Charity has great merit, for God Almighty has commanded us with it when desiring to prevent harm, heal the sick, and open the paths for all good. It extinguishes the Lord’s anger. The Exalted Lord says in His Holy Book: If a dead person wants to return to life again and wants to do something that brings him closer to God, he will give charity. Do you know the greatness of this good habit? ...
These are the stories of the folk artist Muhammad Harb, known as Abu Subhi al-Tinawi. The artist grew up in Damascus, but his paintings reached Europe and America. Tinawi practiced the art of glass painting, a folk art known in the Balkan countries and Tunisia. He drew his scenes from folk stories and religious stories. When the boy was born more than 100 years ago in the alleys of Old Damascus, they called him Muhammad, as an example to the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace. ...
Our Arab popular heritage, its exciting tales and beautiful myths, are the best we can hear or read. Every time we listen to a short story from our heritage, we may learn how that legend began or the secret of its name. Our legend is like a novel about the reason for naming the rainbow by this name, but it is known in brotherly Algeria as “Arous al-Gaith” or “Bride of the Rain.” ...
At sunset, three thieves took refuge in a cave near one of the cities. They remained all night planning to steal money from one of the villages. In the morning of the next day, they disguised themselves as wealthy merchants and went to the market. When they reached the moneylender’s shop, one of them entered it, while the other two remained talking outside. The one who entered the shop expressed his urgent need for money and said to the moneylender: I hope you will lend me a thousand pounds. The moneylender said to him: For how long? He said: Two months. The moneylender said to him: Then you will pay me 2000 pounds. The thief said to him: No problem. The moneylender counted the amount and gave the man a check, asking him to bring two witnesses to sign it. Soon the thief returned with his two companions. They pounced on the moneylender, gagged his mouth, tied him with ropes, took the money, and hurried with it to the cave. ...
She came to me shyly, saying: I want to buy a doll, my daughter. And why a doll now? She said: I want to play with it like my friends. So I said to her: Is playing with a doll necessary? She said: Yes, I wish I had a doll to change her clothes and make her shampoo her hair. So the father said: I will try, God willing. So I went to the doll shop, hoping to find a cheap one. I wished I hadn’t bought some fruit this morning so that I would be able to buy the doll she wanted. For my little daughter is smart and sweet and shy. She dreams all the time of having toys like her friends, and I always postpone it with many excuses. She doesn’t get angry but stays silent and submits. The excuses didn’t work this time, and there was no trick left, so I must buy her a doll. ...
It is told that there was a neighbor to Juha. It was known of him that he was extremely generous and bountiful. One day, this man held a wedding and didn’t invite Juha and his wife to attend. Juha and his wife were angry at the man’s deed. They sat together thinking of a trick to attend this feast. Juha’s wife left her house and hurried to enter the neighbor’s house, imagining the feast was there. Juha was behind her running with anger and calling out to her, but the neighbors held him and began calming him and trying to prevent him from beating her. Juha’s wife hid in the neighbors’ house. Juha sat by the drums where tables were spread and food was placed. Everyone sat. Juha approached the food and began devouring it voraciously and said, “How delicious my wife’s food is. I’ve known where to feed herself.” ...
Two brothers lived in one house. They were small, raised together until they grew up, each married. They separated, each living in a house with his wife and children. The older was extremely rich, and the younger extremely poor. The rich brother lived on a small island surrounded on all sides by sea water, so he made the trade of salt his trade. He sold salt for years until he collected a large amount of money. But despite that, he was extremely stingy. ...
After people used to use him as a means of transportation, the day came when he used means of transportation. He realized with full awareness that his intelligence and cunning would lead him to this result one day. He felt extreme happiness as he saw the desert disappearing behind him and turning to gray color, with wide green lands on both sides. The camel took a long breath, feeling absolute happiness he had never tasted throughout his life. ...
It is told that in ancient times, in days of old, a poor man had three daughters who used to spin cotton. Their father would sell in the market what they spun, buy new cotton from its price, and spend the rest on buying food for his three daughters. This was his condition and that of his daughters. The charitable poor man and the destitute beggar: One day, the poor father went to the market. He met a destitute man who complained to him about his poverty. The father pitied him greatly and gave him the price of all the spinning. Then the father returned to his daughters without cotton or food. ...
The Reward of Kindness revolves around doing good and the great reward that follows that deed. The story tells of a polite young man who bought two birds and decided to release them to enjoy the freedom of movement in their social environment. Because the two birds were grateful and appreciative of what this young man had done for them, they decided to show him a place where there was much good for him, as will follow in the story… ...