Narrative 1

Abraha Al-Ashram was the governor of Yemen on behalf of the king of Ethiopia. He thought to build a
house, like the Kabah at Makkah, in Sana, the capital of Yemen, and call the Arabs to perform the
pilgrimage there in Sana instead of the Kabah in Makkah, with the intention of diverting the trade and
benefits from Makkah to Yemen. He presented his idea to the king of Ethiopia who agreed to it. So the
house (church) was built and he named it Al-Qullais; there was no church of its like at that time.

A man from the Quraish tribe of Makkah came there and was infuriated by it, so he relieved his nature
(stools and urine) in it, soiled its walls and went away. When Abrahah Al-Ashram saw that, he could not
control his anger and raised an army to invade Makkah and demolish the Kabah. He had in that army
thirteen elephants and amongst them was an elephant called Mahmud which was the biggest of them.
So that army proceeded and none amongst the Arab tribes that faced them (fought against them) but
was killed and defeated, till it approached near Makkah.

Then there took place negotiations between Abrahah Al-Ashram and the chief of Makkah , Abdul
Muttalib bin Hashim, the grandfather of the Prophet, and it was concluded that Abrahah would restore
the camels of Abdul Muttalib which he had taken away, and then he (Abrahah) would decide himself as
regards the Kabah. Abdul Muttalib ordered the men of Makkah to evacuate the city and go to the top of
the mountains along with their wives and children in case some harm should come to them from the
invading oppressors.

Then that army moved towards Makkah till they reached valley Muhassir. While the army was marching
towards Makkah, in the middle of the valley, suddenly it was overtaken by flocks of birds, flocks after
flocks, raiding that army with small stones slightly bigger than a seed. There never fell a stone on a
soldier except it dissolved his flesh and burst it into pieces. So they perished with a total destruction.
Abrahah Al-Ashram fled away while his flesh was bursting into pieces till he died on the way back to
Yemen.

Quoted from: http://www.islamcan.com/islamic-stories/army-of-elephants.shtml#.UyRtqM6ReVk

Narrative 2

A highly skilled carpenter who had grown old was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his
plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his family. He would miss
the paycheck, but he needed to retire.

The employer was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a
personal favor. The carpenter agreed to this proposal but made sure that this will be his last project.
Being in a mood to retire, the carpenter was not paying much attention to building this house. His heart
was not in his work. He resorted to poor workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate
way to end his career.

When the job was done, the carpenter called his employer and showed him the house. The employer
handed over some papers and the front door key to the carpenter and said "This is your house, my gift
to you."

Quoted from: http://www.islamcan.com/islamic-stories/the-carpenter.shtml#.UyRu6M6ReVk

Narrative 3

Once upon a time, there lived in Basra an old man whose only occupation was caring for and
loving his only son who was a handsome young man. The old man invested all his money on his
son's education. The young man went away for a few years and acquired an education at a well
known university under the great scholars of that age.

The day had arrived for the son to return from his studies and the old man waited at the door for
his son. When the son came and met his father, the old man looked into his eyes and felt great
disappointment. "What have you learnt my son?" he asked, "I have learnt everything there was to
be learnt, father", he said. "But have you learnt what cannot be taught?" asked the father. "Go,
my son and learn what cannot be taught", said the old man.

The young man went back to his master and asked him to teach him what cannot be taught.
"Go away to the mountains with these four hundred sheep and come back when they are one
thousand", said the master.

The young man went to the mountains and became a shepherd. There for the first time he
encountered a silence. He had no one to talk to. The sheep did not understand his language. In
his desperation, he would talk to them but they would look back at him as if to say he was stupid.
Slowly but surely he began to forget all his worldly knowledge, his ego, his pride and he became
quiet like the sheep and great wisdom and humility came to him.

At the end of two years when the number of sheep had grown to one thousand, he returned to his
master and fell on his feet. "Now you have learnt what cannot be taught," said the master.

Quoted from: http://www.abc.se/~m9783/sis_e.html#lan

Narrative 4

A young woman teacher with obvious liberal tendencies explains to her class of small children
that she is an atheist. She asks her class if they're atheists too. Not really knowing what atheism
is but wanting to be like their teacher, their hands explode into the air like fleshy fireworks.
There is, however, one exception. A beautiful girl named Zainab has not gone along with the
crowd. The teacher asks her why she has decided to be different. "Because I'm not an atheist."

Then, asks the teacher, "What are you?" "I'm a Muslim." The teacher is a little perturbed now,
her face slightly red. She asks Zainab why she is a Muslim. "Well, I was brought up knowing
and loving God. My mom is a Muslim, and my dad is a Muslim, so I am a Muslim."
The teacher is now angry. "That's no reason," she says loudly, "what if your mom was a
moron,and your dad was a moron, - what would you be then?" She paused, and smiled. "Then,"
says Zainab, "I'd be an atheist."

Quoted from: http://www.abc.se/~m9783/sis_e.html#atht

Narrative 5

On Sunday, February 21, 1965, Malcolm X was assassinated. He was to speak at an Organization of
Afro-American Unity organizational meeting at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem. As he began to speak,
a fight broke out in the audience. During the ensuing confusion, three gunmen approached the stage and
shot him down. He died instantly.

Three men, two of them Black Muslims, were arrested and convicted of the crime, but many of Malcolm's
adherents still feel that the assassination was planned and carried out by a larger group of conspirators,
perhaps including agents of the U.S. government. Whoever killed Malcolm, however, did not succeed in
destroying his influence. Through The Autobiography of Malcolm X, published after his death, he has
reached a much wider and more sympathetic audience than he ever had during his lifetime.

Quoted from: http://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/a/the-autobiography-of-malcolm-x/malcolm-x-

biography
Narrative 6

One night a guy and a girl were driving home from the movies. The boy sensed there was
something wrong because of the painful silence they shared between them that night. The girl
then asked the boy to pull over because she wanted to talk. She told him that her feelings had
changed and that it was time to move on.

A silent tear slid down his cheek as he slowly reached into his pocket & passed her a folded note.

At that moment, a drunk driver was speeding down that very same street. He swerved right into
the drivers seat, killing the boy. Miraculously, the girl survived. Remembering the note, she
pulled it out & read it. "Without your love, I would die."

Quoted from: http://www.romanticlovemessages.com/cat/stories1.htm