Nature has a strange way of calming the soul and reviving the spirit. Within minutes of arriving at the ocean, you can feel a sense of harmony covering you like a blanket.
Staring at a mountain range can only leave a person awestruck and reminded of how small we are in this world.
In essence, taking the time to enjoy nature can mean taking time to strengthen your faith.
Observing the fixed order in which the sun rises and sets leaves those who reflect upon it craving to create that same sense of order in their life.
Summer time is upon us, and while some may spend it tucked away indoors with the air conditioning on, why don’t you use this time as an opportunity to take full advantage of what the outdoors has to offer.
A unique way of doing so would be to structure your outdoor activities around the verses of the Qur’an. The Qur’an offers several verses that remind us to reflect upon the beautiful outdoor world that surrounds us.
So why not dedicate some of your time this summer for each of these verses, and truly consider their meanings?
Look Up to Sky
Birds are able to defy gravity and soar through the air due to a complex body structure surpassing that of airplanes.
For instance, the birds come out and chirp at dawn. It’s the perfect time to step outside before heading to work or school and think about our Creator holding them up in their flight. This can infuse the rest of the workday with the notion that everything we’re accomplishing is by Allah’s will.
They must have a skeleton with light bones so that it can have a lower mass than that of their feathers.
Streamlined bodies also allow them to glide smoothly when they are flying.
Perfectly curved wings also allow them to obtain the lift they need to float in the sky. Internally, they have chambers with air sacs to store extra oxygen needed for their flights.
Since flying makes their bodies generate increased amounts of heat, their respiratory system is designed to regulate their body temperature to keep them from overheating. Allah has given them a majestic body structure with which to fly.
Clouds
The children can help spot the ones that are moving gently, and ones that Allah has joined together into a heap.
Children are usually fascinated by clouds. Taking some time to sit outside before dinner can be a great opportunity to point out the clouds above us.
To bring it to another level, parents can help children learn the scientific names for the different types of clouds. The high, wispy clouds are known as Cirrus clouds. They look almost like hair with curled up ends. Another type of cloud that sits a little lower is the Cumulus cloud. They’re the puffy clouds with edges that are distinct. The clouds that produce lightning and thunder are called Cumulonimbus clouds. These cover the sky like a blanket.
Hail and lightning may not seem so scary to children if they know that it’s Allah, the Most Merciful, that is in control of it all.
Living Organisms & Life
The way in which animals move depends largely on the environment in which they live.
A hike to a forest or a trip to the zoo can turn into a fun scavenger hunt for the different types of animals listed in this verse. After observing the different creatures, one can think about how they would be classified according to the verse.
Some animals are fast, while others move slowly and deliberately.
There are many factors which correlate with how the animals move about, such as how they obtain their food, the land on which they live, and how they reproduce.
For example, some animals must cover great distances in order to reach their food. These animals must have ways of movement that accommodate such physical demands. Some lands are large and flat such as grasslands.
The open spaces found in these areas provide animals with an opportunity to build up their speed. It is by no coincidence that some of the fastest animals can be found in grassland. Allah designs animals in the most perfect manner to suit the environment that they live in.
A honey bee, in contrast with the stingless honey bee, is any bee member of the genus Apis, primarily distinguished by the production and storage of honey and the construction of perennial, colonial nests from wax.
Bees
Science has proven that honey has a number of scientific benefits. It contains an anti-infective component.
Next time a bee flies by, instead of ducking in fear, this ayah can be discussed as a reminder of the majesty of bees and the benefits of honey.
This component can help heal skin wounds, coughs, and intestinal ailments. It is also known to contain anti-oxidants.
An interesting study found that 32% of cancer patients that were studied attributed honey to an improvement in their quality of life as it strengthened their immune systems which led to them contracting fewer infections.
These are just a few of the many ayahs that discuss nature in the Qur’an and can be used as a springboard for delving into various scientific topics this summer.
These ayahs help shape our view of nature and help us to see beyond the surface. Summertime is here, and nature is just waiting to be discovered.
This article is from our archive, originally published on an earlier date, and highlighted now for its importance
References:
- “Animal Movement” Accessed 8 August 2009. “The Marvelous Mechanics of Flight” Accessed 16 April 2009.
- “Plymouth State University Meteorology Program Cloud Boutique” Accessed 2 July 2009.
- Walters, Sheryl. “Honey Offers Many Benefits” Accessed 25 March 2009.
-aboutislam.net
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