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 Quran.
>
>
>
>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 Quran 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 Quran 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 Quran. 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.