Ever seen a suckerfish?

I saw a video where three of them lay motionless, clinging to a rock in the desert of silence. They seemed lifeless, abandoned.

Then, someone poured a splash of water over it. The fish stirred, wriggled, and returned to life, as if they had never been dead.

It reminded me of the resurrection of the dead — how something that seems utterly still, barren, and lifeless can awaken in a moment, with just a touch of mercy.

Isn’t it a living sign — an answer to the question of how Allah will resurrect us when we are long dead? 
Isn’t it also a sign that everything around us is a Sign, if only we choose to look?

Our hearts sometimes hibernate like that fish. Often exhausted by struggle, waiting, and the weight of the world; we feel dry, frozen, as if life has passed us by. 
Yet Allah’s mercy, like that splash, comes quietly, unexpectedly, stirring movement we thought was impossible.

when the world seems still, when our efforts feel fruitless, a single kind word, a realisation, or a gentle dua can be the splash through which Allah awakens the heart.

May our hearts stay awake even when life seems like a dry desert night.
And may our hearts acknowledge the splashes of mercy, before death so that the Day of Resurrection becomes the day we are actually happily alive.

Amin.
Ya Rabb bestow us with Your endless Mercy, Amin.

If you observe the principle elements of nature, everything in it seems to have two common qualities. 
One is, if controlled and given to us in the perfect measured doses, it is beneficial to us, so much so that life without it is impossible. 
And the other is if let go and left wild and untamed they can destroy us violently.

The earth itself, where we live, can destroy us with earthquakes or volcanoes.
The sun, which gives us daylight, energy, but if too close can burn us.
Water, the main element of life, can destroy cities with floods and tsunamis. 
Winds can offer pleasant breezes, enable pollination and much more, but can destroy us with hurricanes and tornadoes. 
Fire can provide warmth, light and let us cook, but can burn us too. 
The same tree that provides cooling shade, can fall on us and kill us. 
Mountains can provide breathtaking views, but can destroy us with avalanches.
Even the changes in climates:
Summer is seen as a blessing in some countries, like Canada because of how mild and pleasant it is compared to long and harsh winters. 
And winter is long awaited and considered a blessing in other countries of the desert, that have endured long and harsh summers. 

My point here is, there is an ayah in all elements of nature. Allah tells us to observe and reflect on nature, and anyone with intellect will see how it is like a wild beast that has been subdued and humbled for us by Allah. 
So that perhaps we may be grateful.
And so that perhaps we may learn to humble and tame down the storms and urges within our own physical self, and our nafs. We are also after all, made from this same earth.

حض على النظر في خلقتها لما فيها من العجائب: في قوتها وانقيادها مع ذلك لكل ضعيف، وصبرها على العطش، وكثرة المنافع التي فيها من الركوب والحمل عليها، وأكل لحومها وشرب ألبانها وأبوالها وغير ذلك. ابن جزي: 2/566.
السؤال: اذكر بعض العجائب في خلق الإبل.

* يمكنك وضع إجابتك عن الأسئلة في التعليقات حتى تعمّ الفائدة

* للمزيد عن هذه الآية في مصحف تدبر وعمل: https://altadabbur.com/#aya=88_17

#وقفة_تدبرية

بسم اللّٰہ الرحمٰن الرحیم

'Do they not ever reflect on camels—how they were ˹masterfully˺ created'
I stopped here and tried to think for a while the reason for mentioning 'camels' in this Surah.  Allah SWT wants us to reflect on the creation of camels and that too, before reflecting on the creation of sky and mountains! 
Camels were a part of Arabs' daily life. They were used to see them in their routine. So for me it meant to see the miraculous aspect of everything that we are used to see. Sometimes, we don't recognize the 'signs' of Allah because we are living them as our routine. They become mundane for us because of our 'automatic interaction' with them. Our autopilot mode, sometimes, keeps us from appreciating Allah's creation and we lose the opportunity to glorify Him and practice gratitude. 
This Ayah teaches me to break the regular pattern of thought about life and things that I am familiar with, to take a moment and think a little deeper about the blessings that I have but I was unable to notice before. 

P.S and to make it a habit, I should start from what is near me! 
#AnimalsInTheQuran

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Especially Merciful,

What has caused me to pause and reflect and reflect and reflect again in this Surah are a few verses. I will start with these ones 17-23. Glory be to Allah Lord of the worlds.

