02/09/2026
“Wahnan ‘ala Wahn” — Hardship Upon Hardship
Allah ﷻ says:
وَوَصَّيْنَا الْإِنسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ ۖ حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُ وَهْنًا عَلَىٰ وَهْنٍ وَفِصَالُهُ فِي عَامَيْنِ
“And We have commanded people to be good to their parents. His mother carried him, weakness upon weakness, and his weaning is in two years…”
— Qur’an 31:14
There is something deeply moving about the words Allah chose.
وَهْنًا عَلَىٰ وَهْنٍ — wahnan ‘ala wahn.
Weakness upon weakness.
The word wahn carries the meaning of weakness, fragility, loss of strength and diminished energy.
And Allah does not simply mention wahn.
He describes it as:
weakness upon weakness.
Layer upon layer.
The physical exhaustion.
The changing body.
The discomfort.
The sleepless nights.
The emotional weight.
The constant demands.
Pregnancy.
Childbirth.
Breastfeeding.
The years of giving from a body that is already tired.
And Allah acknowledges it.
He does not tell a mother, “It isn’t difficult.”
He does not minimise her exhaustion.
He does not say, “Everyone does it, so don’t complain.”
He tells us that a mother carried her child through “weakness upon weakness.”
And perhaps there is comfort in knowing that the One who created you sees every part of what you are carrying.
Every sleepless night.
Every tear wiped away in silence.
Every meal eaten cold.
Every time you put your child’s needs before your own.
Every moment you felt like you had nothing left to give — and somehow gave a little more.
Allah knows.
Your exhaustion is not invisible to Him.
Your sacrifice is not insignificant to Him.
Your tears are not wasted.
Your patience is not forgotten.
And your reward does not depend on whether anyone else understands what you are going through.
People may say:
“But all mothers go through it.”
“You chose motherhood.”
“At least you have healthy children.”
And yes — motherhood is an immense blessing.
But a blessing can still be difficult.
Gratitude and exhaustion can exist in the same heart.
You can love your children beyond words and still admit that you are tired.
You can be grateful for motherhood and still find parts of it incredibly hard.
And you do not need to pretend otherwise for your hardship to be valid.
Because your Rabb already knows.
Ya’qub عليه السلام said:
إِنَّمَا أَشْكُو بَثِّي وَحُزْنِي إِلَى اللَّهِ
“I only complain of my suffering and my grief to Allah.”
— Qur’an 12:86
So take your exhaustion to Allah.
Cry to Him.
Speak to Him.
Ask Him for strength when you have none left.
Ask Him to put barakah in your time, patience in your heart, strength in your body, and mercy in your home.
And remember that hardship is not forever.
One day, by the mercy of Allah, this season will end.
The nights you thought would never pass will become memories.
The little hands that once kept you awake will grow.
The children who needed you for everything will eventually walk on their own.
And you will look back and realise just how much Allah carried you through.
And then comes Jannah.
A place where there is no exhaustion.
No sleepless nights.
No physical pain.
No waiting.
No weakness.
No tears.
No “I can’t do this anymore.”
Only peace.
Only joy.
Only ease.
And perhaps then you will realise that not a single moment of your struggle was wasted.
So if you are currently living through your own “wahnan ‘ala wahn” season, know this:
You are not unseen.
You are not alone.
You are not weak for finding it hard.
And your Lord has not forgotten you.
The world may never fully understand what motherhood has cost you.
But Allah does.
He saw every sacrifice.
He heard every whispered dua.
He counted every tear.
And He knows exactly how much you have carried.
So keep going, dear mother.
Not because it is easy.
But because Allah sees you.
And what is done sincerely for Allah is never lost.
May Allah reward every mother for the hardship she carries, give her strength when she is exhausted, comfort her when she feels alone, place immense barakah in her children, and reunite her with them in a Jannah where there is no more “wahnan ‘ala wahn” — only ease upon ease, joy upon joy, and light upon light. Ameen. 🤍
Ctto.
