Profound Sign  from Sun & Moon.

To see sun and moon at the same time is not something new. It happens in the early hours of day when the sun starts rising. The same moon which was ruling the night with its majestic beauty looks fade and feeble,not mesmerizing anymore.

What is the sign in it?

As I begin to think why Allah says there's sign in them.
NAK's brief explanation of  surah Shams helped me understand better.
In surah Shams Allah swears by sun and moon,day and night and then swears by the human self and how it has been instilled with the ability to sense right and wrong.

It's interconnected  to the concept of  using 'dramas' and 'movies'  to  promote islam today.

 I am not against the use of media (the concept of illustrating the ayahs are very cool! small videos that really keep you intact ,short reminders and all that)

Let's take the example of  Ertugrul- the  Turkish drama very much praised by many muslims and non muslims for the fact how it portrayed the bravery , manners and some islamic concept)

Getting back to Surah Shams
 وشمس وضہھا
' By the sun and its light with which it  illuminates the world.'

Here Allah is talking about the sun ,moon ,day andnight and then He swears by himself and by the Nafs,saying He inspired the Nafs with the علم of right and wrong.

There must be a relatiom.
The guidance of Allah i.e  Quran is metaphorically called the sun. It has come down to illuminate  the world. As Quran Says itself that its  ھدی الناس 
 Guidance for the people.
والقمر  اذا تلہا
And by the moon when it follows it.
Moon is dependent at Sun to appear as majestic beauty. But the moon is somehow dodging the poets and lovers.
Its a piece of rock ,illuminated by the sun.
Why the general inclination of  emotions is towards the moon and not the sun? The  idea of life without sun.

Because sun is an indication  for collecting yourself for a long day and Quran is an alarm to wake up and work for the hereafter.
 
The moon though it gets the light from sun ,still can't provide that  which Allah has commanded  the sun to.
Similarly,
The dramas and movies labelled as an approach to 'promote islam' can never serve the real purpose.
In fact, they are wastage of time
I cant make my Iman grow high by watching such dramas. 


The Islam presented in these dramas is equal to the light of moon. While the sun illuminates even darkest of the rooms ,the full moon cant even reach the corners.
That's the difference.

Someone who develops an approach to understand islam through movies and dramas is actually conveying,
'Why cant moonlight make the plants  grow? Doesnt it gets  the light from  sun?'


Reflecting on The quran, sitting with the people of  Quran and practicing it is what gives life to heart.

May Allah make us اہل القرآن
May Quran becomes a witness  for us at
یوم القیامة

#reflections

Ameen. JazakAllah Khair sis for sharing this amazing reflection.

So previously, I shared some facts on the therapeutic effects of spending time being near trees and plants. And then, in my last reflection, I discussed the effects of 'earthing' or 'grounding' ourselves and the science behind it.


But, there is another very accessible and a powerful natural medicine which I should mention alongside all the above, which is, the sun.


You might already know that sunlight is a good source of vitamin D. As one study notes:


'The limited availability of vitamin D from dietary sources ensures that in humans, 80% of their vitamin D requirements need to be met through exposure to Ultraviolet B (UVB) light.'


Besides vitamin D, however, Allah has placed a lot of other benefits in the sun for us which you may have never heard of before.


One benefit of sun exposure is that it helps to flush out some of the toxins and viruses from the body (because the sun's radiation has anti-bacterial properties), which then results in lowered inflammation and strengthened immune system, which is good for the overall body as well.


Another benefit is that when the sunlight hits your skin, it leads to a chain of chemical reactions, and one of them is that it increases the levels of serotonin in your body, which is a mood-enhancing hormone. That explains why people (including myself) start to feel a slight positive change in their mood and energy level after a short walk under the sun.


Obviously, too much sun exposure is not a good thing either - so, it needs to be something moderate. The trick is to combine shade and sunlight in the right amount. And even once you go into the shade, the chemical reactions of getting the sunlight through the skin continues to take place for at least the next several hours.


Recent findings have also shown that sunlight exposure increases the diversity of good bacteria inside your gut (along with improving gut motility), and it's similar to the way that yogurt, fiber, or fermented foods improve the health of your gut microbiome.