We are told to reflect upon Allah’s Creation.  

But this world now contains so many distractions, that we have ignored the truly mesmerising, the truly awe inspiring and we are confined to a juxtaposition of a slumber in a fast paced digital world. What is significant is paid little attention to, and what is insignificant we are busy in. 

Take some moments alone with just you and Your Lord and do not bother much apart from reflecting upon His signs and how little  we are in His universe. This is what your soul needs to go back to Allah and recognise Him. 

Then in ayats 20- 21 our Prophet peace and blessings be upon him was asked to 'continue to remind them O prophet, for your duty is only to remind  and You are not there to compel them to believe.'

We cannot force anyone to believe, a person must come to Allah reflecting upon His signs. Guidance can only come from Allah, do we make that effort to come to Allah?

Then, I cannot help reflect upon the life of the messenger of Allah peace and blessings be upon him and I reflect upon how the people came to Islam? Both through his character and his beautiful conduct. We too cannot compel others towards Islam. For Islam is something that should settle in a person’s heart and kindness, upright and honest character are the best way to remind others  of what Islam truly is. So if you are wanting a family member, a friend or even an enemy then work on following the messenger of Allah peace and blessings be upon him.

Action to take: 

(1) Go outside and have some alone time from the world, focus upon  nature and be in awe of Allah especially if you feel distant, overwhelmed, confused and lost as well in all sorts of conditions; and 

(2) Be a good example and invite others to Islam by emulating the character of the Messenger of Allah peace and blessings be upon him.

بسم اللہ الرحمٰن الرحیم

'کیا وہ کبھی اونٹوں پر غور نہیں کرتے کہ انہیں کس طرح تخلیق کیا گیا‘‘

میں نے یہیں رک کر کچھ دیر اس سورۃ میں اونٹوں کے ذکر کی وجہ کے بارے میں سوچنے کی کوشش کی۔ اللہ تعالیٰ چاہتا ہے کہ ہم اونٹوں کی تخلیق پر غور کریں اور وہ بھی آسمان اور پہاڑوں کی تخلیق پر غور کرنے سے پہلے!۔ 

اونٹ عربوں کی روزمرہ کی زندگی کا حصہ تھے۔ وہ انہیں اپنے معمولات میں دیکھنے کے عادی تھے۔ تو میرے نزدیک اس کا مطلب ہر اس چیز کے معجزاتی پہلو کو دیکھنا ہے جسے ہم دیکھنے کے عادی ہیں۔ بعض اوقات ہم اللہ کی نشانیوں کو نہیں پہچان پاتے کیونکہ ان کو ہم اپنی زندگیوں کا معمول بنا کر گزارتے ہیں۔ ہم ان نشانیوں کا بار بار تجربہ کرنے کی وجہ سے ان کے متعلق ایک عمومی رویہ قائم کر لیتے ہیں۔ پھر وہ نہایت خاص نشانیاں ہمیں عام سی لگنے لگتی ہیں اور ہم اپنے اسی عمومی انداز کے تحت ان کو دیکھنے کے عادی ہو جاتے ہیں، جو وقت کے ساتھ ساتھ، ہمارا ان نشانیوں کو دیکھنے کا اک خودکار طریقہ بن جاتا ہے۔ ہمارا آٹو پائلٹ موڈ، بعض اوقات، ہمیں اللہ کی تخلیق کی تعریف کرنے سے روکتا ہے اور ہم اس کی تسبیح کرنے اور شکر گزاری کرنے کا موقع کھو دیتے ہیں۔
یہ آیت مجھے سکھاتی ہے کہ زندگی اور ان چیزوں جن سے میں واقف ہوں، ان کے بارے میں جب سوچنے کا انداز عام اور عادتاً بن گیا ہو تو اسکو بدل دینا چاہیے اور ایک لمحہ نکال کر ان نعمتوں کے بارے میں تھوڑا گہرائی میں  سوچنا چاہیے جو میرے پاس موجود ہیں لیکن میں اس سے پہلے انکی اہمیت کو محسوس کرنے سے قاصر تھی۔  
مزید یہ کہ اس عادت کو بنانے کے لیے، مجھے ان چیزوں سے شروع کرنا چاہیے جو میرے قریب ہیں!۔

ترجمہ: حدیل طارق 
Hadeel_Tariq

Link to original post: 
https://quranreflect.com/posts/10791 