Contemplating the Earth and What Allah has created upon it

Contemplating the Earth and What Allah has created upon it like Rivers, Wells, Valleys, Deserts, Vermin, Animals and Trees.

If you have already deeply thought about yourself and who is similar to you, then direct your thoughts to what Allah Almighty has created like the earth and whatever upon it. 

Contemplate earth's length, width and depth. 

Contemplate the valleys, mountains, wide and empty deserts, sands and wavy seas and rivers.  

Look at the number of rivers. 
How many are they? 

How did Allah make some of these rivers sustainable both in times of droughts and rains? 

Where does this water come from? 

If it had been stored somewhere, it would have vanished within time. 

How did Allah make it constantly running? 

Who supplies these rivers with the water?

How are wells made by Allah for the benefits of people while if you look inside them, you will belittle the amount of water they behold? 

The depth of some may not exceed a human's stature yet from one a farmer can water a large cultivated land. 

He can water from it day and night without declination. 

Where do these wells attain water from to the extent that they are not drained? 

Aren't these significant manifestations of the oneness of God Almighty?

Then, look at the massive mountains, who has heightened them up highly and rooted them down firmly? 

In some of them, he has made running springs, ripe fruits, wide gardens and huge numbers of trees.

Some of these trees bear sweet fruits and some bitter fruits. 

Some of these trees are small and others are huge.

Where do these trees get water from? 

How do they survive and stretch their roots into rough stones?

He has widen the earth to the extent that a traveller may spend days and nights crossing it without seeing a single human, a beast or a building. 

He has made the earth into sweet, salty, acid, dusty, hilly, and green parts.

Who has created the infinite number of trees so that some of them are even nameless?

Some of these trees are sweet to be eaten by human and others are bitter. 

Some are small to be eaten by animals. 

Some are large to be cut for animals and some are to shadow people. 

If we can't count some, how can we then count all? 

They are all made for the benefits of human being but we are ignorant of that. 

Allah hasn't created anything vainly.

Allah has created on earth beasts, hyenas, dogs, foxes, elephants, tigers, lions and whatever lives upon the earth. 

Yet, he has made trees and plants for their benefits. 

He has created them strong to endure hardships, inspired them rearing their offspring and inspired the males to approach females to maintain their species.

He has bestowed upon them their livelihood without hardworking, trade or cultivation from their side. 

During the day, they graze from wherever they like and, at night, they sleep wherever they prefer. 

He created some animals be food for other animals. 

This one eats that one without being punished or blamed.

He created some animals be food for other animals. 

This one eats that one without being punished or blamed.

Some of the animals are for us, human, to eat legally. 

We slaughter them after mentioning the name of Allah. 

We grill and cook them without being blamed and we don't do that for a crime these animals have committed.

Allah has made benefits from them for his servants, without their choice such as, pulling water from the ground, cultivating land, carrying loads, and riding.

Allah has made on some of these milk, white, sweet, pure, and nutritious comes out of their breast without their will. 

How does it come out of their bellies between filth (bowels) and blood sweet for others without their awareness? 

Allah hasn't made it come out upon the cattle's will but through the milker's hand.

Who has bestowed upon us these animals so that we get benefits from their backs, bellies, meats and milks?

We might cause them hunger, thirst and harm and we might beat them for no error they have done. 

Yet Allah can enable them to destroy us by kicking, butting, running or biting and they may kill a person. 

Isn't there a lesson to those who understand?

Allah has also given these animals limited ages as us and granted them a certain provision. 

He has made some better than others. 

He made them in different images and with different voices like us. 

Some of them are affected by ailments, scrawniness and weakness before death. 

Some of these animals are tied by ropes. 

Some are raised, and some are not.

Allah has created a variety of vermin into different species, large and small. 

Yet He counted them, created them from each other, provided them with provision, and determined a certain age for each.  

None will precede their age nor miss their provision. 

He has allowed us to eat some of them. 

Isn't this an impressive wisdom and a significant sign? 

Is anyone able to count the numbers of locusts, flies, bees and whatever on earth like snakes and scorpions?

Think of this wisdom: he has put a deadly poison in the snakes and scorpions so that people will remember and be cautious of the hell's scorpions and snakes. 

And he has made healing honey from the bees as a food and medicine for people. 

Is this by the bees' power? 

Inside this a deadly poison and inside the other a healing honey without their awareness.

They breed and die like us, human. So what makes us superior over them? 

If we have known that the creator and all-provider is the same one, Allah. 

So, why don't we be just and say, the chafers, bugs, mosquitoes and flies are better than disobedient human. 

The obedient one should be greatly thankful to his creator who made him superior.

Otherwise, how would he be superior while he was created from dust and his destiny to dust? 

What makes him more superior and privileged than other God's creation?

Reference:

Reflection and Taking Heed, by Shaikh Darweesh ibn Juma ibn Omar Al Mahrooqi.

Translated by: Abu Al Hasan Al Riyami