Ode to Autumn 🍁

Salaam Minara Family,

Subhan Allah isn’t Autumn just divine? Tell me I can’t be the only one that feels this way? Dancing leaves pirouetting to the ground; the crisp curl of the leaves as they gracefully grow old; a symphony of colours warming the cool September sky; Autumnal sunshine lighting the way to Winter; ember-edged fires burning in hearths; magical pumpkin pies and woody aromas of cinnamon spice… somebody make me stop! 🔥

All of Autumn’s visual cues are emotional anchors, connecting us to our past, prompting us to reflect on the passage of time and the absolute beauty of a world designed perfectly by Allah.

The existence of Autumn, the transition from one season to another, the beauty of each season - these all testify to the certainty of Allah’s presence. We have zero control over changes in temperature, weather, nature’s hues, seasonal produce, shortening of the days and the extension of nights. It is only by Allah’s permission and design that we bear witness to these wonders of life.

Recognising these signs of Allah allows us to practice gratitude for the ease and abundance that nature brings. With this comes acceptance and surrender to the Will of Allah because surely the Creator of a such a perfect world has an absolutely perfect plan for us too.

As you welcome Autumn, these are five tips for you to interact with nature in a mindful and God-conscious way.

1. There’s something about getting your hands dirty in soil. Perhaps because we originate from there on some level. Tend to some plants or walk barefoot on soil to enhance your emotional well-being and ponder over both our roots and final resting place. 🪴

2. There is no better music than that of nature’s sounds including the song of birds. Hang bird feeders or put water baths to attract birds and let your garden be a haven for the remembrance of Allah. Yes - birds engage in dhikr too!🕊️

3. Start a small herb or produce garden and marvel as you watch them grow by the permission of Allah. This is also a great way to reduce your usage of plastic-packed products too. 🌱🏵️🌱

4. Autumn is a time for eating seasonal - parsnips, potatoes, pumpkins cooked into warming stews and for hunting blackberries in hedgerows. Eat locally and eat as much fresh produce as you can. The Prophet peace be upon him used to eat from the fresh fruit of his land and this is a great way of preserving health. 🫐🥔🍠

5. And finally, smile! Yes smile. When you witness something beautiful, be it an autumnal palette of colours, or a walkway of resting leaves, 😊[and say ma sha Allah] in gratitude for the beauty Allah has placed in Autumn.

“It is Allah Who has made for you the earth as a resting place, and the sky as a canopy, and has given you shape and made your shapes beautiful and has provided for you sustenance.”

Surah Ghafir (40:64)

Here, we are encouraged to reflect on the absolute harmony and coordination with which earth has been designed. Take the sky for example. If Allah had not created a sky to blanket us, earth would have been exposed to outer space and we would have been annihilated. The celestial system ensures our protection and peace on the earth. 🌏

Next, look at our sustenance. 🍎🍠🥩

We have such an abundance of water, fresh vegetables and fruits, milk, honey, meats… All of these grow naturally from the earth in some form and their supply never fails.

Clearly, nature is an extension of Allah’s names and a manifestation of his qualities. He is so Wise and the only Provider.

Salah’s connection with nature

Did you know that the root word of salah is صلة [silah] which means connection?

Prayer is an invitation to collect all the different fragments of yourself - in the home, in school, at work - and become whole again. It is a time for connection just like the root letters of salah imply: we connect with Allah and our souls.

Where better to do this than in nature which has been entrusted to us just like our souls? We go to nature to heal, to awaken, to contemplate and salah is intended to help us orient with it.

Have you ever had the privilege of offering a prayer outside, under the shade of a wise old tree or on a blanket of sand or by the rustle of water where it meets the land? If you ever get the opportunity, then we encourage you to steal the moment to perform your salah under the canopy of the sky. 🌄

Salah connects us with the world of creation. It also makes us conscious of time passing as we see the sun transcend the horizon in its rising and falling. The quiet of nature makes the perfect backdrop for a mindful salah as you reconnect your mind, body and heart with Allah and all of His signs.

I love this quote

A reminder that there is beauty even in the imperfections of darker nights, rainier days, the approaching end of a year and and the sure feelings of uncertainty that come with change. Do we need more of a prompt to let go and embrace the beauty of change?

Do you have a favourite quote about Autumn and the promise of hope, change and reflection it teases? Please do share!

Until next week then my friends. May you find joy in the charm of this season and may your Autumn bring with it quiet reflections and growth.

With prayers and duas,

The Minara Team