There was once a young man named Jafar ibn Abi Talib (radiyallahu anhu), and he looked so much like his cousin, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, that his own mother loved him a little extra for it.
Jafar had a kind and generous heart. His name means a flowing river, always giving, always sharing, and he grew up to be just like his name.
In those early days, life in Makkah became very hard for the people who believed in Allah. So a group of them set off on a long journey across the sea, to a faraway land where a good and fair king ruled. This king was known for being kind and never letting anyone be treated unfairly.
The Prophet ﷺ chose Jafar to be the leader of this group and to speak for them all. Jafar was only a young man, but the Prophet ﷺ trusted him.
One day the king called Jafar to his grand palace. Everyone was watching. Would the king let them stay safely, or send them away? Jafar took a deep breath and stepped forward.
He did not boast, and he was not rude. He simply told the truth, softly and clearly. He said, once we did not know any better, but Allah sent us a kind prophet. He taught us to speak the truth, to keep our promises, to be good to our neighbours, and to care for children who have no parents.
Then the king asked Jafar to share some of the beautiful words that Allah had sent. So Jafar recited a lovely part of the Quran about Maryam and her baby son. When he finished, he looked up, and there were tears rolling down the king's cheeks. The whole room was crying softly at the beautiful words.
The kind king smiled and said, I will never, ever send these good people away. And so they were safe.
Jafar lived in that faraway land for many years, and his three little sons were born there. At last, he came home. When the Prophet ﷺ saw him, he was so happy that he hugged Jafar and kissed him gently between the eyes.
In his new home, everyone gave Jafar a special name. They called him the father of the poor. Do you know why? Because he loved to sit with people who had very little. He would listen to them and share whatever he had. Once he only had a jar of honey left, so he opened it up and shared every drop.
The Prophet ﷺ said something wonderful to him. He said, Jafar, you are like me, not just in your face, but in your kind heart too.
Jafar spent his whole life being brave and gentle and giving. And the Prophet ﷺ told everyone that Jafar was flying happily in Paradise, soaring with two beautiful wings. From then on, everyone called him the one with two wings.
So close your eyes now, little one, and imagine soaring gently through a soft, happy sky. Be kind like Jafar, and share what you have, and one day, who knows how high a kind heart can fly. Goodnight.