One day, Al-Bakellany - a muslim judge - entered upon the court of the Roman Emperor while he was among his monks and proests. Al Bakellany, mocking one of the priests said: 'How are you. How are your family and your children?.'

The Roman King exclaimed: 'We were told that you are the most articulat among the muslim scholars and the most knowledgable, dont you know that our priests are deemed above having a wife or children?.' Al Bakellany answered:
'How can't you deem Allah above having a wife and children, while they are; as if they were more sacred than Allah!?.' The Roman Emperor was moved by what he heard and felt a great deal of respect for Al Bakellany.

After receiving the call of Allah's messenger Muhammed (pbuh), a bedouin was asked: 'Why did you embrace Islam and what convinced you that he is the messenger of Allah?.' He answered: 'He had never commanded what logic refused and he had never forbidden what logic dictated.'.

Here is our merchandise returned to us

A European visitor asked to visit an Arabic school to see one of the classes. When the supervisor consulted the staff, a teacher of Islamic studies offered to be his guide. As the teacher knew that the visitor didn't know arabic, he chose to show him something that he would understand without any need for the language. He chose to show the visitor the practical lesson on how to perform prayers in Islam.

On asking the teacher why did he choose that?, he answered: "We are badly mistaken when we show the European visitors our modern applications of science, history, literature, arts and so on so forth, because what we have is no match to what they have and the visitor would have still thought that what they have is much better than what we have. However if we show them our Islam; its teachings, rules of conduct, its virtues, they will see something they dont have and had never known. And that may be the glimpse of light that may touch their hearts and guide them to the straight path.'

The very same mistake is made when the officials of the Arab world exhaust their efforts to show their visitors the huge projects and other aspects of civilised achievements they have, that they cannot get their message across.

Whereas if they show them Islam in its perfectness, institution, purity and justice, they would have illustrated the real civilisation that can establish the values of the soul and bring about real happiness and peace for the human race"

It was said that an eastern muslim ruler had spent a fortune to copy a literature book compiled by an Andalusian (Spanish) author. But when he got the book he found out the subject was 'Literature in the East' not 'In Spain' as he expected. He was frsutrated by this and said: 'Here is our merchandise returned to us'  meaning: 'The author is showing us our culture which we already have!'.

Should we persist on showing our visitors the same culture they already have?