‘How is the new maid working?’ The grandmother of Nannhay Miyan asked his mother while he was having dinner with his family members. Mother replied, ‘She is working at least better than the previous one.’ Having heard about the new maid, Nannhay Miyan said, ‘But I haven’t seen the new maid!’
‘She comes in the morning, and leaves after cleaning the house while you are at school. Secondly, whenever you finish playing with your toys, keep them at the proper place.’ His mother guided him.
On Sunday, Nannhay Miyan slept after offering Fajr Salah and woke up at 9 a.m. He quickly brushed his teeth, washed his hands and face, and came out of the room. His class fellow was sitting there in the lounge. Surprised, Nannhay Miyan asked, ‘Danish, you are here!’ Danish replied, ‘I have come with my mother.’ ‘So, where is she?’ Nannhay Miyan asked. ‘She is cleaning the roof,’ Danish replied. ‘Is your mother our new maid?’ Nannhay Miyan asked. ‘Yes,’ Danish said. Nannhay Miyan went to the kitchen and said to his mother while sitting on a stool, ‘The son of our new maid is my class fellow!’ Mother replied, ‘Good, today is a holiday and both of you can play together. I am making a paratha for you.’ Nannhay Miyan said, ‘How can the son of our maid be a friend of mine? A few days ago, he insulted me in front of all the students and did not allow me to sit with him. I am going to teach him a lesson.’ ‘Stop! Do not misbehave at all,’ his mother shouted but Nannhay Miyan had left instantly.
Nannhay Miyan shouted, ‘Danish, stand up! You are not worthy of sitting on a sofa as you are the son of our maid. You have made our new sofa dirty; just sit on the ground.’ Seeing his anger, Danish immediately left the place and stood in a corner quietly. ‘Don’t you know who he is and how you should behave?’ The voice of Nannhay Miyan’s grandmother stopped him from shouting further. Meanwhile, the maid came and anxiously said, ‘Madam! Danish is my son. He is off today so I brought him here. I apologise if you feel bad. I will not bring him again.’ Hearing it, Nannhay Miyan angrily shouted, ‘Ask him to leave our house right now, otherwise I will…’ Interrupting Nannhay Miyan, the grandmother made him sit on a sofa with her. She also called Danish and addressed Nannhay Miyan, ‘Son, servants are also humans like us. We should behave well towards them also.’ ‘But grandma, Danish insulted me in the school!’ Nannhay Miyan replied.
The grandmother asked, ‘Tell me, who of you knows about Imam Zayn-ul-‘Aabideen رَحْمَةُ اللہِ عَلَيْه?’ Both of them remained silent, so the grandmother said: Let me tell you about Imam Zayn-ul-‘Aabideen رَحْمَةُ اللہُ عَلَيْه. He رَحْمَةُ اللّٰہ عَلَيْه is the son of Imam Husayn رَضِىَ اللہ عَنْهُ, the beloved grandson of our Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللہ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. Once, Sayyiduna Imam Zayn-ul-‘Aabideen رَحْمَةُ اللّٰہ عَلَيْه had to make Wudu, so his female slave brought water in a container. She was pouring water and he رَحْمَةُ اللہ عَلَيْه was performing Wudu but all of a sudden the container slipped from her hands; it hit the Imam’s blessed face due to which it was wounded. The Imam turned to her, so she said, ‘Pious people control anger.’ The Imam said, ‘I have controlled my anger.’ She said, ‘Pious people forgive.’ The Imam said, ‘May Allah forgive you.’ She then said, ‘Allah likes benefactors.’ The Imam said, ‘I have freed you for [pleasing] Allah.’ (Tareekh Ibn ‘Asakir, vol. 41, pp. 387)
The grandmother then asked, ‘Nannhay Miyan, now tell me who a good person is - the one who does righteousness in return for evil or commits evil in return for evil.’
Nannhay Miyan replied, ‘Grandma, a good person does righteousness in return for evil. I forgive Danish and I also request him to forgive me for my bad behaviour, so that I become a good person.’ ‘Danish! Let’s play together,’ Nannhay Miyan said while extending his hand. Danish held his hand and said, ‘Nannhay Miyan! Please forgive me as well for misbehaving with you in the school.’
The mother of Nannhay Miyan was happily seeing this, standing at the door of the kitchen. She said, ‘My son! Have breakfast before playing.’ ‘Mama! Please bring breakfast for both of us, not only for me,’ Nannhay Miyan replied smilingly and sat close to Danish.
Comments