Quran & Nature

It is the voices of children in the courtyards that fracture the silence, an echo rising up, drawing the deepest memories to the surface: those of a life within life, as though another current were moving beneath the skin, while the very sense of being in the world turns dim, almost opaque. This is the story of a rose. She is called damascena, for she comes from Damascus. Her petals, over time, fell one by one, and still she endured, motionless for years, in a neighborhood dr

“We will surely test you with fear and hunger, with the loss of wealth, lives, and fruits. But give glad tidings to those who remain patient.” Surah Al-Baqarah (2:155–156) Another Friday arrives, and almost without realizing it, we breathe out in relief. Another week has passed. Not perfect. Not easy. But endured—and that alone speaks volumes. To survive does not mean we did everything right, nor that we were always strong. It means we are still standing despite the weariness

“And among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the diversity of your tongues and your colors. Indeed in that are signs for those who know.” (Qur’an 30:22) We are made of light, of energy that shines within us. Discovering this small fire allows us to play, to make it dance, and to transform the world around us, like a garden in spring when the first results of our choices emerge. We rub our hands to create glitter. We rub the darkness to make light eme

The Quran represents the last divine revelation, and Muhammad is recognized as the final prophet. Its understanding requires years of study, as the text itself urges: read, observe, and never stop seeking knowledge. Translations cannot fully do justice to the original text, as Arabic is one of the richest languages in the world, with over 2.5 million unique words, compared to roughly 700,000 in English and German. This complexity allows precise nuances that risk being lost in

The day when no one believes your word anymore often marks a crucial existential threshold. In that moment, a fundamental awareness emerges: trust in oneself becomes the only stable point of reference. This condition is not a sign of pathological isolation, but rather of a form of inner autonomy that allows an individual to remain grounded in the face of the conforming pressure of the social environment. In the Qur’an, many prophetic figures embody ways of perceiving, interpr

The sky still exists, but almost no one looks at it anymore. Not because it has changed, but because our gaze no longer lingers; it has lost the ability to rest on a fixed point for more than a few seconds. In Lamu there was nothing else. At night above me stretched a dark, infinite surface, dotted with lights that, like small beacons, cut through every doubt. I watched it for a long time, trying to understand it, as if it were possible to separate it from the rest of the uni

There exists an ancestral language, the language of the Earth, which expresses itself through sound. In the ashram we chanted OM, and it vibrated through the silent universe, seemingly flattened among countless prominent stars. The recitation of the Qur’an, instead, attunes our breath in ways very similar to a meditative practice or a mantra, thanks to its rhythm, its pauses, and its vibration—yet in an even more structured and refined way. The recitation of the Qur’an also h

Masks are like flowers and last only one season. You can flee anywhere, but they will chase you, because they know you need them to cover the worn spots on your face. During Carnival, you can hide your identity and social status, blending like a chameleon among the crowd of other jesters, but in reality, it is much harder: the mask will always lose its brilliant petals and leave you like a withered stem in the Garden. This happens when the mask itself grows tired of supportin

“O you who believe, it is not lawful for you to inherit women against their will, nor to oppress them to take back part of what you gave them, unless they have committed a manifest indecency. Live with them in kindness. If you dislike them, perhaps you dislike something in which Allah has placed much good.” — Sura An-Nisāʾ (The Women) 4:19 Bismillah A woman protected by God has nothing to fear—not because she is spared from pain, but because pain holds no power to destroy her

Although the Rose of Jericho revives with just a few drops of water in our vases, it grows in a land, Jericho and its surroundings, that is suffering. Not only due to drought conditions exacerbated by water privatization and the control of natural resources, but also as a result of economic and geopolitical interests that, for nearly a century, have undermined a territory sacred to Jews, Christians, and Muslims, as well as the ecological balance itself. This miraculous plant,

Winter, characterized by short days and often harsh temperatures, necessitates a higher intake of energy and warmth to sustain the human body. Yet, in contemporary society, the act of eating has increasingly become mechanical and inattentive, guided more by convenience, immediate impulses, or commercial influence than by conscious awareness of health and well-being. The constant availability of industrially processed foods—laden with added sugars, chemical preservatives, and.

