An old American Muslim lived on a farm
in the mountains of eastern Kentucky
with his young grandson.
Each morning Grandpa was up early
sitting at the kitchen table reading
his Quraan.
His grandson wanted to be just like him
and tried to imitate him in every way
he could.
One day the grandson asked, "Grandpa! I
try to read the Qur'an just like you
but I don't understand it,
and what I do understand I forget as
soon as I close the book.
What good does reading the Qur'an do?"
The Grandfather quietly turned from
putting coal in the stove
and replied, "Take this coal basket
down to the river and bring me back a
basket of water.
The boy did as he was told, but all the
water leaked out before he got back to
the house.
The grandfather laughed and said,
"You'll have to move a little faster
next time," and sent him back
to the river with the basket to try
again.
This time the boy ran faster, but again
the basket was empty before he returned
home. Out of breath,
he told his grandfather that it was
impossible to carry water in a basket,
and he went to get a bucket instead.
The old man said, "I don't want a
bucket of water, I want a basket of
water.
You're just not trying hard enough,"
and he went out the door to watch the
boy try again.
At this point, the boy knew it was
impossible, but he wanted to show his
grandfather that even if he
ran as fast as he could, the water
would leak out before he got back to
the house.
The boy again dipped the basket into
river and ran hard, but when he reached
his grandfather the
basket was again empty. Out of
breathe, he said, "See Grandpa, it's
useless!"
"So you think it is useless?" The old
man said, "Look at the basket."
The boy looked at the basket and for
the first time realized that the basket
was different.
It had been transformed from a dirty
old coal basket and was now clean,
inside and out.
"Son, that's what happens when you read
the Qur'an. You might
not understand or remember everything,
but when you read it,
you will be changed, inside and out.
That is the work of Allah in our
lives."
in the mountains of eastern Kentucky
with his young grandson.
Each morning Grandpa was up early
sitting at the kitchen table reading
his Quraan.
His grandson wanted to be just like him
and tried to imitate him in every way
he could.
One day the grandson asked, "Grandpa! I
try to read the Qur'an just like you
but I don't understand it,
and what I do understand I forget as
soon as I close the book.
What good does reading the Qur'an do?"
The Grandfather quietly turned from
putting coal in the stove
and replied, "Take this coal basket
down to the river and bring me back a
basket of water.
The boy did as he was told, but all the
water leaked out before he got back to
the house.
The grandfather laughed and said,
"You'll have to move a little faster
next time," and sent him back
to the river with the basket to try
again.
This time the boy ran faster, but again
the basket was empty before he returned
home. Out of breath,
he told his grandfather that it was
impossible to carry water in a basket,
and he went to get a bucket instead.
The old man said, "I don't want a
bucket of water, I want a basket of
water.
You're just not trying hard enough,"
and he went out the door to watch the
boy try again.
At this point, the boy knew it was
impossible, but he wanted to show his
grandfather that even if he
ran as fast as he could, the water
would leak out before he got back to
the house.
The boy again dipped the basket into
river and ran hard, but when he reached
his grandfather the
basket was again empty. Out of
breathe, he said, "See Grandpa, it's
useless!"
"So you think it is useless?" The old
man said, "Look at the basket."
The boy looked at the basket and for
the first time realized that the basket
was different.
It had been transformed from a dirty
old coal basket and was now clean,
inside and out.
"Son, that's what happens when you read
the Qur'an. You might
not understand or remember everything,
but when you read it,
you will be changed, inside and out.
That is the work of Allah in our
lives."
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