a mind like a coal basket

[align=left] An old man 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.
>>
>>
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>> 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.
>>
>>
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>> 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.
>>
>>
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>> The boy again dipped the basket into river and ran hard, but when
>>he reached his grandfather the basket
>>was again empty.
>>
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>>
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>> 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.
>>
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>>"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.