Journey to Happiness

Episode 24
Reflecting on Allahs Creation
A relentlessly grinding material life with advantages and
disadvantages of technology engulfs us and leaves us heedless of
performing a worship that has been deserted by most of people to
end up almost gone. This worship can only be performed by heart
and eyes and we can know Allah1 by it, this worship is the Prophets'
worship, it revitalizes the soul and heart and fills them with serenity,
so much as a deep breath vitalizes your life! The name of this
worship is Reflection on Allah's Creation.. a very beautiful and
tender worship. It serves as a filter that purifies your soul from the
impurities of problems and worries.
Reflecting on the vast great universe dwarfs the problems in your
eyes, it makes you feel Allah's Majesty and honor and see this world
in its real normal size.
There are two types of knowledge of Allah:
1. Knowledge entails recognizing His existence, which is shared
by all people.
2. Knowledge necessitates loving, honoring, fearing and clinging
to Allah, and here where people vary in away only known to
Allah.
According to Hadith2 Ibn Omar, " And they did not appraise Allah
with true appraisal", it was appraisal based on their reflection.
The Prophet (SAWS3) used to say at the end of his prayer of witr: "O
Allah, I seek refuge in Thy good pleasure from Thy anger, and in Thy
forgiveness from Thy punishment, and I seek refuge in Thy mercy
from Thy wrath. I cannot reckon the praise due to Thee. Thou art as
Thou hast praised Thyself."
Knowing God in this way will make you happy.
The value of this worship is derived from the fact that it was the
Prophet's worship before his prophethood as was narrated by Lady
Aisha that " The commencement of the Divine Inspiration to Allah's
Apostle was in the form of good dreams which came true like bright
day light, and then the love of seclusion was bestowed upon him. He
1

The word Allah is the Arabic term for God. Although the use of the word "Allah" is
most often associated with Islam, it is not used exclusively by Muslims; Arab
Christians and Arabic-speaking Jews also use it to refer to the One God. The Arabic
word expresses the unique characteristics of the One God more precisely than the
English term. Whereas the word "Allah" has no plural form in Arabic, the English
form does. Allah is the God worshipped by all Prophets, from Adam to Noah,
Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad.
2

The Prophets actual sayings or actions as narrated by his companions

3

SAWA = Salla Allah alayhe Wa Salam [All Prayers and Peace of Allah be upon him].

used to go in seclusion in the cave of Hira where he used to worship

(Allah alone) continuously for many days before his desire to see his
family. He used to take with him the journey food for the stay and
then come back to (his wife) Khadija to take his food like-wise again
till suddenly the Truth descended upon him while he was in the cave
of Hira" Sahih al-Bukhary.
That was as well what the Prophet Ibrahim (AS4) did until he gained
certitude. " And thus We show Ibrahm (Abraham) the dominion of the heavens
and the earth that he may be of the ones of constant certitude." (TMQ5,6:75)
The companion Um Al-Dardaa asked her husband Abu Al-Dardaa
about the Prophet's best worship and his reply was that it was
reflecting on Allah's creation and taking lessons.
Aamer bin Qays said that he heard more than one companion of the
Prophet (SAWS) saying that good reflecting on Allah's creation is the
light of faith and reflecting for one hour is better than worshiping for
a year.
" Reflecting on Allah's blessings and creation is the best worship,"
said Omar bin Abdul Aziz.
" If you had reflected on Allah's creation, you wouldn't have
disobeyed Allah," said Bishr Al-Hafi.
The Quran invites you to reflect on Allah's creation, "Supremely Blessed
is He in Whose Hand is the Kingdom, and He is Ever-Determiner over everything.
Who created death and life to try you, whichever of you is fairest in deeds; and He is
The Ever-Mighty, The Ever-Forgiving.
Who created seven heavens as strata (i.e., layers, one above the other).In no way can
you see in the creation of The All-Merciful any disparity; so return your gaze;
(Literally: your beholding) do you see any rent?
Thereafter return the gaze, again and again, (Literally: recurring twice) the gaze turns
over to you spurned, and it (becomes) regretfully most weary.
And indeed We have already adorned the lowest heaven with lamps and made them
outcast (meteorites) for Ash-Shayatn (The ever-vicious ones, i.e., the devils) and
We have readied for them the torment of the Blaze." (TMQ, 67: 1-5)
"Will they then not look at the camels, how they have been created, And at the
heaven, how it has been raised up, And at the mountains, how they have been set up,
And at the earth, how it has been encrusted? (i.e., provided with a surface or crust)."
(TMQ, 88: 17-20)
"Surely in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation (Or:
differences) of the night and the day-time, and the ships that run in the sea with
whatever profits mankind, and whatever water Allah sends down from the heaven so therewith He gives life to the earth after its death and disseminates therein all
4

