Alhamdulillah, Sister Shamima Rasoolbhoy has allowed me to reproduce some of the stories from her egroup Kids Islamic Stories.

Please note: All stories can be printed and used at home and in classrooms for non-commercial purposes only. This document may be distributed in any form, as long as there is no charge. Please give due credit to the author(s) and Kids Islamic Stories without alteration or omission.

The Mad Fence
a folktale rewritten by Norma Tarazi

Once there was and once there wasn’t, a long time ago, a young boy named Tariq with a VERY bad temper. When his mother called him to get up for school in the morning, he would yell at her, “I’m up! Leave me alone!” even though he had just opened his eyes.

If he wanted spaghetti when his mother made macaroni and cheese, he would get mad at her for not asking him before cooking.

When his little sister accidentally touched his toys he would yell at her. Always. He HATED it when someone touched HIS stuff, especially his sister.

When his friend missed the ball in a soccer game and their team lost, he yelled really bad words and his friend decided not to be friends with him anymore. Well, it WAS all his friend’s fault anyway, and who needs friends!

His father was a sailor and left home often to sail on ships around the world. He wasn’t home a lot. One day, his father came home from a long trip while Tariq was working on a model ship on the table. His father roared out “As salaamu `alaikum, I’m home!” and his mother and little sister came running happily from the back rooms to greet him. A gust of wind from the open door blew down the newly glued mast of Tariq’s model ship. Tariq screamed in rage. “Shut that door! You’ve just ruined my model!”

Tariq’s father, mother, and little sister stared at him in shock. Everyone stayed away from Tariq for a while, while Tariq’s father had coffee and talked with his wife and daughter. There was lots of news of the family to catch up on.

Then, when Tariq’s mother went to start supper, Tariq’s father called him out to the storage shed in the back yard.

“Tariq, see these nails? See this hammer? I want you to take a nail to the back fence and hammer it in, for getting mad about the breeze disturbing your model earlier today. And from now on, I want you to pound in a nail each time you get angry.”

Tariq didn’t understand why he should hammer a nail, but he did as his father ordered. It was hard to hit the nail square on the head, and once he hit his finger instead of the nail. He got mad at the hammer and threw it across the yard. Tariq’s father made him nail in another nail, for throwing the hammer in rage.

The next morning, Tariq was almost late to school because he had to hammer in 5 nails for yelling at his mother, father, and sister for 5 different reasons before breakfast. By the end of the day he had hammered in 37 nails, and he was pretty tired of hammering. He was getting better about not hitting his fingers though.

Day by day, Tariq hammered nails. Why did his father insist on it? Looking at the fence, with its many nails, Tariq was embarrassed by all the proof of his bad deeds.

Some of the kids from school knew about the fence, because he accidentally told them. They called it the “Mad Fence”. They asked many times to come and see it but Tariq wouldn’t show it to them. But little by little, he found that the thought of the fence made it easier to hold his tongue and he gradually began to yell less often, and when he yelled, he was able to stop more quickly.

Then, one evening, he was building a block castle and his sister, who had come over to watch, dropped her stuffed bunny on the blocks, making the whole thing come down. Tariq stood up quickly, took a big breath to yell, and, instead of saying something mad, suddenly burst out, “OK, I’ll get a nail!”

His father came out to the fence as Tariq pounded in the new nail. They talked about how he was pounding in fewer nails now. He had made great progress. He was even starting to have some friends again. Friends were nice to have! That was slow going though, because they remembered how mad he used to get and didn’t trust him yet.

“I’m glad I don’t have to pound so many nails anymore, Dad. Seeing all the nails in the fence is ugly.”

Then his father suggested that Tariq could remove a nail each day that he went all day without losing his temper. Day by day Tariq, looked forward to removing a nail from the fence before Isha prayer. It was often difficult to pull them out and he had to struggle, but it felt good to remove the signs of his bad deeds.

Finally, the day came when he removed the last nail. He called his family to witness the great event. He felt very proud.

His mother was so happy, she kissed him and promised to make his favorite dessert for after supper.

His father, however, said, “You have done well, my son, 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. You can put a knife in a man 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.”

The family stared at the fence solemnly. It was a witness of Tariq’s battle with himself. Then his father hugged him and said, “May you grow to be a strong man, Son.”

The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, “The strong is not the one who overcomes people by his strength, but the strong is the one who controls himself while in anger.” (Bukhari)

This is a story that Ms Muffet enjoyed. We had used Goodword Kidz’s book “The Miracle of the Bowl of Milk” but I think you can tell this story without the aid of a book. Below is the hadeeth in full - you can adapt the language for your little ones. I used a lot of drama when I related how the milk was passed from one person to another and remained full. I remember Ms Muffet’s eyes widening when I told her that Abu Hurayrah drank from the bowl till he was full and it was STILL not empty!

