Always Changing
Uzma Mazhar
Everything in creation grows and changes..
that is the process of life. Nothing remains the same
forever. We see this growth process in everything around
us.
In plants.. a small seed sprouts into a beautiful plant, bearing
flowers and fruit.
A delicate and beautiful butterfly starts life in
a nondescript manner. The same with other animals. Seasons change, day changes into night, the moon
waxes and wanes.. change is around us everywhere we look.
We are aware of the changes in a human
being at the physical level, we see infants grow up into children, then
young adolescents and then adult and finally old age starts creeping in.
With this physical growth we also grow emotionally, mentally and
spiritually.
How much attention do we give to our own
mental, emotional and spiritual growth? Most of us live on
'auto-pilot', unaware of our thoughts, feelings and actions. No
wonder we keep making the same mistakes over and over again.
Islam is about growth and change. That
is why we are asked to think, ponder and reflect on everything around
us... to learn from what we see. To take clues from how life around
us unfolds. There are lessons for us in everything.
The
hadith about Islām, Īmān and Ihsān gives us an indication of how our
faith grows in certainty. The levels
of the nafs explains the path we take in our growth.
Sūrah al Inshiqāq 84.19
'You shall move onward from one state/condition to another state or
condition.'
Growth and evolution must be a conscious
process. We are responsible for our conditions as our thoughts,
feelings and actions impact the quality of our life. That is why we
are told that we are accountable for the choices we make in our life.
Sūrah al Anfāl 8.53
'God would never change the blessings with which He has graced a people
unless they change their inner selves...'
Sūrah ar Ra'd 13.11
'God does not change men's condition unless they change their inner
selves...'
Our growth is reflected in our everyday
life... it is not about just talking the talk. If I am changing I
should be able to see it. Beliefs and actions go hand in hand.
© 2003 UzmaMazhar@hotmail.com
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