When Tahir's brother and sister-in-law heard his refusal, they were deeply upset. Tahir had always shown them respect and affection. He had never rejected their words nor disobeyed their wishes. But this time, a father's love overpowered every form of courtesy and expectation.
For the sake of his children, Tahir made countless sacrifices—his comfort, his peace, his health, his time, his personal needs, and even his happiness. He never bought new clothes for himself on Eid unless his old suit was completely worn out. Every effort he made was focused on one goal: to feed his children well, dress them properly, and give them the best education possible.
Time passed, and Tahir's hard work began to show results. When his son Zubair turned two and a half years old, Tahir enrolled him in a nearby private school. Every morning, he fed Zubair milk himself and handed two separate milk bottles to the teacher before leaving for work. Tahir did everything a father possibly could—leaving no space where his children might feel the absence of their mother.
He made sure his children received both religious and worldly education, without neglecting either.
The Influence of Environment
It was the month of Ramadan, and Tahir observed his fasts regularly. He encouraged his daughters to fast as well. That year, Ramadan fell during the intense heat of June and July in Pakistan, yet Tahir remained steadfast.
After a few days, Mehreen—who was only five years old at the time—insisted on fasting too. She begged Tahir to wake her for sehri. Tahir gently tried to explain that she was too young and that the long, hot days would be difficult for her. He warned her that breaking a fast unnecessarily was sinful. But Mehreen remained stubborn.
She was so young that she did not even know how to properly cover her head during prayer. She copied her sisters—standing when they stood, bowing when they bowed. Sometimes, if someone knocked on the door, she would leave her prayer halfway and run to open it.
One Friday morning, when Tahir woke Amreen, Noreen, and Samreen for sehri, the clatter of utensils and voices woke Mehreen as well. She ate sehri and proudly announced that she would fast that day.
Tahir thought he would distract her with breakfast in the morning, but when he offered her food before school, Mehreen firmly refused.
"Today is my fast. You don't eat during fasting," she said.
Tahir tried to explain the concept of a child's partial fast, but Mehreen argued, "Then why don't my sisters eat?"
Tahir tried every possible way to make her eat, but she refused. He had no choice but to leave for work. Before leaving, he asked Mehreen's grandmother, aunt, and relatives to feed her—especially since no one in his in-laws' house kept fasts. But Mehreen listened to no one.
She completed her fast till iftar and went on to keep all the remaining fasts of Ramadan. By the age of six, she had completed the entire Qur'an—proof of Tahir's upbringing.
Tahir's children excelled in worldly education as well, often securing top positions in school.
A Mother-in-Law's Mindset
Tahir's mother-in-law was uneducated. She often criticized him for spending so much on his daughters' education.
"Girls study only to get married one day," she said. "They end up in kitchens, not jobs."
Tahir replied firmly,"I will educate my daughters in every situation. I will make them strong enough so that if life ever becomes difficult, they will never have to beg anyone for help. They will stand on their own feet and fight their battles themselves."
Summer Holidays and Bad Influence
During June and July vacations, the children were left alone at home because their grandmother had clearly refused to keep them. Her own sons had eight children who created noise all day, making it impossible for her to rest.
Tahir's daughters began spending time with neighborhood children, playing mischief. The area was poor and uneducated; children roamed freely, unsupervised.
In the neighborhood lived an uneducated family with twelve children. Their eldest daughter Yasmeen and son Hamid befriended Tahir's eldest daughter, Noreen. During vacations, while Tahir was at work, Noreen began playing marbles with them. Sometimes they even went behind the hills to steal chickens and bring them to Hamid and Yasmeen's house—where the parents said nothing.
One day, Noreen took all three of her sisters along.
That night, when Tahir returned from work, Amreen and Samreen told him everything. Tahir was furious. He warned Noreen sternly:
"If you ever steal again, I will burn your hands. Stealing is a grave sin. Allah has commanded severe punishment for thieves."
Noreen promised never to repeat such actions.
The Story of the Dwarf Creature
A neighbor's daughter, Salma, who was friends with Amreen and Samreen, visited Tahir's house one day. She told them a frightening tale—that a dwarf creature had appeared in the Metroville area. If someone dug a grave in their courtyard according to a child's height and laid the child inside, a dwarf would emerge and grant one wish.
Digging the Grave
Believing the story, Amreen and Samreen laid their younger sister in the courtyard and dug a grave matching her height, hoping the creature would appear so they could ask for their mother to return.
When nothing happened, Salma told them the creature would appear in the morning after they slept.
That night, when Tahir returned home and saw the deep pit, he was shocked. When he asked what had happened, Amreen explained everything innocently.
Children's Innocence and a Father's Lesson
Tahir's eyes filled with tears at his daughters' innocence. He hugged them and explained gently:
"No creature comes out of the earth like this. Dwarfs are human beings like us—only their height does not grow. Only Allah can bring the dead back to life, and that will happen on the Day of Judgment."
He helped Amreen and Samreen fill the pit with soil, teaching them truth with love rather than fear.