Ask our Children:

Should we share what we have with others, or should we keep everything for ourselves?

Now tell them the story:

Bilaal was a boy who was very greedy and would never share with people. When visitors came to his home and their children wanted to play with his toys, he would shout, “NO! IT’S MINE!” and would refuse to let them play with any of his toys. Also, when he had a chocolate or a packet of chips, he would not share with anyone! He would shout, “IT’S MINE!” Because he never ever shared with anyone, the other children in his school wouldn’t like to play with him or sit with him.

One day, when Bilaal came to school, he realized that he forgot his food at home! When it was break time, he watched in misery as all the other children took their food out of their bags and began to eat. He was so hungry, that his stomach was rumbling away like a tractor “Grrrrrrr!”

He watched as Muhammad ate a delicious sandwich, and Zaid ate yummy biscuits, and Zaheer ate juicy grapes, and Luqmaan drank a strawberry milkshake… As Bilaal watched them enjoying their food, he began to think to himself, “If only someone would share their food with me! If only Muhammad would share a piece of his sandwich, and Zaid would share a biscuit, Zaheer would share a few grapes, and Luqmaan would share a little of his milkshake!”

Just then, Muhammad, Zaid, Zaheer and Luqmaan came up to him and said, “Bilaal! We saw that you forgot your food at home today! Never mind! You can share with us, because Allah Ta‘ala becomes happy with us when we share.”

Bilaal became very happy and said, “Jazakallah so much! I was so hungry!” After he ate, Bilaal began to think, “When they shared with me, I felt so happy. If I share my toys and my food with others, they will also become happy, and then Allah Ta‘ala will become happy with me.”

From that day on, whenever Bilaal had something, whether it was a toy or something to eat, he would try to share it with others. When he would share something with another person, he would see how happy that person would become. This would make Bilaal feel happy, because he knew that Allah Ta‘ala was also happy with him.

Lessons:

1. Allah Ta‘ala becomes happy with us when we share with others.

2. A person who doesn’t share with others won’t be liked by other people and won’t have many friends.

Click here for the audio version of this story.