SubhanAllah, the Angel of Rain still following the commands from Allah Ta’ala in sending the allocated drops of mercy on this Luminous City. No sooner have the workers dealt with one downpour, than the next lot of clouds share their load, Alhumdulillah:
..the veering of winds and clouds which are held between the sky and the earth, are indeed signs for people of understanding. (2:164)
The following photos from the courtyard were taken within approximately ten minutes of each other this afternoon, and in this sequence. I was taken aback by how the heavens changed so rapidly, being mirrored on the ground with the continuous changing movement of people. An interlacing of cloud and light, shapes and space, movement and stillness, expanse and constriction, gathering and separating. A poignant enactment starring Allah Ta’ala’s signs; for those who believe with certainty, for those who remember, for those who are guided, for those of understanding, for those who are grateful, for those who know.
Allah oversees all affairs from the sky to the earth, and everything will ascend to Him in the end, on a day that will measure a thousand years in your reckoning. (32:4)
One of the magnificent heavenward signs of Allah Ta’ala’s arrangement for this existance is the rain. A tangible sign of the Divine Presence that He wills to descend to sustain all life. Understanding this sign in the material world around us is one of the keys to understanding the signs of the Hereafter. Just as Allah Ta’ala’s planning in providing all our needs stems from the heavens, so we need to reciprocate by ascending back to the Divine Presence with gratitude, glory, praise and awe. May our perceiving of His signs spark this intricate interplay in a manner that benefits our Akhirah.
Moving from the side of Jannatul Baqi towards the Abode of Peace seemed as though the transition was to an entirely differnt time and place. Sombre clouds hovering above as waves of seekers passed to give Salam…
to float, move away. And so too were groups of commandoes gathered as a security precaution for the visiting Pakistani President…
to then move away.
The dynamics of gathering and separation, as expressed by the Sufis to point to Allah Ta’ala’s unrestricted power over the whole creation. Al-Qushayri says: "All are comprehended in His freedom of action and government of events, inasmuch as He is the originator of the essences and the source of the attributes of everyone. Then He separates everyone by making them of differnet sorts: a portion of them He makes happy and a portion of them He makes distance from Him and miserable; a portion He guides and a portion He leads astray and blinds; a portion He veils from Himself and a portion He draws to Himself; a portion He makes intimate with His union and a portion He makes despair of His mercy; a portion He honours with His acceptance and a portion He causes to lose themselves in the realization of their desire; a portion He grants clear sobriety and a portion He obliterates; a portion He draws close and a portion He sends away; a portion He brings near Him and into His presence, then gives them to drink and makes then drunk; a portion He hinders and sets back, then drives them away and leaves them behind. The varieties of His actions cannot be confined by any boundary, and neither explanation nor recounting can approach them in detail."
While the varieties of His actions, most glorious and grand, can change the grey sky to a brilliant azure in the blink of an eye, SubhanAllah. All the more miraculous that this brilliant blue framed the most brilliant piece of ground in the Universe…
caressing the Most Loved in the Universe SallAllahu alaihi wasallam, whose mercy rains perpetually and abundantly upon his Ummah.
While the slight turn of the gaze echoes the stark contrast witnessed in Allah Ta’ala’s signs, speaking to the heart of His Omnipotence and His power of gathering and separating. May we be people of understanding.
All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen.
Asalaam Alaikum Dear AlMiskeenah! How are you? seeing people preparation for Hajj mA brings joy and tears in my eyes, few people are fortunate enough to make Hajj twice in a row Mashallah. Please make dua for us that Allah s.w.t bring us soon again and again Inshallah. mA beautifull pictures of Madina Masjid please convey our Salaam to our beloved RasoolAllah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam
Comment by Umm-e-Shiraaz — November 6, 2008 @ 12:14 am
Wa ‘alaikumus Salam Dear Umm-e-Shiraaz…actually I am aware of so many coming for Hajj year after year, such must be the WASTA available. The authorities try to implement new rules each year to lesson the numbers performing Hajj from within the Kingdom and keep pointing the finger to expats who do so with out permits, but so many from other countries come every year too.
and Du’a that you are once again blessed with a visit.
Salam for you and yours always conveyed
Wassalamu alaikum
Wa
Comment by almiskeenah — November 6, 2008 @ 10:01 pm