Allah brews the tea, not the cups
A group of students, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old teacher. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.
Offering his guests tea, the teacher went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of tea and an assortment of cups – porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite – telling them to help themselves to the tea.
When all the students had a cup of tea in hand, the professor said: ‘If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.
Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the tea. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was tea, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups… And then you began eyeing each other’s cups too.
Now consider this: Life is the tea; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of Life we live.
Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the tea Allah has provided us.
Know that Allah brews the tea, not the cups.So enjoy your tea.
Know that Allah brews the tea, not the cups.So enjoy your tea.
All things in life start small and then grow bigger: humans, animals, projects, movements — everything. Everything except calamities, which start big and then grow smaller. So be patient, and know that things will get better; for with every difficulty comes ease, with every difficulty comes ease…
Another beautiful verse from Surat al Baqarah
Remember: This hadith made me double think who I am today:
Narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah: Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: My example and your example is that of a person who lit the fire and insects and moths began to fall in it and he would be making efforts to take them out, and I am going to hold you back from fire, but…
