Ramadan 2022 – Juz 23

وَءَايَةٌۭ لَّهُمُ ٱلْأَرْضُ ٱلْمَيْتَةُ أَحْيَيْنَـٰهَا وَأَخْرَجْنَا مِنْهَا حَبًّۭا فَمِنْهُ يَأْكُلُونَ ٣٣

وَجَعَلْنَا فِيهَا جَنَّـٰتٍۢ مِّن نَّخِيلٍۢ وَأَعْنَـٰبٍۢ وَفَجَّرْنَا فِيهَا مِنَ ٱلْعُيُونِ ٣٤

لِيَأْكُلُوا۟ مِن ثَمَرِهِۦ وَمَا عَمِلَتْهُ أَيْدِيهِمْ ۖ أَفَلَا يَشْكُرُونَ ٣٥

“There is a sign for them in the dead earth: We give it life, producing grain from it for them to eat. We have placed in it gardens of palm trees and grapevines, and caused springs to gush forth in it, so that they may eat from its fruit, which they had no hand in making. Will they not then give thanks?” — Qur’an 36:33-35

All of our fruit, vegetables, plants and meat are miraculous gifts. If we were asked to make meat or vegetables from scratch it would be an impossible task for us, even meat substitutes are reconstituted from other foods or taken from existing animal cells.

The immense supply chain that exists to bring us food on a daily basis is also miraculous and we should be forever grateful for each day we are able to eat food when others are less fortunate.

Ramadan has served as a reminder of that this year. When there are days feel long, we feel like we haven’t had enough to eat, or we miss being able to have a cup of coffee, it serves as a reminder of people who live through that regularly.

Being able to regularly enjoy coffee and a meal out is an extra luxury, while many families in the UK aren’t able to regularly afford a full meal. There’s so much to be thankful for, both in the choice of food many of us have and the abundance.

Even if we grow our own food and vegetables, it is out of our control. Sometimes we pour hours into growing seeds of either fruit or vegetables, only for them to be drowned by excess rainfall, or killed off in a heatwave. How much are we ever truly in control?

We thank Allah for all the food He gives us. Be that in the shops or what He allows us to grow ourselves. In the seasonal shifts of home-grown food we see plants blooming and wilting only to bloom again next year. Just as in life we will see ourselves blooming in youth and wilting in old age, only to be resurrected again to be with our Lord.