.”

Source: An imagined story about everyday life. The teachings in it are real: the Holy Quran, Surah al-Isra 17:23–24; Usul al-Kafi, al-Kulayni, vol. 2, p. 348.

The week Hamza said “no”

وہ ہفتہ جب حمزہ ہر بات پر “نہیں” کہتا تھا

Hamza was nine and lived in Toronto. He was clever, funny and good at football. But lately, at home, he had become very difficult.

When his mother put dinner on the table, he pushed his plate away: “I don't like this.” When his father said it was homework time, he groaned and dropped onto the floor. When it was time for bed, he argued for twenty minutes. And when his little sister touched his things, he slammed his door so hard that the pictures shook. Every day there was a fuss about something.

One evening Hamza came downstairs for water and heard his mother on the phone to his grandmother in Lahore. Her voice was tired. “I don't know what to do, Ammi,” she was saying. “Every little thing becomes a fight. I just pray for him every night.”

Hamza stood very still. His mother was praying for him, every night, even after the fuss and the slammed doors.

The next day his father sat down with him. He did not shout. He opened the Quran and showed Hamza how Allah describes Prophet Yahya (A.S.): “dutiful to his parents, and he was not arrogant or disobedient.” “Allah praised a prophet for being good to his parents,” said his father. “That is how important it is. Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (A.S.) even said that if someone looks at his parents with an angry, hateful look, Allah does not accept his prayer, even if the parents were unfair to him.”

“But sometimes I really don't like the food,” said Hamza quietly.

“Then you can say so politely,” his father said. “‘Mum, I don't like this very much. Could I have a little less?’ That is not a fuss. A fuss is when we shout, sulk, slam doors or say hurtful words. You are allowed to have feelings. Islam teaches us how to share them with respect.”

That week Hamza and his father made a chart called “No-fuss days”. For every day without shouting or slamming, Hamza drew a star. On Friday he had five stars, and his mother cooked his favourite biryani. Hamza went into the kitchen, put his arms round her and said, “Thank you, Mum. And… sorry for this week.”

His mother smiled with tears in her eyes. “That,” she said, “is the best answer to my dua.”

Source: An imagined story about everyday life. The teachings in it are real: the Holy Quran, Surah Maryam 19:14; Usul al-Kafi, al-Kulayni, vol. 2, p. 349.

Ali, Abbas and the game controller

علی، عباس اور گیم کنٹرولر

Ali was eleven and his brother Abbas was eight. They lived in London, shared a bedroom and loved the same video game, which was exactly the problem.

One rainy Sunday, Ali had been playing for an hour. “My turn!” said Abbas. “In a minute,” said Ali. Twenty minutes later Abbas grabbed the controller. Ali pulled it back, Abbas fell against the bed, and in a moment both boys were shouting and Abbas was crying.

Their father came in, switched off the screen and sat on the bed between them. “Who wants to tell me what happened?” Both started talking at once, each blaming the other.

When they were calm, their father said, “Let me read you something Imam Zain al-Abideen (A.S.) wrote. He wrote a letter called the Treatise of Rights, about what we owe to every person in our lives. About a brother, he wrote: ‘Know that he is your hand that you stretch out, your back that you lean on, and your strength that you rely on.’”

He looked at Ali. “Your hand. Your back. Your strength. Would you hurt your own hand over a game?” Then he looked at Abbas. “And would you grab something from your own strength?”

The boys looked at each other and couldn't help smiling. They agreed on a rule: thirty minutes each, with a timer, and the one waiting chooses the next game.

A few weeks later, an older boy in the park pushed Abbas off the swing. Before Abbas could even cry, Ali was there, standing beside him, calm but firm. “Leave my brother alone.” Walking home, Abbas held his hand. “You really are my back,” he said. Ali laughed. “And you're my hand, so stop grabbing the controller.”

Source: An imagined story about everyday life. The teaching in it is real: Risalat al-Huquq of Imam Zain al-Abideen (A.S.), in Tuhaf al-Uqul, Ibn Shu'bah al-Harrani.

Fatima's Sunday calls

فاطمہ کی اتوار والی کالیں

Fatima was ten and lived in Sydney. Her grandparents, Nani and Nana, lived thousands of kilometres away in Karachi. Every Sunday her mother rang them, and every Sunday Fatima tried to hide in her room.

