Reflecting in creations of Allah SWT
تَفَكُّرُ سَاعَةٍ خَيْرٌ مِنْ قِيَامِ لَيْلَةٍ
English Translation:
“Reflecting for an hour is better than praying the whole night.”
(Reported by Al-Bayhaqi in Shu’ab al-Iman)
Thinking Deeply About Creations of Allah in Hadith
The following hadith tells us the virtues of reflections in the creations
عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ الله عَنْهُمَا قَالَ: دَخَلَ عَلَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآله وَسَلَّمَ وَنَحْنُ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ حَلَقٌ حَلَقٌ، فَقَالَ لَنَا رَسُولُ الله صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآله وَسَلَّمَ: «فِيمَ أَنْتُمْ؟»، قُلْنَا: نَتَفَكَّرُ فِي الشَّمْسِ كَيْفَ طَلَعَتْ؟ وَكَيْفَ غَرَبَتْ؟ قَالَ: «أَحْسَنْتُمْ، كُونُوا هَكَذَا، تَفَكَّرُوا فِي الْمَخْلُوقِ، وَلَا تَفَكَّرُوا فِي الْخَالِقِ
تَفَكَّرُوا فِي الْمَخْلُوقِ، وَلَا تَفَكَّرُوا فِي الْخَالِقِ
The Messenger of Allah (صلي الله عليه و آله وبارك و سلم) came to us while we were in the mosque sitting in circles. He asked us, “What are you discussing?”
We replied, “We are reflecting on how the sun rises and sets.”
The Messenger of Allah (صلي الله عليه و آله وبارك و سلم) said, “You have done well. Continue in this manner. Reflect upon the creation, but do not reflect upon the Creator.”
The Quran Calls to ponder in the Creations
This verse of Qurfan complements Ahadith about reflecting on the Creations of the only Creator Allah (SWT):
(Quran 3:190-191):
Verse 1
This verse of Qurfan complements Ahadith about reflecting on the Creations of the only Creator Allah (SWT):
(Quran 3:190-191):
إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لَآيَاتٍ لِأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ
الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ
English Translation:
“Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding – those who remember Allah while standing, sitting, and lying on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth.”
Verse 2
This verse of Qurfan complements Ahadith about reflecting on the Creations of the only Creator Allah (SWT):
(Quran 3:190-191):
إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لَآيَاتٍ لِأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ
الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ
“Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding – those who remember Allah while standing, sitting, and lying on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth.” (3:190-191):
Verse 3
This verse of Qurfan complements Ahadith about reflecting on the Creations of the only Creator Allah (SWT):
(Quran 3:190-191):
إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لَآيَاتٍ لِأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ
الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ
“Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding – those who remember Allah while standing, sitting, and lying on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth.” (3:190-191):
Signs of Allah in His creations are for our guidance
This verse of Quran tells us the relation between the signs of creations of Allah (SWT) and our guidance.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ لَا يَہۡدِيہِمُ ٱللَّهُ وَلَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
Indeed, those who do not believe in the signs of Allah – Allah will not guide them, and for them is a painful punishment.”(Surah An-Nahl, 16:104)
People who lie about the Creations
This verse of Quran tells us about the people who make fake stories and fake arguments about the Creations of Allah (SWT). These are those people who say that all this perfection around us is random. Astagfirullah.
إِنَّمَا يَفۡتَرِى ٱلۡكَذِبَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِۖ وَأُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡڪَـٰذِبُونَ
English Translation:
“Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding – those who remember Allah while standing, sitting, and lying on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth.”
The Prophet (Salallaho alayhay wa alehe wabarik wa sallam)’s own Reflection in the creations”
كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا قَامَ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ تَفَكَّرَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ
This is a summary of longer hadith that when the Messenger of Allah (صلي الله عليه و آله وبارك و سلم) would wake up during the night, he would reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth.”
(Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim).
The actual hadith is written below
أنَّهُ باتَ عِنْدَ النبيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلَّمَ ذاتَ لَيْلَةٍ فَقامَ نَبِيُّ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلَّمَ مِن آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ، فَخَرَجَ فَنَظَرَ في السَّماءِ، ثُمَّ تَلا هذِه الآيَةَ في آلِ عِمْرانَ {إنَّ في خَلْقِ السَّمَواتِ والْأَرْضِ واخْتِلافِ اللَّيْلِ والنَّهارِ} حتَّى بَلَغَ {فقِنا عَذابَ النَّارِ} [آل عمران: 190 – 191] ثُمَّ رَجَعَ إلى البَيْتِ فَتَسَوَّكَ وتَوَضَّأَ، ثُمَّ قامَ فَصَلَّى ثُمَّ اضْطَجَعَ ثُمَّ قامَ، فَخَرَجَ فَنَظَرَ إلى السَّماءِ فَتَلا هذِه الآيَةَ، ثُمَّ رَجَعَ فَتَسَوَّكَ فَتَوَضَّأَ، ثُمَّ قامَ فَصَلَّى.
الراوي : عبدالله بن عباس | المحدث : مسلم | المصدر : صحيح مسلم | الصفحة أو الرقم : 256 | خلاصة حكم المحدث : [صحيح] | التخريج : من أفراد مسلم على البخاري
Companion Abdullah bin Abbas spent a night with the Prophet (صلي الله عليه و آله وبارك و سلم). The Prophet of Allah (صلي الله عليه و آله وبارك و سلم) woke up during the last part of the night, went out, and looked at the sky. Then he recited this verse from Surah Aal-e-Imran: {Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day} until he reached {So protect us from the punishment of the Fire} (Aal-e-Imran: 190-191). Then he returned to the house, used the siwak (tooth-stick), performed ablution, and prayed. He then lay down, got up again, went out, looked at the sky, recited this verse again, returned, used the siwak, performed ablution, and prayed.”
This hadith emphasizes the Prophet Muhammad’s (صلي الله عليه و آله وبارك و سلم) deep reflection on the signs of Allah in the creation of the heavens and the earth, as well as his devotion to prayer and worship during the night.
