Ask our children:
1. Is it better to be lazy or helpful?
2. What should we do when our parents call for us?
3. Is our playing more important, or listening to our parents more important?
4. When our parents give us some work to do, should we do it immediately, or try to make up excuses?
Now tell them the story:
There was a farmer by the name of Qaasim. He owned a very big farm and carried out all the work by himself. His five sons were very lazy and they never offered him any help. Qaasim was a very intelligent man, so he thought of a plan to get his sons to work.
One bright day he gathered his five sons and told them: “My dear sons! We have a treasure buried in our fields, and I am too old and weak to dig it up all by myself.” Qaasim had hardly completed his sentence and … there we have it … the five sons were eagerly digging up the fields. However, despite all their efforts, they did not find any treasure. This caused them to become angry that their father had tricked them.
They went up to their father and complained as to how he could have lied to them. The father very calmly replied to them: “Oh my sons! How could I do such a terrible thing as lying to you? A Muslim never lies. You have only done half the job. Now you need to take these seeds and place them in the ground.” The sons most willingly took the seeds, placed them in the ground, and then returned to their father.
The father told them, “Now, my sons! Let us all make wudhu, perform salaah and make du‘aa to Allah Ta‘ala to send down the rains.” Once again, the sons happily did as their father told them to do. Their du‘aa was accepted by Allah Ta‘ala. Soon thereafter the rains began to fall. The sons all jumped for joy and it was only a few days later that the seeds started to grow into small, little plants.
On seeing the fields lush and green, Qaasim told his sons: “Look! My dear sons, this is the treasure I was telling you about; the treasure of life. The seeds were buried beneath the soil and with Allah Ta‘ala’s command the rains brought out the treasure of life. When man makes an effort, Allah Ta‘ala will allow him to see the fruits of his efforts.”
The sons were all amazed. They had made so little effort, yet Allah Ta‘ala had rewarded them with such beautiful crops. Thereafter their father said to them: “Oh my sons! These are all the temporary fruits of this world. However the best farming is that of good deeds. Plant its seeds in this world and enjoy the rewards in the Hereafter forever and ever.” From that day the sons changed their entire lives. They helped their father to plant the seeds of this world and also did the good deeds of the Hereafter as well.
Lessons:
1. The one who listens to his parents and does as told by them, will soon see the goodness in their words, and will accordingly change his life.
2. Man makes so little effort, but Allah Ta‘ala rewards man with so much.
3. Whatever actions we do in this world, we will see the actual result in the Hereafter.