The Wisdom of Seasonal Change: A Call to Remember Allah

Opening Praises

In the name of Allah, the most gracious, the most merciful. All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. And the end is due to the righteous.

And peace and blessings be upon the most honored of the prophets and messengers. Our prophet, our beloved, our messenger, and our master Muhammad. And upon his family and all his companions.

Opening Quranic Verses

After that, Allah Almighty said in the Holy Qur'an — I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Satan. In the name of Allah, the most gracious, the most merciful:

Indeed in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding.

And Allah Almighty said:

Say, Look at what is in the heavens and the earth. And signs and warnings do not avail against a people who do not believe.

And Allah Almighty said:

And He shows you His signs, so which of the signs of Allah do you deny?

So Abu Umamah al-Bahili, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

(Jami' al-Tirmidhi)

You have to stand up at night, because it is the practice of the righteous before you, and a means of proximity to Allah Almighty, and abstention from sin, and expiation of the body.

Seasonal Change as a Sign of Allah

After that, respected brothers and sisters, dear friends and elders. السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ

As we move into the next season, we notice changes in our lifestyle. Whether it's from the types of clothing that we wear, or the colors of the clothing that we wear. For example, now that the season is changing, we are wearing sweaters, we are wearing jackets. Or even the colors of our clothing are also changing. Or even the food which we consume changes throughout the seasons.

Perhaps what one may consume in the summer is different from what one may consume in the fall or the winter. We see different desserts and beverages coming out at different times of the season. Seasonal items, seasonal desserts, seasonal beverages, seasonal foods.

So we see differences and changes in our lifestyles that come at the coming of the new season. Every season, we see somewhat of a change in our lifestyle. And the idea is that this is one of the greatest signs of Allah Ta'ala — the change of man's lifestyle with the change of season.

And the idea is that everything in our lives, whether it be related to us, whether it be related to someone else, or whether it may be something which we may pass by — it should be a sign which turns us back to Allah Ta'ala.

The poet Labeed says:

That every single thing, every little thing, there is a sign. Now what does this sign indicate towards? عَلَى أَنَّهُ وَاحِدُ — That Allah Ta'ala is the One, that Allah Ta'ala is existent. Every single thing we see around us should be a means of us turning back to Allah Ta'ala.

And when we do this, when we look at those things around us and we use those as opportunities for us to turn back to Allah Ta'ala, we will constantly be in the remembrance of Allah Ta'ala. Rasulullah, peace and blessings be upon him, is reported to have said:

That the example of the one who remembers his Lord, and the one who does not remember his Lord, is the example of the one who is alive compared to something which is dead.

The Urdu poet says: that flower is not a flower which does not have a scent. And that heart is not a heart which does not have Allah Ta'ala. Rather the true heart is that heart in which the remembrance of Allah Ta'ala resides. And that is how our hearts should be as well — our hearts should be living with the remembrance of Allah Ta'ala.

Signs of Allah in the Horizons and in Ourselves

Now, going back to the idea of lifestyle change. Allah Ta'ala mentions towards the end of Surah al-Fussilat:

Allah Ta'ala says that We shall show them Our signs in the horizons and in their own beings. Just as right now we are seeing that throughout the change of the season, we see differences in climate, we see differences in our own lifestyle — these are the signs of Allah Ta'ala. However, the signs should be such that it becomes clear for people that it is the truth. The Qur'an is the truth. Islam is the truth.

And amongst these signs of Allah Ta'ala, Allah Ta'ala shows us many signs. This is just one of these signs. But just to list a few of the signs of Allah Ta'ala which He mentions in the Qur'an.

Sign 1: Our Homes

Allah Ta'ala mentions regarding our homes:

That Allah Ta'ala has made our homes a means of peace, a means of comfort. Just like right now when the weather is getting colder and we return to the heat of our homes, our homes become a means of comfort for us. And then later on in the ayah Allah Ta'ala mentions regarding animals:

From the wool, from the fur, from the hair of the animals, it becomes a means of furniture and adornments for some time. Meaning that even the animals — we wear different pieces of clothing, different garments which are made of different materials, which are made from the fur of animals, from the cotton of plants, from the different hides of animals. So these are all signs of Allah Ta'ala which He lists and tells us: this is a means for you, O man, to turn back to Me. That even the garments which we wear are a sign of Allah Ta'ala which indicate towards Him.

