Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “A Muslim who experiences any hardship, discomfort, worry, sorrow, grief, and distress even if it be a thorn prick, Allah Ta`ala will make that an atonement for his sins.”  (Bukhari/Muslim)

Advice: “Man’s Purpose of Creation”

The creation of man in this world is only for the purpose of acquiring a realization of Allah Ta`ala, and all other creation is for the sake of man. As a Persian poet says:

“The clouds, the winds, the moon, the sun and the sky are constantly at work, So that you earn your living and do not eat in forgetfulness, The entire creation is involved in working for you obediently, The law of justice will not be fulfilled if you fail to obey Allah Ta`ala.”

So man should learn a lesson from their punctuality and obedience in their functions of rendering service to him. Sometimes as a warning, temporary changes are caused in their functions by Allah Ta`ala. There is no rain when it should rain or no wind blows when it should blow. Similar changes are brought in the moon and the sun through their eclipse. In short, everything is subject to some change for admonishing those who neglect their duty to their creator. How astonishing indeed that all these things be made subservient to fulfill man’s needs, yet their obedience does not lead man towards his own submission to his creator.