A member of a certain Masjid, who previously had started attending the Masjid to perform his Salaah, suddenly stopped attending. After a few weeks, the Imam decided to visit him.

It was a chilly evening. The Imam found the man alone at home, sitting before a blazing fire. Guessing the reason for his Imam's visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a comfortable chair near the fireplace…and waited.

The Imam made himself at home but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the dance of the flames around the burning logs. After some minutes, the Imam took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone, then he sat back in his chair, still silent.

The host watched all this in quiet contemplation. As the one lone ember's flame flickered and diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and dead.

Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting. The Imam glanced at his watch and realized it was time to leave. He slowly stood up, picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow, once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.

As the Imam reached the door to leave, his host said with a tear running down his cheek, 'Shukran for your visit and especially for the firey sermon. I will be attending Masjid again tomorrow starting with the Fajr Salaah, Inshallah'.

We live in a world today, which tries to say too much with too little. Consequently, few listen. Sometimes the best sermons are the ones left unspoken.