There was a child named Zahir. His grandmother used to tell him and his siblings and cousins stories at night as they gathered around the bed near her and listened to her intently. Most of her stories involved a bao, a monster of some sort.
In the afternoons, his mother would forbid him from leaving the house while she and other adults in the family went to sleep. When he'd ask why, she'd tell him, "Because the bao will come and eat you." Other times, she'd tell him, "Because God punishes children who don't listen to their parents."
While at the mosque one day, Zahir started talking to his friend when the teacher wasn't looking and accidentally dropped his Quran from the rahel, the Quran stand, and his teacher noticed. Immediately, the teacher ran over to slap Zahir and tell him, "What did I tell you about not respecting the Quran? God will punish you for this." But after realizing that Zahir's father will know that the child had been hit by his teacher, the teacher immediately regretted it and said, "I just don't want you to go to hell, that's all, my dear child."
One day, when Zahir sneaks off in the afternoon time to play with his friends outside his house, his mother finds out and goes to get him. "Did I not tell you not to leave the house at this time? God will get you for this!" His friend whispers to him, "What is God, Zahir?"
"A Bao," Zahir replies.
teaching things to a child is much much more difficult than it is perceived to be! a lot goes in the mind of a child. we should be truthful and realistic.
ReplyDeleteif the child does not listen, it means we are not working hard enough! we need not bombard the children with false information and lies!
such a good post, i ll make sure i raise my children the right way! :P
Thankooooooooo, SEPO Jaanu, for your comment! LOL @ raising your kids the right way :p I intend to do the same, lol. I'm practicing on my niece already! ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm still deciding what "the right way" means.
ReplyDeleteSimple, Sarah: Tolerance, respect, and acceptance of all. I do, however, believe that having values are important, so long as they don't incite violence against others and selves. So I believe in celebrations of certain rituals and practicing of certain beliefs just so we (family, children, parents) feel like a part of a community and have something to stand up for and hold on to.
ReplyDeleteThis is so cool! I reposted it (crediting you of course; it was a redirect) on my buzz :D
ReplyDeleteThanks, Faizan! :D Glad you considered it worthy of being shared!
ReplyDeleteAhaaaaaa.....Ghani Khan de rayad ko...Ghani once told that the God of mulla is Bao,while the God of Ghani Khan is Beautiful.. Ghani says
ReplyDelete'' Da dozakh da or au zor na
Sta khaist singaar krm jor
snga shaal da wenzi khor krm
da laila pa speen jabeen....
The way you expressed such a in-depth,childhood-inbuilt, intrinsic in nature and almost whole of hell- oriented feary scary belief-turned psyche of child-turned man...hell fire is behind bao...
au zama pa khayal,mulla is actually 'badrang'by inner and thats why he reflect God as a Bao and Bala....This is we have to admit that our whole belief system is based on fear,and when there is fear,there is insecurity..thats why muslims feel insecure and scary and can not bear any criticism on their whole belief and ritual system...this fear and insecurity has been transformed into violence by Islamic priests and public...another result of this fear and insecure belief and psyche is lose of self-confidence..we can observe all these things among muslims here and there...
der da kamal na dak lekal de kare malgarey...feel like Rumi telling the 'sacred facts' in folk stories..loved your thoughts and 'ripen maturity dear Serenity..