The story of the wounds of the Hedgehog

“Make room for one another in your collective life; do make room; [and in return] God will make room for you [in His grace].” (Qur’an 58:11)

There was a winter in the forest that was so cold that many animals began dying. A community of desperate hedgehogs decided to fight the cold by huddling themselves together in a tight circle. This circle created an insulation that kept them warmer, but the close distant also caused the quills of the hedgehogs to poke into each other. In response to this pain they began to separate from each other, losing the insulation that was created, which caused many to freeze to death. It was at this point that hedgehogs were confronted with the choice of either withstanding the pain that came from the quills of their neighbors or dying alone in the cold. Luckily they were wise enough to go back to being in a close huddle and withstanding the pains and wounds that came from their closest companions in exchange for surviving through the winter. This story is the perfect metaphor for how the perfect relationships are not the ones where people never hurt you because we all have sharp edges that inevitably may poke the ones we love.

To be in community is not to be surrounded by perfect people it is to be surrounded by people who share the same vision and goal in life. In order to have successful relationships we have to learn to live with the wounded and imperfect parts of people before we can experience their positive attributes. So as the Qur’an says, make room for one another, because it is in being open hearted and inclusive that we experience what it means to be truly living.

Reflect on this verse of the Qur’an: “And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided. And remember the favor of Allah upon you - when you were enemies and He brought your hearts together and you became, by His favor, brothers. And you were on the edge of a pit of the Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus does Allah make clear to you His verses that you may be guided.” (3:103)