Talkative Taskeen

Ask our children:                      

1. What should a person do before speaking?
2. If someone tells us something as a secret, are we allowed to tell anyone else about it?
3. When we are seated in a deeni gathering, then how should we behave?
4. When our elders are speaking, how should we behave?

Now tell them the story:

There was once a girl named Taskeen who was punctual on her salaah and obedient to her parents. There was just one habit which Taskeen had that sometimes got her into trouble – she was very, very talkative! She was so talkative that when eating meals, she would not stop talking. When her father would take her to madrasah in the car, she would not stop talking. In fact, she would talk so much that sometimes, she would even talk in her sleep!

Since Taskeen was very talkative, and had the habit of speaking all the time, she would not think before speaking. Sometimes, she would say things which hurt other people, without intending to hurt them. At other times, she would tell people the secrets which someone had trusted her to keep. In the same way, when attending the weekly ladies’ ta’leem with her mother, she would speak to her friends instead of listening to the kitaab reading. Also, when her elders were busy speaking, she would often try to speak as well, interrupting them.

One day, Taskeen and her mother arrived early for the weekly ladies’ ta’leem. Since the ta’leem had not yet started, Taskeen sat with her friend, Maariyah, and began to chat to her. Maariyah seemed to be very sad, so Taskeen asked her, “What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Maariyah said, “I am very sad! My marks in madrasah were not good last term. I did not study and failed the exams! My parents were so upset that they scolded me and are going to punish me by not giving me spending money for the week! Please don’t tell anyone though, as I am very embarrassed!”

Taskeen agreed, but just a few minutes later, when her friend, Aaishah, arrived, she went to her and said, “Don’t tell anyone – it’s a secret – Maariyah’s mother and father were upset with her because she failed the exam in madrasah! They scolded her and are going to punish her by not giving her spending money for the week, and that’s why she is looking so sad!”

As Taskeen was saying this, Maariyah had come towards them to also greet Aaishah, and she had overheard Taskeen telling her secret to Aaishah. Poor Maariyah was so embarrassed that she immediately started crying!

Aaishah said to Taskeen, “Taskeen! Why did you tell me Maariyah’s secret? When someone tells you a secret, you are not supposed to tell it to anyone! Now you have hurt poor Maariyah and made her cry! Go and tell her that you are sorry, and ask her to forgive you!”

Taskeen felt bad and realized that her talkative ways had caused her to hurt someone. She went to Maariyah and said to her, “I am sorry Maariyah! You told me a secret, but I did not keep it a secret. I am too talkative and I hurt you! Please forgive me, even though I was not a good friend to you!” Though Maariyah was feeling hurt, she was a forgiving person. She forgave Taskeen, but also realized that she should not tell her any secrets again.

Just then, another one of Taskeen’s friends, Aasiyah, entered. Looking at her, Taskeen blurted out without thinking, “Aasiyah! What a big pimple you have on your forehead!” Poor Aasiyah turned red in the face out of embarrassment and rushed to sit behind her mother so that she could hide her face.

Once again, Taskeen had hurt someone with her talkative ways. Though she did not mean to hurt Aasiyah, she did not think before speaking and this made her cause pain to Aasiyah’s heart. Her friend Aaishah again scolded her and made her go to Aasiyah and ask for forgiveness.

Thereafter, when the ta’leem started, one of the women began to recite from the Fazaa’il-e-A’maal. Taskeen was so talkative, that after listening for just a few minutes, she turned to Aaishah and started talking to her. She said, “Aaishah! What are you doing after ta’leem? Do you want to come home?”

Taskeen was not speaking too loudly, but she was still disturbing all the people at the ta’leem. Aaishah did not reply, but instead gestured with her head towards Taskeen’s mother. When Taskeen looked at her mother, she saw that her mother was making big eyes at her, warning her to stop talking and pay attention to the ta’leem. Taskeen quickly looked down and remained silent.

That evening, Taskeen’s grandparents came to visit them and join them for supper. Taskeen was delighted as she loved her grandparents very much. She eagerly waited for them to arrive, and as soon as they entered, she greeted them with salaam and welcomed them into the home.

A little while later, when Taskeen’s mother and grandmother were busy speaking to one another in the kitchen, Taskeen ran into the kitchen, went to her grandmother and said, “Nani! Did you hear what happened to Uncle Zubair last week?”

Taskeen’s mother immediately corrected her and said, “Taskeen! Your elders are speaking! You should not interrupt your elders when they are speaking, as this is rude behaviour. If you want to say something, you should wait for them to finish speaking.”

Her mother then said to her, “I was watching you at ta’leem today, and I know what happened with Maariyah, and with Aasiyah. You were also disturbing the ta’leem by speaking during the kitaab reading. You must learn to listen more and speak less. You must learn when to speak, what to say, and how to say it. You must learn to think first and speak second. Before you say anything, make sure that you will not be committing any sin, like breaking a promise, speaking a lie, backbiting or hurting anyone by what you will say. The Hadith warns us that it is the tongue that will cause many people to be sent to Jahannum for punishment. That is why the Hadith mentions that the one who remains silent, he is safe from problems.”

Taskeen looked back and reflected over the day, and realized that being too talkative was causing her to hurt people’s hearts and become sinful. She decided that from that day on, she would rather listen more and speak less.

Lessons:

1. Before speaking, we should make sure that we will not be committing any sin, like breaking a promise, speaking a lie, backbiting, or hurting anyone in any way.
2. If someone tells us a secret, we should keep the secret safe and not tell it to anyone else.
3. When we are seated in a deeni gathering, like ta’leem, then we should remain silent and pay attention to what is being said. We should not speak, or fidget, or disturb the other people in the gathering in any way.
4. When our elders are speaking, then we should not interrupt them. If we want to say something, then we should wait for them to finish speaking and then say what we wish to say.