An old American Muslim lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern

Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning Grandpa was up early

sitting at the kitchen table reading his Qur'an. His grandson wanted to

be just like him and tried to imitate him in every way he could.



One day the grandson asked, "Grandpa!  I try to read the Qur'an just

like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as


soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Qur'an do?"



The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and

replied, "Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a

basket of water."



The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out before he got

back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, "You'll have to

move a little faster next time," and sent him back to the river with

the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the

basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his

grandfather that it was impossible to carry water in a basket, and he

went to get a bucket instead. The old man said, "I don't want a bucket

of water; I want a basket of water. You're just not trying hard enough,"

and
he went out the door to watch the boy try again.



At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his

grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would

leak out before he got back to the house.



The boy again dipped the basket into river and ran hard, but when he

reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he

said, "See Grandpa, it's useless!"



"So you think it is useless?" The old man said, "Look at the basket."



The boy looked at the basket and for the first time realized that the

basket was different. It had been transformed from a dirty old coal

basket and was now clean, inside and out.



"Son, that's what happens when you read the Qur'an. You might not

understand or remember everything, but when you
read it, you will be

changed, inside and out. That is the work of Allah in our lives."



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Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) says:  "The one who guides to good will be rewarded equally".

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