on This Earth

Ramadhan in the Hijri Year (the Islamic calendar) of 1446 started on 1st March 2025. As part of my routine during Ramadhan, I usually do a study of one of the chapters in the Qur’an. This year, with the blog, I intend to do a reflection of natural phenomena related to certain Qur’anic concepts. To frame it within the context of the key principles of:

• being still/silent
• observe
• reflect
• practice

this series will focus on the third key principle and give ideas on the fourth. If you would like to know more about the key principles, please click this link. If you want to see an example of how the key principles are applied, please click this link.

Death

In my teens, I came across this poem by James Shirley and it stayed with me.

Death, The Leveller

The glories of our blood and state
 Are shadows, not substantial things.
There is no armour against Fate;
 Death lays his icy hand on kings.
Sceptre and Crown
Must tumble down,
And in the dust be equal made
With the poor crookèd scythe and spade.

Some men with swords may reap the field,
And plant fresh laurels where they kill.
But their strong nerves at last must yield;
They tame but one another still.
Early or late
They stoop to fate.
And must give up their murmuring breath
When they, pale captives, creep to death.

The garlands wither on your brow,
Then boast no more your mighty deeds!
Upon Death’s purple altar now
See where the victor-victim bleeds.
Your heads must come
To the cold tomb.
Only the actions of the just
Smell sweet and blossom in their dust.

Comtemplating Death

Death is a force of nature that many do not like to contemplate. Even those of us who love nature. We would rather focus on the beauty of life. But death is the one common factor that is shared by all of creation; all of us will die. As God says in Surah Ar-Rahman 55:26-28

لُّ مَنۡ عَلَيۡہَا فَانٍ۬ (٢٦) 

وَيَبۡقَىٰ وَجۡهُ رَبِّكَ ذُو ٱلۡجَلَـٰلِ وَٱلۡإِكۡرَامِ (٢٧) 

فَبِأَىِّ ءَالَآءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ (٢٨)

All that lives on earth or in the heavens is bound to pass away. (26) but forever will abide thy Sustainer’s Self, full of majesty and glory. (27) Which, then, of your Sustainer’s powers can you disavow? (28)

Facing the reality of death is not comfortable and this past year, we’ve seen too much of it. Especially in the Israeli bombing of Gaza, where thousands have been killed. I remember 3 year old Reem killed in her bed and how her grandfather mourned her. And the haunting emergency call of 5 year old Hind whose family were gunned down in their car. Her body was found days later still in the car. Those are the ones we can put faces and names to.

What about those we know not about? How many a species have become extinct without us realising? How many voices praising the Creator have fallen silent? The most important death that we need to face is our own. Each of the above deaths are but a reminder to us of our own impending death. We don’t know when our time will come but it is the one certainty. As mentioned in Surah An-Nisa’ 4:78

 

أَيۡنَمَا تَكُونُواْ يُدۡرِككُّمُ ٱلۡمَوۡتُ وَلَوۡ كُنتُمۡ فِى بُرُوجٍ۬ مُّشَيَّدَةٍ۬‌ۗ وَإِن تُصِبۡهُمۡ حَسَنَةٌ۬ يَقُولُواْ هَـٰذِهِۦ مِنۡ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ‌ۖ وَإِن تُصِبۡهُمۡ سَيِّئَةٌ۬ يَقُولُواْ هَـٰذِهِۦ مِنۡ عِندِكَ‌ۚ قُلۡ كُلٌّ۬ مِّنۡ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ‌ۖ فَمَالِ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ لَا يَكَادُونَ يَفۡقَهُونَ حَدِيثً۬ا (٧٨)

Wherever you may be, death will overtake you – even though you be in towers raised high. “Yet, when a good thing happens to them, some [people] say, “This is from God.” Whereas when evil befalls them, they say, “This is from thee [O fellow­man]!” Say: “All is from God.” What, then, is amiss with these people that they are in no wise near to grasping the truth of what they are told? (78)

Death as a transition and transformation

I think one of the reasons why we are reluctant to face death is the association with endings and separations. From our perspective, it is an ending and a separation from our loved ones. In reality, it is a transition from one state to another. And the evidence for it is all around us in the natural life cycle. It is neither something to be sought nor avoid.

