It was evening, and a gentle, pleasant breeze swept through the National Park. Every corner of the landscape was a sight to behold, which was why it was always teeming with life—not just locals, but a substantial number of foreigners as well. The two of them often spent their evenings here. They were close friends, lived in the same neighborhood, and were in the same grade. Unlike most boys their age, they weren't particularly playful; rather, they carried a quiet gravity, always deep in thought. Granted, perpetual brooding isn't necessarily healthy, but it was their nature, and despite their best efforts, they could not shake it off.
Today, too, they occupied a secluded, picturesque spot within the park. Directly in front of their bench lay vibrant beds of flowers, their vivid blossoms a soothing balm to the tired eye. Fahad Rasool was looking far into the distance at the towering trees, while Ashraf’s gaze remained fixed on the petals. Suddenly, Ashraf turned to Fahad, cleared his throat to get his attention, and asked,
"Any idea what Sir Altaf is going to ask us tomorrow...?"
Fahad smiled faintly. "Failure."
"I can't seem to guess either..." A faint smile touched Ashraf’s lips as well. "That question he asked last Thursday was brilliant. Not a single boy in the entire class could come up with the answer."
"Yeah, by the way, where does Sir Altaf even find such difficult questions?"
"God only knows. All I know is that teachers like him are incredibly rare."
"You’re right. Even the teachers didn't know the answer the first time. Who would have thought that the greatest thing in the world is the 'intellect,' and that it feeds on grief?" Ashraf remarked.
The thing was, every Thursday during the literary period, their Urdu teacher, Sir Altaf, would pose a philosophical question to the class. Whichever boy answered would receive a ten-rupee note from his own pocket as a reward. It was his unique way of breaking from the routine, subtly shaping and educating their minds through different methods and pretexts.
Fahad and Ashraf were deeply engrossed in speculating about the next day's question. Both were exceptionally bright, and it was usually one of the two who ended up providing the correct answers.
"Leave it, buddy! We’ll see tomorrow," Fahad said.
"You mean, it's time for a race?" asked Ashraf, referring to their usual evening jog.
"Yes, and mark my words, I won't let you win today," Fahad laughed.
"You can win the race, but I’m the one who will answer tomorrow's question," Ashraf smiled back.
"How can you be so sure?"
"It’s not a claim, just a feeling."
"Well, we’ll see. For now, get ready for the run," Fahad said, and with that, both stood up to stretch.
Sir Altaf wore his signature, knowing smile. The entire class was as silent as if they had collectively lost their voice. Fahad and Ashraf’s anticipation was at its peak, and the other boys waited with bated breath for the question to drop.
Aware of their restless curiosity, Sir Altaf picked up an elegant, wrapped package from his desk.
"Dear students," he began, "this prize is for the student who performs a task assigned today with the utmost excellence."
When the boys heard the word task, they began to look at each other in confusion. This was a first; usually, Sir Altaf only asked a direct question.
Ashraf stood up from his seat. "Sir, we thought you would ask a question like you always do, but... you are talking about some task?"
Sir Altaf gestured for him to sit down and continued. "My dears, today's question is the task."
"Sir, are you testing us?" Akbar blurted out.
"Sir, please tell us what this task is," asked Gul Ahmed.
"Listen," Sir Altaf said, his tone softening but commanding absolute attention. "You know how dismal the literacy rate is in our country. Even among those who are considered 'literate,' many can barely write their own names. You are incredibly fortunate to study in such a fine school, but countless boys and girls are deprived of this blessing. These left-behind children swell the ranks of the uneducated, rendering them dependent on others for the simplest tasks. And this dependency isn't for a day or two, or a year or two—it lasts a lifetime.
"Many uneducated people yearn to learn. They are incredibly sharp, but their financial circumstances do not allow them to come to school like you and build a bright future. Often, we are entirely unable to do the things we wish for, and our countless desires turn into lifelong regrets. The unlettered, whom we so carelessly label 'ignorant,' often fall behind the educated purely due to a lack of resources.
"As Muslims, it is our moral duty to look after our brothers and sisters who are deprived of education. Taking care of oneself and fulfilling one's own needs is fine, but fulfilling the needs of others and caring for them is noble. Undoubtedly, the Almighty loves those who care for others.
"My students, my request to you today is that alongside your own education, you must impart knowledge to others. There are so many unlettered individuals in our society that you won't have to look hard to find them. If you cannot teach illiterate friends directly, you can at least dedicate a portion of your time to them, or sponsor someone's education.
"Promise me today that you will teach an uneducated companion or relative, or bear their educational expenses. Fulfill this promise, and that will be your assigned task. Exactly three months from today, I will ask who taught how many people, or who helped them learn. Whoever has taught or aided the greatest number of people will be the rightful owner of this prize."
Sir Altaf finished speaking. The entire class promised to undertake this noble cause, and the teacher raised his hands in prayer for their success.
Three months later, during the literary period, Sir Altaf addressed the room. "Well, then! Let every boy stand up and give a three-month progress report. Be completely honest."
One by one, the boys stood up and detailed their efforts. Some had bought books for the underprivileged, while others had paid tuition fees out of their own allowances. Sir Altaf listened to everyone with keen attention. Finally, only Fahad Rasool and Ashraf were left. Like the rest of the class, Sir Altaf assumed they must have achieved something extraordinary.
Fahad spoke first. "Sir, I didn't do anything remarkably grand in these three months, but I did start an initiative. I found boys in our street and neighborhood who wanted to study but couldn't afford it, so I opened a tuition center for them. My older brother, Akhtar Rasool, and I teach them. We don't charge a fee; instead, we help them as much as we can, providing them with notebooks, books, and stationery. We fund this by charging a nominal fee from those who can afford proper tuition. My brother and I have vowed to continue this effort for the promotion of education forever."
"Splendid! You have started a remarkable work. May God reward you for it," Sir Altaf praised, then turned his gaze toward Ashraf. "And you, Ashraf?"
"Sir, I spent a lot of time thinking about what I could do, what should be done. For the first two weeks, I just kept thinking. But then, the idea that came to mind left me completely satisfied. To bring this idea to life, I spoke to my elder sister. Hearing my plan, she immediately agreed to help, and together we turned it into reality. By the grace of God, our work has been running for the past nine weeks now," Ashraf paused.
Sir Altaf asked with an encouraging smile, "Your endeavor must be excellent indeed. Now quickly explain what exactly you are doing."
Ashraf began, "Sir, I figured out a way to put in less effort but yield extraordinary results. You could say I wanted to use less sugar but extract maximum sweetness. Sir, I realized that educating a boy or helping him with expenses is undoubtedly a great deed, but educating a girl, or supporting her educational expenses, is far greater.
"The reason is simple: educating a boy educates an individual, but educating a girl educates and trains an entire generation. If a mother is educated, the whole family becomes educated. What else can I say, sir? You can understand this, and so can my classmates here." Ashraf fell silent.
"Hmph! So you are teaching a single girl or helping her...?" Sir Altaf probed.
"No, sir. Not just one girl. With the help of my sister, I am teaching ten girls. I am educating ten generations," Ashraf replied swiftly.
Sir Altaf stood up from his chair, a wave of visible emotion sweeping across his face. "Without a doubt, you are educating ten generations. I am profoundly overjoyed that my students are not only obedient but exceptionally brilliant. Here, take your prize. It is truly worthy of ending up in your hands."
Sir Altaf walked over and handed the beautiful package to Ashraf.
As Fahad watched, the gentle smile on his face seemed to whisper to his friend: "True to your name, you performed a noble [ashraf] deed, and I have lost to you once again."
