NAILS IN THE FENCE--AND OTHER LESSONS/STORIES

[- Femme -]

NAIL IN THE FENCE

 

A Good Story for Great Friends.....

 

There once was a little girl who had a bad temper. Her mother gave her a bag of nails and told her that every time she lost her temper, she just hammer a nail into the back of the fence. The first day the girl had driven 37 nails into the fence.

 

Over the next few weeks, as she learned to control her anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. She discovered it was easier to hold her temper than to drive those nails into the fence.

 

Finally the day came when the girl didn't lose her temper at all. She told her mother about it and the mother suggested that the girl now pull

out one nail for each day that she was able to hold her temper. The day passed and the young girl was finally able to tell her mother that all

the nails were gone. The mother took her daughter by the hand and led her to the fence.

 

She said, "You have done well, my daughter, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger,

they leave a scar just like this one." You can put a knife in a person and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.

 

Curb your tongue at all times..but this lesson is particulary important in this Holy Month of RAMADHAN

 

RAMADHAN KAREEM ALL

[- Femme -]

I asked God to take away my pride. ALLAH said "NO"

It is not for me to take away, but for you to give it up.

 

I asked ALLAH to make my handicapped child whole. ALLAH said "No". Her spirit was whole, her body was only temporary.

 

I asked ALLAH to grant me patience. ALLAH said "No". Patience is a by product of tribulations; it isn't granted, it is earned.

 

I asked ALLAH to give me happiness. ALLAH said "No". I give you blessings, happiness is up to you.

 

I asked ALLAH to spare me pain. ALLAH said "No". Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to me.

 

I asked ALLAH to make my spirit grow. ALLAH said "No". You must grow on your own, but I will prune you to make you fruitful.

 

I asked for all things that I might enjoy life. ALLAH said "No". I will give you life so that you may enjoy all things.

 

I ask ALLAH to help me LOVE others, as much as he loves me. ALLAH said... Ahhhh, finally you have the idea!

 

Anonymous

[- Femme -]

What if ALLAH couldn't take the time to bless us today because we couldn't take the time to thank HIM yesterday?

 

What if ALLAH decided to stop leading us tomorrow because we didn't follow HIM today?

 

What if we never saw another flower bloom because we grumbled when ALLAH sent the rain?

 

What if ALLAH didn't walk with us today because we failed to recognize it as His day?

 

What if ALLAH took away His message because we failed to listen to the messenger?

 

What if ALLAH stopped loving and caring for us because we failed to love and care for others?

 

What if ALLAH would not hear us today because we would not listen to Him yesterday?

 

What if ALLAH answered our prayers the way we answer His call to service?

 

What if ALLAH met our needs the way we give Him our lives???

 

Anonymous

[- Femme -]

He was a student, probably in his early twenties. I didn't know his name--I really didn't care. All I know is he was going for a lay-up while playing basketball, lost his balance and fell on the ground--flat on his back.

 

We thought he would shake it off and continue the game--so no one really cared. To everyones surprise, he never got up. At first a few people on his team (later everyone) went up to him but he just wouldn't reply.

 

CPR did no good. The ambulance personel couldn't save him from dying. The result at the ER was no better. HE WAS DEAD!

 

As I came home tonight, I thought to myself, it could have been me going up for that lay-up. It is very possible that I could be laying in the cold city morgue, right this minute, as I type this e-mail.

 

Am I ready to die? Did I communicate with Allah today? Did I perform my daily prayers? Did I seek the pleasure of Allah?

 

Did I treat my parents and family with respect and love? Did I give any at all in charity (sadaqa) today? How many times did I remember Allah and recount His name?

 

The entire day I made time to go to school, check my e-mail, read the news, chat with friends, watch TV, play basketball.......but did I even once say "Estagfirullah"? Did I ask Allah to forgive the sins that I've commited today? NO! Not once.

 

Did I say "Elhamdulillah" other than in my daily prayers? NO! Not once my friends. Would you like to know why? Because I was too caught up with myself and my daily activities.

 

Well, guess what. I could have lost my life during a lay-up in a basketball game and what do I have with me? Not a thing. Nothing that I did today do I get to bring with me to the grave. Nothing.

 

A few words that I could have uttered were the only things that I could have brought with me. A few words that would've taken a few seconds of concentration out of the 24 hrs. that was alloted to me.

 

A few cents in charity instead of cold drinks and candy bars could have saved my soul. But I insisted to continue with my careless attitude. Thank God it wasn't my turn to go, because I sure wasn't ready.

 

Now I close my eyes and say Elhamdulillah. Now I look back and say Estagfirullah. Now I have a different attitude. Now, I want to prepare for my turn.

 

Did you perform your prayers today? Did you give in charity and love? Did you ask for forgiveness yet? Do you care? I'm asking because I don't want to see you fall, knowing you aren't ready for your turn.

 

Anonymous

 

Are you ready for your turn? You never know when you time is up...dont waste your precious moments here. THE only reason we were created is to WORSHIP ALLAH ...everything else is just secondary.

 

May the Peace and Mercy of Allah be upon us all.

