Brethren, the old man was sitting in his usual place. He was busy chanting the beautiful names of the Almighty. Even then, his mouth was equally busy munching the loaf of bread which was going to be his sustenance for the entire day. Yes, a loaf of bread, not plates of fried rice or meal ‘decked’ with assorted meat and fish. Not long thereafter, Prophet Musa passed by. Then the old thought to himself: “here is my chance to send a message to the Almighty”. So he greeted the Prophet of the Almighty, Musa (a.s) and said somewhat falteringly: “Oh Holy man, when you speak to your Creator, can you please ask Him to increase my Rizq (sustenance)…. For so long now, all I have is a single loaf of bread per day. I long for more. Can I not have more than this….? If you ask Him, the Almighty, O! Musa, surely He will answer your request and grant me more…..”. Without hesitation the reply he got from Prophet Musa was in the affirmative. The latter promised to present the old man’s request to the Creator of the heavens and the earth.
When eventually Prophet Musa met his Lord, he requested that the man’s sustenance should be increased. But he was told that the old man’s destiny in life was to receive one loaf of bread per day. When Prophet Musa met the old man again, he delivered the message he received from the Almighty. The old man was overjoyed. Surprised by this reaction Prophet Musa asked him the reason for his joy. The man replied, “If it is written, then so it shall be!!!! I have nothing to worry about. At least I will always receive one loaf of bread for the rest of my life……” and with that he went back to his prayers.
Now as months passed, the man’s tranquility increased with the knowledge that he needs not worry about his sustenance anymore. He was contented that a loaf bread would always be his no matter the situation he found himself. This enabled him to focus more on his remembrance of his Creator; he began to show less concern for the acquisition of the pleasures of this world. Soon, a loaf of bread became too much for him; his appetitive desires witnessed a down turn. What remained of the loaf of bread every day, was put in a corner. Soon, the pile in the corner began to increase, until it became a huge heap.
One morning a herdsman was passing through the village and stopped to speak to the old man. He was looking for hay for his livestock – but there was none to be found. The old man said to him: “Why don’t you take the stale bread that is lying in that heap, soften it with water and give it to your animals…..” The herdsman did this and his herd happily ate every last crumb. The herdsman, to show his gratitude, gave the old man a nanny goat, and went on his way.
Days passed into months, months passed into years. One day Prophet Musa (a.s) passed by the abode of the old man again. To his surprise, he discovered that the spot where the old man used to sit had been transformed into a garden. There were fruit trees growing nearby, and animals grazing not very far away. There was a field with grain, and a general atmosphere of abundance and well being. Prophet Musa found out that all this belonged to the same old man. Having had the knowledge of what had been destined for the old man — a single loaf of bread per day — he wanted to know what had led to the wonderful transformation in the life of the old man.
Brethren, the discovery is simple and highly instructive. Nothing had changed in the destiny; nothing had changed the loaf of bread written for the old man. What changed, however, is the yield the old man received from investment of the Rizq in more worthwhile venture. In other words, the fruit trees, the livestock and field of crops were the BARAKAH which came to him from his acceptance of what had been written for him. They were his reward for his complete trust in the Almighty. The Barakah (abundance) he received resulted from his shift in focus from what he wanted, to enjoying what he had to such a degree, that even after eating as much as he wanted, he still had some left. His needs had become so small. The abundance this created in the old man’s life became strengthened by his generosity and willingness to share what he had.
Thus brethren, between our destiny and what we make of and out of it could be a loaf of bread and our preparedness to share even out of the extremely straight circumstance we may find ourselves. A loaf of bread could turn your life around.
