Unfolding a Rose

Unfolding a Rose

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

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

But because of his great respect for the older sheikh, he proceeded to try to unfold the rose, while keeping every petal intact... It wasn't long before he realized how impossible this was to do. Noticing the younger sheikh's inability to unfold the rosebud without tearing it, the older sheikh began to recite the following poem...

It is only a tiny rosebud,
A flower of Almighty Allah's design;
But I cannot unfold the petals
With these clumsy hands of mine.

The secret of unfolding flowers
Is not known to such as I..
Almighty Allah opens this flower so sweetly,
Then in my hands they die.

If I cannot unfold a rosebud,
This flower of Almighty 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 will look to Almighty Allah for His guidance each step of the way.
The pathway that lies before me,
Only Almighty Allah knows.

I'll trust Him to unfold the moments,
Just as He unfolds the rose..

'Man always runs after a thing which is bound to perish, and is engrossed in high hopes and great expectations. He does not know that day dreams can never be realized. He spends his day in forgetfulness and passes his day in unmindfulness and passes his night in slumber while death is lowering over his head. He will regret tomorrow of what he is doing today.'
by email from Zaheer Mahomed