SubhanAllah, Alhamdulillah! It is among the immense blessings of Allah Al-Wahaab (The Bestower of Gifts) to remain grounded amidst vertical heights, and to witness His wonders manifesting into even the smallest of creatures like the little squirrels roaming almost everywhere around our vicinity.
While reading about squirrels, I came upon something fascinating, the squirrels often forget where they bury their nuts. At first glance, that seems like a failure, lost effort, forgotten work. But SubhanAllah! Those very forgotten seeds often sprout into new trees. What looks like a loss becomes the beginning of new life. SubhanAllah! Such is the wisdom of Allah Al-Hakeem (The All-Wise) sometimes what appears wasted is in fact transformed into hidden blessings. Forgotten acorns (oak fruits that contain seeds) by squirrels can eventually grow into a mighty oaks, even into an entire forest, an entire ecosystem that nourishes generations of life, including future squirrels!
And here is where I find myself smiling, because I too, share this trait with squirrels. I also sometimes forget things. And due to this, sometimes I underestimate myself because of it. I worry about what I have “buried” and never gone back to. Yet, SubhanAllah, isn’t that the point? Not every effort needs to bear fruit immediately, nor does every thing need to remain in my memory for it to matter. What I forget may still live on, grow, and take root in ways I cannot see.
SubhanAllah! Just as squirrels don’t know which of their nuts will become trees, and even become an entire forest and home to many other squirrels. I cannot control which of my efforts will flourish. My role is to plant, strive, and trust Allah Al-Hakeem’s immense hikmah with the outcome.
And legacy? It often comes quietly, in what we leave behind. A squirrel never sees the forest it accidentally helps create. Similarly, I may never witness the full reach of my deeds, words, or intentions. Yet by Allah Ar-Raheem’s mercy, those “forgotten acorns” can continue to grow long after me, becoming sadaqah e jariya(ongoing charity ), a reward that flows endlessly.
So maybe forgetting sometimes isn’t such a flaw after all. Maybe it’s just another way Allah Al-Hakeem reminds me, keep planting, keep trying, keep trusting on Allah Al-Aleem (The All Knowing) Who is also Ash-Shakoor (The Most Appreciative).