[NoVa]

i'm lovin' each story...keep them comin'sista...love readin' these kind of stories....such a movin', so emotional' so true...each one i thought it was talking bout me....ya know how life became so bussy now days and how one can forget 2'even say 'alxamdulilaah'everyday...ma'sha allah' sista keep postin' more insha allah' i'll lookin'forward'2 it....till next time macsalaama'

 

Ramadaan Kariim

[Qac Qaac]

i like this.. we all are in ramadaan spirit..

 

I hope we are like this, even after ramadaan...

[- Femme -]

NoVa: Here it is Sis P.S. You guys can post any short stories you want.

 

 

Imagine...

you're on a road... where does it lead? It leads to the ONE who gave you life... no, not your mother from whose womb you came, nor is it your father who raised you and taught you... it is the ONE... who created your mother and father... who gave you life...who gave you your soul... who gave you the air to breathe...who gave you water to drink... and things to eat in such a great variety... and gave you other creatures to serve you... and beautiful things to please your eyes and your heart... and created a mate for you...and gave you intelligence and emotions and thoughts and the ability to love and think and reason... who created the world for you... He even created the ROAD!!!... so that you can follow it and go to HIM!!!

 

The road leads to HIM!

 

 

Imagine...

the road has other roads that lead you away from HIM... some are detours... some are dead ends... some lead you away from HIM completely, in the other direction... there are things which seem so attractive there... they beguile you.. and call you...on these roads are many things... things created by HIM... things created by other people... things which tempt you and attract you.

 

Some people stray from the road intentionally... they do not care to follow the road and go to HIM... some stray from the road and get lost forever... some cannot resist the temptations of the branching roads.

 

Some take the roads which lead them nowhere... some take the roads which take them away from HIM... they love what is found on these roads more than they love HIM... some even STAND STILL on the main road and they stay there... they love the ROAD more than they love HIM...

 

These will never reach their destination.

 

You must try to stay on the road that leads to HIM... because HE is your destination... if you love the creation more than the Creator, then you will never reach the Creator... if you love the Creator and want to reach HIM, you must stay on the road that leads to HIM and do not STRAY from it and do not STAND on it, admiring it... you have to WALK the path!!! You have to get there BEFORE it gets DARK!!!

 

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds,

The Beneficent, the Merciful:

Owner of the Day of Judgment,

Thee (alone) we worship; Thee alone we ask for help.

Show us the straight path,

The path of those whom Thou hast favored; Not (the path) of those who earn Thine anger nor of those who go astray.

 

Anonymous

[- Femme -]

A Stranger

 

A few months before I was born, my dad met a stranger and invited him to our home. From the beginning, dad was fascinated with this enchanting newcomer and soon invited him to live with our family. The stranger was quickly accepted and was around to welcome me into the world a few months later.

 

As I grew up, I never questioned his place in our family. In my young mind, each member had a special niche. My brother, Yusuf, five years my senior, was my example. Samya, my younger sister, gave me an opportunity to play big sibling and develop the art of teasing. My parents were complimentary instructors--mom taught me to love Allah (SWT), and dad taught me to obey Him. But the stranger was our storyteller. He could weave the most fascinating tales. Adventures, mysteries, and comedies were daily conversations. He could hold our whole family spellbound for hours each evening. If I wanted to know about politics, history, or science, he knew it. He knew about the past and seemed to know about the present. The pictures he could draw were so lifelike that I would often cry or laugh as I watched. He was like a friend to the whole family. He took dad, Yusuf and me to our first major league baseball game. He was always encouraging us to see the movies and he even made arrangements to introduce us to several famous people. The stranger was an incessant talker. Dad didn't seem to mind, but mom would quietly get up-----while the rest of us were enthralled with one of his stories of faraway places-----go to her room and, read the Qur'an. I wonder now if she ever prayed that the stranger would leave. You see, my dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions. But this stranger never felt obligation to honor them. Profanity, for example, was not allowed in our house---not from us, from our friends, or adults. Our longtime visitor---however, used occasional four letter words that burned my ears and made dad squirm. To my knowledge, the stranger was never confronted. My dad was a teetotaler who didn't permit alcohol in his home--not even for cooking. But the stranger felt like we needed exposure and enlightened us to other ways of life. He offered us beer and other alcoholic beverages often. He made cigarettes look tasty, cigars manly, and pipes distinguished. He talked freely about premarital relationships. His comments were sometimes blatant, sometimes suggestive, and generally embarrassing. I know now that my early concepts of the man-woman relationship were influenced by the stranger.

 

As I look back, I believe it was Allah (SWT)'s Mercy that the stranger did not influence us more. Time after time, he opposed the values of my parents. Yet, he was seldom rebuked and never asked to leave. Many years have passed since the stranger moved in with the young family on Morningside Drive. He is not so nearly intriguing to my dad as he was in those early years. But if I were to walk in my parents' den today, you would see him sitting over in a corner, waiting for someone to listen to him talk and watch him draw his pictures.

 

HIS NAME YOU ASK......???????

 

 

We call him TV. It makes you think....doesn't it.....

 

Anonymous