A Short Story on Islam and Patience

This short story about a father’s hasty judgment teaches a timeless lesson. It highlights the core teachings of Islam on patience and the wisdom of thinking before we decide, showing how snap judgments can lead to deep regret.

A Heartfelt Misunderstanding

His darling little one insisted on something one day. She wanted to go to the park. This was Mr. Rakib’s young daughter, Khadija. Mr. Rakib adored his daughter; you could say she was his entire world. A request from her was not something he could ever turn down. So, when the time was right that afternoon, Mr. Rakib took Khadija out to a park.

As evening approached, it was time to head home. The father and daughter were walking together when they passed by an apple stand. Little Khadija now had a new request: she wanted an apple. So, Mr. Rakib bought two apples and placed them in Khadija’s hands. In the next moment, an idea popped into Mr. Rakib’s head. You could even call it a mischievous one.

He thought to himself, “I love Khadija more than my own life. But I don’t know how much she loves me. Let’s put it to the test today.” So he said to Khadija, “Sweetie, if you want, you can give one of the two apples in your hands to your daddy.”

As soon as she heard her father’s words, Khadija took a bite out of the apple in her right hand. Her father was stunned. Before he could say a word, Khadija took a bite out of the apple in her left hand as well. Now, her father felt a surge of anger. He thought, she’s just a little girl, yet so greedy! The one I cherish so much, when asked for an apple, immediately takes a bite out of both! She disliked the idea of giving one up that much! He made a snap judgment. He concluded that his little girl was a greedy child. Lost in these thoughts, he unknowingly let go of his daughter’s hand and walked a few steps ahead. He was so heartbroken he didn’t even feel like looking back.

A few moments later, Khadija ran up and grabbed her father’s hand. Before he could say anything, she said to him, “Daddy, you asked for an apple. I bit into both of them to see which one was better. The apple in my right hand is juicier and sweeter. I want you to have that one.” With those words, Khadija placed the apple from her right hand into her father’s and gave him a sweet smile.

Mr. Rakib was speechless. What was this little girl saying? And here he was, just moments ago, thinking such terrible things about her. How incredibly hasty he had been in judging his own daughter. As this realization washed over him, tears streamed down his face.

Islam on Patience: Lessons on the Perils of Haste

The mistake Mr. Rakib made in this short story should be obvious to everyone. The reality, however, is that many of us make this very mistake in our daily lives. We rush when it comes to making decisions. This is where the guidance of Islam on patience becomes so critical. As a result of haste, we often fail to make the right choice. The Almighty Allah says in the Quran:

خُلِقَ الْإِنْسَانُ مِنْ عَجَلٍ

“Indeed, man has been created with a tendency to haste.“

(Surah Al-Anbiya, verse 37)

This human tendency is not just a psychological quirk; the teachings of Islam on patience address it directly through divine guidance and prophetic examples. It is worth noting that since the companions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) were also human, some of them occasionally acted with haste. Later, upon realizing their mistake, they would make sincere repentance. The following Hadith (a saying of the Prophet) serves as proof:

Usama ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent us on a military expedition. We raided the tribe of Huraqa of Juhaynah in the morning. I caught hold of a man and he said: “La ilaha illallah (There is no god but Allah).” I pierced him with a spear. I felt uneasy about it and mentioned it to the Prophet (ﷺ). The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

“He said ‘La ilaha illallah’ and you killed him?”

I said, “O Messenger of Allah, he only said it out of fear of my weapon.”

He said:

“Did you tear open his heart to find out whether he had said it sincerely or not?”

He continued to repeat this to me until I wished that I had embraced Islam only on that day…

(Sahih Muslim, Hadis 179)

This Hadith also proves that the companion felt immense regret after the incident. In other words, he later became aware of the harmful consequences of acting in haste.

In another Hadith, it is reported:

“Deliberation is from Allah, and haste is from Satan.”

(Hasan Sahih, Sahih Al-Jami’, 3011)

Furthermore, another Hadith highlights two beloved traits:

“…There are two qualities that Allah loves: forbearance and deliberation.”

(Sahih Muslim, Hadis 17)

Conclusion

Therefore, we must avoid haste in all our decision-making. We should practice deliberation, a key aspect of Islam on patience. By doing so, we can save ourselves from making many wrong decisions, and it will become easier for us to show gratitude to Allah. And when we show gratitude to Allah, He increases His blessings upon us.