The Poor Hungry Boy

Once there lived a poor boy, Zakir, who was trying hard to earn some money to pay his way through school. After school, he would move around the neighborhood trying to sell goods from door to door. He had not taken his food since morning, and he was extremely tired and hungry. He searched his pockets for money and found that he had only a few coins left, not enough to have a decent meal.

Overcome by fatigue, Zakir decided to ask for a meal at the next house visited by him. He had never asked anyone for food before. Nervously, he knocked on the door. A lovely young lady opened the door for him. Try as he might, Zakir could not muster the nerve to beg for a meal. At the last moment, he asked her for a drink of water instead of food.

The woman thought that the boy at the door looked hungry, so she brought him a loaf of bread along with the water. The boy took the loaf of bread from her hands and ate it gratefully. Then he timidly asked, "How much do I owe you?" He had some notion of having to give away his goods to repay her.

"You don't owe me a thing," she replied. "Mother taught us never to accept any money for a kindness done to others." The boy said, "Then I thank you from the bottom of my heart."

Zakir left her house feeling strong and refreshed from having the loaf of bread. The kindness of the lady had increased his faith in Allah and in the goodness of human beings. Only a few minutes back he had despaired of eating anything that would see him through the day. He had been ready to give up and quit. He had steeled himself to go to bed on an empty stomach.

Years passed. Zakir studied hard and topped his class. He won a scholarship and went on to study medicine. He finally became a leading doctor and worked for a big hospital in the city.

Meanwhile, the kind woman became very sick. The doctors treating her were at a loss. The old lady was not responding to any of their cures. They finally sent her to the big city for treatment, and she was admitted to the hospital where Zakir worked. Specialists were called to study her case. One of the doctors attending her was the poor hungry boy who had barely managed to survive on the basic necessities during his years at school.

He recognized her at once. She was the lady who had given him a loaf of bread. He went back to the consultation room determined to do the best to save her life. From that day, he gave special attention to her case.

After a long struggle, the battle was won. He requested the business office in the hospital to pass the final bills of her treatment for his approval. He looked at it, scribbled something on the back of the envelope and asked it to be sent to her room.

The woman had now recovered. She looked at the thick envelope that contained her medical bills and dreaded to open it. She was sure she would not be able to pay for all the diagnostic tests, the medicines, and the cost of staying in the hospital. Finally, she looked, and something caught her attention on the back of the envelope.

She read the words, "Paid in full with a loaf of bread." It was signed, "the boy who had come to your door asking for water years ago, and was given a loaf of bread." Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her heart prayed, "Thank you, Allah that your love has spread abroad through human hearts and hands."

Islam encourages Muslims to gain piety and knowledge. Apart from this, Muslims are also enjoined to show due respect to people who are elder to them in age. In a hadith, the Noble Prophet (SAWS) has said, "He is not of us who does not have kindness for our young and respect for our old." [Tirmidhi]

Aged people have been specially indicated as objects of our respect in numerous traditions of the Prophet (SAWS). "Respect for a gray haired Muslim is part of respect for Allah." [Abu Daud]

In the story we find the woman at the door had taken pity on the boy who had come to her door asking for a glass of water. Recognizing that he was hungry, she gave him bread. Years later, the boy had repaid her kindness when she had least expected it. The good that she had done came back to her multiplied many times in her old age.

The young man who respects an old man because of his age, Allah appoints people who shall respect him in his old age.