A World of smile

About ten years ago when I was an undergraduate in college, I was working as an intern at my University’s Museum of Natural History . One day while working at the cash register in the gift shop, I saw an elderly couple come in with a little girl in a wheelchair.

As I looked closer at this girl, I saw that she was kind of perched on her chair. I then realized she had no arms or legs, just a head, neck and torso. She was wearing a little white dress with red polka dots.

As the couple wheeled her up to me I was looking down at the register. I turned my head toward the girl and gave her a wink. As I took the money from her grandparents, I looked back at the girl, who was giving me the cutest, largest smile I have ever seen. All of a sudden her handicap was gone and all I saw was this beautiful girl, whose smile just melted me and almost instantly gave me a completely new sense of what life is all about. She took me from a poor, unhappy college student and brought me into her world; a world of smiles, love and warmth.

That was ten years ago. I’m a successful business person now and whenever I get down and think about the troubles of the world, I think about that little girl and the remarkable lesson about life that she taught me.

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1. The Prophet(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) used to smile, rather than laugh …
He(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) generally used to smile rather than laughing. Aisha(R.A.), wife of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said: I never saw the Messenger of Allah(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) laugh fully to such an extent that I could see his uvula. He would only smile, … [Sunan Abu Dawood, Vol. 3,]

2. The Prophet’s smile and companions’ laughing sessions ..
Narrated Jabir ibn Samurah(R.A.): Simak ibn Harb asked Jabir ibn Samurah(R.A.), “Did you sit in the company of the Messenger of Allah (peace?be?upon?him) ?” He said: Yes, very often. He (the Prophet) (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) used to sit at the place where he observed the morning or dawn prayer till the sun rose or when it had risen; he would stand, and they (his Companions) would talk about matters (pertaining to the days) of ignorance, and they would laugh (on these matters) while (the Prophet) only smiled. [Sahih Muslim, 1413]

3. Go ahead make your dear ones feel good!
Narrated Hadhrat Fatima(R.A.), The Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) told me something secretly (during his fatal illness) and I laughed. [Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 8, Chapter 68 on smiling and laughing]

4. Jestful with your family!
Narrated Ibn Mas’ud(R.A.): “Mix with the people on the condition that your Deen is not jeopardized, and be jestful with the family.” [Sahih al-Bukhari, Chapter 81 on “To be cheerful with the people”]

5. The Prophet(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) used to laugh too; sometimes till his front teeth were exposed…
Hadhrat Abu Dhar(R.A.) reported that the Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said: “I know the last of inhabitants of Paradise to enter it and the last of the inhabitants of Hell to come out it. He is a man who would be brought on the Day of Resurrection and it will be said: Present his minor sins to him, and withhold from him his serious sins. Then the minor sins would be placed before him, and it would be said: On such and such day you did so and so and on such and such day you did so and so. He would say: Yes. It will not be possible for him to deny, while he would be afraid lest serious sins should be presented before him. It would be said to him: In place of every evil deed you will have good deed. He will (then) say: My Lord! I have done things that I do no see here.” I indeed saw the Mesenger of Allah laugh till his front teeth were exposed. [Sahih Muslim, Vol. 1, 365]

6. Make parents Smile and laugh…
Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-‘As(R.A.): A man came to the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) and said: I came to you to take the oath of allegiance to you on emigration, and I left my parents weeping. He (the Prophet) (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said: Return to them and make them laugh as you made them weep. [Sunan Abu Dawood, Vol. 2, #2522]