First Story

Rasulullah sallAllâhu alayhi wa sallam is reported to have said: "A person was in a jungle when all of a sudden he heard a voice in a cloud saying: "Go and water the orchard of so and so person." On hearing that voice, the cloud moved and poured heavily on a stony place. All the water collected in a drain and began to flow. This person began following the water and saw that a man was standing in his orchard and was sprinkling water with a spade. This person asked the gardener: "O servant of Allâh! What is your name?" He gave the same name which this person had heard in the cloud. Thereafter, the gardener asked this person: "O servant of Allâh! Why are you asking me my name?" He replied: "I heard a voice in that cloud whose water this is taking your name and asking it to pour water onto your orchard. What do you do in it that it is so acceptable?" He replied: "Now that you have asked, I will have to inform you. I look at its total produce and from there I give one third to charity. Another third I keep for myself and my family, and the last third I re-invest into this orchard."

Lesson: Glory be to Allâh! How merciful He is that the person who obeys Him has all his work done through unseen ways without him even knowing about it. Without doubt, the person who becomes Allâh's, Allâh becomes his.

Second Story

Once Rasulullah sallAllâhu alayhi wa sallam related that there were three men from the Banu Isra'eel. One of them was a leper, the other bald, and the third blind. Allâh Ta'âla wanted to test them, so He sent an angel to them. The angel first went to the leper and asked him: "What would you like best?" He replied: "I would like a nice complexion, a beautiful skin, and that this sickness goes away from me whereby people do not allow me to sit with them and which they hate." The angel passed his hand over the body of that person. He was immediately cured and a nice skin and beautiful complexion appeared. The angel then asked him: "What type of wealth do you like the most?" He replied: "Camels." So he gave him a pregnant camel and told him: "May Allâh Ta'âla give you barakah in this."

The angel then went to the bald person and asked him: "What would you like best?" He replied: "That my hair grows nicely and that this sickness which people dislike goes away from me!" The angel passed his hand over his head, he was immediately cured and beautiful hair began to grow. He then asked him: "What type of wealth do you like the most?" He replied: "Cows." So he gave him a pregnant cow and told him: "May Allâh Ta'âla give you barakah in this."

Eventually, the angel went to the blind person and asked him: "What would you like most?" He replied: "That Allâh gives me back my sight so that I may be able to see everyone." The angel passed his hand over his eyes and Allâh gave him back his sight. He then asked him: "What type of wealth do you like the most?" He replied: "Goats." So he was given a pregnant goat. The animals of all three