٥ رمضان ١٤٤٢ (5th Ramadan 1442,2021)
اسلام علیکم (peace be upon you)
A very very late entry... 😅 I apologize but in my defense, I'm a little sleep deprived today.
Slept at one yesterday, woke up for sehri at 2 and then slept at 7 again 💀 and then woke up at 11... but it was worth it.✌🏻 The weather got crazy... like it was a proper thunderstorm at sunrise, and the sunrise was a sight!! I'm so sad and mad at myself for not taking a picture..☹ I did take a really bad video though. It will never see that light of day..🙃
Golden hour will forever be my favorite but blue hour has its own allure. I saw the sunrise after ages. It was majestic and it reminded me of those ayats (verses) in Surah Yaseen.
It's one of my favorites as it metaphorically explains the connection between our Beloved Prophet (SAW) and the ummati (meaning you the reader and me as well)
The ayats are 39 to 40 and they roughly say:
"We make the moon go through different phases." And then Allah adds: “its not appropriate for the sun to come ahead of the moon and the night cannot come before the day. Each one has their place and they move as such."
Which is to say that Allah is emphasizing that Everything has its own job. The parallel being made here is that before Allah starts talking about the Sun and the Moon, He is discussing the story of a nation that got send 3 messengers to it at the same time. But surprisingly, that story is not a narrative of what the messengers said, rather its an account of a believer who learns that 3 messengers are calling to The Oneness of Allah and he decides to go help them. 😇
As a general rule, when your in the presence of someone qualified (like the messengers here) you let them do the talking but he feels the need to speak so Allah tells us something here:
Messengers have their own responsibility. The ummah who believes in them has its own responsibility.
The messengers will do their job and the believer will do theirs. And they cannot replace each others jobs - and just like that what else has their own job, the sun and the moon.
Where does our dearest Messenger (SAW) fit in to all this? In another passage in the the Noble Quran (Surah Ahzab) Allah describes the Prophet (SAW) and talks to him telling him is roles. He describes Rasolalallah (SAW) with a unique word: "Siraj-um-munira" – a lamp that gives light and illuminates other things.
The word "Siraj" in the Noble Quran is also used for the sun, so our Beloved Messenger (SAW) is compared to the sun here.
Back to Surah Yaseen, it says that the sun has its own job and the moon its own, so what does it mean if our Honarable Messenger (SAW) is being compared to the sun?
When our Beloved Messenger (SAW) came, and the believers and followers were in his presence, there was no doubt whatsoever that they wouldn't be exposed to light. There was no possibility that darkness would prevail because "the sun" has arrived. 🌅
But Allah has decreed it so that the Sun does not stay in the sky forever, it sets, it goes away. So when the sun goes away, whose turn is it to provide light in the darkness of the night, the moons.
Our Beloved Rasollallah (SAW) is no longer with us. But who is still here? We are! His followers. His believers. His "Ummatais."
Likewise, the sun is in a position of command and the moon is its follower (also proven scientifically). The only reason the moon has any light is because it reflects the light of the sun.
We are currently living in dark times, and we are being compared to the moon. The only light we have is the light shining on us through the darkness that originates from the sun- Rasollallah (SAW).
Sunhanallah! 🤯 I was and still am mind blown by this. Allah is so Poetic!
The iman (faith) of every believer is actually a reflection of the original teachings of our beloved prophet (SAW).
Another parallel is that the sun does not go through phases. The sun is perfect every time. But the moon, sometimes it’s a full moon and sometimes it’s a weak moon just like the believer. We don’t stay the same.
In another passage of the Honorable Quran, Allah describes the heart of my Messenger (SAW) as firm and permanent in his faith of Allah. its constant, very much like the sun. (the sun constantly burns to provide light). Regardless of whether you see the sun or don't, its still shining its light on the moon.
The believer faith though, just like the moon goes through phases. sometimes its a full moon but sometimes its so weak, you can barely find it in the sky. But even in its weakest state, it is still reflecting the light of Rosolalallah (SAW).
I've always loved the moon because the moon is a reminder of me, of you. Its a reminder that Allah chose this ummah in the darkest times to be a source that reflects the light of our Beloved Rasolallah (SAW) [if you were feeling low, this should make you feel special!🥰]
So what is our responsibility then?
this infamous quote by Hazrat Umar (RA) sums it up best:
"I am the messenger of the messenger of Allah."
this simple quote is so deep though, it tells us what being a member of this ummah means,- everyone is a representative of our Beloved Messenger (SAW), when we are following his teaches or ignoring them, our conduct, our behavior, whether we control our eyes, hands or tongue - whether we like it or not, we are "supposed" to be reflecting the light of Muhammad (SAAW). He made you Muslim for a reason, wake up and own it!
As Muslims, we're born with this responsibility, we obviously don't do it justice because we are never always a full moon. sometimes were weak and frail.
but do you know what makes this such a grandand dare I say cute concept? even when the moon is weak, it still remains, it doesn't disappear, and when its weakest, its time for it rise again - that is the way Allah has decreed it! 🥲
Our Messenger said that the faith of the believer will waver, it'll go up and down. We wont always feel the same reverence of faith all the time. BUT our connection to our messenger will strengthen this faith over and over and over again.
How beautiful is our relationship with our prophet? 😭😭😭
We are the chosen ummah, to carry the Messengers (SAW) metaphorical torch or in better words mission forward. Allah in his infinite wisdom knew that when the Prophet (SAW) would depart this world it would feel like the sun has disappeared and that we're in a constant state of "night" of fear, hopelessness, anxiety and ignorance.
I hope that I and we all become a source of light in this darkness, that when someone sees us, they are able to glimpse a little bit of our Habibullah through us. 🥺🥺🥺
The signs of Allah (the sun and moon and trees and mountains) all have lessons behind them. I hope that this little insight that I gained myself and tried to provide, changes your POV and that now every time you look at the sun, you are reminded of my Rasolalallah (SAW).
and I also hope you pay more attention to the Quran this month, read it with translation and visibly see your life and world transform. This is the beauty of Quran, once you manifest its view, you cannot escape its reminders and its constant connection to our Messenger (SAW).
May Allah make us of those that carry the light of the Prophet (SAW) and reflect it back and outwards so others can find their way to the sun. 🛣
P.S posting some pictures of the sunset because it was just as bomb 👌🏻