Story of Little Zayd
Colouring pencil box
‘Little Zayd! You are still playing with your toys and look how your younger sister Baano has been doing her homework. Did you do your homework?’ asked Little Zayd’s mother in the evening. Little Zayd replied: ‘Mum! Just let me play for a little while longer.’
His mother replied: ‘You must complete it before your father comes, otherwise he will be angry.’
Little Zayd began to say: ‘Mum! Today the homework only requires drawing anyway. I will do it in 15 minutes.’
After a while, little Zayd sat down to colour the drawing copy, but there was no colouring pencil box in the bag. Little Zayd asked his mother: ‘Mum! Where did my colouring pencil box go? I kept it in my room yesterday.’
His mother said: ‘At the moment, it is with Baano, as she is colouring.’
Little Zayd became angry and said: ‘Why is Baano using it? That was my colouring box.’
After saying this, he went straight to his Grandma's room and said: ‘Look Grandma! Baano is using my colouring pencils.’
After that, his mother came into the room and said: ‘Little Zayd! You don't remember that your father brought only one colouring box this time and said that it is for both you and Baano. When Baano finishes her work, then you can take it.’
Grandma listened to his mother's words and said: ‘Son! As the colouring box belongs to both of you, you can take it after a while. What's the point of being angry about it?’
Little Zayd said: ‘Grandma, I need it now, what will I do with it later?’
Grandma explained to little Zayd: ‘Son! When the righteous and beloved servants of Allah Almighty had something and they saw that a fellow Muslim needed it more, they would give that thing to the needy person.
Imam Ahmad Raza Khan رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه was a great religious scholar of the Muslims. He is referred to as A’la Hazrat. A’la Hazrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه would punctually offer Salah with congregation in the Masjid. During the days of heavy rain, one individual thought that A’la Hazrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه would find it difficult to come to the Masjid and thus, he purchased an umbrella and gifted it to A’la Hazrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه. When the time of Salah arrived, he would come to A’la Hazrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه, open the umbrella and take A’la Hazrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه to the Masjid whilst holding it over his head. After the Salah, he would take A’la Hazrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه home whilst holding the umbrella over his head. In this way, A’la Hazrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه felt great ease. Only a few days had passed when some needy person asked for the umbrella from A’la Hazrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه. A’la Hazrat رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه immediately took the umbrella from the other individual and gave it to the needy person. (Faizan-e-A’la Hazrat, p. 177, summarised)
Now tell me little Zayd! Good and virtuous people would even give what they needed themselves to others and then there is you, who is not even allowing your younger sister to use the colouring pencils.’
Little Zayd was silently listening to his Grandma's words and it seemed that he had realised his mistake.
Grandma further said: ‘Little Zayd! If you want to be a good and virtuous child, then you will have to follow the path of good and virtuous people, and you have to get rid of bad habits.’
As soon as Grandma finished what she was saying, little Zayd said: ‘OK Grandma! Now every time, Baano will use the colouring pencils first, then I will use them.’
Grandma, after hearing this, said: ‘By the way! Another solution for this is that you sit next to Baano and take the colour that you need from her, and return that to her when she needs it.’
‘Oh wow Grandma! I never even thought of that, now I will do exactly that,’ said little Zayd happily, and took his drawing book and sat down next to Baano.
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