“Come and say salaam to Nani,” her mother would call. “I'm busy!” Fatima would answer. The truth was, she found the calls boring. Her Urdu was not very good, the line sometimes crackled, and Nani always asked the same questions.

One Sunday her mother came into her room and sat down. “Do you know what Allah says about family?” she asked. She read from Surah al-Nisa: “Be mindful of Allah, in whose name you ask one another, and of the ties of kinship.” “Allah puts our relatives right next to His own name,” she said. “Keeping in touch with them is called silat al-rahim, and the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.) said: ‘Keep ties with your relatives, even if only by saying salaam.’”

“Even just salaam?” asked Fatima. “Even just salaam,” said her mother. “And do you know what Nani does after every call? She tells all the aunties, ‘My Fatima said salaam to me!’ It makes her whole week.”

Fatima had never thought of that. The next Sunday she came to the phone herself. “Assalamu alaikum, Nani!” Nani's face lit up on the screen. Fatima had prepared three questions in Urdu: “How are you? What did you cook today? Can you teach me a dua?”

Nani laughed with joy, and taught her a short dua. Fatima wrote it in her notebook. Every Sunday after that, Nani taught her one new dua or one new Urdu word, and Fatima told Nani about school. By the end of the year Fatima's notebook was full, and she no longer hid on Sundays. Sunday had become her favourite day.

Source: An imagined story about everyday life. The teachings in it are real: the Holy Quran, Surah al-Nisa 4:1; Usul al-Kafi, al-Kulayni, vol. 2, p. 155.

Mahdi visits his cousin in hospital

مہدی اپنے کزن کی عیادت کو جاتا ہے

Mahdi was eleven and lived near Detroit. On Saturday mornings he played football with his friends, and nothing was allowed to get in the way, until the Saturday his cousin Hussain broke his leg falling off his bike and ended up in hospital.

“We're going to visit Hussain after lunch,” his father said. Mahdi's face fell. “But Dad, it's the big match today!”

His father thought for a moment. “You can play in the morning. But after lunch we visit Hussain. Do you know how much reward there is in visiting someone who is ill? Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (A.S.) said that a believer who visits a sick brother walks into Allah's mercy, and when he sits beside him, that mercy covers him completely.”

Mahdi played his match, but on the way to the hospital he still felt a little grumpy. Then he saw Hussain in the bed, his leg in a big white cast, looking pale and bored. Hussain's whole face changed when he saw Mahdi. “You came!”

Mahdi had brought him a comic and a bag of his favourite crisps, checked first with his aunt. He signed his name on the cast and drew a football next to it. He told Hussain all about the match, and they laughed so much that the nurse put her head round the door.

His father had told him the manners of visiting the sick: don't stay too long and tire them, ask if they need anything, and make dua for them. So after half an hour Mahdi said, “I'll come again on Wednesday,” and before leaving he put his hand gently on Hussain's arm and quietly asked Allah to heal him.

In the car, Mahdi was quiet for a while. Then he said, “Dad, that was better than the match.”

Source: An imagined story about everyday life. The teaching in it is real: Furu' al-Kafi, al-Kulayni, vol. 3, book of funerals, chapter on visiting the sick.

Sara and Mrs Thompson

سارہ اور اس کی استانی

Sara was nine and went to a school in Manchester. Her class teacher was Mrs Thompson, who was not a Muslim. Mrs Thompson was kind but strict, and some children in the class laughed behind her back, chatted while she was talking and rolled their eyes at her rules. Sometimes, without really thinking, Sara joined in.

One evening at her Quran class, her teacher, Maulana Sahib, told the students about a famous letter by Imam Zain al-Abideen (A.S.), the Treatise of Rights. “The Imam wrote about the rights of your teacher,” he said, “and he said that your teacher's right over you is that you honour him, respect his class, listen to him well and pay full attention to him.”

A boy asked, “Does that mean only our Quran teacher?” Maulana Sahib smiled. “The Imam is talking about anyone who teaches you something good. Your school teachers teach you to read, to count and to understand Allah's creation. They have rights over you too, whatever their religion.”

Sara thought about Mrs Thompson all the way home. The next morning, when the other girls whispered during the lesson, Sara looked at the board and listened. When Mrs Thompson asked a question, Sara put up her hand. At the end of the day she said, “Thank you, Mrs Thompson.” Mrs Thompson looked surprised and then smiled widely. “Thank you, Sara.”

