The Story of a Dog Called Faith

This story first appeared at Shaw University Mosque Website, North Carolina, USA
http://shawuniversitymosque.org

Bismillaah

As Salaamu 'alaykum and Peace to all,

The Story of a Dog Called Faith




A few days back I had the opportunity attending a congress that featured speakers from all over the world. It was MashaAllaah, a fantastic event where I meet thousands of wonderful people and was introduced to amazing new friends.

During one of the sessions, a renowned international millionaire gave his one-hour talk, telling us the importance of embracing challenges, determination in facing the odds and not to make excuses in our lives. When there is a will, there is a way. The water can dent a rock if it drips long enough on it. A carbon will become a diamond if it can withstand the pressure.

I remembered this quote by Titus Livy…

We survive on adversity and perish in ease and comfort.


He shared on how he came from a disadvantage background and a dysfunctional family which had made him having to face life practically on his own from a very young age. His life story was an inspirational one, MashaAllaah. From rags to riches kind of story.

I thought about his speech long and hard that day. His witty yet brilliant delivery successfully triggered my mind with many mind boggling questions. Needless to say, his stories really hit me hard that day.

I started wondering about things around me.

As my sister just gave birth to the sweetest baby girl, my wondering mind first stop was babies. Yes, babies.

Have you ever wondered how babies could learn how to walk? Okey, don’t give me ‘on two feet answer! That’s not what I mean. What I mean here is, how do babies move from stage one which is just lying down on their back to the next stage of turning around, then learning how to lift their neck up, doing their ‘little push-ups’, then trying to lift their cute butt-cheek and then starting to crawl on fours.



You have to admit, it wasn’t easy for those babies to progress from one stage to another, right? Yet, have you ever seen a baby giving up and said “It is too hard. I keep on falling, so, I am going to stop trying to walk and will crawl for the rest of my life?” Have you ever heard that?

No, right? A baby moves from one stage to another despite facing much difficulty at every stage. After a baby learns how to tip toe, he then naturally decides to continue accepting the challenges to walk. After much hardship, the baby who now could walk decides to try running.

Babies never blame their wobbly feet as an excuse not to walk. In fact, they decide to continue practice standing on those two shaky and unsteady feet in order to get their muscles stronger, right? No excuses, no blaming. Babies just naturally try and keep on trying. The most babies do is cry a bit due to the pain experienced from falling.



In the end, all babies in the world would go through the stages successfully, you agree?

Truly, the verse below is so true.

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Whenever Allah wills good for a person, He subjects him to adversity” (Al-Bukhari and others).


Clearly, Allaah wants the baby to have stronger muscles so that he can walk, run, jog, sprint, march, jump, hop and leap in the future! That’s why babies have to go through the ‘hardship’. Make sense, right? SubhanAllaah.

So, if we could naturally understand this principle before when we were babies, why can’t we apply the same concept as we are facing challenges when we are teenagers or adults? Why do we sometimes like to blame and make excuses for any disadvantages we have instead of facing it head on like how we used to do when we were babies?

“You are lucky because you dad is rich, so, he can afford to provide you education,” said a kid who didn’t get the chance to go to school. ‘You are lucky because you dad is often at home and pays attention to you’ said a kid with busy father. ‘I can’t speak English well because my parents are not native speakers’, ‘I can’t do well at work because my boss always looks for my faults’, ‘I am always late because my home is far’, ‘I can’t study because my parents are always fighting’, ‘I can’t score in exams because my mother didn’t buy that workbook for me’, ‘I can’t lose weight because it’s genetic’or ‘I don’t know how to cook because my mother never taught me’ are just a few of millions of excuses that human can come out with.

Let me share with you a video clip about a dog who denied the odds and let all of us embrace its disadvantages.



Subhana Allah. If we have to be shaken by a dog, so be it, right?

Faith, the dog has just taught us a valuable lesson in life. Accept our conditions, learn to cope with it and continue living gracefully and happily. This is the formula given by this little dog. And you heard what the clip says, a movie producer wanted to cast this little doggie in his next movie project!

If faith-the dog had given up before, I am sure he wouldn’t be able to get to be in the movie, right?

This really reminded me of what Allaah had told us…

It may be that you hate something when it is good for you and it may be that you love something when it is bad for you. God knows and you do not know. (Surat al-Baqara: 216)

Reflect on this verse and of the things that are happening in your life. Remember, that Allaah knows and you do not know.

Think about it…


Copyright (c) Sis Zabrina 2007

~Your Source for Islamic Motivational and Inspirational Stories~

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Comments

Anonymous said…
As salaamu Alaykum sis,
you publish your stories at the perfect times.
That dog is amazing, is he going to be in the Harry Potter movies, i don't like the movies but the books are good.
You are so right about people making excuses, cause I make excuses all the time just read your e-mail from me.
Now I'm going to be ready when Allah challanges me, because I know good will come out of it, Al hamdulilah.
I'm glad that rich guy knows about hard work.
Salaam,
Young reader (relief)
Anonymous said…
As salaamu alakum again,
congrats for your sisters baby girl, hope she gets your writing talent.
First to comment again,
salaam,
young reader.
Sis Zabrina said…
Bismillaah

As Salaamu 'alaykum and peace to all,

Dear Young Relief *hugs*

Thanks for your comments and email! :)) MashaAllaah, thats a remarkable opportunity you have. Take it dearie and face up to the challenge. Dont doubt yourself and give excuses of why you should not do it.