Sign 2: The Ships at Sea

Allah Ta'ala mentions regarding ships:

That from amongst the signs of Allah Ta'ala are the ships which penetrate through the seas like mountains. Now think about it — if you grab a pebble, if you grab a rock, and if you were to toss it into the ocean, what would happen? The rock would sink to the ground. But now think: the ships are such that they are as large as mountains. Nowadays, the largest ships today are measured around 1,188 feet. And they are floating above the water, they are piercing through the seas.

That you see the ships piercing through the oceans — just as that one small rock sinks to the bottom, we see the ships are floating above the seas, piercing through the waves, and taking man from one destination to another. Even the ships which we make are a sign of Allah Ta'ala, and He mentions this in the Qur'an.

Sign 3: The Rain Cycle and Resurrection

Another sign which Allah Ta'ala mentions is regarding the rain, the cycle of rain. Allah Ta'ala says:

Allah Ta'ala says that Allah is the One who sends the winds, then they raise the clouds, and then We drive them to dead land, and then they revive the land after its death. Allah Ta'ala is describing the rain cycle, and how the winds move the clouds, and how the clouds bring the rain down. And you see barren land, land which we would describe as dead land, and through Allah Ta'ala's rahmah, through Allah Ta'ala creating this entire cycle, He revives that land — and now this land is, we could say, alive.

Allah Ta'ala then gives us something to reflect on in this ayah: that just as Allah Ta'ala brings this land back to life, Allah Ta'ala will similarly resurrect man. That just as this land which we would say was dead a few moments ago, after this rain it came back to life — Allah Ta'ala can easily create all of us back, Allah Ta'ala can easily resurrect us all. The One who created man in the first place is the One who will resurrect them. How can it be such that Allah Ta'ala would create man from nothing, and when man passes away, then there won't be an afterlife? Obviously Allah Ta'ala can easily create man and bring him back. That is another sign — Allah Ta'ala over here is giving us something to reflect on, that just as you see the rain, just as you see that land which was dead, one day man will be dead, one day we will be in our graves, and Allah Ta'ala will bring us back, just as He brings back this land.

Sign 4: The Length of Day and Night

Another sign which we are currently witnessing today, in these few months, is the length of the day and the night. Allah Ta'ala says:

Allah Ta'ala says that He dips the night into the day, and He dips the day into the night. Meaning that throughout some times of the year the days are longer, throughout some times of the year the nights are longer, and this fluctuates throughout the year. For example right now, we're witnessing the nights being lengthened and the days being shortened. And so Allah Ta'ala says that He subjugates the sun and the moon — this isn't a coincidence. Rather this is all happening through the will and through the command of Allah Ta'ala.

And similarly, just as the days and the nights are being dipped into each other in terms of length, the effects of day and night are also being dipped into each other. Just as when the nights are longer, we know that when it's nighttime it gets cooler — the environment becomes cold. Similarly when the nights are now longer, we see that it is now cold during the daytime as well, and the temperature is dropping. But when the days are lengthened, then we see that the temperature rises — and even at night, the temperature is warmer than what it is throughout this time of the year. So Allah Ta'ala is listing these as His signs.

Sign 5: The Colors of Autumn

Now, the last sign which I would mention today — and is perhaps what inspired me to speak about this topic — is the sign of Allah Ta'ala regarding colors. We see that now we have entered the autumn season. Autumn began just about a month ago. We see the colors of the trees changing. We see shades of golden, we see shades of yellow, we see shades of orange and red. We see all these different colors around us, on the trees, on the ground.

Autumn is known to be a very colorful season. There's a quote saying that autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons. Meaning that you see all the colors of autumn — autumn is the most colorful season. And colors are a sign of Allah Ta'ala which He mentioned in the Qur'an, and we can use the colors which we see as a way to turn back to Allah Ta'ala.

Allah Ta'ala mentioned in Surah al-Fatir:

Allah Ta'ala is mentioning: don't you see that Allah Ta'ala sends water from the skies? And in turn what happens? فَأَخْرَجْنَا بِهِ — from that water We take out ثَمَرَاتٍ — different forms of fruit, various fruits — مُخْتَلِفًا أَلْوَانُهَا — of different colors, various different colors. And we see different fruits, they have different colors. وَمِنَ الْجِبَالِ جُدَدٌ بِيضٌ وَحُمْرٌ مُّخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَانُهَا وَغَرَابِيبُ سُودٌ — and amongst the mountains are different passes, different mountain passes, which have different colors of red, of white, and intense black colors.

