I still remember listening to the recitation of this ayat sometime back. I was making tea for myself with my mp3 in my ears playing Surah Yunus. Even though I may have heard it before, but this time it had an impact like never before. I stopped. I played it again. I stopped again to play it. Just to make sure I understood it right.
And it was as I thought. Here was Allah Most High actually conveying to us the timeframe of the destruction of Humanity. Yes we all know the exact Day is known to none except for Him. But my Lord in this ayat declares that “The End” will occur when humanity will perceive that it has reached its zenith. A station much above the successes of any civilization in the entire historical process.
So let us read what the ayat says,
“The example of this worldly life is like the rain which We have sent down from the sky that the plants of the earth absorb-from which human beings and animals eat- until, when the earth has taken on its adornment and is beautified and its people suppose that they have capability over it, there comes to it Our Command by night or by day, and We make it as a harvest, as if it had not flourished yesterday.” (10:24)
This is by far one of the most profound ayat in the whole Quran amongst many others. Allah has summed up the life of humanity in one sentence. The similitude of this worldly life is like the rain which after merging with the plant life sustains the entire humanity and animal kingdom. Notice here that the thing which sustains the entire planet is not something which is within the peripheries of human control, but rather something which comes from “above”. Water has very interesting usage in the Quran, sometimes it’s used to symbolize “revelation”, sometimes “life of this world”, sometimes ”imaan (faith)” and sometimes “knowledge”. All of which have been important provisions of the human beings worldly sojourn.
Then Allah Most High says that after the earth and everything on it has come alive, the earth takes on its garb of beauty and adornment. This is when the worldly life becomes beautiful. This is progress, civilization, development. The earth now is glittering with glamour like never before. After all we are the ones who can make deserts into green gardens. We are the ones who can build buildings that touch the clouds. Are we not the ones who can change the night into a bright day. Are we not the ones who can increase agricultural produce ten times inside our labs? Certainly we are the ones who after showing deep ingratitude to the Creator, can alter anything that He made from facial features to DNA composition to even gender. Allahu Akbar!
Precisely now the human being assumes, I’m completely independent. I don’t need God or spirituality. I’m self sufficient. Religion and Hereafter were for people who didn’t live in a Progressive Modern Age like me. A control system for the primitive, but now it is ME who is in power.
THIS IS THE GREATEST HUMAN FOLLY !
When this happens, it is then that you must await the End.
“..there comes to it (the world) Our command by night or by day, and We make it as a harvest, as if IT HAD NOT FLOURISHED YESTERDAY.”
This warning is reiterated in various surahs of the Quran. From Surah Kahf where its mentioned thrice to Surah Qalam with the parable of the beautiful garden. In various sayings of the Prophet (pbuh) we are told that in the Age of Dajjal the earth is going to beautify itself. Treasures will follow him and various scientific achievements from the aircraft to the space shuttle can be attributed to the False Messiah from Hadith analysis.
Is it not time for the wise minds to ponder and reflect over the reality of what the Modern world pushes as “progress” or “development”? Does it have any substance or is it the Frankenstein’s monster ready to annihilate the one who created and took pride in it. After all, the reality on ground is that urbanization has displaced scores of people, industrialization has stabbed the environment, GM food poisons the food chain, Capitalism has lead to the radical impoverishment of society modern lifestyle has lead to a growing rate of depression, cosmetic surgeries are a cause of further discontent and objectification of women, the debt based global economic system has entire countries burdened with debt and liberal democracy! Well, let’s not dwell into whether that is an actual term or just a euphuism for a totalitarian corporatocracy!
A closer look at the disparity between “appearance” and “reality” should be sufficient to tell us that this is nothing but the “Amr (Command)” of Allah manifest. It is a system that is crumbling to bits and shaking in its very foundations, environmentally, socially, politically, economically.