This kind of things would give you valuable experiences you will need in your future, inshaAllaah. Do accept it and give you very best to it! You know, i wanted to post this story next week, but, somehow, i have this urge to post it a few days back. Perhaps its because Allaah wants you and others read it, inshaAllaah.

Take care sweetie and please tell us all how it goes!

Hugs
Sis Zabrina
Sis Zabrina said…
Bismillaah

As Salaamu 'alaykum and peace to all,

Dear Young Reader *hugs*,

Truly my new niece is a blessing. She has already decided to turn sideways and she is only one and a half months old! Pretty quick for a baby's development. I saw her striving hard to turn sideways and she made me smile all the way. i just watched her doing it over and over again, mashaAllaah.

Indeed there are things to learn when we pause and think.

Hugs
Sis Zabrina
p/s Thanks for always being here to post feedback. I truly appreciate it :)))
ZawjatWaqar said…
Assalamoalikum !
MashAllah good motivational story !!
sometimes there come some events in life when we feel soo much disapointed ...cause we dont have the power to face the challanges...our own will power can defeat the failures.....
i had a habbit that i used to say that i m soo poor at this ,that ...i don't know how to do this ...i donot know any skill...my mother said that take your life as a challange...challange to excel...
we all people should take our life as challanges..
again sis excellent story...ur all stories are soo much motivational.....jazakAllah
Wassalam
Anum
Sis Zabrina said…
Bismillaah

As Salaamu 'alaykum and peace to all,

Dearest Sis Anum *hugs*,

Your mother is absolutely right! MashaAllah. Life is truly a challenge to excel. Imagine we are all excellent in everything. It would be so boring, right? We wont be able to have this feeling of achievement because there is nothing more to achieve! Much like a student who gets A all the time without much effort. Sooner or later, he will get bored and will want to look for something else that is more challenging. Something like that. InshaAllaah sweety, you will be rewarded for all the sweat yoiu have to make the glory you will achieve, InshaAllaah.:))

Hugs
Sis Zabrina
to gather strength and walk again after a tumble..difficult as it is..we still need to move on...hhmm
Sis Zabrina said…
Bismillaah

As Salaamu 'alaykum and peace to all,

Sis Norma *hugs*, Great to see you here! Yes, thats the law, right? Get right up after we stumble. Thats the right thing to do. Actually, once we are down, there is only one thing to do- get back on our two feet again. Unless, we decide to crawl. Well, thats a totally new story to write about. :))Take care sis. Looking forward to hear from you again!

Hugs
Sis Zabrina
Anonymous said…
Salaam alaikum Sis Zabrina,
This is another wonderful peices, as i have said before you do have talent to inspire us to go that little bit further in our faith, put our lives in Allah's hands and he will take us to our wildest dreams!

Take care,
Cheryl from Oz
Sis Zabrina said…
Bismillaah

As Salaamu 'alaykum and peace to all,

Salaam sis Cheryl,

JazakAllaah for continuously reading my blog sis! Indeed the good is from Allaah and i am so grateful that He has given me the strength and inspiration to write. Alhamdulillaah. You are right about putting Trust in our Lord, coz thats the only way to go forward and feel at peace with ourselves and what surrounds us, inshaAllaah. Take care sweety and speak soon!

Hugs
Sis Zabrina
me myself and i said…
Assalamualaikum sis zarina.
Enjoy reading this article on the metaphore of a struggling and never-frustrated babies.
Believe me or not, actually I had once written about this 'baby-thing- example when I had the feeling of being soooo inferior, frustated, helpless and to that extent of feeling useless about something that bothered me in the past (the writing was for my personal collection,yet to be published in my blog/website- procastinating,huh? :-))
Now, being a new mother of a 6&half months girl motivates and boost up my inner energy everyday everytime i look into her innocent and yet curious eyes. Her struggles for her first crawl impress me so much because on every attempt, she seems so excited and just keeps trying&never stopped trying though so many times she hurt her nose for bumping her face down the floor.
There's one thing i just realised on witnessing the stages of my baby's development,that is-"In doing tasks,always excite ourselves by picturising on the result awaiting ahead,and you'll be smiling (or even giggling like the babies do)enjoying all the way doing things"
salaam
ummu nawwar
Sis Zabrina said…
Bismillaah

As Salaamu 'alaykum and peace to all,

My dearest sis *hugs*

Great that we think alike! And do get yourself the 'paint' and the 'brush', and start painting already! LOL. I am sure you write excellent stuff, so, please do us honor and share it with us. Start your book/story and sent it for publications. You will never know what Allaah has installed for us al int he future, if we take the first step. Keep writing sis!

Hugs
Sis Zabrina
me myself and i said…
assalamualaikum sis zabrina,you are very right.our baby keeps me&hubby busy 'painting' for her.

you are right my dear sis,we'll never know God's plan.reading article in saturday Edition Berita Harian on 11 august 07 on your noble effort;book&blogging inspired me so much!thanks for sharing.

Now I think someone has to do a re-painting for her own good self.

regards
-faeeza-
Sis Zabrina said…
Bismillaah

As Salaamu 'alaykum and peace to all,

Salaam sis Nur *hugs*

JazakAllaah for such kind and sweet words. Indeed, it is from Allaah that i gained all my strength...

So, have you been painting new pictures on your frames?

Hugs
Sis Zabrina