We believe that a true and comprehensive
understanding of Islam would not be possible without careful recognition of the
Prophetic Tradition and the Prophet's Household. And Allah is the Source of Strength.
The Faithful Geese
"I have had an experience with many pets, but one particular experience with my 5 geese was truly thought provoking.
The birds were enjoying the water in the lawn on a hot summer's day, playing with each other, albeit with a hungry stomach. But then came lunch time and i went out, with enough bread in my hand to feed all of them till they wanted no more.
However, the bird is innocent and would not realize there was plenty for all to eat, as they could not see the floor littered with bread, the bread was still in my hands. As soon as i threw one piece of the bread on the grass, all of them raced each other to have that bread, and with the second and third bread pieces to follow, they started to quarrel until the "alpha" took over and pushed away the rest. While the alpha ate the few pieces on the floor, the others just stood there honking and hissing the loudest honks and hisses they could make.
When i started throwing more bread on the grass, and they started to eat as well, and with the visible quantity of the bread now on the grass, they realized there was enough for all to eat, they got their peace and enjoyed the meal in peace and prosperity. They allowed one other to eat as well.
I thought, how was man so similar to these birds.
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Man also does not know what treasures and sustenance Allah holds for him.
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Man also gets impatient, aggressive, unethical, does not share and fears spending in Allah's way because he does not realize how much Allah has written for him, that Allah holds the power to give more than our imaginations to us, and Allah frequently does so with the passage of time.
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It is our lack of faith in the giver of sustenance that we tend to cling on to the golds and silvers and we do not spend in Allah's way because we fear our treasures will finish. We compete with one another to give loss and harm to others because we think that is the only way for us to gain advantage. We do not create win-win situations. We do not realize that Allah's treasures only have a beginning and no ending.
I also thought, how was man so different to these birds. When the birds saw that there was enough for all to eat, they ate only as much as they wanted to and allowed the others to eat as well. They did not start stocking food with fear that maybe there will be nothing for them to eat tomorrow. They did not continue to fight nor did they chase others away till any one of them ate till it was fully content. Truly men today have stooped down to a level which does not even fit a bird to go as low as. These men who have no tawaqal in Allah have faith as weak as a cracked egg shell and they live their lives in fear without peaceful sleep, just like of an injured bird sitting in the middle of the road, waiting to be either hit by a speeding vehicle, or eaten by a hungry dog, with no protector.
And Mawla Ali's saying goes hands in hand; that if you want to learn the art of Tawaqal on Allah and if you want to understand the distribution of sustenance, then learn from birds. They leave their nests in the morning, with empty beaks, and they return to their nests in the twilight, with empty beaks. "
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