Waleed received a car from his brother as an Eid gift. On Eid day when
Waleed came out of his house, a small poor boy was walking around the
new car, admiring it. “Does it belong to you, Uncle” he asked. Waleed
replied in negative. “This is Eid gift from my brother.” The boy was
amazed.
“You mean your brother gave it to you and it cost you nothing? Boy, I
wish…” He hesitated. Of course Waleed knew what he was going to wish
for. He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the lad
said jarred Waleed all the way down to his heels. “I wish,” the boy
went on, “that I could be a brother like that.” Waleed looked at the
boy in astonishment, then impulsively he added, “Would you like to
take a ride in my car?” “Oh yes, I’d love that.”
After a short ride, the boy turned and with his eyes aglow, said,
“Uncle, would you mind driving in front of my house?” Waleed smiled a
little. He thought he knew what the lad wanted. He wanted to show his
neighbors that he could ride home in a big car. But Waleed was wrong
again. “Will you stop where those two steps are?” the boy asked. He
ran up the steps. Then in a little while Waleed heard him coming back,
but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled
brother. He sat him down on the bottom step, then sort of squeezed up
against him and pointed to the car.
“There it is, little brother, just like I told you before. His brother
gave it to him for Eid and it didn’t cost him a penny. And some day
I’m gonna give you one just like it…then you can see for yourself all
the pretty things in the shop windows that I’ve been trying to tell
you about.”
Waleed got out and lifted the boy to the front seat of his car. The
shining-eyed older brother climbed in beside him and the three of them
began a memorable ride. That Eid, Waleed learned what the
Prophet(pbuh) meant when he had said: “love for your brother what you
love for yourself”.
Waleed came out of his house, a small poor boy was walking around the
new car, admiring it. “Does it belong to you, Uncle” he asked. Waleed
replied in negative. “This is Eid gift from my brother.” The boy was
amazed.
“You mean your brother gave it to you and it cost you nothing? Boy, I
wish…” He hesitated. Of course Waleed knew what he was going to wish
for. He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the lad
said jarred Waleed all the way down to his heels. “I wish,” the boy
went on, “that I could be a brother like that.” Waleed looked at the
boy in astonishment, then impulsively he added, “Would you like to
take a ride in my car?” “Oh yes, I’d love that.”
After a short ride, the boy turned and with his eyes aglow, said,
“Uncle, would you mind driving in front of my house?” Waleed smiled a
little. He thought he knew what the lad wanted. He wanted to show his
neighbors that he could ride home in a big car. But Waleed was wrong
again. “Will you stop where those two steps are?” the boy asked. He
ran up the steps. Then in a little while Waleed heard him coming back,
but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled
brother. He sat him down on the bottom step, then sort of squeezed up
against him and pointed to the car.
“There it is, little brother, just like I told you before. His brother
gave it to him for Eid and it didn’t cost him a penny. And some day
I’m gonna give you one just like it…then you can see for yourself all
the pretty things in the shop windows that I’ve been trying to tell
you about.”
Waleed got out and lifted the boy to the front seat of his car. The
shining-eyed older brother climbed in beside him and the three of them
began a memorable ride. That Eid, Waleed learned what the
Prophet(pbuh) meant when he had said: “love for your brother what you
love for yourself”.
