The journey on an airplane is always such an exciting event for me! The anticipation of boarding the plane, seeing people of various cultures and background, the airplane racing on the runaway and the sound of the wheels as they slide back into the airplane as it takes-off and rises up above the sky so high and finds its way in between the fluffy white beautiful clouds. It glides like a bird and sails like a boat. This has to be the most amazing experience of this world.
The above is the usual response for children who experience a plane ride. You are probably thinking the author of this article is a young child who got excited when her parents told her they will be taking a plane trip! The disclosure here is that I am very much an adult! The reason why I get so thrilled about the experience of being on an airplane like a child is because every time I set out to travel, I remember the verse of the Qur’an and Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) says in the Qur’an:
سِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَانظُرُوا كَيْفَ بَدَأَ الْخَلْقَ ۚ ثُمَّ اللَّهُ يُنشِئُ النَّشْأَةَ الْآخِرَةَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
“Travel through the land and observe how He began creation. Then Allah will produce the final creation. Indeed Allah, over all things, is competent.”
[Al-Ankabut:20]
This is a fel amr (a commandment), which means that it is an order from Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) that when one travels, the traveler is supposed to observe His signs that have been placed in the universe and connect to Rabb through them. We as Muslims are taught to reflect and ponder making this life and each moment we spend in it a purposeful one. The last verses of Surah Ali-Imran tell us:
اِنَّ فِيْ خَلْقِ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالْاَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافِ الَّيْلِ وَالنَّھَارِ لَاٰيٰتٍ لِّاُولِي الْاَلْبَابِ ١٩٠ڌ
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.
الَّذِيْنَ يَذْكُرُوْنَ اللّٰهَ قِيٰمًا وَّقُعُوْدًا وَّعَلٰي جُنُوْبِھِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُوْنَ فِيْ خَلْقِ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالْاَرْضِ ۚ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ
هٰذَا بَاطِلًا ۚ سُبْحٰنَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ ١٩١
Who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [ lying ] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [ saying ], “Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [ above such a thing ]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire.
[Surah Ali-Imran190-191]
As a student of Qur’an, I cannot help but map this world to verses of the Book. As I take a trip on a plane, I am but naturally reminded of my Rabb while I fly up so high against all force of gravity and witness the beauty of the white clouds arranged in the sky in an organized way yet not so arranged on many times. I am reminded of Surah Ad-Dhariyat:
وَالذّٰرِيٰتِ ذَرْوًا
فَالْحٰمِلٰتِ وِقْرًا
By those [ winds ] scattering [ dust ] dispersing
And those [ clouds ] carrying a load [ of water ][Ad-Dhariyat: 1-2]
I recall my science class where we studied the Condensation and the Water Cycle. Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ)’s entire universe plan is so well – defined with a purpose of existence. It is unbelievable and hard to fathom how one aspect of life can actually fulfill so many needs along with adding beauty and aesthetics to the surroundings. The droplets of water evaporate from the ground and rise above in the sky. These tiny, invisible to the eye droplets accumulate in thousands and trillions to form clouds. Hence, the above verses seem so relevant! SubhanAllah 
As these clouds carry a load and the winds push them to their travel, they become heavier and heavier and darker and darker before they are commanded to rain over a certain area. Here is a cloud that I saw which is blue in color! It was definitely a spectacular sight to witness a beautiful blue in the cloud that are usually to be white like wool.
On other occasions the clouds seemed like a bed of river and the plane literally floated on it. The shape of the clouds, formed surges of waves spread across the blue sky seemingly making a ripple effect.
Wait! There is a shape of a little paw in the sky and a little duck. What an amazing sketch book that we see that Al-Musawwir has formed in the sky! All praises are for Him Alone.
As these clouds fill up, they eventually pour down the water as per Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ)’s command and rainfall occurs on the parts of land where they are commanded. Not only are they ordered to pour out the droplets in form of rain. Not only is it an order to downpour, the quantity of the rainfall is also commanded. Then they are commanded by Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) to stop the rain, and the stop.
A Reminder of the Day of Resurrection
Suddenly my heart sinks and I think to myself, how obedient are these inanimate objects to the orders given by their Lord. Here are we as humans, who have been granted the world. We have been granted the ability to be able to rise above to witness this order of the universe and how it functions with the permission of Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ), yet we fail to be grateful for the blessings we have been given. We fail to see that behind the smooth functioning of the world is a Rabb who is most deserving of our submission. He runs the show and He will command it to stop one day. One day it will all come to an end.
These hard immovable mountains that I see below the huge sky will turn to become like the clouds. The scene would then be changed. There will no longer be the beautiful white sky and the lovely clouds up above. This beautiful sight of the sky would not be so delightful. The sky would be wrapped up. The Day of Judgement is vividly explained in the following verses of the Qur’an:
اِذَا الشَّمْسُ كُوِّرَتْ
When the sun is wrapped up [ in darkness ]
وَاِذَا النُّجُوْمُ انْكَدَرَتْ
And when the stars fall, dispersing,
وَاِذَا الْجِبَالُ سُيِّرَتْ
And when the mountains are removed
And the following Surah Infitar portrays a similar picture of the Day of Judgement.
اِذَا السَّمَاۗءُ انْفَطَرَتْ
When the sky breaks apart
وَاِذَا الْكَوَاكِبُ انْـتَثَرَتْ
And when the stars fall, scattering,
وَاِذَا الْبِحَارُ فُجِّرَتْ
And when the seas are erupted
This short plane trip of hardly two hours has led me on a journey of a lifetime from feeling happiness over the joy of this world to taking me into depths of this very scene collapsing into its reality. Such is life. This is the reminder for me. The transiency of this world, the fact how each creation of Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) including human beings have a function in this world and the fact that there will be a day in finality. The Day of Finality is what will remain. This is the focus of our existence today. Hence, this is what we as Muslims should be striving for. When we reach this conclusion, is when we have achieved the purpose Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) has created us for. This is the paradigm shift in thought we come to and then our perspective changes to enjoying everything of the world to seeing it from the lens of the Akhirah. What would that be like for us? Where is the beauty that lies for us there? Let’s focus on what requires our focus before this joyous plane ride for us comes to an end. Let’s do this before it is too late for us. Let’s start today, In Sha’Allah while the journey is still on going and we are in good health.