This is a nice story with so many learning points:

• the importance of obeying Allah and His Messenger unreservedly and the rewards one gets from doing so
• the miracles of the Messenger of Allah
• the difficulties that the early Muslims endured
• charity and brotherhood

Here are a few quick points about Abu Hurayrah radhiallahu `anhu:

• His name was `Abdu-Shams (the servant of the sun) so the Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam told him to change it to `Abdur-Rahman (the servant of the Beneficient)
• He is best known as Abu Hurayrah (father of the kittens) for he loved a cat and fed it so much so it always followed him
• His mother resisted Islam at first and this saddened him very much. He asked the Prophet to make du`aa for her and alhamdulillah, she embraced Islam thereafter
• He memorised a great many ahadeeth for he used to accompany the Prophet most of the time. He also said this about this ability to relate so many narrations: Abu Hurayrah said, “You people claim that Abu Hurayrah narrates many narrations of Allah’s Apostle. (Anyhow) with Allah will be our appointment. I was a poor man, and used to stick to Allah’s Apostle contented with what will fill my stomach, and the Muhajirin (emigrants) used to be busy trading in the markets, and the Ansar used to be busy looking after their properties. One day I heard Allah’s Apostle saying, ‘Who will spread his Rida’ (a garment covering the upper part of the body) till I finished my speech and then fold it, (i.e. wrap it over your body), in which case he will never forget anything he had heard from me.” So I spread my garment which I was wearing; and by Him Who sent Muhammad with the Truth, ever since, I have never forgotten whatever I heard from him (the Prophet).” (Bukhari)

Abu Hurayrah & The Bowl of Milk

Narrated Abu Hurayrah radhiallahu `anhu:

By Allah, except Whom none has the right to be worshipped, (sometimes) I used to lay (sleep) on the ground on my liver (abdomen) because of hunger, and (sometimes) I used to bind a stone over my belly because of hunger.

One day I sat by the way from where they (the Prophet and his companions) used to come out. When Abu Bakr passed by, I asked him about a Verse from Allah’s Book and I asked him only that he might satisfy my hunger, but he passed by and did not do so.

Then `Umar passed by me and I asked him about a Verse from Allah’s Book, and I asked him only that he might satisfy my hunger, but he passed by without doing so.

Finally Abu-l-Qasim (the Prophet ) passed by me and he smiled when he saw me, for he knew what was in my heart and on my face.

He said, “O Aba Hirr (Abu Hurayrah)!”

I replied, “Labbaik, O Allah’s Apostle!”

He said to me, “Follow me.” He left and I followed him.

Then he entered the house and I asked permission to enter and was admitted. He found milk in a bowl and said, “From where is this milk?”

They said, “It has been presented to you by such-and-such man (or by such and such woman).”

He said, “O Aba Hirr!”

I said, “Labbaik, O Allah’s Apostle!” He said, “Go and call the people of Suffa to me.”

These people of Suffa were the guests of Islam who had no families, nor money, nor anybody to depend upon, and whenever an object of charity was brought to the Prophet , he would send it to them and would not take anything from it, and whenever any present was given to him, he used to send some for them and take some of it for himself.

The order of the Prophet upset me, and I said to myself, “How will this little milk be enough for the people of As-Suffa?” I thought I was more entitled to drink from that milk in order to strengthen myself, but behold! The Prophet came to order me to give that milk to them. I wondered what will remain of that milk for me, but anyway, I could not but obey Allah and His Apostle so I went to the people of As-Suffa and called them, and they came and asked the Prophet’s permission to enter. They were admitted and took their seats in the house.

The Prophet said, “O Aba-Hirr!”

I said, “Labbaik, O Allah’s Apostle!”

He said, “Take it and give it to them.”

So I took the bowl (of Milk) and started giving it to one man who would drink his fill and return it to me, whereupon I would give it to another man who, in his turn, would drink his fill and return it to me, and I would then offer it to another man who would drink his fill and return it to me.

Finally, after the whole group had drunk their fill, I reached the Prophet who took the bowl and put it on his hand, looked at me and smiled and said, “O Aba Hirr!”

I replied, “Labbaik, O Allah’s Apostle!”

He said, “There remain you and I.”

I said, “You have said the truth, O Allah’s Apostle!”

He said, “Sit down and drink.”

