Children’s Column

The Two Friends and the Ripped Pieces of Paper
Abid Parvez

Once two friends in the same class, Tahir and Umair had an argument and stopped talking to each other. Shaytan started whispering into the minds of them both to take revenge and do something nasty to the other.

The first friend decided to follow the advice of his mawlvi sahib and recited, awoozobillahi min ashaytanarrajeem, as soon as he had said those words all thoughts of taking revenge disappeared from his mind.

But the other friend had no idea of this formula of getting rid of evil thoughts and continued to think up of plans to harm his friend. He decided to make up some lies about him and spread them amongst his other class fellows. He told them that Tahir was visiting websites and pages on the net which a Muslim shouldn’t visit and he was fond of this girl in the neighborhood.

These rumours spread from one boy to another then to another till they ended up in Tahir’s home. The rumours ended up reaching Tahir’s older brother who became so ashamed and angry that he was about to beat Tahir but before doing so he decided do something which he had read in Sura Hujurat. That was, ‘If an untrustworthy person brings you some news (rumours) confirm it first.’’

So he decided to ask Tahir whether these rumours were true? Tahir was stunned. He didn’t have any idea about them and asked, ‘Who had spread these lies.’ After investigating, he was shocked to learn that the source of the rumours was none other than his friend, Umair.

Tahir’s brother decided to report the matter to their teacher who had a reputation for dealing with these matters in a very wise way.

Upon hearing the issue Mr. Khan called Umair during break and asked him why he had done such a thing. Umair replied that he was upset at Tahir and didn’t think it would be such a big deal. What’s more he would apologise to Tahir.

‘It’s not that simple,’ said Mr Khan and asked him to write what he said about his friend on a piece of paper. When he had done that he asked him to tear the paper into small pieces and then told him to go outside and throw them on the busy road. Then he could go home. Tahir did as he was told but was confused. He had expected some sort of punishment or telling off but this was neither.

Next day Mr Khan called Umair into his class during break again and asked him if he would like to be forgiven for his behaviour or would he like to be punished? ‘To be forgiven’, was the answer from Umair. ‘That can be done on two conditions,” said Mr Khan.‘One, bring all those pieces of paper which you threw into the street yesterday and two join them up in exactly the same way as the original piece of paper without any tear marks, then you can be forgiven.’

‘But that is impossible sir, I mean the wind has probably carried them to some faraway place and others may have fallen into the gutter and even if I manage to find them, I will never be able to join them up like the original paper.’

‘In the same way Umair,’ explained Mr. Khan,‘the rumours you spread about your friend can never return once they have left mouth and even if you apologise the hurt you have done to his heart and feelings can never be healed properly. Umair felt so embarrassed and promised never to do such a thing for his whole life.

Moral: The slip of the tongue is often more serious than the slip of the sword.

Twelve Signs in Our Bodies

“We will show them Our Signs in the universe, and in their own selves, until it becomes manifest to them that this (the Quran) is the truth” [Fussilat 41:53]

1. The brain is more active at night than during the day. Scientists don’t know yet why this is.

2. The higher your IQ, the more you supposedly dream.

3. Facial hair grows faster than any other hair on the body.

4. The nail on the middle finger grows faster than the other fingernails.

5. Fingernails grow nearly four times faster than toenails.

6. The lifespan of a human hair is 3 to 7 years on average.

7. The acid in your stomach is strong enough to dissolve zinc. It doesn’t destroy the stomach because the stomach walls constantly renew themselves.

8. Women are born better smellers than men and remain better smellers over life.

9. Men burn fat faster than women by a rate of about 50 calories a day.

10. Men get hiccups more often than women.

11. The largest cell in the body is the female egg and the smallest is the male sperm.

12. During your lifetime, you will produce enough saliva to fill two swimming pools.

Q&A

Q: What are some fun and beneficial activities that we can do with our children, instead of them sitting at the computer?

Answer:

Praise be to Allah!

It is no longer hidden from anyone how many electronic games there are of all types and how quickly they have become widespread, and how attached and obsessed many children are with these games. The negative effects and damage to health that result from spending a great deal of time playing these games, to the point of addiction, is also a matter that is well-established and well-known. Conferences have been held on this topic, and to fight the problem of addiction to these games special organisations have been set up in some Western countries.

