I once attended a gathering where a gentle sheik was speaking. A women raised her hand and asked, ”In North America there are not many Muslims, should we move back to our home country to raise our children?” The Sheik paused for a moment and replied in a soft, kind voice, “You are not alone here, sister. Look outside; do you see the trees, plants, flowers, and all the nature? They are all souls of Allah SWT. In fact, you are the majority in this land, not the minority.” To this day, his words still penetrate my heart.
For many of us, when we are around nature we feel ease and tranquility. This is not by chance or coincidence. Be certain, this is a blessing from Allah SWT, for we are surrounded by souls of Allah that worship Him unfailingly. Notice the trees that sway in the wind, the birds that chirp at fajr or the sun that sets with the command of Allah. If only our worship could be so consistent.
Through out the life of Prophet Muhammad SAWS, nature has always been a source of contemplation and comfort. As a young boy he would gaze into the horizons and herd his sheep. As a young man, he spent days in the cave, reflecting on Allah SWT’s creations. And in his early stages of prophethood, our beloved Rasool sought serenity and security in the forest after fleeing from the stone pelters of Taif.
Alhamdullilah today we are still blessed with opportunities to contemplate nature and find comfort in it. By connecting to the creation of Allah, we remember Allah SWT. Allah SWT describes the character of a Muslim so beautifully in the Quran by using the parable of a tree.
“ Like that of a goodly tree- it’s roots deeply set, reaching out with it’s branches towards the heavens, giving it’s fruits at all times by the permission of it’s Lord. (Verse 24)
When we look outdoors we see trees and plants of all shapes, sizes and conditions. Our eyes seem to always be drawn to the tallest, most flourishing ones. These ones tend to also have the deepest roots, the strongest trunk and the longest branches. These are the trees I want to be like. We come from the Ummah of Rasoolullah SAW. Now that’s deep. We should want to be individuals that are deeply rooted in our Iman ( faith), Ibadaat ( worship) and our Tawakkul (reliance on Allah SWT at all times and circumstances). We want to stand tall, strong and firm. We don’t want to be swayed by the likings of shaitaan. The branches of our trees should reach far and wide, like far reaching arms that stretch over humanity, serving for the sake of Allah.
We ask Allah SWT to always keep us in the company of strong trees and to let our ummah be amongst the strongest forests in the land. Ameen.
Sharda Mohammed
Sharda Mohammed is a Canadian born mother of two young children. She has a keen interest inlearnig to foster leadership, self esteem and empathy in young children. She works part time as a Physical Therapist.