Let’s reflect on the decaying leaves. Their transition began in autumn when they withered and died. All winter, the withered leaves decay and are being transformed into rich fertile soil. In spring time, their transformation is complete and the soil would go on to benefit the surrounding plant life. And new leaves emerge from these plants/trees.

Or reflect on the dead tree. It is actually alive with fungi which breaks down the tree. The resulting material is needed for new generation of trees. The death of animals in the wild too have a purpose. Their death is part of the food chain. Nothing is wasted; the dead animal is a source of food for the bacteria and worms to large carnivores.

I was also thinking of the caterpillar. In a sense, its transformation to a butterfly can be seen as its death. The butterfly is not a caterpillar even though it came from it. Its transformation is a total metamorphosis. The caterpillar no longer exist once it has transformed. In a sense, the caterpillar/butterfly metamorphosis encapsulate the notion of death as a transition. From a land-locked insect to a creature of the air.

As God said in Surah Ar-Rum 30:19

يُخۡرِجُ ٱلۡحَىَّ مِنَ ٱلۡمَيِّتِ وَيُخۡرِجُ ٱلۡمَيِّتَ مِنَ ٱلۡحَىِّ وَيُحۡىِ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ بَعۡدَ مَوۡتِہَا‌ۚ وَكَذَٲلِكَ تُخۡرَجُونَ (١٩)

He [it is who] brings forth the living out of that which is dead, and brings forth the dead out of that which is alive, and gives life to the earth after it had been lifeless: and even thus will you be brought forth [from death to life] (19)

It is a reminder for us that our death too is a form of transition. Another door in our journey back to God. A reminder of the well used phrase at times of death,

إنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون

To God we belong and to Him we return

The only difference is the state we are in when we meet Him again.

Death as a leveller

The poem resonates because no matter our status in life, we all die without bringing our wealth or status. The last two lines aligns with the other concept linked to death, that of divine justice.

Only the actions of the just
Smell sweet and blossom in their dust.

Too often, people escape justice in this world because of their power and influence. Death negates all of the power and wealth people have accumulated. Both king and pauper, as the poem goes, are made equal in death.

Death lays his icy hand on kings.
Sceptre and Crown
Must tumble down,
And in the dust be equal made
With the poor crookèd scythe and spade.

The only coinage in the meeting with the Most Just are our intentions and deeds. Have we established justice and balance while we were living on this earth? Have we shown mercy? Have we tread lightly, aware that we are but travellers on earth?

In that meeting, justice is served and those who do wrong will have their recompense. As God said in Surah Al-Jathiya: 21-22

أَمۡ حَسِبَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱجۡتَرَحُواْ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ أَن نَّجۡعَلَهُمۡ كَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ سَوَآءً۬ مَّحۡيَاهُمۡ وَمَمَاتُہُمۡ‌ۚ سَآءَ مَا يَحۡكُمُونَ (٢١) 

وَخَلَقَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَلِتُجۡزَىٰ كُلُّ نَفۡسِۭ بِمَا ڪَسَبَتۡ وَهُمۡ لَا يُظۡلَمُونَ (٢٢)

Now as for those who indulge in sinful doings – do they think that We place them, both in their life and their death, on an equal footing with those who have attained to faith and do righteous deeds? Bad, indeed, is their judgment. (21) 

for, God has created the heavens and the earth in accordance with [an inner] truth. And [has therefore willed] that every human being shall be recompensed for what he has earned and none shall be wronged. (22)

By contemplating death, we are in essence reminding ourselves of that ultimate meeting. We need to take stock of what provision we have brought with us in terms of our deeds. It is a call to action. To carry our duty and realise our potential that I discussed in an earlier post about the seed.

In these last ten nights, let’s resolve to increase our good deeds. I ask if you can pledge to at least one nature positive action in these last ten nights. You can find some ideas in here. Thank you.