Competitive Kaamil

Ask our children:

1. Can we compete with others? What should we compete in?
2. Is it fine to wish bad for other people?
3. Which people should we compare ourselves to in life?

Now tell them the story:

Kaamil raced along the road on his bicycle, pedalling as fast as he could. His father had bought him his bicycle just six months ago, and every day, Kaamil would get on his bicycle and use it to ride to madrasah.

All Kaamil’s friends admired his bicycle. It was very smart, and even had a small bell that he could ring to warn people that he was about to speed past! Kaamil’s new bicycle was so fast that none of his friends could keep up with him – or so he thought!

As Kaamil went around the corner, he got a shock as he heard a bicycle bell ringing behind him. In just a few seconds, his friend, Taahir overtook him and went past, riding even faster than he was, going to madrasah!

Kaamil was sad and disappointed. He thought that his bicycle was the fastest! Now, Taahir had a better and faster bicycle than him! As these thoughts went through Kaamil’s mind, he began to have evil and bad thoughts. He thought to himself, “I hope Taahir falls off his bike and doesn’t ride it again! Then my bicycle will still be the best bicycle in the neighbourhood!”

Since Taahir was distracted by his evil thoughts, and was not paying attention to where he was riding, he didn’t see the huge pothole in the road. As his bicycle tyre went into the pothole, he went flying off the bicycle, shouting as he landed in a bush on the side of the road!

Eventually, when Kaamil reached madrasah, and his friends saw that he was bruised and his bicycle was scratched, they asked him, “Kaamil? What happened to you? How did you get hurt, and how did your bicycle get scratched?” Kaamil was embarrassed to explain the truth, and said that he rode into a pothole and fell down.

That evening, after returning home from madrasah, when the family sat to eat supper, Kaamil said to his father, “Daddy! Can I please have a new bicycle?” Kaamil’s father was surprised and said, “I just bought you a new bicycle six months ago! Why do you need a new one? Is something wrong with the old one?”

Kaamil did not want to tell his father that he wanted a new bicycle just because Taahir had a better bicycle, and because his bicycle was scratched. So, he replied, “Uhmmm – no! Never mind daddy!” But, his father knew that Taahir had a new bicycle, and realized that this was the reason why Kaamil wanted a new bicycle. However, his father did not tell him anything at this time.

The next day, when Kaamil was in madrasah, waiting in the line to read his sabaq to Moulana, he watched and listened as Taahir read his sabaq to Moulana. Taahir always knew his work and almost never made mistakes. Sometimes, he even read 3 whole pages of sabaq without making a single mistake or getting stuck!

Just then, Kaamil had an evil idea. He was jealous of Taahir, for always knowing his work, and wanted him to make a mistake. Kaamil could hear the aayaat that Taahir was reciting, and so he opened his Qur’aan Majeed to the same place, and at the top of his voice, he started to read the same place – but two aayaat behind. Since he was reading so loudly, Taahir had heard him reading and became confused, causing him to make a mistake.

Kaamil was delighted that his plan had worked and began to smile – but Moulana had noticed what had happened and knew exactly what was going on. He called out, “Kaamil! What are you smiling for?” Kaamil did not want to admit that he had a dirty heart, wishing bad for Taahir, so he said, “I wasn’t smiling Moulana! I had something stuck in my teeth!”

However, Moulana knew the truth. Moulana knew that Kaamil always wanted to compete with Taahir, and realized that Kaamil had purposely caused Taahir to make a mistake. Kaamil’s father had also told Moulana about Kaamil wanting a new bicycle, just because he wanted to compete with Taahir.

As the time for class came to an end, Moulana tapped his hand on the desk, calling the students around him. Moulana addressed the class and said the following:

“Every person, by nature, feels competitive and wants to be the best. But what should a Muslim compete in? In the Qur’aan Majeed and the Mubaarak Ahaadith, we are taught that we should compete with one another in carrying out good deeds, trying to please Allah Ta‘ala and earn Jannah. When we look at the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum), we find that they did not compete with one another to see who had a more expensive horse, or who had a better house, or who had a better kurta.

“The reason is that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) taught the ummah that when it comes to money and other things of the world, then we must always look at those people who have less than us. This will make us realize how fortunate we are, and will help us to be grateful to Allah Ta‘ala.

“But, when it comes to deen, and ibaadah, then we must look at those people who are ahead of us. We must look at those people who are more pious than us, recite more Qur’aan than us, make more zikr than us, read more durood shareef than us, perform more salaah than us, and fast more than us. When we look at them, we must realize that we are not doing enough to please Allah Ta‘ala, and we must try to do more so that we do not get left behind.”

Moulana then told them the following incident. He said, “When it was time for the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) to go out for the expedition of Tabook, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) encouraged the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) to spend in the path of Allah Ta‘ala to equip the army.

“From all the Sahaabah, the greatest Sahaabi was Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu). None of the Sahaabah could match him in the level of sacrifice he made for deen. At this time, on the occasion of Tabook, Hazrat Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) had a little extra money and he thought to himself, ‘In this expedition, I will try to spend more wealth for deen than Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu)!’

“With this thought in mind, Hazrat Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) took half of all the money he had and gave it to Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) for the army. However, Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) then came and gave all the money he had in the path of Allah Ta‘ala. It was at this time that Hazrat Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) realized that Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) was so great that he could never match him.”

Moulana then said, “Dear children! The point I want to make through this incident is that this was the competing of the Sahaabah – competing for good deeds – not competing for bicycles!”

Saying this, Moulana looked at Kaamil who quickly looked down, realizing that Moulana had said that for his benefit.

Moulana then continued, “We must always have clean hearts and must wish well for every person. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) taught us that our imaan will not be perfect until and unless we do not wish for others the very same good that we wish for ourselves. The person who wishes for his own Muslim brother to fail and fall is a person with a dirty heart. When a person has a dirty heart and plots and plans for his Muslim brother to fall – then not only is he sinful, but sometimes, Allah Ta‘ala even makes him become the one who falls instead of his brother!”

Hearing this, Kaamil’s eyes opened wide. He realized that this was what had happened to him. As he was hoping for Taahir to fall of the bicycle – he himself fell off the bicycle and landed in the bush!

Moulana’s golden advices had an effect on Kaamil’s heart. He realized his weaknesses and mistakes and made istighfaar. From that day, he made sure that he had a clean heart, wishing well for every person. He wished that everyone could know their sabaq well – not just him.

Also, he never looked at those children who had better toys or clothes than him. Rather, he looked at those who had less than him and thanked Allah Ta‘ala for what He had given him. When it came to salaah, ibaadah, reciting the Qur’aan Majeed and other good deeds, then Kaamil looked at his friends who were more pious than him and always tried to be like them.

Lessons:

1. We must compete with other people to become more pious and make more Ibaadat. We must not compete with people to get more money or more things of the world.
2. We must never wish bad for any Muslim. We must have clean hearts. We must wish the same good for every person that we wish for ourselves.
3. When it comes to money and the things of the world, we must look at people who have less than us. This will cause us to be grateful and thank Allah Ta‘ala. When it comes to deen and ibaadah, we must look at the people who are more pious than us and who make more ibaadah than us. This will cause us to realize that we must do more and work harder.