Once there lived a traveler. Seeing him sowing seeds in every place he visits, someone asked: “Why are you planting trees through the places which you would never come back to? ”

“Well, I may not come back to here. It is just because you don’t travel around, you live with the fallacy that all the trees we plant are for ourselves.  All these trees and flowers we pass through by relishing and delighting are NOT grown by us, are they? Aren’t we adoring the trees fostered by others? Hence, for this world and nature around, strew at least a flower seed”, he replied.

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How touching is this story! While we strew a seed or plant a tree, the goodness reaches to numerous living beings! Sprouts from the seeds, stems from the sprouts, twigs from the stems and later with buds, flowers, fruits and seeds on the twigs, for how many ages it drizzles the goodness! Even after our demise, it abides as our virtue and the remnant of our deeds. It is an asset that follows us as a ‘return’, even after our death.

Prophet (SAW) always encouraged planting of trees and sprinkling of seeds. The greatest preacher of love, advised us:

He taught us, “Do good to others, surely Allah loves those who do good to others.” (2:195). The messenger of love also added:

It is not the one who fights for his own benefits, but the one who strives to feed others is described as ‘the warrior fighting in the path of Allah‘, by Holy Quran.

Didn’t you know the Prophet (SAW) whose eyes fraught with tears, seeing a baby sparrow separated from its mother bird? Haven’t you heard about the Khaleefa Abu Backer, who hurried to serve an old woman who was left alone with no one to taken care of? Have you heard about the Khaleefa Umar Khatab (RA), who burst into tears upon seeing the huts of poor, on his way to Mina during Haj ritual, fearing that Allah would never accept his prayers as long as poverty has not wiped out from their lives?

Haven’t you heard about the Khaleefa Usman (RA), who bought a ‘(dug) water well’ from those who refused to provide water to the poor, paying a high cost by himself? Didn’t you know about the Khalifa Ali (RA), who donated the dates which he bought for his beloved Fatima, to a skinny, gangly old man?

There is a story of a poor boy, who lived in a city of America. Electricity was not invented then. During nights, the boy was witnessing many pedestrians falling in trouble, due to the trenches and cavities in the road. He decided to help them and lighted up an oil lamp in front of his home. So it was dark everywhere except his small hut.

Passengers praised him and slowly his neighbors began to emulate him. Eventually, the streets of that small town gleamed with small lights and oil lamps, even after the sun sets down in the horizon. The city is Philadelphia, the word means ‘brotherly love’.

Our eyes must get wet for others, not for ourselves.  Prophet (SAW) said to his beloved,  “Ayesha, it is not what we enjoyed ourselves that counts, but what made others enjoy”. Qura’n gives the glad news that “like a tiny seed that blossoms to countless sprouts (over time),  charity blossoms to immense virtues and rewards”. Do good things for others, even if it is trivial. Be the ‘light’ and ‘shade’ in other’s life, being a small lamp or a flower seed.

It’s raining, we just have to throw a seed! It would sprout into a spring, benefiting ourselves as well as others!