It's unfortunate how we sit up high in tall buildings, drive sleek cars, and eat at expensive diners and comment about the signs of how Man has prospered in arts and sciences. Yet, we take for granted the Signs that are larger than life and that display themselves every second of our lives, by the Will of our Creator, to aware us about His greatness.
Allah (swt), as we acknowledge Him, is the Most Merciful (Ar-Rahman). He has Himself spoken to us about the favors that He's gifted to us and in Chapter 55: Ar-Rahman, He is pointing out the signs that He wants us to see around us so we turn only to Him in our appeal for mercy.
I am a visual adventurist, as I sometimes mention in my prose, and I appreciate the Signs that the sky alone show me. The breaking of dawn, the burning of the sun and its moderation as it begins its descent towards the horizon where is sinks, the colors of twilight as it spreads on the canvas of the sky to welcome the night, the new moon's rising, its growth to become a full beauty, and of course the eclipses.
Allah (swt) speaks of these in Ar-Rahman:
The sun and the moon (run) on fixed courses.) They move in their orbit in perfect succession, according to precise calculation that is never delayed nor disturbed. And the heaven He has raised high, and He has set up the balance. In order that you may not transgress the balance. And observe the weight with equity and do not make the balance deficient.
I am also a NASA fan and that is entirely because of my obsession with the grandeur of the universe that Allah (swt) has stretched above our heads. Ibn Kathir, in his exegesis, quoted various other verses of the Quran in which Allah (swt) has elaborated the Signs of the universe and the changing of the skies.
It's a beauty how each heavenly body, the sun, moon, planets, meteors, asteroids, comets, and etc. are all afloat in an orbit and a gravitational force holds them together according to the weight they carry. What a perfect balance!
[لاَ الشَّمْسُ يَنبَغِى لَهَآ أَن تدْرِكَ القَمَرَ وَلاَ الَّيْلُ سَابِقُ النَّهَارِ وَكُلٌّ فِى فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ ]
It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor does the night outstrip the day. They all float, each in an orbit.)(36:40)
((He is the) Cleaver of the daybreak. He has appointed the night for resting, and the sun and the moon for calculating. Such is the measuring of the Almighty, the All-Knowing.) (6:96)
NASA Earth image of a volcano going off
When you look at the images of the Earth taken from outer space, specially when a space shuttle is zooming past the diverse terrains after breaking into the earth's stratosphere for landing, you can actually tell that the giant mountains have been placed like pegs to keep the land balanced.
(And the earth He has put down (laid) for Al-Ana'm.) Allah raised the heavens and put down, or laid, the earth and balanced it with firm mountains, so that it would be stable for its residents that live on it, i.e. the various types and kinds of creatures, different in species, shape, color and language.
We need a reminder here that why should we be seeking mercy after reviewing the list of such Signs of greatness?
[فَالِقُ الإِصْبَاحِ وَجَعَلَ الَّيْلَ سَكَناً وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ حُسْبَاناً ذَلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ ]
((He is the) Cleaver of the daybreak. He has appointed the night for resting, and the sun and the moon for calculating. Such is the measuring of the Almighty, the All-Knowing.) (6:96)
When you look at the images of the Earth taken from outer space, specially when a space shuttle is zooming past the diverse terrains after breaking into the earth's stratosphere for landing, you can actually tell that the giant mountains have been placed like pegs to keep the land balanced.
[وَالاٌّرْضَ وَضَعَهَا لِلاٌّنَامِ ]
(And the earth He has put down (laid) for Al-Ana'm.) Allah raised the heavens and put down, or laid, the earth and balanced it with firm mountains, so that it would be stable for its residents that live on it, i.e. the various types and kinds of creatures, different in species, shape, color and language.
We need a reminder here that why should we be seeking mercy after reviewing the list of such Signs of greatness?
Whirlpool created by Japan Tsunami 2011
Recall what happens when Allah (swt) disturbs these Signs for us to show us His disappointment. Think what solar and lunar eclipses do to the waves of the oceans and what they do to our lands.Think about what happens when the very mountains that hold the land stable, errupt in massive molten fires that rip the lands apart!
And what happens when the heavenly bodies deviate from their orbits and hit the lands.
Think of what the Creator can do if He wills. You will realize why you wish for mercy in Ramadan!
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