There was a person who had four sons. When he fell ill, one of his sons told the other three: “Either you nurse him in his sickness and you would not receive anything from his estate; or I would nurse him without any claim on the estate.” They agreed to the second and left the nursing to him. He looked after the father until the father died. As agreed, he did not take anything from the property. He saw in a dream, one night, a person telling him that one hundred dinaars (gold coins) were buried at such and such place, which he could take. He asked the person if that money was blessed. The reply was: “No, it is not so”. He related the dream the next morning to his wife, who insisted that he should take the money but he did not agree. He dreamt again the following night and someone told him about ten dinaars lying buried at a certain place. When he again asked if they were blessed, the reply was in the negative. He related the dream to his wife the next morning, who insisted that he should go and take them, but again he refused to do so. He saw in a dream, the third night, someone telling him that a single dinaar was lying at such and such place, and he should go and take it. He again asked if it was a blessed one. The reply was: “Yes, it is”. So, he went and took the dinaar, purchased two fish with it and brought them home. When he cut them open, an invaluable pearl was found in the stomach of each fish. Both these pearls were sold to the king of the country in return for ninety mule-loads of gold. (Musannaf ‘Abdur Razzaaq #21027)

Lesson: The materialistic world that we live in constantly indoctrinates us that the be all and end all of all pleasures is wealth. Hence anything that poses as an obstacle in acquiring it must be removed and exterminated, even if it may be one’s own biological parents. It is therefore no surprise that caregivers and old-aged homes have become so common although never heard off previously. In the past the elderly were regarded as a source of blessing and every child ‘died’ for the privilege of taking care of his parents, whereas today they are regarded as a burden and moved from one home to another, until finally ‘dumped’ in an old-aged home.

The innumerable blessings which are concealed in serving the elderly cannot be bought with all the money in the world. The rewards of the Hereafter are guaranteed. However, one also enjoys great blessings in this world.