It was his birthday tomorrow, he loved birthdays, mummy's little boy, is growing up, tomorrow he's going to turn six.

Mummy always baked the most beautiful cakes for his birthday, last year it looked like a soccer ground, with little plastic players and his name right in the middle. He lay awake in bed wondering what mummy's gonna do this time, and daddy always gave him the best presents. He just loved birthdays...

He got up early that morning, waiting to see what was in store for him, but he heard sounds of crying, it was granny, she was ill in hospital and was going to leave us soon, thats what they all said. He ran into the room and into mummy's arms, he saw the tears swelling in her eyes, she hugged him tight, kissed him on his forehead and said mummy's got to go to the hospital with daddy and you gotta stay at home because they don't allow children. You're a big boy now, mummy's gonna make your birthday cake tomorrow. "No, No!" he yelled, I want it NOW!! I promise I will make the most beautiful cake for you tomorrow she said, but you have to behave now, you are turning six.

Sad and disheartened he watched them drive away, it was late at night but he waited for mummy to arrive, he fell asleep on the couch. Suddenly he heard voices it was uncle and aunty, she picked him from the couch, hugged him tight and began to cry, she looked him in the eye and said, "I have to tell you something but you promise not to cry, ok, mummy and daddy were in an accident and god has called them to his house". You have to come home with us.

Then a while later lots of people began to come, some hugged him, some just cried, and then a big car drove up in front of the house, they took out two big boxes and brought it into the living room, there were two people in it, it was mummy and daddy. They just lay still, she did'nt call him by his name, she did'nt hug or kiss him, she just lay there. He touched here hand it was cold, he looked at her but for the first time she did'nt look at him. Then they picked them up and started to take them away, he cried and yelled, leave them alone, don't take them away, mummy, mummy he yelled I won't ask you for a birthday cake, please talk to me, but they took them away.

He does'nt like cakes anymore, and he hates birthdays...

Just something I read as part of a longer article:

Hang out with friends outdoors; play games:

Narrated Abu Musa Al-Ashari: “I performed ablution in my house and then went out and said, "Today I shall stick to Allah's Apostle and stay with him all this day of mine (in his service)." I went to the Mosque and asked about the Prophet. They said, "He had gone in this direction." So I followed his way, asking about him till he entered a place called Bir Aris. I sat at its gate that was made of date-palm leaves until the Prophet finished answering the call of nature and performed ablution. Then I went up to him to see him sitting at the well of Aris at the middle of its edge with his legs uncovered, hanging in the well. I greeted him, and went back and sat at the gate. I said, "Today I will be the gatekeeper of the Prophet." Abu Bakr came and pushed the gate. I asked, "Who is it?" He said, "Abu Bakr." I told him to wait, went in and said, "O Allah's Apostle! Abu Bakr asks for permission to enter." He said, "Admit him and give him the glad tidings that he will be in Paradise." So I went out and said to Abu Bakr, "Come in, and Allah's Apostle gives you the glad tidings that you will be in Paradise" Abu Bakr entered and sat on the right side of Allah's Apostle on the built edge of the well and hung his legs n the well as the Prophet did and uncovered his legs. I then returned and sat (at the gate). I had left my brother performing ablution and he intended to follow me. So I said (to myself). "If Allah wants good for so-and-so (i.e. my brother) He will bring him here." Suddenly somebody moved the door. I asked, "Who is it?" He said, "'Umar bin Al-Khattab." I asked him to wait, went to Allah's Apostle, greeted him and said, 'Umar bin Al-Khattab asks the permission to enter." He said, "Admit him, and give him the glad tidings that he will be in Paradise." I went to "Umar and said "Come in, and Allah's Apostle, gives you the glad tidings that you will be in Paradise." So he entered and sat beside Allah's Apostle on the built edge of the well on the left side and hung his legs in the well. I returned and sat (at the gate) and said, (to myself), "If Allah wants good for so-and-so, He will bring him here." Somebody came and moved the door. I asked "Who is it?" He replied, "Uthman bin Affan." I asked him to wait, and went to the Prophet and informed him. He said, "Admit him, and give him the glad tidings of entering Paradise after a calamity that will befall him." So I went up to him and said to him, "Come in; Allah's Apostle gives you the glad tidings of entering Paradise after a calamity that will befall you."” Uthman then came in and found that the built edge of the well was occupied, so he sat opposite to the Prophet on the other side. Said bin Al-Musaiyab said, "I interpret this (narration) in terms of their graves." [Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 5, Book 57, Number 23]

The above narration is significant in many aspects, but the point for narrating it here, is to show how the Prophet [صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم] and his companions ‘hung out’ together in a casual way. None of them appears to be stressing about any urgent matter, or rushed for reaching somewhere. Notice the way they all stay in the state of ablution as a habit, and of the eagerness with which each companion sought the company of our beloved Prophet – and surprisingly – got it. Why would the Prophet decide to sit on the wall of a well with this legs dangling inside? Didn’t he have important matters to attend to? Why would Abu Musa decide to dedicate a whole of his day to play the role of gatekeeper of the Prophet? Doesn’t this hadith make clear how all of them were adorably normal people, ones we can relate to now, centuries down the road? As da’ee’s who should be eager to incorporate the sunnah into our lives, we must try to strike a balance so that we always have time in the week or the month to hang out like this with people whom we love for the sake of Allah.