Muhammad Bin Ibrahim At-Tuwejri in his book titled “Fiqh Ul-Quloob” (“Understanding of the Hearts”) beautifully presents Allah’s (swt) numerous and wonderful creations. The objective is to draw attention from this world’s concrete realities and lead to the spiritual and abstract reality, and, hence, for man to find his role and purpose of life.
Granting Stability
“Have We not made the earth as a resting place? And the mountains as stakes?” (An-Naba 78:6-7)
The earth rotates and revolves. Can you feel these movements? That is because Allah (swt), out of His divine mercy, has created the land like a cradle and pegged it with mountain stakes to stabilize it. The movements are so gradual that they go unnoticed, and the mountains hold the earth down, preventing it from rocking.
Allah (swt) has granted them a perfect shape for each geographical terrain. If the mountains were high and straight like a wall, it would not have been possible to measure them. Had they been round, no one could have climbed them. Had they been lying around, people would have had no space to do anything. If they had filled the earth, they would have blocked air and light.
Managing Water
“Do you not see that Allah sends down rain from the sky, and We produce thereby fruits of varying colours? And in the mountains are tracts, white and red of varying shades and [some] extremely black.” (Fatir 35:27)
Snow at the top of the mountain melts and gushes forth in the form of rivers, streams, and waterfalls travelling through hills and valleys. It provides a source of water to all living beings. If there were no mountains, all the glaciers would melt, water would be lost, and floods would kill all living beings.
It is Allah’s (swt) Sunnah to grant different positions and statuses to all His creations. Similarly, mountains differ in size, colour, and hardness, yet they all tremble with fear before their Lord. Men should submit likewise. They must never compare, feel jealous, superior or inferior to others. It is Allah’s (swt) prevailing principle that we are all different, and this is for our own benefit.
Caring for Animals and Humans
“And among people and moving creatures and grazing livestock are various colours similarly. Only those fear Allah, from among His servants, who have knowledge. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Forgiving.” (Fatir 35:28)
Mountains give shelter and food to numerous animals, birds and insects. They provide habitats to mountain goats, ibex, leopards, eagles and forest animals.
In the form of hill stations, mountains facilitate people to find their way. They provide shade, tunnels and caves for protection from danger and extreme weather. They deflect or break the force of wild winds. Some mountains produce herbs and medicines for us, while others provide us with fruits and nuts. They are also a source of mines, precious gems and stones.
Prostrating to Allah (swt)
“Do you not see that to Allah prostrates whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth and the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, the moving creatures and many of the people? But upon many the punishment has been justified. And he whom Allah humiliates – for him there is no bestower of honour. Indeed, Allah does what He wills.” (Al-Hajj 22:18)
The Quran and the creation of Allah (swt) together enable a believer to reflect upon His signs. The outcome of knowledge must be Allah’s (swt) Khashiyat (fear). The aim behind learning the Quran should be to know the true status and power of Allah (swt) as our Rabb. Hence, the heart and body both submit. This is the absolute condition of worship and obedience of Allah (swt).
Those who refuse to submit in this world will never be able to prostrate before Allah (swt) on the Day of Judgement, even if they wish to do so. Their backs will be like stiff wooden planks, unbendable, and their eternal home will be the hellfire.
The Quran breaks us to build us better. Those who refuse to break bad habits will eventually be burnt by the hellfire. Our different states of the heart are also like mountains. Sometimes we fall in Sajdah like a rock falls over. Sometimes we cry, like a rock breaks away due to landslides and waterfalls. When was the last time we trembled in fear and fell into Sajdah? This is the time to check our Salah and the state of our hearts.
Fearing of Allah (swt)
“Indeed, we offered the Trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, and they declined to bear it and feared it; but man [undertook to] bear it. Indeed, he was unjust and ignorant.” (Al-Ahzab 33:72)
The mountains and the other creations were offered to carry the moral duties and responsibilities in this world. They all refused out of fear of a bad outcome, i.e., going to hell upon failure. Only man accepted it. He knows less and is more ignorant. Other creations know Allah (swt), hence, they submit to Him unconditionally, while humans are self-deceiving. The heedless from among them have hearts that are harder than mountains. Most humans did not honour the responsibility of Amanah (trust) placed with them. Their response has been ignorant and of a Zalim, not a true believer.
But at the same time, our Khashiyat (fear and submission) before Allah (swt) is priceless, because we bow down to Him out of free will. Free will is not a gift or privilege, but a responsible choice. Knowledge changes people from inside, and the impact shows on the outside through our dignified behaviour.
The End
“And they ask you about the mountains, so say, ‘My Lord will blow them away with a blast. And He will leave the earth a level plain; You will not see therein a depression or an elevation.’” (Taha 20:105-107)
If that is the end of the mighty mountains, what will happen to us? Today mountaineers climb summits and peaks and hoist flags of their achievement. But the true achievement is when our heart and soul bows before Allah (swt), acknowledging Him as our Master and Owner.
Allah (swt) will perish all these giants on the Day of Resurrection. They will be levelled with no account to offer, as they would have served their purpose of creation. But man will have to stand for 50,000 years to offer his account of what he did in his worldly life.
How fortunate are these mountains which have no account to give.
Status of Religious Knowledge
“If We had sent down this Quran upon a mountain, you would have seen it humbled and coming apart from fear of Allah. And these examples We present to the people that perhaps they will give thought.” (Al-Hashr 59:21)
Jabir bin Abdullah (rtam) narrated: “The Prophet (sa) used to stand by a tree or a date-palm on Friday. Then an Ansari woman or man said: ‘O Allah’s Messenger! Shall we make a pulpit for you?’ He replied, ‘If you wish.’ So they made a pulpit for him, and when it was Friday, he proceeded towards the pulpit (to deliver the Khutbah (religious sermon). The date-palm cried like a child! The Prophet (sa) descended (from the pulpit) and embraced it, while it continued moaning like a child being quietened. The Prophet (sa) said: ‘It was crying for (missing) what it used to hear of religious knowledge given near it.’” (Bukhari)
The condition of a mountain would have been no different.
Adapted from “Fiqh ul Quloob”.
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