Short Stories of Martyrs: Khalil and the Ice Cream Seller.
Elevated in this life before they reach the hereafter.
It has been narrated that the best of God's creation, the Chosen Prophet (S), has said:
“By God, what has passed of this world isn’t worth the fringe of my cloak, and what remains is as similar to what has passed as one drop of water is to another. Everything is bound for an imminent end and a close demise. So, hurry to do good deeds while you still have time."
And our Imam, Sayyid al-Mutaqeen (as) is reported to have said:
"Seize the opportunities for good, for they pass like the fleeting clouds."
The story of Khalil and the ice cream seller.
One day Khalil found an ice cream seller on a motorcycle, he found 6 children sitting beside the side walk, looking as though they were really desiring the ice cream but unfortunately didn’t have the money to buy from the ice cream seller.
Khalil then approached the ice cream seller and said: “Oh man! may God be pleased with you, please when you usually enter our village how much ice cream do you sell approximately?”
The man replied: “I sell approximately 30 sometimes abit more..”
Khalil replied, “May God be pleased with you, when you come please don’t embarrass anyone, give even those that have the money to pay without taking the money - so that it doesn’t make those that don’t have the means feel inferior or less because of their financial capabilities and status, instead what I will do is put you the amount of money according to how much you sell daily in this location for you to collect, and if one day you don’t find it there go to my address and collect it from my mother - with the condition that you give those who are capable of paying and those who aren’t free ice cream on my account.”
As time passed, one day the ice cream seller entered that same village but passed by a picture on the wall, he got off his motorcycle and began crying - those around him asked him what was the matter he replied: “This Martyr earned his status in this life and the hereafter, congratulations to him.”