The Back-to-Front Shirt

That morning Baby Mo had an important announcement.

"Starting today, I put my clothes on BY MYSELF!"

Umi raised an eyebrow. The green T-shirt with the star on it was folded on the bed. "Are you sure, Mo?"

"I can do it myself!"

Baby Mo pushed his head into the shirt. Push… push… Huh, why is it dark? His head had gone into the armhole. Only one ear poked out.

Umi's hands were already moving to help. But Umi remembered: Baby Mo said he wanted to do it himself. So Umi did something funny — she sat on both of her own hands.

"I can do it myself!" said Baby Mo from inside the shirt.

He pulled his head out and tried again. This time his head popped out of the right hole! But… why was a label tickling his chin? And where had the star gone?

The star was on his back. The shirt was back to front.

Baby Ais, who was brushing her doll's hair, giggled. "Mo, you look like you're walking backwards!"

Baby Mo looked down at his plain front. His lip began to wobble. Umi was still sitting on her hands. It was very hard.

"Do you want to try again, or wear it like that for now?" asked Umi.

Baby Mo thought. Then he puffed out his chest. "Like this for now! What matters is I PUT IT ON!"

Umi grinned and finally freed her hands — to clap. "Then there's a special du'a for someone who has just put on clothes. Let's say it."

They said it together, slowly:

Alhamdulillahilladzi kasani hadza wa razaqanihi min ghairi haulin minni wa la quwwah.

"It means," said Umi, "all praise is for Allah who gave me this clothing, without any power or strength from me."

Baby Mo frowned. "But I did use my strength, Umi. It was really hard!"

Umi laughed. "True. But who gave you hands to pull with? Who gave us clothes to wear?"

Baby Mo looked at his two hands. "…Allah."

"So you did the trying, and Allah did the giving. Both are wonderful."

That day Baby Mo went to the corner shop with Abi, shirt still back to front. The shopkeeper asked, "Oh, your star's on the back?" Baby Mo answered proudly, "I put it on MYSELF!"

In the afternoon, changing for his bath, Baby Mo held his shirt for a long time. He looked for that little label. Label at the back. Star at the front.

Push… push… pop!

His head came out. The star was at the front. Right at the front.

"UMIIII!" he shouted. "Alhamdulillahilladzi kasani hadza!"

Alhamdulillahilladzi kasani hadza wa razaqanihi min ghairi haulin minni wa la quwwah. — "All praise is for Allah who clothed me with this and provided it for me without any power or strength from me." (Abu Dawud 4023, Tirmidzi 3458)

Talk it over with your little one: what is one thing you'd like to try doing by yourself this week? Umi and Abi promise to sit on their hands. 👕