Glimpses of Spring

The sleeping trees wake up, dry leaves fall and green leaves sprout in their stead. Some men die and are replaced by others. The dark night perishes as the dawn breaks. Every going is followed by coming and every coming ends in going. We, too, come to this world and will leave it one day. Time elapses non-stop. We human beings also should move and provide something for future.

The Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (AS) says, “He whose two days are equal is a loser; and he whose tomorrow is worse than his today is indeed deprived.”

The birds call God while they sing. The trees are not negligent of God’s remembrance while they produce oxygen. All creatures are engaged in the worship and glorification of God. The holy Qur’an says in ayah 44 of surah Isra, “The seven heavens glorify Him, and the earth, and whatever is in them. There is not a thing but glorifies His praise, but you do not understand their glorification.”

It is so ugly if human being is indulged in negligence while all creatures are in the state of worship of God. Spring has come to remind us of that we are the servants of God. It calls us to march in the path of knowledge acquisition, and training of the body and spirit.

No doubt, servitude of God along with purposeful studying, physical exercise, learning various skills and moral self-building will lead the individual in the way of perfection and sublimity which will in turn result in eternal salvation and bliss.

In the enlivening spring canaries and nightingales are sprightly as they see fresh flowers and greenery. Colorful blossoms give the heavenly message to human being that he, too, should abandon spite, grief and worry and be heedful of the divine blessings. How come we, human beings, do not take admonitions from the revival of the nature? The dead nature is revived in spring; so, isn’t the Creator of the nature able to revive human beings after death? Now that the swallows have removed snow from their wings and are flying in the sky; we, too, had better refer to our divine nature and behave kindly and generously to take provision for the hereafter.

In spring it seems that all creatures are singing a beautiful song ensemble. Pondering over these developments will lead man toward a great reality; i.e. there is another life ate this transient life of the world. The human knowledge has failed to define the reality of life and death. But the divine religions have explained it and Islam has expounded on it in detail. Islam says that every deed in this world has an internal form in the hereafter and in fact the true form of our actions will be seen in the world after. Goodness, evilness, justice, oppression, stinginess, generosity, etc. have a surface and inward. The inward form of our deeds will make our paradise or hell. However, according to the holy Qur’an only this reality is understood only by those who apply intellect.  Spring calls on us to apply our power of intellect and reflection on different phenomena. One day the Commander of the Faithful and Leader of the Pious Imam Ali (Peace upon him) was asked, “Have you seen your Lord?” He answered, “I do not worship a lord whom I don’t see.” Then he continued, “The eyes never see Him but the hearts see Him through the realities of belief.”

Nowruz comes to dust our eyes from negligence and tell us that it is never late for refreshment and changing. We should turn our heart toward God and revise our beliefs.

Let us behold our surrounding closely and attentively. How beautiful God has revived the nature! Thus, we, too, should discover our talents and realize the greatness of the Creator through the wonders of our being. That’s why Imam Ali (AS) said, “The one who recognized his self has definitely recognized his Lord.”

We thank God that manifests His signs and reminds us the reality of creation through revival of the nature in spring.        

 RM/SS