Assalamu-alaykum wa-rahmatullahi wa-barakaatuh
Dear brothers and sisters,
I pray Allah swt is showering His Love and Mercy over you all. Ameen. I pray that you will all forgive me for my long blogging absence. I’ve been preoccupied with many things until now, and have hardly had time to pen to paper – unless it’s to write student reports or mark exam papers! Alhamdulillah.
Despite this, I suddenly have an urge to write again and Alhamdulillah – all praises are due to our Rabb swt – I’ve decided to start sharing with you a short rambling series based on some of my toppling thoughts. I’m going to call them
'I was just thinking….'It’s interesting. I was having a conversation with a sister and she was describing the qualities she would like in a husband, one of them being someone who is a deep thinker. At first, I misunderstood her, thinking she spoke of one who thinks about conversations and ideas, mulling them over in his head until he literally drives himself to breaking point – hardly an attractive feature in any human being!
But Alhamdulillah, with her eloquence she explained to me what she had really meant. She read to me the ayah of the Qur’an where Allah swt says…
(This is) a Scripture that We have revealed unto thee, full of blessing, that they may ponder its revelations, and that men of understanding may reflect.
(Surah Saad, Ayah 29)
Subhan’Allah! As soon as I heard this ayah her meaning became clear. Truly, to attain deep thinking is not to mull over silly conversations that have passed between two or more human beings. But instead, it is to remember that we have to ponder over the signs and creation of Allah swt. By being placed around human beings who interact and cause waves of emotions to rise within us, it is hardly surprising that we often forget the more important aspects of life. Those that do sit back and ponder on the creation of Allah swt are fortunate indeed, not only in that they are remembering Allah swt at all times, but also because they have been described as ‘men of understanding’.
I came across another ayah where Allah swt reminds us of His Divine control, His Immense Power…
Verily! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding.
(Surah Al-‘Imran, Ayah 190)
Isn’t it amazing that as human beings we are so caught up in this rat-race of life, so devoured by our ambitions and goals, that we fail to recognise simple happenings that we take for granted on a daily basis. For instance, have we ever pondered what would happen if there were no nightfall tonight? Or the sun didn’t rise at all tomorrow? What would become of human kind with this simple ‘blip’ in nature? What if the plants stopped transpiring and hence stopped growing? What if our hearts stopped pumping and the blood round our body stopped being circulated? How would we react to simple but crucial changes in our lives? Do we ever ponder that everything works in perfect equilibrium only because of the Complete Control of our Rabb swt?
I’m amazed at my own lack of insight when it comes to such beautiful and truly miraculous signs of nature. Subhan’Allah! Then it makes perfect sense – as do all of Allah’s words – that true believers are those who ‘…think deeply in the Qur'an…’ (Surah Muhammed, Ayah 24), and if they do not, then truly as Allah questions ‘are their hearts locked up (from understanding it)?’ What a miserable state for a soul to be in. When clear guidance has been sent down to him, and he does not take heed simply because of his own preoccupation with the temporary life of this world. How sad that being a creation of Allah swt himself, he cannot even ponder on his own being and the wonders of nature that not only surround him, but upon which he so heavily depends.
See you not, that Allah sends down water (rain) from the sky, and causes it to penetrate the earth, (and then makes it to spring up) as water-springs and afterward thereby produces crops of different colours, and afterward they wither and you see them turn yellow, then He makes them dry and broken pieces. Verily, in this, is a Reminder for men of understanding.
(Surah Az-Zumar, Ayah 21)
Allah swt has given us the Qur’an as a reminder so that we ponder and understand it’s meaning, so that we can remember that death is behind us at all times, waiting to return us to our Rabb swt. Hence, without contemplation, and sincere reflection on our lives and the signs of Allah swt, we cannot truly gain a love of Allah swt and nearness to Him that will benefit us in both worlds. Those who strive to please Allah swt and take Him to be the One they truly love, will follow without question, any advice that He gives. I pray that Allah swt, enables us all to ponder on His creation and take lessons for our lives, to understand the worlds that He has created and hence to work towards His pleasure and the aakhira. Ameen.
Those who remember Allah (always, and in prayers) standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and think deeply about the creation of the heavens and the earth, (saying): "Our Lord! You have not created (all) this without purpose, glory to You! (Exalted be You above all that they associate with You as partners). Give us salvation from the torment of the Fire.
(Surah Al-‘Imraan, Ayah 191)
© August 2008 Quratul Ayn
