The Inevitable Setting

Wake up before the sunrise and step outside, witnessing the birth of the sun that day. Make it a point to watch its every move as it slowly makes its way from east to west throughout the day. Study the intricate changes. Then be sure to watch as the sun descends into the horizon, setting to where you can no longer physically see it.

Would this experience make you more aware of your own rise and your inevitable setting one day? Wouldn’t following the sun’s path on a daily basis automatically make us more conscious of God in our lives?

Thankfully, God gave us a way to do that, and it doesn’t involve watching the sun all day. It simply involves praying the five prayers which are already conveniently linked with the phases of the sun we physically see. Every prayer is a reminder that the sun is slowly setting, just as our day is setting, and just as our lives will one day set.

Now the question is, are we utilizing those prayers to echo that inescapable reality?

Blood and intestines = Purity?

Would the thought of blood and intestines ever allude to something so pure that quenches your thirst? Naturally, no. But when we study the Quran and study how things are formed, we can and will surely be blown away. 

In this groundbreaking verse in surah Alnahl, God describes the milk that is produced from cattle. He says:

وَإِنَّ لَكُمْ فِي الْأَنْعَامِ لَعِبْرَةً نُّسْقِيكُم مِّمَّا فِي بُطُونِهِ مِن بَيْنِ فَرْثٍ وَدَمٍ لَّبَنًا خَالِصًا سَائِغًا لِّلشَّارِبِينَ

“And surely in the cattle there is indeed a lesson for you: We give you to drink of that which is in their bellies, between the contents of intestines and blood, as pure milk, appetizing to those who drink it.”

While reading and reflecting on this verse, you are given this image of something a bit gruesome, but within that gory image arises a tasty liquid free of impurities. This concept strikes the reader even more as a listener, while hearing the words being recited slowly, clearly, and beautifully all at once. The fact that a God-given barrier was formed between the different fluids so that neither the color, taste, or smell of blood enters the milk, keeping it “pure” as the verse confirms, is a miracle within itself. 

And when we study the science behind the production of milk, we discover that it is created when nutrients from the intestinal tract are carried by the blood to the mammary glands. And suddenly, you are left speechless, amazed, and bewildered all at once. 

Oh how the pearls of the Quran are infinite. 

#Quran #God #Purity #Truth

*Translation and meanings of this verse were taken from Yahiya Emerick’s “The meaning of the Holy Quran in today’s English” and Syed Nasr’s “The study Quran”. 

*Video is an audio clip of Qari Alminshawi reciting this verse so beautifully and eloquently. 

The Power of Prayer

As I sit on my comfortable leather couch watching my daughter read her books so attentively, my mind wanders into thoughts of worries clouding over me in this specific moment. I feel a constriction, as if I was looking at my fears head-on, refusing to see an outlet for them. It’s in this precise moment that my phone buzzes. It’s a message from a good friend I had not heard from recently. Her message is short, concise, and to the point: “Send me prayers so I can pray for you.” This sentiment takes me by surprise, such a surprise that I almost forget what I was just thinking about. Without much thought, I quickly jot down: “That God ease my worries.” But that wasn’t enough for her. She replies, “Send me more.”

Instantaneously, like a pile of waves crashing over each other, my fingers begin pouring out continuous prayers. With each prayer I type, I feel weights of worry escaping, slowly releasing the constriction within. Minutes into this process, I am now done, inadvertently at peace.

I think to myself, “What just happened?” There I was, moments ago, alone and trapped in my perplexed mind, trying to escape the internal walls I’ve built. But my friend’s message was more than a message. It was a key to unlock these isolating thoughts and redirect them to the appropriate door: prayer.

I don’t think my friend knows what her random but purposeful message meant to me. I think I owe her a gracious gift: I’ll pray for her.