100 Moral Stories 48
Sayyed Jawad Ameli, a great Mujtahid, was having his dinner when someone knocked at his door.
A servant from his master, Ayatullah Sayyed Mehdi Bahrul Uloom, appeared and said: “Your
master has sent for you to come immediately. He has just sat down for his dinner but refuses to
eat until he sees you.”
There was no time to lose. Sayyed Jawad Ameli left his dinner and rushed to
Ayatullah Bahrul Uloom’s residence. Just as he entered, the master looked
disapprovingly at him and said: “Sayyed Jawad! You have no fear of Allah!
Don’t you feel ashamed in front of Allah?” This came as a shock to him, as he
could not remember doing anything to incur the wrath of his master.
He said: “My master may guide me where I have failed.”
Ayatullah Bahrul Uloom replied: “It is now a week that your neighbor and his family are without
wheat and rice. He was trying to buy some dates from a shop on credit but the shopkeeper refused
to grant him any more credit. He returned home empty-handed and the family is without a morsel
of food.” Sayed Jawad was taken by surprise. “By Allah,” he said, “I have no knowledge about this.”
That is why I am displeased all the more. How can you be unaware of your own neighbor? Seven
days of difficulties have passed and you tell me you do not know about it. Well, If you had known
and ignored him despite your knowledge, then you would not even he a Muslim, Ayatullah Uloom
adjoined. Then he instructed him to take all the dishes of food before him to his neighbor. “Sit with
him to eat, so that he does not feel ashamed. And take this sum for his future ration. Place it under
his pillow or carpet so that he is not humiliated, and inform me when this work is completed, for
not until then shall I eat.”
“That man is not from me who sleeps contentedly while his
neighbor sleeps hungry.” Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him)
A BOX FULL OF KISSES
The story goes back some time ago, a man punished his 3-year-old daughter for
wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and he became infuriated
when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree. Nevertheless,
the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said, “This is for
you, Daddy.”
The man was embarrassed by his earlier over reaction, but his anger flared again when he found
out the box was empty. He yelled at her, stating, “Don’t you know, when you give someone a
present, there is supposed to be something inside?” The little girl looked up at him with tears in
her eyes and cried, “Oh, Daddy, it’s not empty at all. I blew kisses into the box. They’re all for you,
Daddy.” The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he begged for her
forgiveness.
Only a short time later, an accident took the life of the child. It is also told that her father kept that
gold box by his bed for many years and, whenever he was discouraged, he would take out an
imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.
In a very real sense, each one of us, as humans beings, have been given a gold container filled with
unconditional love and kisses... from our children, family members, friends, and God. There is
simply no other possession, anyone could hold, more precious than this.
THE NEIGHBOR