Undoubtedly the Muslim who is keen to give his children a good upbringing – and in fact anyone who is concerned for his children’s psychological, social and behavioural well-being – will begin to get worried about the overwhelming impact of electronic games and how most children are becoming infatuated with them, which makes the question of what is the right way to deal with these games, and what are suitable alternatives, an urgent question for anyone who is concerned with giving his children a sound upbringing. Here we may say:

1. It should be understood that the method of imposing a total ban, especially when dealing with children who already spend a lot of time on these games and are attached to them, will never work, and may not be appropriate from an educational point of view. Rather in the case of a child who is in such a situation, we should focus our efforts on participation and guidance.

2. Participation may mean working with the child to choose games that are free from anything that is contrary to Islamic teachings and that are appropriate to the child’s age and will not result in psychological or behavioural damage.

3. Guidance may mean talking with the child and convincing him of the necessity of putting limits on the time spent playing, so that it will not adversely affect the child’s physical well-being, schoolwork or other duties that may benefit him, even if that has to do with training and playing sports, because that is also important to the child, and should not be undermined by his becoming addicted to electronic games. Parents should be patient when trying to advise their child; they should use a gentle approach and address the matter in various ways, such as discussing with him, telling him stories, telling him news about the dangers of computers and some real-life stories, and so on.

4. It is important not to let the child get carried away with what he wants, even if he is not fully convinced. The father should still use a gentle approach when trying to stop him and to set time limits for playing; he should use a gradual approach in that regard as much as possible, and use a variety of approaches. It is preferable for the child to have done something useful before letting him play, such as memorising a soorah or hadith, or some lines of poetry, or doing his homework, tidying his room, or helping with housework. He should not be allowed to spend more than the set time on playing electronic games.

5. The most important alternative, to which all other alternatives are subordinate, is that the parents should be prepared to spend time with their children and have some social interaction with them, by sitting and talking to them, and watching their progress in some useful activities that they are given to do. As for the family members, from the father and mother down to the youngest child, spending most of their time in front of screens and hardly meeting except for some meals, then the parents start looking for appropriate alternatives, this is a shortcoming with which you cannot make these alternatives give the hoped-for results.

6. Another alternative is day trips and going out with the children to appropriate leisure venues, even if that is sometimes done by way of reward for reducing time spent playing electronic games.

7. Another alternative is to get the children involved in some social centres that provide educational and leisure programs for children. This can have a great impact in developing the child’s social skills and bringing him out of an excessive focus on electronic games.

8. Whatever we may say on the topic of finding alternatives to these games, this will continue to be a matter of concern to anyone who has anything to do with the education and upbringing of children. Parents, in particular, must raise their children on the basis of piety and fearing Allah in private and in public, for that is the best protection against these destructive devices. At the same time, they must also offer a lot of supplication for their children, asking Allah to guide them and help them to do that which is good, whilst at the same time doing their utmost to come up with ideas for appropriate alternatives to distract their children and help them to spend their time in useful ways as much as possible. All they can do is strive and try their best.

And Allah knows best.

[Source: https://islamqa.info/en/answers/210867/suggested-alternatives-to-electronic-games

Riddles

1. I have holes in my top and bottom, my left and right, and in the middle. But I still hold water. What am I?

2. I am weightless, but you can see me. Put me in a bucket, and I’ll make it lighter. What am I?

3. I’m the part of the bird that’s not in the sky. I can swim in the ocean and yet remain dry. What am I?

4. Throw it off the highest building, and I’ll not break. But put me in the ocean, and I will. What am I?

5. I’m light as a feather, yet the strongest man can’t hold me for much more than a minute. What am I?

6. What goes up and down the stairs without moving?

7. What is Haraam, but when swallowed loved by Allah?

8. What is the Halaal thing hated by Allah.

Answers: 1. Sponge 2. Hole/Air 3. Shadow 4.Tissue Paper 5.Breath 6. the steps or the railing? 7. Pride 8. Divorce.