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.

Like the old man, we have countless opportunities to plant our own "olive trees" – acts of charity that might benefit others long after we're gone.

Today is our last day to sign up for team challenges for Dhul Hijjah, the best ten days of the year!

This program allows you to donate just a few dollars each day to different charities throughout these blessed days.

Like the old man planting his tree solely for Allah's sake, you too can embody that same beautiful mentality with just a few clicks.

The harder or more indifferent you might feel about participating, the more barakah and light will arise in your soul from taking action.

Remember, it's not necessarily about giving a lot, it's about the action of parting with what we love that matters.

Who knows what ripples your charity might create?

If you have another charity in mind, by all means, support them!

The aim here is to encourage you to maximize the blessings of these precious 10 days of Dhul Hijjah through whatever charitable acts resonate with your heart.

It's about nurturing your soul through the act of giving, creating habits of giving and blessings that will enrich your spiritual journey long after these 10 days have passed.

Whether through this program, the mosque we are trying to build, or elsewhere, each act of giving plants a seed that grows in ways we may never fully realize.