Hen Story
Some years ago, I went to live with some relatives in a small city. They had a big compound and I noticed a solitary hen, parading. I asked my relatives about the hen and they said that one day it just came into their compound and it never left. They said that it was sick when it came but it had recovered from its sickness. And that it goes out of the compound from time to time, but it always comes back. They also said that they do not feed it.
I was quite excited about the hen. I would buy guinea corn and millet, and sprinkle it around the compound for it to eat. It was not long before it started to recognize me and run to me whenever I came out of the house.
Other birds used to fly into the compound and eat the grain as well. Even a cock came to live in the compound and it too ran to me whenever I came out.
My relatives commented that the hen had found a benefactor. You might find this strange, but I thought I detected a note of disapproval in their statement.
In any case, I began to feel something in my heart. I cannot describe what it was or whether it was positive or negative. However, there was a feeling whenever the birds ran towards me.
Now, sometimes I would travel back home to my parents house and return after some days or weeks.
One time, I returned and the hen had chicks! And they all ran to me for food.
Everything was going well until one day, I came out of the house to fetch some water at the well. The hen saw me and ran to me. But I had no grains. She followed me, loudly clucking along and suddenly I felt a sharp pain on my left foot. She pecked me!
What!
I was livid.
She was doing well fending for herself before I came to live with my relatives. I was under no obligation to feed her. I was just doing it because it gave me a good feeling. How dare she peck me when I show up without food?
Nevertheless, I did not want to stop feeding her because I was still counting on being paid [by God] my wages for doing a good deed.
My anger turned to puzzlement. Why did she peck me?
Finally, I deciphered the situation.
I was the problem.
I let her see me delivering the grain. I enjoyed it when she and her brood ran to me. I was basking in the attention of being noticed as a provider, a benefactor. Where was my lowly subject? Let her run to me and let me give her food. Let her know that it is I, who is supplying her sustenance…How arrogant! The hen pecked me because once lordship has been feigned it must be maintained. I must continue to provide her with food. Was I not the lord?
What did I do?
I continued to feed her but this time I made sure she did not see me pouring out the grain. I stealthily scattered grain in different places all over the compound. All she and her chicks had to do was wander a little and they would find food.
Problem solved.
The hen no longer ran to me clucking like she used to do. Methinks it mattered not to her who the deliverer of her food was but that she had food. Most importantly, I no longer had that interesting feeling in my heart. I had learnt something profound. I now understood why giving charity in secret is the preferred choice (Matthew 6:3, Quran 2:271)? It is for our own good.
Can you perceive the connection between the different parties involved?
1- The giver
Who secretly wants to be appreciated or admired or thanked for what he did not do (Quran 3:188).
2- The fawning receiver of charity.
The receiver who can and will change the game on the 'visible' giver, if given the opportunity.
3- The irked witnesses.
Do you also see that the witnesses cannot be happy with either party. Why were they not given something?
Do you see that the giver is not the owner of what he is giving. The True Benefactor is God. We are just trustees of the wealth (Quran 57:7).
If one is truly giving in order to seek the countenance of God, one will be comfortable with knowing that only oneself and God know that charity has been given. One will have no need for thanks. And one will keep one's ego under control (I believe that odd feeling I experienced, has something to do with an inflated ego).
Do you also see that the receiver would have no choice but to be excessively polite or indifferent to ALL if he does not know who supplied him with provision. Lest he offend his provider unknowingly. And he will thank God.
What happened to the hen and her brood?
I took a long trip back home. When I returned, I was told that one day, the hen went out with some of her brood and never returned.