I sat down and drank. He said, “Drink!” and I drank. He kept on telling me repeatedly to drink, till I said, “No. by Allah Who sent you with the Truth, I have no space for it (in my stomach).”

He said, “Hand it over to me.” When I gave him the bowl, he praised Allah and pronounced Allah’s Name on it and drank the remaining milk.

(From Sahih al-Bukhari)

I’ve been a long time lurker at Sister Tasmiya’s blog. She writes with such honesty and humour that I’ve learnt quite a bit about parenting in a most enjoyable fashion! Check it out! It’s wicked!

Anyway! I decided to step out of lurkdom and participate in her Interview Game. Here are the questions she asked me … followed by my rambling (as usual) answers:

1. What’s your favourite meal?
Hmmm… where do I begin?! *S* Maybe it is being away from Singapore and missing my life there… but I will say that my favourite meal is the `Eid feast that we have there. There would be delicious pilaf accompanied by a host of dishes - prawns cooked in a chilli and tomato sauce, chunks of beef in a rich and spicy coconut gravy, grilled chicken and a thick lentil gravy cooked with meat. My favourite though is kuzi - a delectable dish of chicken, aromatic spices, some mince meat, raisins and almonds. My mother had once tried to change the menu but I remember raising a big hue and cry, protesting that the `Eid feast just would not be right without kuzi.

My mum and aunts come from a long line of wonderful cooks so the food is nothing short of gratifying. I must be honest though… it is not so much the food that makes this meal so special. It is that it stirs up many beautiful memories. When my father and grandmothers were alive, our house would be packed with guests on `Eid. My relatives would come over and it wouldn’t matter if they had already eaten or had been invited to a meal elsewhere… they would HAVE to eat at our home or face my grandmother’s wrath. Very few could get past my father anyway - he would keep urging them to “have more”. Resistance would be futile *S*

My grandmothers and father have passed away. I am now in Islamabad; my sister is in London and only my mum and brother are back home in Singapore now. I miss those `Eid meals.

2. What’s the one thing about you that you want to change (if anything)?
ONE? *sigh* OK I guess I have to narrow it down then… I would say that I would want more patience and ’stickability’. I have so many ideas running about in my head… so many projects I have running… so many dreams and goals I want to fulfil for my children… I want so much that I sometimes I allow the stress to get to me and forget that I have to go about these things with love and a LOT of sabr. I forget that lofty goals need dogged perseverance.

3. What’s your favourite book (or movie if you hate reading)?
I do love reading… and my favourite book has to be the Qur’an. It is truly a miracle… beyond compare. I keep learning something new and find it profoundly beautiful.

4. What do you love about being a mother?
The love…

My friend Maria, who is a mother of 3, mentioned once how having children has changed her life. She said that before she had her first daughter, she would get pangs of loneliness from time to time. She added emphatically, “I’ve never ever felt lonely since Shabaani came along. Never.” I thought it was beautiful…

Anyway, for me, I know that I feared having children - I was afraid of the responsibility… afraid that I would completely botch it up and afraid of being accounted for that on the Day of Judgement.

I have just had my second child (alhamdulillah) and I still get those panic attacks sometimes, but I’ve learnt to look at motherhood not as a burden or something to be feared but as a challenge. It IS hard work and ever so taxing mentally and emotionally but every once in a while, you stumble across a gem and you are reminded of the blessings that Allah has promised.

I said before about my first, Ms Muffet - she has opened up deep crevices in my heart that I never knew existed. She taught me about unconditional and unlimited love… Now I have another daughter, I feel even more positive about motherhood. Alhamdulillah.

5. If you could be “boss of the world” for one day (no restrictions on what you can and can’t do and everyone has to do as you say – you’ve got political, financial and moral clout) what would be the first 3 things you’d do?
(a) I would get rid of all the dictators and corrupt politicians and individuals and institute an Islamic state. I think about the how the Messenger of Allah and the 4 caliphs ruled and wonder how we have allowed ourselves to fall to such lows. `Umar radhiallahu `anhu took his job as caliph so seriously that he said: “If a camel died at the coast of the Euphrates out of negligence, I would be afraid that Allah would ask me for it.” I would want people like that looking after the people.

(b) I’d establish an Islamic economy - no more riba! I’d want an economy where the poor would be taken care of… not this crazy dog eat dog world where everyone wants to get ahead no matter what.

(c) I’d make everyone and I mean EVERYONE study Islam, the life of the Prophet and the lives of the pious predecessors. There is a saying where I come from, “You can’t love what you do not know”.

OK, I think I’ve talked too much already *S* I’m done!