Jamal and the Parrot

Jamal had always wanted to keep a pet bird at home. He couldn't believe his eyes that day when his father came home carrying a large cage. He took off the cover and saw a bright yellow and purple parrot inside. Jamal was so happy. That first evening, Jamal and the parrot had a deep conversation.

Jamal said: "Hi pretty parrot. I want to feed you really well, so I need to learn everything about you. First of all, can you tell me what your favorite food is?"

"My favorite food is seeds," said the parrot.

"How do you eat them?" Jamal asked.

The parrot explained: "I can hold my food with my two feet and eat it just like a sandwich. I am an expert at opening the two halves of the seed shell with my tongue. The fact that I can satisfy my hunger in this way is a grace and blessing from Allah."

Jamal then asked: "I'm very curious. How did you get those incredibly beautiful colors in your feathers?"

"Like all birds," said the parrot, "my rich colors come from a substance stored inside my feathers when they first begin to form, and is related to the way light bounces off them. Did you know that when my feathers fall out they are replaced with new ones? And every time they grow back they have the same color. This is another proof of the perfection of Allah's creation."

Jamal nodded: "That's really wonderful. Can you also imitate the sounds you hear? How do you do that?"

"I can imitate the sounds I hear, but I can't understand them. This also happens by Allah's will. Otherwise, how could a creature like me without any intelligence or will develop the ability to imitate sounds? Only our Almighty Lord has the power to create such a colorful talking bird as me. It is He Who makes things so perfectly," explained the parrot.

Jamal smiled: "My admiration for the Almighty Allah is growing more and more as I look at you. I also will do everything I can to make sure you are comfortable here. Once again, then, 'welcome home,' pretty parrot."

"Remember," said the parrot: "The best thing we can do when we see all the perfection of our Almighty Lord's creation of the universe is to remember His greatness, thank Him and always keep Him in our minds."