The Porcupine's Gentle Heart

Tonight's story is called The Porcupine's Gentle Heart. In the quiet pines of Pine Hollow lives a little porcupine named Pip, who is so afraid of being hurt that he puffs up his quills at anyone who comes near — even his friends. When a kind but clumsy little friend named Nibs the field mouse keeps trying to get close, Pip must learn that keeping everyone away doesn't keep him safe, it only keeps him lonely. Slowly, with patience, a wise old owl's advice, and the gentle example of his mother, Pip discovers that Allah اللّٰه made his quills for protection, not for pushing love away, and that a soft, gentle heart can be the strongest part of him. By the end, Pip learns to hold even a tiny pinecone — and a tiny friendship — as gently as he holds his own heart.

The full narration and story experience live inside the Salaam Sleep app.

Your quills aren't meant to push away the ones who love you; Allah gave you your quills as a gift, not as a wall to keep out kindness.

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