There was an old man who came from his distant home to visit his daughters, Noor and Nadia. His first daughter was named Nadia, married to a diligent farmer. His second daughter, Noor, was married to a man who made porcelain vessels. Noor’s husband loved working hard. He would go out to tend the farm even in the hot noon times. Despite the great effort, the plants weren’t growing well.
They suffered from lack of rain and the severity of the summer heat. If the land dried up, the plants would die, and Noor and her husband wouldn’t get the desired harvest. Nadia felt sorry for her husband’s condition as he carried the heavy water jars to water the plants. The father came to reassure his daughter and ask her if she wanted anything. She told him she only wanted the sky to rain so the plants would grow and the harvest wouldn’t dry up.
The father went out in the evening and looked up at the sky. He prayed to God to make the rain fall so his daughter and her husband wouldn’t lose the year’s harvest. As soon as the father finished his prayer, the rain fell in abundance on the country. Nadia shouted in intense joy, she and her husband. They kept dancing under the rain in happiness, saying: “Praise be to God, it has rained. Praise be to God, it has rained.”
Visit to Daughter Noor:
Then the father left the farm satisfied and went to visit his second daughter, Noor. Noor’s husband worked in making porcelain vessels. He was very angry at the rain because thus the vessels wouldn’t dry. When the father entered, he saw his daughter’s husband very angry.
He asked his daughter about the reason for her husband’s anger. She told him: “It’s the rain, as all porcelain vessels need the heat of the sun to dry, and the strong sun heat is necessary for forming the pottery.” The father sat, having come to reassure his daughter and ask her if she wanted anything.
Noor said to him: “My husband has become despairing from the sun not rising and the abundance of rain. If the rain continues to fall, the porcelain vessels will spoil, which he has been making for several months, shaping them, and we won’t be able to sell them.”
The father stood by the window and looked up at the sky. He prayed to God to make the sun shine and stop the rain from falling. So the porcelain vessels dried, and his daughter Noor and her husband became happy. As soon as the father finished his prayer, the sun appeared, shining with its bright rays through the house windows.
Noor shouted happily: “Praise be to God, it is the sun.” Noor and her husband began preparing the pottery and taking it out before the sun’s rays until it dried. The father felt great happiness seeing his daughter and her husband happy with the sun. He returned to his home.
Filial Piety of the Two Daughters:
In the morning of the next day, his daughter Nadia came with a large basket containing delicious fruits and vegetables, gave them to her father, and said to him: “Look, father, you are a blessing to us. Since you came to us, rain has been falling a lot. The land has become moist, the plants have grown, and we have obtained many harvests.”
His daughter Noor came carrying the porcelain vessels for her father and said to him: “You are the source of goodness for us. Your prayer for us made the sun shine, and the porcelain vessels dried.”
Nadia and Noor’s Shouting:
Noor shouted: “No, pray for us, father, for rain to fall every day.” Nadia shouted: “No, father, pray for us for the rain to stop falling and the sun to shine with its heat every day.”
The father said: “Stop shouting. And know that moderation and balance are the most important things in existence. You both must be content and pleased with God’s decree. And know that the sun and rain are both indispensable, and God does what He wills and intends, and what He intends is good for us.”