Zayd and the Mysterious Stranger

Chapter 1: The Lost Coins

Zayd was a cheerful 8-year-old boy who lived in a small village. He loved playing with his friends and helping his mother at the market. One day, his mother gave him five silver coins to buy some bread and milk.

Excited, Zayd skipped toward the market, but as he reached into his pocket—the coins were gone! His heart pounded. He looked around frantically, searching the ground, but they were nowhere to be found.

“Oh no! Mama trusted me with those coins. What will I do now?” Zayd whispered, tears forming in his eyes.

He took a deep breath and remembered something his father always said:"When you are in trouble, ask Allah for help."

So, Zayd closed his eyes and made Dua (supplication):"Ya Allah, please help me find the coins or show me a way to make things right."

Chapter 2: The Mysterious Stranger

As Zayd walked back, feeling worried, he saw an old man sitting under a tree. The man had a kind face and a long, white beard.

“What’s wrong, young boy?” the old man asked gently.

Zayd hesitated, then explained what had happened.

The old man smiled and said, “Sometimes, when we lose something, Allah has a bigger plan for us.”

Then, he reached into his own pouch and pulled out five silver coins!

“Here, take these. Use them wisely,” the man said.

Zayd’s eyes widened. “But I can’t take your money!”

The old man chuckled. “Son, Allah loves those who are honest. Since you lost your money with a pure heart, I want to help you.”

Zayd remembered a Hadith his mother told him:"Whoever removes a hardship from a believer in this world, Allah will remove a hardship from him on the Day of Judgment." (Muslim)

With a grateful heart, he accepted the coins and rushed to buy the bread and milk.

Chapter 3: The Lesson of Honesty

Zayd hurried home with the bread and milk, his heart still beating fast from the encounter with the kind old man. As he reached his doorstep, his mother smiled warmly.

“You’re back, my dear! Did you get everything?” she asked.

Zayd hesitated for a moment. Should he tell her about the lost coins? What if she got upset? But then, he remembered how the old man said that Allah loves honesty.

Taking a deep breath, he said, “Mama, I have to tell you something.”

He explained everything—how he lost the coins, how he made dua, and how the kind old man helped him. His mother listened carefully, her eyes filled with love.

“Zayd, my dear, I am so proud of you for telling the truth,” she said, hugging him. “Money can be replaced, but an honest heart is priceless.”

Just then, his little sister, Amina, came running in. “Zayd! Zayd! Look what I found near the well!” she shouted, holding up five silver coins—the same ones he had lost!

Zayd gasped. “SubhanAllah! Allah answered my dua!”

Chapter 4: Giving Back

Zayd knew exactly what he had to do. He held the coins tightly and ran back to the tree where he had met the old man. But when he got there, the man was gone.

A shopkeeper nearby saw Zayd looking around and said, “Are you looking for someone, young boy?”

“Yes! A kind old man with a long white beard. He gave me these coins when I had lost mine. I want to return them to him,” Zayd explained.

The shopkeeper smiled. “That must be Grandpa Saleh. He always helps those in need. He doesn’t want anything in return—he only does it for the sake of Allah.”

Zayd thought for a moment and then smiled. “If I can’t return the coins to him, I will use them to help someone else—just like he helped me!”

That evening, Zayd and his mother bought food with the coins and shared it with a poor family in the village. His heart felt light and happy.

That night, as Zayd lay in bed, he whispered, “Thank you, Allah, for teaching me about honesty, kindness, and trust in You.”

And with that, he drifted off to sleep, his heart full of peace.

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