An old American Muslim lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern
Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning Grandpa was up early
sitting at the kitchen table reading his Quraan
His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to imitate him in
every way he could. One day the grandson asked, "Papa, I try to read
the Quraan just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do
understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does
reading the Quraan do?"
The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and
replied, "Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a
basket of water." The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked
out before he got back to the house. The grandfather laughed and
said, "You'll have to move a little faster next time," and sent him
back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran
faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home. Out of
breath, he told his grandfather that it was impossible to carry water
in a basket, and he went to get a bucket instead.
The old man said, "I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of
water. You're just not trying hard enough," and he went out the door
to watch the boy try again.
At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show
his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water
would leak out before he got back to the house.
The boy again dipped the basket into river and ran hard, but when he
reached his grandfather the basket was again empty.
Out of breath, he said, "See Papa, it's useless!"
"So you think it is useless?" The old man said, "Look at the basket."
The boy looked at the basket and for the first time realized that the
basket was different. It had been transformed from a dirty old coal
basket and was now clean, inside and out.
"Son, that's what happens when you read the Quraan. You might not
understand or remember everything, but when you read it, you will be
changed, inside and out. That is the work of Allah in our lives."