Allah Ta'ala is telling us that even the colors which we see around us — which everything we see has a color — are a means for us to turn back to Allah Ta'ala. And regarding these mountains, there are forms of mountains which have these colors. For example, there are mountains in Peru known as the Rainbow Mountains which have these different shades. There is also another mountain pass in China which is known as Earth's Color Palette. Because of the colors, if you were to look at pictures of these mountains or if you were to go and visit them, you will see just as Allah Ta'ala describes — جُدَدٌ بِيضٌ وَحُمْرٌ مُّخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَانُهَا وَغَرَابِيبُ سُودٌ — you see these different colors on these mountains. You see shades of red, you see shades of white, you see shades of black.

A Grammatical Subtlety in the Qur'an

And another thing to note in this ayah — Mufti Shafi'i rahmatullahi alayhi mentions that if you look at the grammatical structure of this sentence, Allah Ta'ala uses مُخْتَلِفًا أَلْوَانُهَا regarding the fruits, and مُخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَانُهَا regarding the mountains. So we see a difference in the harakat regarding the word which is used to show different colors.

Regarding the fruits, Allah Ta'ala said مُخْتَلِفًا — which has a فَتْحَتَيْن. For those who are studying Arabic, this is generally, if you have an Arabic word by itself, it will end with a ضَمَّة or a ضَمَّتَيْن. However, this word has a فَتْحَتَيْن. And we know that fruits — are they all the same color? Are all fruits red? Even apples which we know are red: apples are red, apples are yellow, apples are green. All fruits have different colors. So Allah Ta'ala has used this grammatical form to show that even the fruits which Allah Ta'ala has sent you, the colors which you see in the fruits and their various colors, are a sign for you to turn back to Allah Ta'ala.

Then Allah Ta'ala mentions regarding the mountains — مُخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَانُهَا — that the mountains have a ضَمَّة, which is the asal state of grammar. That if a word is brought by itself then it will have a ضَمَّة. And so this shows that the mountains — they don't change colors. Rather they have that same color and they will remain with that color. And again, this is just one of the subtleties of the Qur'an. When we connect ourselves to the Qur'an, then we will pick up on these subtleties.

Now Allah Ta'ala, after mentioning the different colors of the mountains, mentions that even:

That regarding man, and beasts, and cattle, there are also different colors — just as you see the different colors in the fruits, you see the different colors of even these mountains. Allah Ta'ala then says that surely those who have knowledge will have true fear of Allah Ta'ala, will have that true consciousness of Allah Ta'ala.

So we see that even colors — in our knowledge of geography, in our knowledge of botany — these are ways for us to come back to Allah Ta'ala. And the idea is that pure knowledge itself is not what brings us to Allah Ta'ala. Rather it is knowledge coupled with action. When that recognition of Allah Ta'ala, when that knowledge of Allah Ta'ala brings us to action, then we will achieve what is known as khashiya, we will achieve what is known as taqwa of Allah Ta'ala.

Therefore, the more knowledge we attain — from Arabic, to fiqh, to mathematics, to biology, to sociology — all of these sciences can become a means for us to turn back to Allah Ta'ala, provided we have the right intention. Provided that we study these sciences with the intention that it brings us to Allah Ta'ala, and we ponder upon these sciences and upon the signs and the creation of Allah Ta'ala, then the more knowledge we attain, the more khashiya of Allah Ta'ala we can achieve.

Winter: An Opportunity for Worship

Now, just something to take home regarding this seasonal change. Generally as we approach winter, we see it gets colder, and people's moods are off, and everyone just wants to be at home in front of a heater, bundled up in blankets, and we just want to be by ourselves. But the idea is that the winter time is a great opportunity for us to enhance our connection with Allah Ta'ala.

