Story Time – With Lessons from Qur’an and Sunnah

Story Time –
With Lessons from Qur’an and Sunnah
Dr. Seuss Books

INTRODUCTION
(General reminder of the importance of having good morals)
The Prophet was asked: Which Muslim has the perfect faith ?” He answered: “He who has the best moral character.” (Tibrani)
Abdullah bin' Amar has reported: “I have heard the Prophet as saying: 'Should I not tell you who amongst you is the most likeable person to me, and who will be the nearest to me on the Day of the Judgment?' He repeated this question twice or thrice. The people requested him to tell them about such a person. He said 'He who amongst you has the best moral character.' “
Allah says: “By the soul, and the proportion and the order given to it; and its enlightenment as to its wrong and its right; truly he succeeds who purifies it, and he fails who corrupts it.”
-(Shams: 7-10)
Yertle the Turtle
Value address: Greed and Oppression
Relevant verses:
Allah Almighty says, "But as for him who is stingy and self-satisfied, and denies the Good, We will pave his way to Difficulty." (92:8-11)
“Truly man was created very impatient; fretful when evil touches him; and niggardly when good reaches him ; not so those devoted to prayer, those who remain steadfast to their prayer; and those in whose wealth is recognised right for ( the needy) who asks and him who is prevented ( for some reason from asking) ; and those who hold to the Truth of the Day of Judgment; and those who fear the displeasure of their Lord ,for the Lord's displeasure is the opposite of peace and tranquillity; and those who guard their chastity.”-( .41-Ma'arij.. 19-29)
Relevant ahadith:
Jabir reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Beware of injustice. Injustice will be darkness on the Day of Rising. Beware of avarice. Avarice destroyed those before you and prompted them to shed each other's blood and to make lawful what Allah had made unlawful for them."
“If the son of Adam is given a valley of gold, he will desire to have another one. And if the other is also given, he will be greedy to have the third one. The hunger of Adam's son will not be satisfied except when his remains are mixed with the dust. And the one who turns to Allah, Allah accepts his repentance.”( Bukhari )
Ka’ab ibn Maalik (Radhiallaahu Anhu) narrates from his father that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, “Two hungry wolves sent to a flock of sheep is not more harmful (to the flock) than (a religious harm) to a person greedy for wealth and position.” (Mishkaat pg.441; Qadeemi)

The Big Brag
Value addressed: BOASTING, SHOWING OFF, ARROGANCE
Relevant verses:
Allah (S.W.T.) told us the story of Iblees so that we may learn lessons from it, when he ordered him to prostrate to Adam and he rejected because of his Arrogance and Envy towards Adam, claiming that he is better than him. Allah said in surat Al-A’raaf, Verse (12), what can be translated as, "…I am better than him (Adam), you created me from fire, and you created him from clay."
Allah (S.W.T.) says in surat Luqman, (Verse 18), what can be translated as, "And do not turn your face away from men with arrogance, nor walk in insolence through the earth. Verily, Allah does not like each arrogant boaster."
the Almighty says, "Do not strut arrogantly about the earth." (17:37)
The Almighty says, "O mankind! We created you from a male and female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you might come to know each other. The noblest among you in Allah's sight is the most godfearing." (49:13)
Relevant ahadith:
'Iyad ibn Himar reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Allah Almighty has revealed to me that you should be humble in such a way that no one is either overbearing or boastful towards another person." [Muslim]
what is arrogance? The prophet (S.A.W.) defined it for us in an authentic hadith reported by Imams Muslim and At-Tirmithi, "One will not enter Paradise, if one has an atom’s weight of arrogance in his/her heart." a man then asked, "One may love his clothes to look good and his shoes to look good?!" The prophet replied, "Allah is beautiful and loves beauty, arrogance is: rejecting the truth and looking down on people."
the prophet (S.A.W.) said, "....And no one has humbled himself for the sake of Allah, but Allah has elevated him."
Gertrude McFuzz
Value addressed: Jealousy
Relevant verses:
"It is not wise covet those things in which Allah has bestowed His gifts more freely on some of you than on others, to men is allotted what they earn. And to women what they earn; but ask Allah of His bounty; for Allah has full knowledge of all things." (Nissa.. 32)
Relevant ahadith:
"Every Monday and Thursday men's acts are placed before Allah. On these days Allah forgives the sins of everybody, except the polytheists. However, if there is a person who has spite and rancor against his brother, He says about them: “Leave these two alone in their condition till they come to a settlement." (Muslim)
“In the night of the 15th of Sha'ban, Allah acquaints himself of the conditions of His slaves. So He forgives those who seek His pardon, bestows mercy on those seeking mercy, and leaves the spiteful people alone." (Baihaqui)
From Muslim Character: Islam has declared jealousy as haram (forbidden). Allah has commanded his Messenger to seek shelter from the mischief of jealous people, because jealousy is a spark that burns inside the bosom and hurts the jealous person as well as others.
"in the stomach of a man, the dust flying in the path of Allah and the flames of hell cannot be together, nor can the faith and jealousy dwell together in the stomach of a man," (Baihaqui)
In another tradition it is mentioned:
"Keep away from jealousy, for jealousy eats up virtues in the same way as fire eats up wood." (Abu Daud)
Allah's Messenger has said: "Excepting two things, in no other thing jealousy is permissible: One-it is permissible to be jealous of the man who has been given wealth by Allah and who is spending it in the cause of truth unhesitatingly, and second, that man whom Allah has blessed with wisdom, in whose light he takes decisions and imparts education in it to others."
“Spite and jealousy and the diseases which were created by them have been condemned by Islam, and they have developed and progressed because man is a prisoner of the world and the desires to achieve it, and the longing to enjoy the pleasures and luxuries of life to the utmost keep him in trouble.” – Muslim Character, al-Ghazali