The Garden of Time: Life, Growth, and Return

The emergence of a new fruit can be scientifically equated to a biological birth—a culmination of complex processes driven by genetic programming, environmental conditions, and cellular development. When the stem is severed and the fruit harvested, it signifies not just the end of a growth cycle but the realization of nature's intricate design. Such precision—repeated across species, seasons, and ecosystems—strongly suggests that nature operates not by chance, but by a meticulous and governed order.

This aligns with the Qur'anic principle that nothing in existence is arbitrary. In Surah Al-Qamar (54:49), it is stated:

"Indeed, all things We created with predestination."(Inna kulla shay'in khalaqnahu biqadar)

This verse affirms that every entity—animate or inanimate—comes into being at a preordained time, in a predetermined form, and for a defined purpose.

All living beings, from flora to humanity, are bound by biological cycles: genesis, development, maturity, and decay. No organism escapes this temporal framework. The Earth, in this context, serves merely as a host—a transient environment that permits a brief existence. As author Tiziano Terzani once reflected, life is like a ride on a carousel. The landscape may vary—beautiful at times, obscured at others—but the motion continues, inevitably returning us to our origin.

This return is both physical and metaphysical. Just as each season bears distinct fruits—each with its unique morphology and chemical composition—so too does each individual possess a singular essence. Despite advances in cloning and biomimicry, no reproduction can yield perfect identity, for the nafs—the soul or inner self—is incorporeal and non-replicable.

As stated in Surah Ar-Rum (30:8):

"Do they not reflect within themselves? Allah created the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them in truth and for an appointed term."(Awalam yatafakkaroo fee anfusihim maa khalaqallahu assamawati wal-arda wama baynahuma illa bilhaqqi wa ajalin musamman)

Understanding this temporality fosters acceptance: of passing seasons, of impermanence in relationships, and of our mortal limitations. It encourages reverence for life’s uniqueness and a willingness to let go. The soul, the seasons, the cycle of life—all are governed by laws far beyond human control.