A few weeks later, Sara politely asked if she could use a quiet room at lunchtime to pray Zuhr in winter, when the prayer time came during school. Mrs Thompson helped her find a place. “You're always so respectful,” she said. “I'm happy to help.” Sara realised that respect had opened a door for her faith.

Source: An imagined story about everyday life. The teaching in it is real: Risalat al-Huquq of Imam Zain al-Abideen (A.S.), in Tuhaf al-Uqul.

Yusuf and the new boy

یوسف اور نیا لڑکا

Yusuf was eleven and lived in Leeds. In the autumn a new boy called Daniel joined his class. Daniel had moved from another country, spoke with a strong accent and wore glasses that were a little too big for him.

Within a week, a group of boys had started picking on him. They copied his accent, hid his bag and laughed when he walked past. Daniel began to eat his lunch alone and stare at the ground.

Yusuf felt bad every time he saw it, but he did nothing. “It's not my business,” he told himself. “If I say something, they'll pick on me too.”

That Friday his mother asked why he looked so worried, and he told her. She went to the bookshelf and brought Nahj al-Balagha. “When Imam Ali (A.S.) was dying,” she said, “he left a last will for his sons, Imam Hasan and Imam Husain. In it he said: ‘Be an enemy of the oppressor, and a helper of the oppressed.’”

“But I can't fight them,” said Yusuf. “You don't need to fight anyone,” said his mother. “Helping the oppressed can mean sitting with Daniel so he isn't alone. It can mean saying ‘Stop it’ calmly. And it means telling a teacher. That isn't telling tales; it is protecting someone.”

On Monday, Yusuf took his lunch tray and sat down next to Daniel. “Hi, I'm Yusuf. Do you like football?” Daniel looked up, surprised, and slowly smiled. When the group came over and started copying Daniel's voice, Yusuf said, “That's not funny. Leave him alone.” Then he went with Daniel to tell their teacher, who dealt with it that same day.

By the end of term, Daniel was in the football team, and he and Yusuf were good friends.

Source: An imagined story about everyday life. The teaching in it is real: Nahj al-Balagha, Letter 47.

Zahra and the class project

زہرا اور کلاس پروجیکٹ

Zahra was eleven and lived in Auckland. Her class had boys and girls in it, and that year the teacher put her in a group for a science project with two girls and a boy called Liam.

The group worked well together in class. Liam was polite and funny, and Zahra was polite and helpful to him, as she was to everyone. Then, one evening, Liam sent her a private message: “Do you want to be best friends? We can chat every night.” Zahra did not know what to say, so she showed her mother.

Her mother was not angry. She sat down with Zahra and said, “It's good that you told me. Liam isn't a bad boy. But Islam has wise rules for how boys and girls who are not family behave with each other, and they protect our hearts as we grow up.”

She explained: “You should be kind, polite and fair to every classmate, boy or girl. You can work together on a project in class, answer questions and help each other with schoolwork. But close friendships, private chats, spending time alone together or sharing personal things are kept for friends of your own gender, and for family. Allah tells both believing men and believing women in the Quran to lower their gaze. That means being modest in how we look, how we speak and how we behave.”

“Is it because boys are bad?” asked Zahra. “No,” smiled her mother. “It's because modesty, haya, is beautiful. The Imams taught that modesty is part of faith. These rules are the same for boys: your cousin Ahmed has the same rules with girls.”

Zahra wrote back politely: “Thanks, Liam! I'm happy to work together on our project in class. In my family, my close friends are girls, so I won't chat every night. See you at school!” The next day Liam just said, “No worries,” and they finished their project together. It came second in the whole school.

Source: An imagined story about everyday life. The teachings in it are real: the Holy Quran, Surah al-Nur 24:30–31; Usul al-Kafi, al-Kulayni, vol. 2, p. 106.

Abbas at the birthday party

عباس سالگرہ کی دعوت میں

Abbas was nine and lived in Birmingham. His friend Oliver invited the whole class to his birthday party at a burger restaurant and play centre. Abbas really wanted to go, but he was worried. “The burgers won't be halal,” he told his mother. “What will I eat? Everyone will look at me.”

His mother said, “We'll make a plan. Allah tells us in the Quran: ‘O people, eat of what is on the earth, lawful and good.’ Eating halal is part of our worship. You can still go to the party and have fun, and you can still be a good friend to Oliver.”

