Every Rose Has Its Thorn
“The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “No fatigue, nor disease, nor sorrow, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor distress befalls a Muslim, even if it were the prick he receives from a thorn, but that Allah expiates some of his sins for that.” ”
Today as I was arranging some roses from the garden I reflected on the Hadith above. As I’m writing this I felt everything mentioned but it gives me hope that sometimes there is wisdom even behind ‘suffering’.
From time to time we will feel fatigued, sickness, sadness, hurt and distress. And sometimes we may feel them all at once. But sometimes to get to something beautiful, you can get pricked along the way.
As I was preparing the rose stems I observed myself. I was patient, I was present, I was mindful, I took my outmost care while snapping off the thorns, I treated it with love and I appreciated the joy that the rose alone gave me. Most of all, I was relieved.
These past couple of weeks have not been the greatest for me but Alhamdulillah, I was reminded to change my perception. It’s easy to think about ‘what if’ and it is easy to have doubts, be negative and wanting to quit or give up. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good to observe and accept whatever it is that you are feeling. But it’s a lot better to be content, optimistic, and resilient.
Some days might be full of roses and other days might be full of thorns. But the rose won’t exist without the protection of the thorn. We go through things in life not as a punishment, but as lessons to grow and learn from. And sometimes they are a means to expiate some of your sins.
God is just so Merciful. God is ever so kind. And God is so loving. Always try to have husnuzon- think good of Allah, as Allah always knows what is best for you. Whatever it is that you are going through, be patient as this too shall pass and there is good in everything.
“Patience does not mean to passively endure. It means to look at the end of a process. What does patience mean? It means to look at the thorn and see the rose, to look at the night and see the dawn. Impatience means to be shortsighted as to not be able to see the outcome. The lovers of God never run out of patience, for they know that time is needed for the crescent moon to become full.”