Faith is like water to plants. It is why God uses the example of water/rain reviving the dead earth over and over again in the Qur'an just like how He brings life to a (spiritually) dead heart through faith.
What's interesting is that you have to gradually water a fragile plant with tiny amounts in the beginning because if you inundate/flood it with too much water, it's likely going to be damaged with the overwhelming pressure it has to bear. However, once the same plant turns into a big strong tree, not only does it have the capacity to absorb more water, grow and nourish; it also is now able to benefit others by giving fruits of its own. In the worse case scenario, it also has the ability to become a pillar of its own and withstand outside pressures such as strong winds and floods without causing too much damage to itself.
Similarly, the human heart is the same. If you dump too much water on it in its baby stages of acquiring faith (in God), you might kill it. That's why it took THIRTEEN YEARS of faith-building before God could send down any injunction onto Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) and his companions. He gradually built them and their hearts with gentle spurts of faith and once they had become big and strong trees, they could finally handle the responsibilities and regulations that came along with them being Muslims (literally: those who submit to God).
How patient are we to those around us? How gentle are we to ourselves? Do we give ourselves and others at least thirteen years to grow and nourish before we even come close to being despondent?
Just like the stones that take a while to make space for rivers to pour forth, give yourself and others the time and opportunity to grow. Faith will eventually sink in and perhaps benefit you even more than you could have ever imagined! :)
What's interesting is that you have to gradually water a fragile plant with tiny amounts in the beginning because if you inundate/flood it with too much water, it's likely going to be damaged with the overwhelming pressure it has to bear. However, once the same plant turns into a big strong tree, not only does it have the capacity to absorb more water, grow and nourish; it also is now able to benefit others by giving fruits of its own. In the worse case scenario, it also has the ability to become a pillar of its own and withstand outside pressures such as strong winds and floods without causing too much damage to itself.
Similarly, the human heart is the same. If you dump too much water on it in its baby stages of acquiring faith (in God), you might kill it. That's why it took THIRTEEN YEARS of faith-building before God could send down any injunction onto Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) and his companions. He gradually built them and their hearts with gentle spurts of faith and once they had become big and strong trees, they could finally handle the responsibilities and regulations that came along with them being Muslims (literally: those who submit to God).
How patient are we to those around us? How gentle are we to ourselves? Do we give ourselves and others at least thirteen years to grow and nourish before we even come close to being despondent?
Just like the stones that take a while to make space for rivers to pour forth, give yourself and others the time and opportunity to grow. Faith will eventually sink in and perhaps benefit you even more than you could have ever imagined! :)
"...No doubt, there are stones out of which rivers gush forth, and indeed, there are of them (stones) which split so that water flows from them, and indeed, there are of them (stones) which fall down in awe of God..." - Qur'an 2:74
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| Beet Saplings: Bear Creek Community Church Garden, Irving TX |
