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Reflecting On The Signs Of Allah - By Shaykh Ashraf Salah
Reflecting On The Signs Of Allah
By Shaykh Ashraf Salah
Dear
Muslims:
In the Holy
Qur’an, people are summoned to contemplate numerous events and objects that
clearly testify to the existence and uniqueness of Allah (SWT) and His
attributes. This, indeed, is the responsibility of mankind; to be able to see
the signs of Allah (SWT). Thus, one will come to know the Creator Who created
him and all other things, draw closer to Him and discover the meaning of his
existence and his life.
Allah (SWT) says:
“In the creation
of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of night and day, there are
Signs for people of understanding: those who remember Allah standing, sitting and
lying on their sides, and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth
(saying): "Our Lord, You did not create this for nothing. Glory be to You!
So guard us from the punishment of the Fire.” (Surah Ali-‘Imran: 190-191).
As we see in these
verses, people of understanding see the signs of Allah (SWT) and try to
comprehend His eternal knowledge and power by remembering and reflecting on
them, for Allah’s knowledge is limitless, and His creation flawless.
Dear Muslims:
Allah (SWT) says:
"Does not man recall that We created him before when he was not
anything?" (Surah Maryam: 67).
A person who
appraises his existence with wisdom and common sense will see nothing in
himself but the signs of Allah's creation. He will acknowledge that his
existence depends on the co-operation of thousands of complicated systems, none
of which he creates or controls. He will grasp the fact that "he is
created" and, by knowing the Creator, Allah (SWT), he will try to
understand for what purpose He (SWT) "created" him.
Dear Brothers And Sisters In Islam:
That the
phenomenon of creation takes place just as described in the Holy Qur’an conveys
significant meanings to the men of understanding.
Allah (SWT) says:
“Allah created you from dust and then
from a drop of sperm and then made you into pairs. No female gets pregnant or
gives birth except with His knowledge. And no living thing lives long or has
its life cut short without that being in a Book. That is easy for Allah.”
(Surah Fatir: 11).
It is certain that the sperm in the male
body is not produced by the will and control of man, just as the egg in the
female body is not formed by the will and control of woman. Indeed, they are
not even aware of those occurrences.
In another verse
Allah (SWT) says:
“We created you so
why do you not confirm the truth? Have you thought about the sperm that you
ejaculate? Is it you who create it or
are We the Creator?” (Surat
It is obvious that both the substances,
that coming from the man and that from the woman, are created in accordance
with one another. The creation of these two substances, their union and
transformation into a human being are indeed great miracles.
Dear
Muslims:
In the sixth ayah of Surah Hud, Allah
(SWT) states that He gives the "sustenance" of all living things,
that is, Allah creates all the provisions that provide for their subsistence:
“There is no
creature on the earth which is not dependent upon Allah for its provision. He
knows where it lives and where it dies. They are all in a Clear Book.” (Surah
Hud: 6).
One can easily
recognise how Allah (SWT) "gives sustenance" to all living things
once one looks around oneself conscientiously and with wisdom. All our food and
drink are things that are "made" and "created". The water
we drink, the bread, fruits and vegetables we eat are all the results of a
special creation. Take a fruit, an orange for instance.... This fruit is
originally formed on the branch of a tree, which is, in fact, a mass of wood.
The tree absorbs minerals and water from the soil and combines them with the
energy it obtains from the sun. The result it yields is extremely useful for
the human body, extremely tasty and fragrant when consumed by humans.
How does a tree
bring about such a yield? Why is it so useful to the human body? Why do all
fruits contain essential vitamins appropriate to the seasons in which they
grow? Why are they so tasty and not bitter? Why are they so fragrant and do not
stink?.
Certainly a tree is just a bulk of wood
and it is out of the question for it to produce a fruit on its own and equip it
with features essential for human use.
Dear
Muslims:
Every being, including man, owes its life
to Allah (SWT). He is the One Who gives them life and keeps them alive until a
certain date. It is Allah (SWT) Who feeds them, protects them and, when they
fall ill, restores them to health.
In the Holy
Qur'an, Allah (SWT) refers to those people who accept His existence yet are
still not on the right way:
Say: ‘Who provides for you out of heaven
and earth? Who controls hearing and sight? Who brings forth the living from the
dead and the dead from the living? Who directs the whole affair?’ They will
say, ‘Allah.’ Say, ‘Will you not then be afraid of Allah’s punishment (for
setting up rivals in worship whth Allah)?’ That is Allah, your Lord in truth.
So after the truth, what else can there be, save error? So how then are you
turned away? (Surah Yunus: 31-32).
Dear Muslims:
The type of human
mentioned in the verse is quite important: those people answer all the questions
they are asked about the existence and attributes of Allah (SWT), and accept
that Allah (SWT) creates everything. Yet, still Allah (SWT) warns them "So
will you not have taqwa?" or "So how have you been distracted?".
This shows us that
to accept the being of Allah does not mean having been saved from
"error". Satan does not reject the being of Allah but rebels against
Him. A person may confirm the existence of Allah (SWT) under the influence of
some traditional convictions, without fully grasping its meaning. The human
type described above is like that. Such people confirm Allah’s existence only
verbally, yet do not reflect on this major matter or comprehend the essence of
it. In the Qur’an, this state is described as follows: "They do not estimate
Allah His Rightful Estimate. Allah is All-Strong, All-Mighty." (Surat
On the other hand,
the person who estimate Allah (SWT) His Rightful Estimate is very different
from the above-mentioned type. Such a person perceives that the entire universe
is created for a purpose. The purpose of his creation is to see the fact of
creation and Allah’s signs, which are observable in every corner of the
universe, to revere its Owner, to submit to Him and serve Him. Allah (SWT)
communicates this fact as:
"That is Allah, your Lord. There is
no god but Him, the Creator of everything. So worship Him. He is the Wakil
(Trustee, Disposer of affairs) over all
things." (Surat
May
Allah (SWT) make us from those who listen to the truth and follow it, bless,
guide and forgive us all. (Ameen).
