A Moment of Your Time Please…
Do you remember the good old days, when you were younger-long before you started university? Oh, those were the days, with no worries on your mind, and all the time in the world to do what you pleased. It seems but a distant memory. You would awake with a spring in your step, looking forward to the day ahead, unlike now, when you count the hours till it’s time to sleep so that you can put the day behind you. Everybody remembers playing around with the wildlife, whether it was in your back garden, your local park or even during a field trip with your school. How amazed you were when you held a butterfly on your fingertips, and then watched in awe as it delicately floated away through the air.
Your curiosity led you to watch the spider as it spun its intricate web with such precision and care, only for it to fall apart with one tap of your finger:
“…verily, the frailest (weakest) of houses is the spider’s house…” (al-Ankabut 29:41)
And then there were the plants. How it shook your world when you learnt that they’re living creatures too! You’re probably wondering where I’m going with this…
Well, you probably haven’t had a chance to appreciate the world around you for quite some time now, unless you’re one of those tree huggers (you know who you are); as you’ve grown older you no longer find yourself intrigued by that which surrounds you. Life’s all about getting your degree, getting a good job and earning lots of money so you can finally buy yourself a nice car, and let’s not forget, to make your parents proud, so they have something to tell the relatives.
“Wealth and children are the adornment of the life of this world…” (al-Kahf 18:46)
My point is, that when we appreciate nature and all that resides on this earth, it does make us think about the Creator; the One who created everything to act in perfect harmony with each other, and to make our lives more comfortable.
“He to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and Who has begotten no son (children or offspring) and for Whom there is no partner in the dominion. He has created everything, and has measured it exactly according to its due measurements”. (Al-Furqan 25:2)
Imagine not having the correct balance of gases in the atmosphere, the earth would not be suitable for human life; it’s something that very few of us give thought to. To take a simpler example, see how the night overtakes the day, so that we can rest. Try staying awake for a few days-you’re body will not be able to take the strain. You’re eyes will become red, your concentration level will be decrease and you’ll generally feel very weak. Even your body submits to the will of Allah-and he who submits to Allah is a Muslim, as are the Sun and the Moon. What’s stopping you then?
“He brings the night as a cover over the day, seeking it rapidly, and (He created) the sun, the moon, the stars subjected to His Command. Surely, His is the creation and the commandment. Blessed is Allah, the Lord of the Alamin (mankind, jinn and all that exists)!” (al-A’raf 7:54)
We are told several times in the Quran to travel the earth, so that we can reflect on those who came before us and what has happened to them:
“Say (O Muhammad): ‘Travel in the land and see what was the end of those who rejected truth.’ ” (Al-An’am 6: 11)
Those who once thought themselves to be invincible, priding themselves in their appearance, extravagantly spending their wealth on that which was unnecessary, are now nothing more than dust. Their “reputation” has got them nowhere except for 6 feet below the earth.
Reflecting upon and remembering the beauty and magnificence of nature, not only makes a person acknowledge the All-Mighty Allah, but creates a certain humbleness, reminding us how we are not better than one another because of our status in this world; we all entered the world in the same way, in our mothers’ wombs, and will all become no more than dust particles one day. So the next time you see a bird fly by your window, give it a moment of your time.
By Umm Zakhariya
Leave a Reply