Hamzah and the Holiday

Ask our children:

1. How should we spend our time in the holidays?
2. If someone is waiting for us but we are not going to go and see them, then what should we do?
3. What type of friends should we have? What happens to a person who has friends with bad habits and bad ways?

Now tell them the story:

Hamzah walked out of madrasah, happy and excited. Today had been the last day of madrasah for the year. This meant that the holidays had now started!

There was still some time left for the asr salaah, so Hamzah looked around the musjid parking lot and saw his friends sitting together, chatting and making plans for their holidays. Hamzah went towards them and sat with them, listening to what they were saying.

Hamzah’s friend, Sahl, was speaking and said, “I’m so happy that madrasah is closed now! It’s so tiring to sit in madrasah and read so much of Qur’aan! Now that I’m on holiday, no one will make me read Qur’aan!”

When Hamzah heard Sahl say these words, he felt uncomfortable. He knew that what Sahl was saying was not right. Since Sahl was his friend and would listen to him, he said to him, “Sahl! A Muslim is supposed to love Allah Ta‘ala and love the Qur’aan Majeed, so how can you be happy that nobody will make you read Qur’aan? If you really love the Qur’aan, then no one will have to make you read it – you will read it on your own without anyone reminding you!”

When Sahl heard his good friend, Hamzah, say this, he became quiet and thought about it for a few moments. Then, he said to Hamzah, “You are right Hamzah. Jazaakallah for showing me my mistake. You are a good friend!”

Just then, Hamzah had an idea. He said to Sahl, “Sahl! To make sure that we don’t forget to read Qur’aan every day, why don’t we sit in the musjid, every morning after fajr, and read Qur’aan together for some time after everyone finishes their zikr? If we do this, then Allah Ta‘ala will be happy with us, and also, we won’t forget all our Surahs in the holidays!” Sahl was happy with the idea and he agreed that they would sit together every day after fajr.

Just then, the mu’azzin gave the azaan for asr. Hamzah and his friends entered the musjid, made wudhu and then performed their salaah with jamaat.

After the asr salaah, Hamzah went out of the musjid. It was now time to go home! Normally, Hamzah would go home with Sahl and his father, because Hamzah’s father read asr in a different musjid, but today, his other friend, Naseer, came running to him and said, “Hamzah! My brother is taking me home! He has a new car! Why don’t you come with us for a quick spin, and then we’ll drop you off at home?”

Hamzah knew that his father would not be happy with him going with Naseer’s brother, but because he wanted to see the new car, he went with Naseer instead of Sahl. They got into the new car, and Naseer’s brother revved the engine and spun the tyres as they took off.

Naseer’s brother drove fast and Hamzah’s heart was pounding in excitement. But then, he began to play music in the car, and also took out his vape and started to smoke. Hamzah immediately felt very unhappy and uncomfortable. He did not want to listen to the haraam music and did not want to be near the vape and smoking, but because Naseer’s brother was big and was taking him home, he did not have the courage to say anything. All his excitement was gone, and he sat quietly in the car while the music played and Naseer’s brother smoked.

A few minutes later, they arrived at Hamzah’s home and found Hamzah’s father waiting for him outside. Hamzah looked at his father’s face and immediately knew that he was in trouble. He got out of the car, made salaam to Naseer, and then walked towards his father.

Hamzah made salaam to his father, and then, his father said to him, “Hamzah! Sahl’s father phoned me and he was worried about you. You did not get into his car, as normal, and he could not find you. He did not know where you were. He was worried and was looking for you, until your friends told him that they saw you with Naseer and his brother. That was the first mistake that you made – you did not inform Sahl’s father that you were not going with him, and because of that, you made him worried and concerned. When we go for maghrib salaah, you must go to Sahl’s father and apologize to him.”

Then Hamzah’s father said, “Hamzah! Smell your kurta and tell me what you smell like.” Hamzah sniffed his kurta and then admitted to his father, “Papa! It smells like the vape that Sahl’s brother was smoking.”

Hamzah’s father said, “Yes! Exactly! When you are with a person who smokes, then you are also affected by the smoke and you also start to smell bad. In the same way, when you sit with people who have bad habits and evil ways, like listening to music, then you will also become affected and will also start listening to music. That is why Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) told us that a bad friend is like a blacksmith who works with fire. At times, he may harm you by burning your clothes. Even if he does not burn your clothes with his fire, he will still harm you with the smoke of his fire by causing your clothing to stink and smell bad. In other words, when you sit with a bad friend, who has bad habits and evil ways, then your deen will always be harmed and you will fall into some type of sin.”

Hamzah understood what his father said and regretted sitting in Naseer’s brother’s car. Hamzah never listened to music and hated it, but today, because he did not listen to his father, and go home with Sahl, rather he went with Naseer, his ears had been filled with music. He made up his mind that he would never make this mistake again. In future, he would listen to his father and stay away from people with bad habits.

Lessons:

1. In the holidays, we must not forget Allah Ta‘ala. A Muslim loves Allah Ta‘ala and will not forget his beloved. That is why, even in the holidays, we must not forget to read Qur’aan and make zikr. We must read all our salaah on time – the girls at home and the bigger boys in the musjid with jamaat.
2. If someone is waiting for us and is expecting us, but we are not going to go to them, then we should tell them and inform them. We should not leave them waiting and worrying about where we are.
3. We must have friends who have good ways and good habits. If a person has good friends, he will also get good habits and ways, but if his friends have bad ways and bad habits, then he will also get bad habits and bad ways.