Giving is A Blessing

Decisions... This life is all about decisions, from the biggest to smallest, when you are happy, angry, sad…etc it’s all about decision, a decision that have a positive outcome or a decision with a negative outcome. I would like to share with you a beautiful story to learn that the decision on giving is a blessing. Giving supported by faith and love is the foundation of this world. A Man once said: “If there be any truer measure of a man than by what he does, it must be by what he gives.”

 

I was born with an enormous need for giving, greater fear of holding my hands, aiming to be someone who “Gives out generously like one who does not fear poverty” and for that I sincerely Thanks Allah for having such thoughts. One of the reasons why I usually prefer on giving than receiving;  It’s the belief I have that once I give something I am not slave to that thing anymore, for example when I give money I am proving myself that money can’t hold my freedom. When I am smiling I am not slave to sadness or anger. I would like to explain more but I am afraid my thinking and some of my thoughts are complicated for that dear Reader, I prefer to I leave you with the story.

A young man, a student in one of the universities, was one day taking a walk with his Professor. The professor was commonly called the ‘student’s friend’, from his kindness to those who waited on his instructions. As they went along, they saw lying in the path a pair of old shoes. They belonged to a poor man who was employed in a field close by, and who had nearly finished his day’s work.

The student turned to the professor, saying: “Let’s play a trick on this man.” “We will hide his shoes and hide behind those bushes there and see what he does when he cannot find them.” “My young friend,” answered the professor, “we should never amuse ourselves at the expense of the poor. But you are rich, and may give yourself a much greater pleasure by means of this poor man. Put a coin in each shoe, and then we will hide ourselves and watch how this affects him.”

The student did so & they both hid nearby. The poor man soon finished work & came out of the field to where he had left his coat & shoes. While putting on his coat he slipped his foot into one of his shoes, but feeling something hard, he stooped down to feel what it was, and found the coin. Astonished and full of wonder he gazed upon the coin, turned it around, and looked at it again and again. He then looked around him on all sides, but no person was to be seen. He now put the money into his pocket, and proceeded to put on the other shoe; but his surprise was doubled on finding the other coin. His feelings overcame him; he fell upon his knees, looked up to the heavens and uttered aloud a fervent thanksgiving in which he spoke of his wife who was sick and helpless, and his children without bread, whom this timely bounty, from some unknown hand, would save from perishing.

The student stood there deeply affected, and his eyes filled with tears. “Now,” said the professor, are you not much better pleased than if you had played your intended trick?” The youth replied, “You have taught me a lesson which I will never forget. I feel now the truth of these words, which I never understood before: “It’s more blessed to give than to receive.”

Abdullah bin Abbas (May God be Pleased with him) reported that the Prophet Mohammed Peace and prayers be upon him said that encouraging good, prohibiting evil, lifting the burden of the weak person and removing an offensive thing from a path are all acceptable prayers to Allah. Dear Reader, remember that we make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. It’s your decision, think and decide, is it better to make a living or make a life? The decision is yours, however history proved that those who have the power to give than to receive, received more than what they expected! Please realize the beauty of reading: “He Lived Usefully” Oh dear Reader, Never, never, never give up on Giving!