Read the Signs
of God All Around
Those who read the signs of God all around them, are filled with the deep realization of God. Those who do not keep these capabilities alive, will remain deprived.
Chapter 39 of the Quran states: “Have you not seen that God sends down water from the sky, guides it to form springs in the earth, and then, with it, brings forth vegetation of various colours, which later withers, turns yellow before your eyes, and then He makes it crumble away? There is truly a reminder in this for those who possess understanding. Anyone whose heart God has opened up to Islam possesses a light from his Lord. But woe betide those whose hearts have been hardened against the remembrance of God! Such people are in obvious error.” (39:21-22)
The wonderful system of rains on the earth, the resulting growth of greenery and the subsequent preparations for harvesting, have countless meaningful lessons in them. But, these lessons are available only to those who engage in deep thinking.
On the one hand, God has created the external world in a way that everything in it has become a sign of great realities, and, on the other, He has endowed human beings with the ability to read these signs and understand them. Those who keep their natural capabilities alive and, by utilizing them, give deep consideration to the things of the world, will have their minds filled with the deep realization (ma‘rifah) of God. Whereas those who do not keep these capabilities alive, will be unable to learn anything, even though surrounded by countless lessons. They will not be able to see, even after seeing, and will not be able to hear, even after hearing.
In the present world the course of everything is set so that everything has a beginning and then an onward journey is towards completion. For instance, a plant begins from a seed and then develops into a fully grown tree. Similarly, in agriculture there is a beginning with the sowing of seed and then there is the culmination with the harvesting of the crop. This is the case with everything in this present world.
This event or situation has a divine lesson for a person. In this way God tells a person that he is also going from beginning to completion, from childhood to old age, and then, after death entering into a new an eternal life as his final destination.
