Unfolding the Rose

Bismillahirahmaniraheem
This little story was given to me by a friend (an older sister from the MSA who shared it with the rest of us to be exact). It was a great eye opener and really showed the limitations of human beings and how much we depend on Allah.

In The Words of My Friend

A young (ustadh) teacher was walking with an older (ustadh) teacher in the garden one day. Feeling a bit insecure about what Allah (SubhanahuwatAllah)
had for him to do, he was asking the older ustadh for some advice.

The older ustadh walked up to a rosebush and handed the young ustadh a rosebud and told him to open it without tearing off any petals. The young ustadh looked
in disbelief at the older ustadh and was trying to figure out what a rosebud could possibly have to do with his wanting to know the Will of Allah for his life.

But because of his great respect for the older ustadh, he proceeded to try to infold the rose, while keeping every petal intact...It wasn't long before he realized
how impossible this was to do. Noticing the younger ustadh's inability to infold the rosebud wothout tearing it, the older ustadh began to recite the following poem:

It is only a tiny rosebud,
A flower of Allah's design;
But I can not unfold the petals
with these clumsy hands of mine.
The secret of unfolding a flower
is not known to such as I.
Allah opens this flower so sweetly,
then in my hands they die.
If I can not unfold a rosebud,
this flower of Allah's design,
then how can I have the wisdom
to unfold this life of mine?
So i'll trust in Allah for leading
each moment of my day.
I'll look to Allah for His guidance
every step of the way.
The pathawy that lies before me,
only Allah knows,
I'l trust Him to unfold the moments,
just as He unfolds the rose.


Shot at 2008-09-30