The Fisherman, the Eagles, and the Miracle of Destiny

The Fisherman, the Eagles, and the Miracle of Destiny

By: Ubaid

Meme Nadeem was a humble fisherman who lived by a quiet river. Every morning, he would take the name of Allah, cast his net into the flowing water, and wait patiently for whatever fate had written for him.

One bright morning, after hours of waiting under the scorching sun, his patience was finally rewarded. When he pulled his net from the water, two large, shining fish thrashed inside it. His heart filled with gratitude. “Alhamdulillah,” he whispered softly, thanking his Creator for the day’s blessings.

Just as he began gathering his net, a shadow fell over him. He looked up — an eagle swooped down, its wings slicing through the air like blades. Before Meme Nadeem could react, the bird snatched one of his fish in its sharp claws and flew away into the sky.

The fisherman’s young son, who was helping nearby, shouted angrily, “Father! That greedy eagle stole half of our catch! Curse this luck!”

But Meme Nadeem only smiled, calm as the river.
He placed a gentle hand on his son’s shoulder and said,
“My son, be thankful. One fish still belongs to us. The other was never ours — it was written for someone else. What we receive is what is destined for us, and whatever slips away was never meant to stay. To curse fate is the way of the ungrateful.”

The boy fell silent, but the lesson settled deep in his heart.

Meanwhile, the eagle soared high toward the distant hills. It had barely reached the peak when another eagle attacked, trying to seize the fish from its claws. The two fierce birds fought midair — feathers flying, screeches echoing in the mountains. In their struggle, the fish slipped from the eagle’s grip and fell, tumbling down onto a rocky slope near a small hut.

Inside that hut lived a saintly hermit — a dervish — who survived on whatever little nature offered. When he stepped outside and saw the fish lying near his door, he raised his hands to the sky and said softly,
“O Allah! You have heard my prayer. I had asked for a fish to eat, and You have sent one down Yourself.”

But then the dervish sighed and added,
“Yet You know best, my Lord — I have neither oil nor spices to cook it. What will I do with a raw fish? I had asked for a cooked one, not this. Please, take this back and send me a ready meal if You will.”

He left the fish outside and went back into his hut to pray.

Moments later, when he came out again — the fish was gone. Another eagle had seized it and flown off toward the valley below.

This eagle, too, faced pursuit. Two others dived toward it, clawing and screeching, fighting for the prize. During their struggle, the fish slipped free once again — and this time, it fell into the courtyard of a poor farmer’s home at the foot of the hill.

The farmer’s wife ran outside upon hearing the thud. To her surprise, a large fish lay there, glistening in the dust. Her face lit up with joy.

“Look!” she called to her husband. “How many times have I told you I was craving fish, and now Allah Himself has sent it to our doorstep! I had even made a vow — that if I ever cooked fish, I would send a portion to the holy man on the hill and ask him to pray for our unborn child.”

She quickly cleaned the fish, ground the spices, and began to cook. The aroma filled the air.

Just then, the farmer’s old friend — Meme Nadeem, the fisherman — arrived.

“Ah, what a perfect time you’ve come,” said the farmer cheerfully. “We’re having fish today. Stay and eat with us.”

The fisherman laughed. “Fish? You? From where did you get fish? I thought only I caught them around here.”

The farmer grinned. “You’ll never believe it — it fell straight from the sky into our yard! A real miracle!”

He told the whole story of the eagle and how the fish had come to them. Meme Nadeem listened quietly, a knowing smile forming on his face.

When the meal was ready, the farmer’s wife packed a bowl for the saint on the hill. “Take this to him,” she said, “and ask for his blessings — that our child may be born healthy and safe.”

The farmer and Meme Nadeem climbed the hill together and presented the cooked fish to the dervish.

The old man looked at them and asked gently, “Tell me, where did you find this fish?”

The farmer replied, “It fell from the sky, Baba. My wife had prayed for fish, and she vowed to send it to you once she cooked it.”

The dervish smiled thoughtfully, his eyes glimmering with divine understanding. Then he turned to Meme Nadeem and asked, “And you, who are you, my son?”

“I am a fisherman,” Meme Nadeem replied humbly. “This morning, I caught two fish. One was taken by an eagle — and the other, I brought home.”

The dervish closed his eyes for a moment, then said softly,
“SubhanAllah. See how the Almighty works! You caught the fish, the eagle carried it, I prayed for it, and this farmer’s wife vowed for it. In His wisdom, Allah fulfilled the desires of all four of us — through a single fish. His ways are mysterious, yet full of mercy. This is the miracle of destiny.”

The three men sat in silence, overwhelmed by the realization. Above them, the evening sky burned gold, and the sound of the river echoed faintly below — a reminder that whatever is written, finds its way, no matter how far it travels.

And that day, all three bowed their heads in gratitude — the fisherman, the farmer, and the dervish — each whispering the same words:
“Alhamdulillah — all praise be to Allah.”


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Moral:

> What is destined for you will find you — even if it falls from the sky.
Be grateful, not regretful, for fate never makes mistakes.