A long time ago, there was a humongous apple tree.
A little boy loved to come and play around it everyday.
He climbed to the treetop. He ate the apples.
He took a nap in its shadow. He loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him.
Time went by. The little boy had now become a teenager and he no longer played around the tree anymore.
One day, the boy came back to the tree and he discovered that it looked sad .
“Come and play with me” the tree seemed to ask the boy.
“I am no longer a kid, I do not play around trees any more,” the boy replied. “I want the latest gadgets. I need money to buy them.”
“Sorry, but I do not have money, but you can pick all my apples and sell them. Then, you will have money.”
The boy was so excited.
He grabbed all the apples on the tree and left happily.
The boy did not come back after he picked the apples. The tree was deeply saddened once again.
One day, many years later, the boy who now had turned into a man returned and the tree was thrilled!
“Come and play with me,” the tree seemed to have said.
“I do not have time to play.
I have to work for my wife and children. We need a house for shelter. Can you help me?” the man replied.
“Sorry, but I do not have any houses. But you can chop off my branches to build your house.”
So the man cheerfully cut all the branches of the tree and left happily. The tree was glad to see him happy but the man did not come back for years and years. The tree was again lonely and upset.
One hot summer day, the man returned and the tree was delighted.
“Come and play with me,” the tree seemed to say.
“I am approaching my fifties. I want to go sailing so I can relax during my holidays. Can you give me a boat?” asked the man.
“Use my trunk to build your boat. You can sail far away and be happy,” the tree seemed to have replied.
So the man joyfully cut the tree trunk to make a boat. He went sailing and did not show up for a long time.
Finally, the man returned after many years.
“Sorry, my boy. But I do not have anything for you anymore. No more apples for you,” the tree seemed to have said.
“No problem, I do not have any more teeth to bite,” the man replied.
“No more trunk for you to climb on,” the tree seemed to have responded.
“I am too old for that now too,” the man said.
“I really cannot give you anything, my boy. The only thing left is my dying roots,” the tree seemed to have said with tears.
“I do not need much now, just a place to rest. I am tired after all these years,” the man remarked.
“Good! Old tree roots are the best place to lean on and rest, Come, come sit down with me and rest,” the tree seemed to have heartily whispered.
The man sat down on the grass, leaning his weak body on the tree stump. The tree was so glad it seemed to have smiled with tears…
This is a story for everyone.
The tree is like our parents.
When we were young, we loved to play with our Mum and Dad.
When we grow up, we leave them… only come back to them when we need something or when we are in trouble.
No matter what,
our parents will always be there and give everything they could.
Just to make you happy.
You may think the boy is cruel to the tree, but that is how almost all of us treat our parents. We take them for granted. We don’t appreciate all the things that they do for us, UNTIL it’s too late.
May Allah* forgive us of our shortcomings and may He Guide us, Ameen*.
Love your Parents….
“And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them “Uff” (a word of disrespect), nor shout at them but address them in terms of honour.” [Quran; 17:23]
“And lower unto them the wing of humility out of mercy, and say: ‘My Lord! Have mercy on them as they did bring me up when I was small.’ ” [Quran; 17:24]
Rasulullah* (s.a.w.*) said that Jibreel (a.s.*) (who is one of the angels) said that
“Woe unto him in whose presence his parents or either one of them attains old age, and (through failure to serve them) he is not allowed to enter Jannah”.
To this Rasulullah(s.a.w.) said, “Ameen”.