SubhanAllah! I once captured a picture of raw nature, a moment that struck me with its beautiful takhleeq (creation).
Interestingly, last night, I came across a beautiful hadees once again. As I was wondering over its wisdom, it reminded me of this very image I had taken long before, a striking parallel between nature and the message within the beautiful hadees.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
“The parable of the guidance and knowledge with which Allah has sent me is that of an abundant rain falling on a land. Some of it was fertile soil that absorbed the rainwater, bringing forth vegetation and grass in abundance. Another portion was hard and held the rainwater, benefiting people who drank from it, gave their animals water, and irrigated their land. A third portion was barren, neither holding water nor bringing forth vegetation. The first is the example of one who comprehends Allah’s deen, benefits from what Allah has sent me with, and learns and teaches others. The last example is of one who neither cares for it nor accepts the guidance Allah sent me with.”
SubhanAllah! Such a remarkable parable. The rain is the same, but the land it touches reacts differently, each responding according to its nature.
The fertile land absorbs the rain, producing lush vegetation, symbolizing the person who learns, implements, and teaches.
The hard land, though unable to absorb the rain, retains it for others, reflecting the one who preserves knowledge and conveys it, even if they do not fully act upon it.
The barren land neither absorbs nor retains, representing those who ignore or reject guidance altogether.
SubhanAllah! This profound analogy invites deep introspection. Which type of land are we?
Are we absorbing, implementing, and sharing?
Are we preserving, and passing on knowledge without its implementation?
Or have we become barren, unaffected by the divine wisdom that reaches us?
Also, I realised that next time when we see someone imparting knowledge but not implementing it fully themselves, then we should not dismiss the benefit in their retention. Consider them as the land that holds water even if it does not absorb it. Pray for their transformation into fertile ground, and more importantly, continue to take what is beneficial. Salman Farsi (r.a) sought knowledge even from the people he (r.a) was certain did not practice themselves what they preached, yet he (r.a) understood that beneficial knowledge that leads to Haqq, to One God, wherever found, remains valuable even if the people conveying it are not absorbing it wholly.
May Allah, An-Na’afi (The Source of all Benefit), make us among the blessed land that absorbs and flourishes, bearing fruit that benefits both ourselves and others. InshaAllah.