First, Abbas's mother messaged Oliver's mum to say thank you for the invitation, and explained kindly that Abbas only eats halal food. Oliver's mum was very understanding and said she would order him a vegetarian option.

Next, they talked about sweets. “Many sweets, like some jelly sweets and marshmallows, are made with gelatine from pork,” his mother said. “So check the packet, or take a few of your own halal sweets in your pocket to share.”

Finally, they practised what to say. “If someone asks why you're not eating the burger, you don't need to be shy. Just smile and say, ‘I'm Muslim, and I only eat halal food. My veggie wrap is really nice!’”

At the party, a boy asked exactly that. Abbas smiled and gave the answer they had practised. “Oh, cool,” said the boy, and went back to the slide. Nobody laughed. Abbas had a brilliant time, gave Oliver a present, and shared his halal sweets with everyone at the end.

At home, his mother told him the true story of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (A.S.), who politely stood up and left a grand feast when wine was served. “The Imams always kept Allah's rules,” she said, “and they did it with good manners. That's what you did today.”

Source: An imagined story about everyday life. The teachings in it are real: the Holy Quran, Surah al-Baqarah 2:168; see also the true story “Imam al-Sadiq (A.S.) leaves the feast” in this book.

Hasan welcomes Bilal

حسن، بلال کو خوش آمدید کہتا ہے

Hasan was ten and went to the Islamic centre in Toronto every weekend with his father. One Saturday, a new boy he had never seen before was standing alone by the door. His name was Bilal, and his family had just moved to the city.

When the Zuhr prayer began, Hasan noticed that Bilal prayed in a different way: he folded his hands, and he did not use a turbah. One of the boys at the back whispered, “He's not one of us,” and another giggled.

After the prayer, Hasan's father called the boys together. He did not tell anyone off. Instead he said, “Do you know what Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (A.S.) told his Shia about other Muslims? He said: ‘Pray in their mosques, visit their sick, and attend their funerals.’ The Imam wanted us to be good neighbours and brothers to all Muslims.”

He went on: “The Imams also taught that the believers are like one body: when one part hurts, the whole body feels it. Bilal is our brother in Islam. He believes in Allah, in the Prophet, in the Quran and in the Day of Judgement, just like us. A guest in our centre should feel at home.”

The boy who had giggled looked at the floor. Hasan went over to Bilal. “Assalamu alaikum! I'm Hasan. Do you want to come to our Quran circle? And afterwards we play basketball.” Bilal's face lit up. “Wa alaikum assalam! Yes, please.”

That afternoon Bilal learned the names of half the boys, laughed at their jokes and played on Hasan's team. When his father came to collect him, Bilal ran to him. “Baba, can we come back next week?”

Source: An imagined story about everyday life. The teaching in it is real: Usul al-Kafi, al-Kulayni, vol. 2, chapter on good dealings with people.

Maryam and the class group chat

مریم اور کلاس کا گروپ چیٹ

Maryam was twelve and lived in Sydney. Like most children in her class, she was in a group chat for homework and news. One evening, someone posted a photo of a girl in their class, Chloe, from a school trip. In the photo Chloe's hair was messy and her eyes were half closed.

Within minutes, the messages poured in. “LOL look at her!” “She always looks like that 😂.” Someone added a nasty sticker. Maryam's thumb hovered over the laughing emoji. Everyone else was doing it. It would only take a second.

Then she remembered what her father had read to the family only last week, from Surah al-Hujurat: “Do not backbite one another. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it.” Her father had explained that backbiting, gheebah, is saying something about a person behind their back that they would not like, even if it is true. And he had told them the saying of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.): “Backbiting eats away a Muslim's faith faster than a disease eats away the body.”

Maryam took her thumb away. Instead, she typed: “Guys, this isn't nice. Imagine if it was you. Let's not.” For a moment nobody replied. Then one girl wrote, “Yeah, true. Sorry.” Someone deleted the photo.

Later, Maryam sent Chloe a private message: “Hey, just wanted to say I really liked your project today 🙂.” Chloe replied with a smiley face and “thanks, that made my day.”

At dinner Maryam told her parents what had happened. Her father said, “The rules of Islam don't stop at the front door of our phones. No mocking, no lies, no backbiting, and no sharing other people's photos or secrets. You did a very brave thing tonight.”

Source: An imagined story about everyday life. The teachings in it are real: the Holy Quran, Surah al-Hujurat 49:12; Usul al-Kafi, al-Kulayni, vol. 2, p. 357.