A Lion for Anya: a children’s story
allegory
Dear Anya looked and looked everywhere
but couldn’t find her big fluffy stuffed bear
a tear dropped from her eye
and she began to sigh
until she saw him underneath a stair.
She decided he needed a new friend
when he was lost would never leave and spend
so much fun time playing
laughing and saying
there will never, ever be a sad end.
How does one find a really special chum?
“Maybe if I wish three times he will come — ”
closing her eyes she said,
“one, two, three…friend for Ted!”
She looked around and began to hear a hum
And then a soft, deep voice replied, “Anya! Did you call me?”
“Where are you?” she asked.
“First, you must always look in your heart, and then I will appear.”
Anya thought and thought about what kind of friend she would like for Ted, and how much fun he would be, and how delightful their friendship would be and her heart began to fill up with love for Ted’s new friend, and suddenly right there before her was the biggest lion ever, grinning at her so lovingly. Her eyes grew really big, and at first she was frightened, but understood when she looked in his eyes that there was nothing scary there, just love and kindness.
“But you are so, so big!” Anya said to the Lion.
“Can big things be kind?” He asked.
Anya had to think about this, and then said, “Yes, I think so.”
So she ran and got her bear and proudly held him up to Lion. He looked and looked, and then told Anya, that yes they could be friends, forever friends, as long as she kept looking for Him in her heart. She asked the Lion so many questions telling Him her bear wanted to know this and know that, and the Lion had many wonderful, magical answers that filled her heart with understanding. Like one day she asked Him what makes a heart big, and He replied, “You shall not attain righteousness until you spend out of what you love (in the way of Allah). Allah knows whatever you spend.” (3.92)
“But what does that mean, Lion? What is that word ‘righteousness?’ And how does that make your heart big?”
“Righteousness’ means ‘goodness’ by our loving of Allah and others, Anya. This means to take something that you love dearly, and give it to someone who has need. Allah is watching over everything we do, and loves it when we see someone suffering and help them. When you give from love, Anya, your heart grows bigger and bigger, do you see?”
The next day Anya was walking with her mother to the grocery store and at the corner of a busy intersection was a woman with a little girl beside her. The woman was holding a sign that said, “Please help, need food.” The little girl looked so sad, but Anya suddenly remembered what Lion said, and ran to the girl and said, “Please take my bear.” The little girl’s face lit up with happiness and joy, and Anya knew immediately that her heart was growing because she could feel it getting bigger. Anya’s mother began smiling, and gave the woman a hug and asked her what she needed. The woman and Anya’s mother walked to the grocery store while Anya and the little girl together followed chattering happily. After shopping, the woman and her little girl waved goodbye with big smiles on their faces, and Anya knew just by looking at her mother’s face that her heart had grown too. Very soon the Lion came to visit her with a huge smile on His face and a twinkle in His eyes.
“So, my little one, what did you learn?”
“I learned how to make my heart grow bigger,” she replied.
He looked down at Anya with a look of love, and told her not only did she make her heart grow bigger, but that she had made a new friend. She looked at him thinking and wondering, and was finally able to ask, “So who are you really, Lion?”
“I am the Lion of Islam, my child. I am Allah’s Word in your heart, the smile on your face, and the kindness and joy you show to others.”