There's a hadith of Nabi, peace and blessings be upon him, regarding the winter months — he described them as months in which we can attain heaps of reward. Rasulullah, peace and blessings be upon him, says:

(Jami' al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 797)

That literally the cold spoils of war — meaning that the spoils of war which are attained in the cold months — are fasting in the winter. Why? Because as we mentioned, now the days are shorter, so we have more opportunities to fast. Because the days are shorter, fasting becomes easier. The nights are longer, so now we can spend more time in ibadah, we can spend more time in tahajjud. It becomes easier for us to wake up for tahajjud.

There's a narration of Ibn Mas'ud radiallahu anh, in which he welcomes winter. He says:

Ibn Mas'ud radiallahu anh welcomed the winter. He said: مَرْحَبًا بِالشِّتَاءِ — in this month, تَنْزِلُ فِيهِ الْبَرَكَةُ — the blessings of Allah Ta'ala descend throughout this time of the year. وَيَطُولُ فِيهِ اللَّيْلُ لِلْقِيَامِ — the nights have become long so that we may spend them in standing and worship for Allah Ta'ala, praying salah, extending our time in prayer at night. وَيَقْصُرُ فِيهِ النَّهَارُ لِلصِّيَامِ — and the days have shortened, so it becomes easier to fast.

So we must remember that although it may become colder, although our moods may be off, although it may be very cloudy and we may feel very gloomy — however, in everything there is an opportunity for us to come back to Allah Ta'ala. This is a time where we can try to get our Isha in jama'ah, in the masjid, if we were unable to before, due to its time coming in earlier. This is a time where we can now build the habit of tahajjud. Because as the days are shorter, as the nights are longer, the time of tahajjud is only delayed. So if we don't have the habit of tahajjud, then we can build this habit.

This is a time where we can build a habit of fasting — for example, fasting on Mondays and Thursdays. Now the days are shorter, so if we weren't already, then we can start fasting on Mondays and Thursdays. This is a sunnah fast. And we can even increase our fast if we want to.

And of course, if we have any salawat or any fasts which we have to make up — may Allah Ta'ala protect us from having any salawat which we have to make up, may Allah Ta'ala protect us from having any fasts to make up, may Allah Ta'ala allow us to be habitual on our salah and our fast — but if it is the case that we have some to make up, then this is the perfect opportunity. Why? Because now the days are shorter, we can make up our fasts. Now the nights are longer, so we can spend that time in ibadah, we can spend that time making up our prayers.

Closing Du'a

So may Allah Ta'ala grant us the tawfiq to recognize the signs of His which He displays for us, and allow us to translate that recognition into action.

Announcements

InshAllah we can get up for our sunnahs. Just a couple of announcements. If everyone can please stand up and move forward and make sure not to leave any gaps so that we can make space for others.

Also, please pass the donation boxes from left to right and donate generously. Sadaqah is something which wards off calamities and draws the mercy of Allah Ta'ala. Nabi, peace and blessings be upon him, is reported to have said that charity given on the day of Jumu'ah is greater in reward than any other day. This hadith comes in the Musannaf of Abdur Razzaq.

We also request that you join us on October 31st, which is a Monday, for our youth night for ages 5 to 16. Please bring your kids to the masjid for our fun activities and we will also serve refreshments. This will be again October 31st, Monday from 5:00 to 7:30 PM.

Additionally, registration for our annual Seerah conference is now open. The Seerah conference will be on November 11th to November 12th. You can RSVP at majidds.org/seerah-conference.

And please help us reach our goal of 25 million salawat. If you would like more info, you can check out our website at majidds.org/salawat.

We have a few weekly programs:

Saturday Team Fajr — which will be tomorrow. Fajr Iqamah will be at 6:15 AM.

Bukhari Dars — We have a weekly Bukhari Dars which takes place Mondays after Isha. All brothers and sisters are encouraged to join. We request that you please invite your friends and family.

Tafsir Program — every Tuesday after Isha. This Tuesday we will be continuing with Surah al-Anbiya. Please be sure to join us with your friends and family.

Weekly Salawat Gathering — on Thursdays after Isha. We request that you join us. All these events are also live-streamed for those who are unable to make it.

There are some requests for du'a. There is a du'a request for the maghfirah of Anwar Basha, the father of Liyaqat Ali, one of our musallis. And there is a du'a request for shifa for brother Sayyid Fasahat Ali. He is having open heart surgery on Tuesday. We ask that Allah Ta'ala makes it easy for him and grants him a swift recovery.