The Two Gardens

By Farhat Yasir

Fourteen-year-old Maryam had a notebook filled with dreams.

On the first page, she had written:

"One day, I will become an architect and build homes that make people feel safe."

She loved drawing beautiful buildings, reading books, and solving puzzles. Every teacher believed she had a bright future.

One afternoon, while organizing her school bag, her younger brother picked up the notebook.

"What are these?" he asked.

"My dreams," Maryam smiled.

Her grandmother, who was sitting nearby, looked at the page and gently asked,

"And what have you written for your akhirah?"

Maryam paused.

"My akhirah?"

Her grandmother nodded.

"My dear, we all spend years planning our careers. But very few people spend even a few minutes planning the journey that lasts forever."

That night, Maryam couldn't stop thinking about those words.

The next morning, she opened her notebook again.

Below her first dream, she wrote another list.

"Pray on time."

"Read one page of the Qur'an every day."

"Help my parents without being asked."

"Be kind, even when no one notices."

"Never let success make me forget Allah."

Days turned into months.

Maryam studied hard for her exams, but she also protected her salah.

When her friends laughed at a quiet girl in class, Maryam sat beside her instead.

When she became busy, she still made time for the Qur'an—even if it was just one page before sleeping.

Sometimes it wasn't easy.

There were days when homework felt endless.

Days when she was tired.

Days when she wanted to skip her prayers and say,

"I'll pray later."

But then she remembered her grandmother's words.

"Build two gardens, Maryam. One in this world... and one for the next."

Years passed.

Maryam graduated with excellent grades and became a successful architect.

She designed schools, hospitals, and homes that brought comfort to many families.

But people admired her for something even greater than her profession.

They admired her honesty.

Her kindness.

Her humility.

She never forgot to thank Allah for every achievement.

One evening, while cleaning her bookshelf, Maryam found her old notebook.

The pages had become yellow with time.

She smiled as she read the two lists.

One had helped her build her future.

The other had helped her build her character.

She whispered softly,

"Alhamdulillah... Allah gave me both."

Moral of the Story

Success is not about choosing between deen and dunya.

A Muslim girl shines brightest when she walks with both.

Study with excellence.

Dream with confidence.

Pray with sincerity.

Serve people with kindness.

Because when your goals are guided by faith, Allah puts barakah in both your worldly success and your journey to the Hereafter.

"Work for your dunya as if you will live forever, and work for your akhirah as if you will die tomorrow."

— By Farhat Yasir 🌸