a short story

[salgan]

Salaamun aleikum, all.

Insha'Allah, I hope you and yours are well.

The following 'story' was forwarded to me by Mr Maqbool Farhat and I agree
with the sentiment it expresses. Allah (swt) tells us in The Qur'an that the
successful person (the one who reaps the harvest) is the one who develops
his or her 'self' (through tazkiyyah = purifying growth), and that this is
achieved by giving out from his or her wealth. (See Surahs 91 and 92)

Fi amaan illah

One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his
way
through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry.
He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house.
However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the
door Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he
looked hungry so
brought him a large glass of milk.
He drank it slowly, and then asked, How much do I owe you?"
You don't owe me anything," she replied. "Mother has taught us never to
accept pay for a kindness."
He said..... "Then I thank you from my heart."

As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but
his faith in God and man
was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit.

Many year's later that same young woman became critically ill.
The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city,
where they called in specialists
to study her rare disease.
Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the
name of the town
she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately he rose and
went down the hall of the hospital
to her room. Dressed in his doctor's gown he went in to see her.
He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room
determined to do his best to save her life.

From that day he gave special attention to her case.

After a long struggle, the battle was won.

Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for
approval.
He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent
to her room.
She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her
life to pay for it all.
Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the
bill.
She read these words
"Paid in full with one glass of milk"
(Signed) Dr. Howard Kelly.

Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happy heart prayed
"Thank You, God, that Your love has spread broad through human hearts and
hands."

There's a saying that goes something like this Bread cast on the waters
comes back to you.
The good deed you do today may benefit you or someone you love at the
least expected time.
If you never see the deed again at least you will have made the world a
better place - And,
after all, isn't that what life is all about?

Now you have two choices.
You can send this page on and spread a positive message.

Or ignore it and pretend it never touched your heart.

The hardest thing to learn in life is which bridge to cross and which to
burn.

Maqbool Farhat
(This heart touching story was sent by my son-in-law Zafar)