The Human Cohesion Project — 8 Apr 2024
A Celestial Reminder
Dear Descendant,
Today, some parts of the world experience the awe-inspiring phenomenon of a total solar eclipse. In the Islamic tradition, eclipses are viewed not as omens of fortune or misfortune but as significant reminders of Allah’s power and the grandeur of His creation.
The Prophet Muhammad instructed the Muslim community to turn to prayer and supplication upon witnessing an eclipse, emphasising it as a moment to seek refuge in Allah’s mercy and to contemplate our place within the universe. In the Sahih Bukhari, Book 18, he is noted to have said, “The sun and the moon do not eclipse because of the death of someone from the people but they are two signs amongst the signs of Allah. When you see them, stand up and pray.”
The English poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning conveyed a similar sentiment in her verse when she wrote:
Earth’s crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God,
But only he who sees takes off his shoes;
The rest sit round and pluck blackberries.
In a world that often feels disconnected from the natural rhythms of the universe, celestial phenomena like solar eclipses serve as powerful reminders of the intricate order and beauty in life, inviting us to reflect, to wonder, and to draw closer to the force that created us all.
Ramadan Kareem. May we nourish our ability to be in awe of life.
#RukminiIyer #ExultSolutions #peacebuilding #interfaith #Ramadan #Islam
