أَيَّامًا مَّعْدُودَاتٍ فَمَن كَانَ مِنكُم مَّرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ وَعَلَى الَّذِينَ يُطِيقُونَهُ فِدْيَةٌ طَعَامُ مِسْكِينٍ فَمَن تَطَوَّعَ خَيْرًا فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّهُ وَأَن تَصُومُواْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
سورۃ البقرة, آيۃ 184(Fasting) for a fixed number of days; but if any of you is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed number (Should be made up) from days later. For those who can do it (With hardship), is a ransom, the feeding of one that is indigent. But he that will give more, of his own free will,- it is better for him. And it is better for you that ye fast, if ye only knew.
Surah 2, Verse 184
Nura is in the eleventh grade; her mother died two years ago and her father has remarried. Nura makes every effort to help her father’s new wife with the household chores and care of the children, but her stepmother treats her harshly and never says a good word to her. In fact, she complains all the time that Nura does not perform her chores properly. In her despair, Nura came to the counselor and told her the whole story. The counselor took out a Quran, and leafed through it till she found the appropriate verse which she read out to Nura: “But he that will give more, of his own free will – it is better for him”. She reminded Nura that Allah gives the rewards and not human beings and advised her to be patient.
it was not easy for the counselor to hear about Nura's predicament. She wondered how she could help the girl and at first could not think of a solution. One possibility was to invite Nura's parents for a talk but she was not sure that they would come. She knew Nura well, and was aware how goodhearted she was and how she helped her classmates, and so she knew the story was true. How could she give her hope? There was no way of changing the circumstances at home. The only solution was to advise her to be patient in the hope that some day things would improve. Perhaps the stepmother would gradually learn to appreciate her, perhaps she would soon be married and leave home for a better life. It was the Quran verse which guided her as to how to help Nura by giving her hope of a better future. And we all know the importance of hope.