The following incident took place last year when I was travelling with an elderly Muslim brother. We call him "Brother Wali". We met a Muslim family and the family told brother Wali to give them some advice. Here is what brother Wali told them: A Muslim is like water. Water is so flexible that where ever you place it, it takes the shape of that object. For example, if you put some water in a glass, it takes the shape of the glass. If you run the water through a tangled hose, it will take the shape of that also. The same way, a Muslim should be flexible to the orders of Allah. He should fit into whatever Allah wants. If we put an iron into the glass, then either the glass will break or the iron will break. The same way, if we are not flexible to the orders of Allah and become hard like iron, then either we will break or we will break the orders of Allah.
A hadith states: The believers are very obedient (to Allah), gentle, and kind, like an obedient camel which when led follows and when made to sit, even though on a rock, does so obediently. (Tirmidhi).
May 25, 2014