An idiot may be an ordinary man, who misinterprets what happens to him. He does this so plausibly that his thought pattern seems logical.
An idiot of this kind was sent one day with a stone jug to a wise man, to collect some juice. On the way the idiot smashed the jug against a rock. When he arrived at the house of the wise man, he presented him with the handle of the jug, and said: ‘So-and-so sent you this jug, but a horrid stone stole it from me.’
Amused and wishing to test his coherence, the wise man asked: ‘Since the jug is stolen, why do you offer me the handle?’ ‘I am not such a fool as people say,’ the idiot said, ‘and therefore I brought the handle to prove my story.’
[Idries Shah, Tales of the Dervishes]
People who break family ties are like this idiot. They console themselves and others that the only reason they are not on speaking terms with their family members is due to some fault on the other person’s side. Whereas, in actual fact, no reason is valid enough to break family ties. The excuse they put forward is like the jug’s handle: worthless and no proof whatsoever.
The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: ‘The person who is pleased to get increase in his sustenance or blessing in his life, should join family ties.’ [Bukhari]
The Qur’aan asks us: ‘Don’t you love that Allah forgives you?’ On the day when the final judgement is to be made on whether we are to enter Paradise or Hell, don’t we love to be forgiven our mountains of sins? If yes, then the Qur’aan says: ‘Pardon people and overlook (their wrong they do you).’
