DAILYREFLECTION
When the Hour is about to be established and one of you has a sapling in his hand, then if he is able to plant it before the Hour is established, let him plant it.
Once, there was an elderly man carefully planting an olive sapling.
As he worked, a king happened to pass by on his royal procession.
Puzzled, the king stopped and called out, "Old man, why do you plant this sapling? Surely you know olive trees take decades to bear fruit. You won't live to see the benefits of your labor!"
The old man straightened his back, wiped his brow, and smiled. "Your Highness, those before us planted, and we enjoyed their fruits. Now I plant, and those after me will benefit.
But even without that..." his eyes grew distant, "I do this solely for my Creator, knowing He sees me. It's with Him in my heart that I plant this tree to draw closer to Him. It's in these acts that we do unnoticed that Allah draws closest to us.
For if we have only an audience of One, how would He not pay attention?"
The king, deeply moved by the man's sincerity, commanded his squire to bring his pouch of gold coins. He handed the entire pouch to the old man – enough wealth to live comfortably for years.
The man smiled, said "Alhamdulillah," and added, "You see, Your Highness? The tree you claimed would bring me no benefit is already reaping rewards. For my Lord doesn't let any act of goodness or charity go unnoticed."
Even more inspired, the king removed his regal cloak, presented it to the man, and invited him to the palace to receive further gifts.
Weeks later, one of the king's courtiers spotted an old beggar wearing what appeared to be the king's distinctive royal cloak.
Assuming the worst, the courtier brought the beggar before the king for judgment.
"Where did you get this royal garment?" demanded the king, recognizing his cloak.
The beggar, trembling, explained: "Your Majesty, during a rainy night when I had no shelter, an old man approached me. He not only gave me this fine cloak but also a gold coin for food. The entire neighborhood still prays for him daily, as he distributed enough gold that many families escaped poverty that night."
The king sat back on his throne, awestruck. "The old man from the olive grove," he whispered.
Immediately, he organized an extensive search party to find this individual.
He wanted this man to join his entourage, for he was a king who wished to surround himself with people of kindness and wisdom.
Despite their efforts, the king never found him.
Yet the deeper lesson remained clear: every time this man gave with only Allah in mind, his rewards, even in this world, kept increasing.
His charity had created ripples that continued long after his acts were done.
What is special about this story isn't just the man's generosity but his consistency.
When he had very little, he still found ways to give.
And the moment he was blessed with abundance, enough to fulfill whatever dreams he might have had, he quickly gave that away too, spreading the blessings to as many people as possible.
We're blessed to live with privileges many others don't have.
Sometimes the simplest acts of charity become the ones that ripple the furthest.
If you’d like to plant a similar seed of benefit, you can help us build the next wells below.
Reflect on this:
What "olive tree" could you plant today that might benefit others long after you're gone?
Share your reflections in the poll at the end of the email.