“Son”, the boy’s father gently placed his hand on his son’s shoulder. “Wake up its time for prayer”
The father removed the sheets and blanket encouraging his son to wake up. The boy was so sleepy he could barely keep his eyes open. He then curled up into a ball after noticing how cold it was. He pulled back the sheets and blanket and closed his eyes. “Ten minutes” he mumbled.
The boy’s father sighed leaving him as he went to go pray. Sure enough upon his return his son was fast asleep snoring away. Once again the father gently placed his hand on his son’s shoulder giving it a slight shake. “Son”
The boy scrunched up his face not happy he was woken up yet again.
“Son wake up you will miss your prayer”
The boy buried his face in the pillow and mumbled something incoherent. The father let him be. A couple of hours later the boy finally woke up. When he did he noticed a piece of paper beside him. It was a note from his father. It read:
Salam Alaykum Son, I hope you slept well. I prepared for you something to eat. After you finish eating meet me at the bridge. I’ll be waiting for you. Love you.
The son had a sudden feeling of guilt and worry. He jumped out of bed, quickly got dressed and started making his way to the bridge not bothering to eat what his father prepared for him as he was too eager to find out what was going on.
After jogging a mile he finally reached the local bridge his father was referring to. What he saw was both shocking and confusing. His father was on the bridge building what appeared to be a house. There were a few other people watching his father with the same confused look, except they were laughing.
The son cautiously walked towards his father.“Salam alaykum”
“Wa alaykumu salam son”
“What are you doing?” the son asked eagerly.
“Pass me that timber beside you please”
The son picked up the piece of timber and passed it to his father still awaiting an answer.
“I’m building a house” the father finally replied as he started to hammer in a nail.
The son was beginning to wonder if his father had lost his mind.“Why are you building a house on a bridge?”
“Why what’s wrong with building a house on the bridge? And just look at the view, isn’t it beautiful?”
The son looked at the view in admiration. “Yes the view is beautiful” the son conceded while returning his attention back to his father, “but a bridge is a means for getting to the other side, it’s something that we travel on, not something that we live on.”
The father put down his hammer and nails. “Son, is not life the same? If you do not want to look as foolish as I am right now building a house on a bridge, then do not invest everything you have in the comforts of this temporary abode called life. Or do you believe this short journey is the ultimate destination? Are you really that short sighted? Do you really want to sleep throughout this travel called life having gathered no good deeds to build a beautiful home in the Hereafter? Are you really going to meet Allah having valued the comforts of the world like a few more minutes of sleep as being more valuable than Him? If so pass me another piece of timber”
The father extended his hand waiting for that piece of timber. Instead the father received a hug from his son after realising what his father had just taught him.
said...
Salam Alaykum brother,
:') I loved this story. It is so beautiful, MashaAllah; It teaches kids and grownups a very valuable lesson. May Allah swt give you best always!
Please keep writing:)
Allahuma salli 'ala Muhammad wa aale Muhammad!
said...
Very nice story. You do have a skill in such things. Very inspiring to know that there are true Shias out there. :)It's nice to watch out for the young ones because of what the world holds ahead of them.