So, once again, I don't think we can even imagine how much the favors of Allah are abounding for us in this tiny planet and in the heavens as well. That is why Allah tells us to learn, see, and contemplate on His creation. And so Allah says:


'Have you not seen that Allah has subjected to you whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the Earth and has abundantly showered you with His favors, both seen and unseen?' (31:20).


And therefore, the reason that I am sharing these facts and research is not just for you to know these things, but more importantly, to remember the One who created all of this and be filled with more gratitude and awe towards Him.



Sources:

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2019.02410/full 

https://www.nutritioninsight.com/news/skin-gut-axis-sun-exposure-influences-gut-bacteria-by-boosting-vitamin-d-production.html 

https://youtu.be/uYP-VTctWq4?si=SL2J9GEwTJOP7pYj 


#NaturesMedicine
#Sunlight

Allah, exalted is He, in all his might,  does not need to make an oath, but when he does we better pay full attention and heed what follows...

In this short surah, a record number of oaths are made, as Allah swears by 11 signs:
1. The sun 2. it's brightness 3. the moon 4. the day 5. the night 6. the heavens/skies 7. the One Who built it 8. the earth 9. the One Who spread it 10. the soul 11. The one who fashioned it...

Is there a bigger Oath from a Greater Lord?

Allah then proclaims that 'Successful indeed is the one who purifies their soul and doomed is the one who corrupts it!'

So is there a bigger matter than purifying our own souls?

These ayahs help this weak soul orient itself, especially at the doorsteps of Ramadan, and I hope it does the same for you as well. 

May Allah, exalted is He, grant us sincerity, followed by seriousness, followed by steadfastness, that is followed by success.

(Loved running into similar reflections about these beautiful ayahs - Jazakum Allah Khair)

What can i say about these infinitely beautiful ayat?
Allah, the most High, the Owner of everything that exists, the Truthful and Wise, Him! He is taking so many oaths! 
Look at the One who is making these oaths, and look at the majesty of the things He is taking an oath by!

By the brilliant sun, when it is at its zenith, by the moon as it follows it, with its phases. 
By the daytime, as it highlights the sun, and the night time, which completely covers up the sun...
Of the multiple ways to interpret these oaths one is this:
The sun signifies everything good from the ayat of Allah, the brilliant light of the message of Quran given to us by the Messenger saw. 
The moon is us, we follow the sun, our light is not our own, it is a reflection, it is not constant, it has phases, sometimes the bright full moon, sometimes a barely there light. 
We have our good and bad times. Sometimes we are like the day, and we display the sunlight at its best, and sometimes we are like the night, our nafs and sins consume us and cover the light. But even at our worst darkest times, the feeble light of the scarcest new moon is there, a barely there conscience. 

And then Allah swears by the sky, and what can I say about its vastness and majesty! And the earth and how Allah tamed it, flattened it for us to live. 
We are made of a physical body and a spiritual rooh, and a nafs which is a driver between the two. Both need feeding, otherwise both will die. 
The nourishment of the body comes from the earth and the nourishment of the soul comes from above. 
Then Allah swears by the nafs, and how He balanced it! 
Oh human being! If you are overwhelmed by your sins, and losing hope, look again at the sun, moon, day, night, earth and sky, look at their rhythm, balance! Cannot He who balances them daily without fail, balance your own self? 
He has given the nafs the ability of bursting into impulses and sin, as well as the ability to stop ourselves out of awareness and fear of Allah. We each of us have in us, the potential, of fujoor and taqwa. 
He (azz wa jall) swears by these magnificent creations, and what is he testifying to? What is he swearing about? 
'No doubt, certainly, successful is he who purifies, grows it.'
'And no doubt, a failure is the one who corrupts it.'
These are the jawab al qasm, this is the main message and lesson to learn!

Success is this, and nothing else! Allah says the Truth and no one but Him knows best what success is. 
Success is not in that job, career, marriage , children, house, clothes, no worldly success. Success is not in pleasing anyone. 
This is success. The one who is working on themselves, on purifying the nafs of its weaknesses and trying to incorporate the good in us. 
At least be in the process of Tazkiya. Be your own doctor, diagnose the diseases of your spiritual heart, using the Quran as a guide. Work on healing the heart from them. Incorporate the good qualities in yourself. Strive in this cause. Die trying. This is success.

Beautiful reflection ma Sha Allah. Jazak Allah Khair for sharing! 