In the Qur’anic corpus, Mary (Maryam) holds a prominent position not only as the mother of the prophet ʿĪsā (Jesus) but also as a universal paradigm of virtue, devotion, and courage. The entire Sura Maryam (19) is dedicated to her, providing a comprehensive narrative of her birth, spiritual upbringing, and the miraculous virgin birth of ʿĪsā. In verses 16–19, the Qur’an emphasizes Mary’s purity and divine selection, highlighting that closeness to God stems from inner devotion

According to geoclimatic forecasts and scientific studies on climate change, some regions of Africa and the Middle East could become more habitable and fertile than many areas of Europe in the near future. Yet, this prospect carries a bitter realization: perhaps we will no longer be here, and the roles we know today will be reversed. In this context, an ancient and unsettling story emerges: that of a great treasure lying beneath the waters of the Euphrates River, in Syria. Th

This is the story of Jasmine, a flower that once lived widely across Syria, when the world was still dormant and seemed to breathe slowly, sweetly, and safely. Jasmine was pure and luminous, climbing with quiet modesty along the railings of homes and the balconies of Damascus, carrying elegance through the air and releasing a fragrance woven from fragile, unspoken dreams. Anyone who passed beside her, even for an instant, felt suspended — captured by an intoxicating happiness

The Qur’an pays great attention to a person’s inner attitude, and in particular it warns against arrogance, one of the most harmful behaviors for the heart and for society. Verse 17:37 invites us to reflect on our relationship with others and with the world: no material or social height can justify pride. Walking with arrogance means believing oneself superior, treating others with contempt, and ignoring one’s own limits. The Qur’an uses a simple but powerful image: you will

Bismillah. This essay analyzes Sura al-Nisāʾ and the Qur’anic framework regarding female dignity, contextualizing both traditional and contemporary interpretations (Luxenberg, Shahrour) in light of modern social dynamics. Drawing on textual sources, demographic data, and anthropological perspectives, it argues that the Qur’an proposes a flexible normative model focused on protecting the vulnerable rather than imposing rigid family structures. The essay further demonstrates th

Bismillah. During winter I become more deeply aware of the value of water. The cold season, with its unwavering and almost impartial sky, and the lake reflecting a deeper and “purer” blue, awakens in me a different and more contemplative perception of the world. In this slower time, water becomes an object of contemplation and, almost silently, invites me to recognize in it a meaning that surpasses its physical nature. To drink slowly, to savor every drop, becomes almost a ri

The veil, in its physical or symbolic form, is not merely a garment but a mental and spiritual shield, an emblem of resistance against a world that wants us standardized, transparent, and consumable. It is a retreat, a refuge like that of the Seven Dwarfs. The Eighties and Nineties are now a memory, a time of healthy light-heartedness. Today, that innocent ease has turned into minds forced to absorb more than they can contain, pushing them toward emptiness, and the natural re

The narratives of Anna and Hagar, though emerging from distinct religious and cultural traditions, offer universal paradigms of resilience, hope, and unwavering trust in God, with profound relevance for women today. Anna, known as Hannah (חַנָּה, Ḥannāh ) in the Hebrew Bible, lived in a socio-cultural context where motherhood was central to a woman’s dignity and social standing. Sterile and subjected to derision, she confronted marginalization and ridicule with steadfast fait

Setting an example often proves more powerful than words alone. In a world full of noise, the truth can easily be drowned out or ignored. Action becomes essential, and one practical expression of this principle is the cultivation of one’s own food. This practice is more than a lifestyle choice: it is a quiet form of resistance. Modern food systems are dominated by powerful monopolies that grow richer while communities become increasingly dependent and vulnerable. Cultivating

Many individuals within our communities tend to look away when the topic of mental health or inner healing is raised, as if these issues were not truly part of the human experience. In some circles, psychological disorders are still thought to be exclusively linked to the action of shayṭān or to weak faith, a belief largely stemming from a lack of scientific and theological knowledge. The history of Islamic medicine, however, tells a different story: great Muslim thinkers and

The Qur’anic verse “It may be that you dislike something while it is good for you, and it may be that you love something while it is bad for you. Allah knows, and you do not know”  (Qur’an 2:216) reveals with remarkable clarity the limits of human knowledge when confronted with the structural complexity of reality. Human perception captures only fragments of the broader system, whereas the divine order encompasses every interaction, consequence, and hidden equilibrium. The h