Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem
There was once a young boy who had a very bad temper.
His father, in teaching his son good character, handed him a box of nails and
instructed him : ‘Every time you lose
your temper, hammer a nail into the fence.’
In just the first day, the boy had to hammer
into the fence thirty seven nails! Over
a period of time, the number of nails that were hammered into the fence
dramatically decreased. Finding it easier to control his temper than to drive
those nails into the fence, the boy began to exercise patience and control his
temper.
That day finally dawned when the little boy did not
lose his temper at all. When he informed his father, his father advised him
that from then on, he draw out one nail for each day that he was able to hold
his temper. After the passing of many weeks, the boy was able to tell his
father that all the nails were removed.
Very gentyly, the father took his son by the hand and
led him to the fence. He said : “You have done well, my son and this is no
doubt an accomplishmen, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will
never be the same.
The little boy listened carefully as his father
continued to speak.
When you say things
in anger, then those words leave permanent scars, just like these nails have
left scars. It won’t matter how many times you say : ‘I’m sorry.’, the wound
will still remain there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical wound, if not
worse at times.”
____________________________
Rasulullah
(Sallallahu alayhi waSallam) stated: “No
father can give a child anything better than good manners.”
[Tirmidhi]