other|matters

We are taught that the world within the Qur’an, as well as the world around us, and the world within us is composed of signs, of ayahs of God. The message that we overlook in these teachings is that in our world of perception, we already take everything in the world around us, the world within us, as well as the world within the Qur’an as signs. We already assign meaning to everything.

Ask yourself, what is the first thing that comes to mind; what is the very first thing that triggers in your mind when you look at or think of, your hand? Again, do the same exercise: what is the first thing that triggers in your mind when you think of a cloud. Again, ask yourself, what is the first thing that triggers in your mind, when you see keyboard for a computer?

The exercise is deceptively difficult because for many of us we have layers of censors that compel us to interpret moments, and thus we overlook the deep-set meanings we apply to everything. We might tell ourselves that when we see a tree, we first think of God, when in fact the very first thing we think of is perhaps the rough texture of the bark, or the green of the leaf.

Look at your memories. When you remember things, you remember moments. When you remember those moments, you apply meaning to those moments. The meanings may override the actual mechanics of the events. Perhaps you remember a particular moment for the fear you remember from that event. Or perhaps you remember a moment for the passion of anger that motivated that event. Everything is a sign.

Thus, when you think of a cloud, perhaps the very first thought that comes to mind is the contrast of the white color of the cloud against the vivid blue color of the sky? Or perhaps something else, but there is something. We might even find that when we think of a passage of the Qur’an, it triggers many things before becoming, in our minds and hearts, a sign of God. This is the challenge of moving from the state of Islam to the state of Iman, and beyond. Thus, the Muslim who sees God in nothing, is not a bad Muslim, because that is not the criterion for good or bad Islam. Islam is about action and intention. But, to reach the deeper levels of your relationship with God, perception becomes paramount, for your perception reflects what is outlook is permeating your self.

Everything is a sign of something, and the challenge is to develop our relationship with God to the point that everything becomes in our perception a sign of God.

And Allah knows best…