Alayhe as-Salam [All Peace of Allah be upon him].

55

TMQ=Translation of the Meaning of the Qur'an. This translation is for the realized meaning, so far, of
the stated (Surah:Ayah) of the Qur'an. Reading the translated meaning of the Qur'an can never replace
reading it in Arabic, the language in which it was revealed.

kinds of beast - and the (constant) turning about of the winds, and the clouds
subjected between the heaven and the earth, (these) are indeed signs for people who
consider. "(TMQ, 2: 164)
"Say, If the sea were (a constant) supply (Some interpret the word as ink) for the
Words of my Lord, indeed the sea would be depleted before the Words of my Lord
are depleted, (even) if We come with a replenishment the like of it." (TMQ,18: 109)
Let's perform this worship bearing in mind that it has one condition:
Don't lose wonderment!
In order to have this worship yielding happiness and serenity in your
soul, you must let each Quranic verse that reaches your hearing
pass to your heart and mind , you must feel it.
Let's live with thoughts that would bring us closer to Allah the The
Ever-Innovating:
1. To create is to make an unprecedented thing. Human beings
can copy things.. the submarine is an example of incomplete
copying, so is the airplane. The camera is an incomplete copy
of the eye, so is the computer to the memory, only Allah can
create unprecedentedly.
2. Creation without tools. Human beings need tools to produce
things in their factories while Allah creates things without the
need to tools.
3. Creation free of modification. Human beings make things that
later need to be modified, take cars for example, need to be
modified to better models after flaws been found out in the
previous versions, only God created Man with no need to
modification.
4. Infinite creation. Every painter, no matter how creative can be,
would repeat himself in his works, whereas when you look at
people's faces through out history, look at their eyes and
fingerprints, look at Allah's creation, you will see infinite
novelty! let alone Paradise!
5. Unobsoletable creation. Look at fashions and peoples tastes
in the sixties , you find yourself laugh at their styles because
our creation is subjected to obsoleteness and outdatedness,
however, you can't look at a tree or a rose and say that we
wont plant roses anymore, they look unfashionable, and the
reason is that Allahs creation is unobsoletable.
6. Repeating the novelty in creation is a proof of creativity. If a
man created a breathtaking thing, he may not be able to
repeat it while Allah's wonders are repeated every season..the
spring, roses, trees, fruits!
7. Allah creates great things out of small things, He creates Man
from a sperm, a tree from a seed, a bird from an egg.. no need
for big factories and copious equipment that result in
pollution.
8. Allah created the universe in away catered to our needs and
tastes. He created water to quench your thirst, milk to help
the growth of a baby, bird singing to please your ears and

water falls to please your eyes.. We and the created universe

are in harmony and this is confirmation that Allah is The One
and The Only One.
9. Imagine the beauty of colours in your eyes, imagine if the
grass was black or the sky was dark blue or the sea was dark
red! Imagine if the universe was only in black and white
To reflect on Allah's creation is the light of faith. After this episode,
go out and reflect on things ..leave the city once a week , summer
resort is an excellent idea! .. walk with a rosary in your hand, do this
worship once a week.