Ayaat of God in The Environment
As a result, our soul becomes blind to the ayaat of God that are all around us at every moment of every day and even when we see them – we don’t actually see them, not with our spiritual lens anyway. Hence, we miss out on one of the most fundamental ways of connecting to God – through nature – which is also one of the most potent purifiers of the soul created.
“Verily, in the creation of the heavens and of the earth, and the succession of night and day; … and in the waters which God sends down from the sky; … and in the change of the winds, and the clouds that run their appointed courses between sky and earth: [in all this] there are signs [of Allah’s attributes etc.] indeed for people who use their reason.” [2: 164]
Here’s a read for you to adjust your mindset in such a way that the next time you stop to appreciate your environment, you’ll be reminded of God and His words regarding it in His Book (Holy Quran) and as such, that moment of reflection for you will turn into an act of remembrance and worship that you’ll be rewarded for in the Hereafter.
Ayaat of God:
The word “ayaat” in Arabic basically means signs, miracles, evidences, proofs, reminders etc. that vouch for the existence of God, and Allah uses this word in the Quran to describe the nature around us too many times for us to not sit up and take notice.
The purpose of the creation of the sky, the birds and the clouds, the thunder and the wind and the rain, the sea and the mountains and the trees, the sun, the moon and the stars – every part of nature that surround us, the seasons that shape our lifestyle, the celestial bodies that drive our clocks – every single one of them have the ability to remind us of God’s existence and might and power, if only we take a few moments to still our ever-racing thoughts and reflect.
The Sky:
[And it is He] who has created the seven heavens one above another. You can see no fault in the creation of the Most Merciful. Then look again [to the sky]: “Can you see any rifts?” Then look again and yet again; your sight will return to you in a state of humiliation and worn out. [67:3-4]
What do you think of when you look at the sky? Do you marvel at its blueness? Do you ever think about the fact it looks as if it’s a ceiling on earth, but anyone with the basic knowledge of astrophysics can tell that the Earth is continuous with the rest of the galaxy and there is no tangible partition separating them. But then – look closely. You won’t see any cracks or be able to peak into outer space through this “ceiling”. The creation is perfect, because the Creator is Perfect – Blessed is He in Whose Hand is dominion, and He is able to do all things. [67:1]
The Moon:
“Blessed is He who has placed in the sky great stars and placed therein a [burning] lamp and luminous moon.” [25:61]
The Wind, Clouds and Rain:
“And it is He who sends the winds as glad tidings before His mercy (i.e. rain) until, when they have carried heavy rainclouds, We drive them to a dead land and We send down rain therein and bring forth thereby [some] of all the fruits. Thus will We bring forth the dead; perhaps you may be reminded.” [7:57]
“Do you not see that Allah drives clouds? Then He brings them together, then He makes them into a mass, and you see the rain emerge from within it…” [24:43]
Do you ever think about how powerful they are? This thing that we enjoy blowing at our face and hair is also the thing that holds up the clouds – the “tufts of cotton look-alike” in the sky that weigh hundreds of thousands of kilo-tons. How awesome is that?
Sometimes they look soft, like something straight out of a fairytale, sometimes they are dark grey and angry, conveying the news of an impending storm. This amazing creation of Allah that our eyes marvel at every time we see them, look at how Allah describes it being formed and giving rise to rain 1400 years ago – the facts that science has only discovered just a few decades ago! If that’s not an evidence of Qur’an being God’s Word, I don’t know what is.
The Rain:
Do you ever feel like you’re dead on the inside? Like you have lost the fight inside you and are just going through the motions, feeling too weak to break out of the shackles of this world. Ponder on this: “[It is He] Who sends down rain from the sky in measured amounts, and We revive thereby a dead land…” [43:11].
The Birds:
“Do they not see the birds above them with wings outspread and [sometimes] folded in? None holds them [aloft] except the Most Merciful. Indeed He is, of all things, Seeing.” [67:19]
The Trees:
“Have you not considered how Allah presents an example, [making] a good word like a good tree, whose root is firmly fixed and its branches [high] in the sky? It produces its fruit all the time, by permission of its Lord. And Allah presents examples for the people that perhaps they will be reminded.” [14:24-25]
“And the example of a bad word is like a bad tree, uprooted from the surface of the earth, not having any stability. Allah keeps firm those who believe, with the firm word [i.e. the Qur’an], in worldly life and in the Hereafter. And Allah sends astray the wrongdoers. And Allah does what He wills.” [14:26-27]
The Mountains:
“If We had sent down this Qur’an upon a mountain, you would have seen it humbled and coming apart from fear of Allah. And these examples We present to the people that perhaps they will give thought.” [59:21]
Water:
Say, “Have you considered: if your water was to become sunken [into the earth], then who could bring you flowing water?” [67:30]
In this time when so many people on Earth are not blessed with clean water, let us actively be grateful for it as God promises, “if you are grateful, I will increase you [in favor]” [14:7]
Action Point: Glorify the One Who Created…
This is a mental exercise of sorts: whenever you look at a particular thing in nature, or hear of or experience a natural disaster, think about the one verse or sentence regarding it that will remind you of God – it may be an analogy God used in His Book, or a hadith from our Messenger (PBUH) or a pearl of wisdom from a scholar. And as we see and remember God in our hearts through His Creations, let’s not forget to fulfil another purpose of our existence: Glorifying Allah.
“The seven heavens and the earth and everything that is in them exalt Him. And there is not a thing except that it exalts [Allah] by His praise, but you do not understand their [way of] exalting. Indeed, He is ever Forbearing and Forgiving.” [17:44]
Source: Quranacademy