And if there is anything that we can be sure of, it is that even if the human being reached the deepest recesses of the Universe, still he is within the vast dominion of his Creator, never free of need, never independent. But who will understand that? The ayat ends with,
“Thus do We explain in detail the signs for a “people who give thought”.(10:24)
And it was as I thought. Here was Allah Most High actually conveying to us the timeframe of the destruction of Humanity. Yes we all know the exact Day is known to none except for Him. But my Lord in this ayat declares that “The End” will occur when humanity will perceive that it has reached its zenith. A station much above the successes of any civilization in the entire historical process.
So let us read what the ayat says,
“The example of this worldly life is like the rain which We have sent down from the sky that the plants of the earth absorb-from which human beings and animals eat- until, when the earth has taken on its adornment and is beautified and its people suppose that they have capability over it, there comes to it Our Command by night or by day, and We make it as a harvest, as if it had not flourished yesterday.” (10:24)
This is by far one of the most profound ayat in the whole Quran amongst many others. Allah has summed up the life of humanity in one sentence. The similitude of this worldly life is like the rain which after merging with the plant life sustains the entire humanity and animal kingdom. Notice here that the thing which sustains the entire planet is not something which is within the peripheries of human control, but rather something which comes from “above”. Water has very interesting usage in the Quran, sometimes it’s used to symbolize “revelation”, sometimes “life of this world”, sometimes ”imaan (faith)” and sometimes “knowledge”. All of which have been important provisions of the human beings worldly sojourn.
Then Allah Most High says that after the earth and everything on it has come alive, the earth takes on its garb of beauty and adornment. This is when the worldly life becomes beautiful. This is progress, civilization, development. The earth now is glittering with glamour like never before. After all we are the ones who can make deserts into green gardens. We are the ones who can build buildings that touch the clouds. Are we not the ones who can change the night into a bright day. Are we not the ones who can increase agricultural produce ten times inside our labs? Certainly we are the ones who after showing deep ingratitude to the Creator, can alter anything that He made from facial features to DNA composition to even gender. Allahu Akbar!
Precisely now the human being assumes, I’m completely independent. I don’t need God or spirituality. I’m self sufficient. Religion and Hereafter were for people who didn’t live in a Progressive Modern Age like me. A control system for the primitive, but now it is ME who is in power.
THIS IS THE GREATEST HUMAN FOLLY !
When this happens, it is then that you must await the End.
“..there comes to it (the world) Our command by night or by day, and We make it as a harvest, as if IT HAD NOT FLOURISHED YESTERDAY.”
This warning is reiterated in various surahs of the Quran. From Surah Kahf where its mentioned thrice to Surah Qalam with the parable of the beautiful garden. In various sayings of the Prophet (pbuh) we are told that in the Age of Dajjal the earth is going to beautify itself. Treasures will follow him and various scientific achievements from the aircraft to the space shuttle can be attributed to the False Messiah from Hadith analysis.
Is it not time for the wise minds to ponder and reflect over the reality of what the Modern world pushes as “progress” or “development”? Does it have any substance or is it the Frankenstein’s monster ready to annihilate the one who created and took pride in it. After all, the reality on ground is that urbanization has displaced scores of people, industrialization has stabbed the environment, GM food poisons the food chain, Capitalism has lead to the radical impoverishment of society modern lifestyle has lead to a growing rate of depression, cosmetic surgeries are a cause of further discontent and objectification of women, the debt based global economic system has entire countries burdened with debt and liberal democracy! Well, let’s not dwell into whether that is an actual term or just a euphuism for a totalitarian corporatocracy!
A closer look at the disparity between “appearance” and “reality” should be sufficient to tell us that this is nothing but the “Amr (Command)” of Allah manifest. It is a system that is crumbling to bits and shaking in its very foundations, environmentally, socially, politically, economically.
And if there is anything that we can be sure of, it is that even if the human being reached the deepest recesses of the Universe, still he is within the vast dominion of his Creator, never free of need, never independent. But who will understand that? The ayat ends with,
“Thus do We explain in detail the signs for a “people who give thought”.(10:24)
Masha Allah ,
ReplyDeleteJazak Allah for such a thought provoking post.
Regards
Abid