Getting things cosy…
Getting things cosy…
Hafsa was building a tower. A big, big tower!
One block. Two blocks. Three blocks. Up, up, up!
It was the tallest tower Hafsa had ever, ever made. Taller than Teddy. Taller than the flower pot. Almost as tall as Hafsa!
Then along came her baby brother, Idris. Toddle, toddle, toddle. Wobble, wobble —
CRASH!
Down came the tower. Blocks here, blocks there, blocks everywhere.
"MY TOWER!" cried Hafsa. Her face felt hot. Her hands felt cross. The cross feeling was big and heavy, like carrying a great big stone.
Little Idris looked at Hafsa. His bottom lip went wobbly. "Sorry," he said, in his tiny little voice. "Sorry, Haffa."
Hafsa looked at the blocks. She looked at Idris and his wobbly lip. He was so little. He didn't mean to crash the tower.
Hafsa took a big, deep breath. In… and out.
And do you know what she did? She put the cross feeling down. Plonk! Just like putting down a big heavy stone.
"I forgive you, Idris," said Hafsa.
Idris smiled a big, gappy smile. And Hafsa's heart felt light — light as a feather, light as a bubble, light as a butterfly!
"Shall we build it together?" said Hafsa. "You can pass me the blocks."
One block. Two blocks. Three blocks. Up, up, up!
And together they built a new tower — even taller than before! Mummy was peeping round the door, smiling. She had seen it all.
"Allah says He will reward us when we forgive and make up," said Mummy. "Well done, Hafsa."
Hafsa gave Idris a squishy hug. Forgiving felt much, much nicer than being cross.
The tall tower stayed up, up, up. And soon two sleepy heads went down, down, down, onto two soft pillows.
Goodnight, Hafsa. Goodnight, Idris.
Being cross can feel like carrying a big, heavy stone. Saying 'I forgive you' is choosing to put the stone down, and straight away the heart feels light as a feather; building the tower again together is the making up. Allah tells us that whoever pardons and makes peace has their reward with Him (Quran 42:40).
Because every little heart deserves a real answer.
Forgiving means putting your cross feeling down — plonk! — just like a heavy stone. Then your heart can feel soft and happy again, like Hafsa's did.
Allah says that if you forgive and make up, He will give you a reward Himself. Staying cross makes YOUR heart heavy — forgiving makes it light as a feather.
If someone breaks your tower, or bumps you, or takes your toy by mistake, take a big deep breath like Hafsa. Then try the kind words: 'I forgive you' — and feel your heart go light!
فَمَنْ عَفَا وَأَصْلَحَ فَأَجْرُهُ عَلَى اللَّهِ
“…but whoever pardons and makes reconciliation - his reward is [due] from Allāh.”
Quran — Surah Ash-Shuraa 42:40
Translation: Saheeh InternationalRead it on quran.com ↗
Snuggle up and wonder together. There are no wrong answers.