NEWSLETTER

Monday, 26 Safar 1432 H / 31 January 2011

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A King we should all try to emulate

A long time ago, there was a country where the people would change the king every year. The person who became King had to agree to go and live on an island after completion of his tenure. One king had finished his term and it was time for him to go and stay in the island forever.

The people dressed him up in expensive clothes, put him on an elephant, and took him around the cities to say goodbye to all the people. This was a moment of sadness for the king, but a fest for the people. After saying goodbye, the people took the king in a boat to a remote island and left him there. On their way back, they discovered a shipwreck. They saw a young man who had survived by holding onto a piece of wood.

As they needed a new king, they picked up the young man and took him to their country. They asked him to be king for a year. At first he refused, but later he agreed to be king. People told him about the rules and regulations, and how he would be sent to an island after one year. After three days of being king, he asked the ministers if they would show him the island where all the other kings had been sent. They agreed and took him to the island.

The island was covered with thick jungle. The sound of vicious animals was everywhere. The king went inside the jungle a little way. He discovered the bodies of past kings. Then he understood: As soon as the kings were left on the island, the animals came and killed them.

The king then went back and asked the people to provide him with 100 strong workers. He took the workers to the island and told them to remove all the deadly animals and cut down all the trees. He visited the island every month to see how the work was progressing.

In the first month, all the animals were removed and many trees were cut down. By the second month, the whole island was cleared. The king then told the workers to plant gardens in various parts of the island. He took useful animals like chickens, ducks, birds, goats, and cows to the island. In the third month, he ordered the workers to build big houses and docks for ships. Over the months, the island turned into a beautiful place.

The young king wore simple clothes and spent very little from his earnings. He sent all his earnings to be kept on the island. Nine months passed like this. The king called the people and told them, "I know that I have to go the island after one year, but I would like to go there right now." The people didn't agree to this and said that he would have
to wait for another three months to complete the year.

Three months passed and the full year was completed. The people dressed the young king up and put him on an elephant to say goodbye to the people. This king was unusually happy to leave the kingdom. People asked him, "All the other kings cried at this moment, why are you so happy and smiling?"

He replied, "Don't you know what the wise people say? They say that when you come into this world you are crying and everyone is smiling. Live your life so that when you are dying, you are smiling and everyone around you is crying. I have lived that life. While all the other kings were lost in the luxuries of the kingdom, I always thought about the future and planned for it. I turned the deadly island into a beautiful place where I can stay peacefully forever.

We should take a lesson from this story. The life of this world is to prepare for the life in the Hereafter. We shouldn't lose ourselves in the beautiful things of this world (which are humble sample of that world) and forget about what is to come in the afterlife. Even if we are kings, we should live a simple life like our Beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and save all our enjoyment for the
Hereafter. May Allah make it easy for us all. Ameen.

There is a rich record of hadith that acknowledge the value of time and confirm man's responsibility for how he maintains it, as he will be brought to account by Allah on the Day of Judgment.

Mu'adh ibn Jabal quotes The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) who said, "A servant of Allah will remain standing on the Day of Resurrection until he is asked about four things: his life and how he spent it, his youth and how he used it, his property and how he acquired and managed it, and his knowledge and how he utilized it."

Submitted by Zainab Cajee (Springs)

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Soak chana dhal in water for ½ hour. Wash rice then boil until al dante. Meanwhile peel mango and cut into thick slices. Heat ghee in a large pot with tuj and arad , elachi and chillie powder . Remove form heat and add in mango slices and fry gently taking care not to break up the mango. Place rice in casserole and add mango to it toss very gently. Serve with any meat dish or with spiced dhai.

"Ons voel mos nie almal altyd dieselfde nie, is dit nie? Partymaal voel jy goed en ek dalk bietjie af, soos Allah wil. Kliek hier vir die nuutste Dagstukkie om jou aan te moedig. Ons het ook al die Dagstukkies wat ons nou al uitgestuur het saam op een bladsy gesit, juis vir jou gerief. As ek dus 'n Dagstukkie uitstuur en jy voel dis nou nie vandag vir jou bedoel nie, dan kan jy sommer maklik vir jouself al die Dagstukkie-opskrifte gaan deurkyk totdat jy een vind wat jou hart aanraak. Of as iets gebeur wat jou so bietjie van balans af gooi: besoek die Dagstukkies! Jy weet nooit, dalk wil Allah jou juis deur 'n besondere Dagstukkie bemoedig.

E-pos ons by sjbekker@vodamail.co.za as jy die Dagstukkies op jou rekenaar wil ontvang..."

Wife: tum mujse kitna pyaar karte ho?
Husband: itna zyada ho sake, utna.
Wife: mere marne ke baad kya tum taj mahal bana'oge?!
Husband: mene tau plot bhi kharidliya. Der to tum kar tiho!!

TRANSLATION

Wife: How much do you love me?
Husband: How much is it possible to love a person, thats how much I love you.
Wife: Will you build a Taj Mahal after my death?
Husband: I already purchased the land. You are delaying in death!!

Submitted by katete786

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