One day, the Crusaders gathered and decided to attack Jerusalem in Palestine. They seized it and occupied it. The Crusaders engaged in looting and theft in the land. There was an elderly woman living in an old house with her only son, Ahmed. His mother said to him one day: “Oh Ahmed, the Crusader soldiers have seized everything your father left for us and took it by force. We have only one cow left. Be very careful that the Crusaders do not see it so that they do not take it. Take care of it, oh Ahmed, so that we may drink its milk, for we have nothing left but it.” Ahmed said: “At your command, oh mother. I will take care of it and preserve it, and I will take it now to the field to eat and drink.”
Ahmed went to the field with that cow so that it could eat and drink. He sat under the shade of a tree, enjoying the air and watching the cow so that it would not go far, for it was now their only source of food for him and his mother. Suddenly, Ahmed heard the sound of the footsteps of Crusader soldiers as they invaded the place. They were chasing some Muslim soldiers. Ahmed hastened from his place, took the cow, and hid it behind the trees. He remained hidden for a long time until he was assured that they had gone far away.
Ahmed decided to return the cow to his mother to milk it for her. Suddenly, Ahmed met a Muslim soldier carrying another wounded soldier. The soldier said to him: “Oh son, I want you to bring us a cup of water.” Ahmed searched for water but did not find any. He began to think about what to do. Then he found the best alternative. He took the large cup and began milking the cow until the vessel was filled with milk. Then he presented the vessel to them. The wounded soldier drank until he was satisfied, then gave it to his companion, who drank.
The wounded soldier said to Ahmed: “May God reward you with good, oh son, for you have saved our lives.” Ahmed said to him: “May God reward you with good, for you are defending Al-Aqsa Mosque and fighting the enemies of God.” The two men left, and Ahmed returned to the house to find his mother in great anxiety about him. When she saw him, she asked him: “Why are you late, oh Ahmed, and where were you?” Ahmed told her the whole story. The mother knew that she would sleep that night without food or drink after Ahmed had given all the milk to the two soldiers.
Days and months passed, and wars continued between Muslims and Crusaders until God enabled the Muslims and they managed to expel them from the land. One day, Ahmed was standing in front of the house when he saw two men leading thirty cows in front of them. He was amazed at this sight, especially when he saw them heading toward his house. One of them said to Ahmed: “May God reward you with good for what you did. This cattle is a gift to you from the commander whose life you saved when you gave him milk to drink.”
Ahmed was surprised by this statement, then said: “I did not do anything but the duty that any human being must do in this situation. I do not want a reward for my deed, for this is the least duty toward our soldiers.” The man said: “You saved the life of our commander, and it was necessary to reward you.” The soldier insisted that Ahmed take these cows. Ahmed rejoiced greatly and went in to his mother to give her the good news. His mother said to him: “Oh son, whoever leaves something for God, God will replace it with something better than it, and this is the reward for the kindness you did. Praise be to God.”