By Raya Shokatfard
Who Created Such Bountiful World?
God created heavens and the earth and all that is between them.
God is merciful because he decided to create us and also was kind enough to create a place for us to live…
He created the correct proportion of atmospheric gases needed for people to breathe and stay alive. He filled the world with unlimited varieties of vegetables, fruits, grain cereals, and plants. He made eating a means for existence and made it an enjoyable experience. He created animals to serve humans in various forms.
He favored us with rain which causes the vegetation to grow and give beauty to the land as well as water for drink and survival.
{He sends down water from the sky, from which We bring forth growth of every kind, and from that We bring forth the green shoots. From them We bring forth close-packed seeds, and from the spathes of the date palm date clusters hanging down, and gardens of grapes and olives and pomegranates, both similar and dissimilar. Look at their fruits as they bear fruit and ripen. There are signs in that for people who believe.} (Al-An‘am 6: 99)
He inspired each living thing the awareness of all it needs to know to exist, multiply and survive. Some He gave magnificent beauty, and some He gave power over other creatures.
One cannot number God’s creations, some of which we know and some we don’t. Even people using the most advanced technology available still cannot reproduce any of God’s creations.
Just reflecting on what we eat, one would be awed at the power and mercy of God.
{We built seven firm layers above you. We installed a blazing lamp. We sent down cascading water from the clouds so that by it We might bring forth grains, plants, and luxuriant gardens.} (An-Naba’ 78: 12-6)
Can a person be heedless of all that God has created for his enjoyment on this earth?
{And also the things of varying colors He has created for you in the earth. There is certainly a sign in that for people who pay heed.} (An-Nahl 16: 13)
God is repeatedly invoking His creation to reflect on the blessings He has bestowed on them. Why?
A conscious person tunes into God’s creation, even as small as herbs to see his favors.
{And [in it are] grains on leafy stems and fragrant herbs. So which of your Lord’s blessings do you both then deny?} (Ar-Rahman 55: 12-3)
It is extremely important to notice that God is repeatedly invoking His creation to reflect on the blessings He has bestowed on them.
Why?
Unless one sees his power and blessings, he may fall into oblivion about his Lord and cast doubts about Him.
{He created humanity from a drop of sperm, and yet it is an open challenger!
And He created livestock. There is warmth and various uses for you in them, and some you eat.
There is beauty in them for you in the evening when you bring them home, and in the morning when you drive them out to graze.
They carry your loads to lands you would never reach except with great difficulty. Your Lord is All-Gentle, Most Merciful.
And horses, mules, and donkeys both to ride and for adornment. And He creates other things you do not know.
The way should lead to Allah, but there are those who deviate from it. If He had willed, He could have guided every one of you.
He sends down water from the sky. From it you drink, and from it come the shrubs among which you graze your herds.
And by it He makes crops grow for you, as well as olives, dates, grapes, and fruit of every kind. There is certainly a sign in that for people who reflect.
He has made night and day subservient to you, and the Sun and the Moon and stars, all subject to His command. There are certainly signs in that for people who use their intellect.
And also the things of varying colors He has created for you in the earth. There is certainly a sign in that for people who pay heed.
He made the sea subservient to you so that you can eat fresh flesh from it and bring out from it ornaments to wear. You see the ships sailing through it so that you can seek His bounty, and so that, hopefully, you will show thanks.
He cast firmly embedded mountains on the Earth so it would not move under you, and rivers and pathways so that, hopefully, you would be guided.} (An-Nahl: 4-15)
Please stop and re-read the above.
The Lord of the universe is speaking to you, He is the most gracious, the most beneficent!
Such are only small examples of God’s blessings. If you were to truly contemplate on the above, it might take years and you will never come to an end.
{If you tried to number God’s blessings, you could never count them. Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful} (An-Nahl 16: 18)
These are enough for a person to understand how much God bestowed on us His infinite benevolence, compassion, and mercy. God endowed us with life, ensured our livelihood, and created every creature for our use or pleasure. For this reason, we must continually be thankful and feel a great love for Him as He has shown us how much He cares.
{O people. Remember Allah’s blessing to you. Is there any creator other than Allah providing for you from heaven and earth?} (Fatir 35: 3)
God wishes for us to reflect on our beginning so we won’t exult ourselves thinking that we are the masters of our destiny.
It is interesting to note that those heedless of God’s blessings may only remember him in hardship.
{Any blessing you have is from Allah. Then when harm touches you, you cry to Him for help.} (An-Nahl 16: 53)
Just to reflect on the night and the day, one is awed by its magnitude:
{He splits the sky at dawn, and appoints the night as a time of stillness, and the Sun and the moon as a means of reckoning. That is what the Almighty, the All-Knowing, has ordained.} (Al-An‘am 6: 96)
Again look at the stars, land and the sea:
{He has appointed the stars for you so that you might be guided by them in the darkness of the land and the sea. We have made the Signs clear for people who have knowledge.} (Al-An‘am 6: 97)
Creation of Humans from Nothing
God wishes for us to reflect on our beginning so we won’t exult ourselves thinking that we are the masters of our destiny and our success and all that we have is due to our own great efforts only.
{Does not man then remember that We created him before, when he was nothing} (Maryam 19: 67)
Let us reflect on the creation of humans from the womb. From a drop of a man’s sperm entering a female’s egg, a life is created. The process that would allow the growth of this being and its protection is a universe by itself. Yet we only see a baby born without consideration of what it went through to make it to this stage and who was responsible for such complex creation!
Even as we grow up, our body is protected through a faultless system created by God. If part of a system fails, others may follow. For example the heart beats without stopping. Do we ever reflect on just this organ alone? One cannot comprehend the vastness of care given to ensure each and every organ functions properly from birth. Of course through abuse, carelessness, or other elements, humans interfere with proper function of various organs and bring ill-health upon themselves.
Yet a person may be heedless of the vast operations that go on within his own body with a non-stop speed, like respiratory, digestive, immune, nervous, and so on.
A person is dependent upon God for everything, as God reveals:
{O humanity. You are the poor in need of Allah, whereas Allah is the Rich Beyond Need, the Praiseworthy.} (Fatir 35: 15)
Unless we reflect on God’s vast grandeur, we may fall prey into our own doubts and Satan’s whispers. Would we not realize that:
{He is Allah—the Creator, the Maker, and the Giver of Form. To Him belong the Most Beautiful Names. Everything in the heavens and Earth glorifies Him. He is the Almighty, the All-Wise.} (Al-Hashr 59: 24)
When you wake up in the morning do you ever stop to think about the one who put soul in your body? Without it you would not live one second.
Also, He made possible for you to breathe with ease, see colorful things, hear the world around you and smell with ease and pleasure and eat what you desire.
You don’t distribute nutrients to various organs of your body or make your blood flow to carry them for you or fight with the viruses. Your body functions like a perfect universe designed by a perfect Creator. If He did not care for you He would not bestow upon you so many favors. Just in our creation God is asking you:
{O humanity. What has deluded you in respect of your Noble Lord? He Who created you, formed you, proportioned you, and assembled you in whatever way He willed?} (Al-Infitar 82: 6-8)
One may desire to have a sign from God in order for him to believe in Him, while forgetting his own creation and innumerable blessings bestowed on him by God.
As much as one may run away from God and the belief in Him, he has no place to go but to return to Him.
{[Say:] “There is no way out for you on Earth or heaven. You have no protector or helper besides Allah.} (Al-‘Ankabut 29: 22)
(… to be continued In-Shaa-Allah …)
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Published on Reading Islam on Sunday, 23 September 2012
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