You Were Never Meant to Live by a Clock

The structure of a tree in my garden made me reflect on the idea that time might not be linear, but circular or branching, as if it revolves upon itself. In fact, it has neither a beginning nor an end, no "now" or "tomorrow," but only a "yesterday" that was once a "tomorrow" for those awaiting it.

In nature, everything turns.

The Earth revolves around the Sun, electrons orbit the nucleus, plants turn toward the light, and during Hajj, believers circle the Kaaba in a sacred and universal movement.

This circular rhythm suggests that time, as we perceive it, might not be chonological — understood as a sequential order of events measured by clocks and calendars. Perhaps it is a more relative, symbolic kind of time, embedded in cycles and perceptions that vary from being to being, from era to era.

In recent weeks, I drew a family tree inspired by a large tree that grows in my garden. I noticed how everything, in a certain sense, is interconnected: branches that split and reunite, lines that stretch, generations that intertwine. This made me think of the structure of the Surahs in the Qur’an: they are not arranged in chronological order, but follow other criteria — length, theme, harmony. The longer Surahs are at the beginning, like the strong trunk of a tree, while the shorter ones are at the end, like light leaves moved by the wind. It is an organization that reflects a wisdom beyond historical time.

In the Qur’an, time appears as a creation meant for human use — a system of orientation within the material world. It is a time limited to creation, while only Allah is unlimited and infinite.

In the verse:"Has there not come upon man a period of time when he was not a thing even mentioned?"(Surah Al-Insān, 76:1)It is emphasized that man has not always existed, and is but a momentary appearance within the vast project of creation.

Modern science estimates that Earth has existed for about 4.54 billion years, while humans have inhabited it for only 200,000–250,000 years. This aligns with the Qur’anic perspective: humanity is part of a greater plan, appearing at a precise moment, for a precise purpose.

In another verse: "On the Day you see it, every nursing mother will forget what she was nursing, every pregnant woman will abort her pregnancy, and you will see people intoxicated while they are not intoxicated; but the punishment of Allah is severe."(Surah Al-Ḥajj, 22:2). Time seems distorted: days and months vanish, and yet the Last Day may arrive suddenly.

Many people today say they feel that time is moving faster. Some scientists explain this with slight changes in Earth’s orbit or solar activity. In fact, the Earth moves closer to and farther from the Sun each year, which can also influence our perception of time and our bodies.

But all of this brings us back to a deeper truth: our perception of time is fragile, subjective, and depends on where we are, how we live, and what we observe. If I watch a tree for a whole year, without ever using a calendar or a clock, I understand time not through numbers, but through its leaves, its light, its winds, and its silences.

In a previous article, I wrote: "Earth, Cataclysm, and the New Orbit". It is possible that, following a cataclysm, the Earth changed orbit, drawing closer to the Sun. This could explain events such as the rapid melting of ice or mass extinctions.

The Qur’an does not specify dates for great events but describes them as sudden, inevitable. Many scholars have speculated that the next upheaval could happen at any moment, and that humanity may already be living in a phase of the "Resurrection," given the growing moral and spiritual confusion. The line between good and evil appears ever clearer — just as it will be on the Day of Judgment.

Scientists like Newton, Aristotle, and Einstein tried to understand the nature of time: Newton saw it as absolute, Einstein described it as relative, flexible, dependent on space and speed.

But the Qur’an goes further: it transcends time.

Its structure, its language, and its message are multidimensional — scientific, spiritual, historical, ethical — and speak to every era.

The Qur’an does not chase science; it precedes it and accompanies its evolution. The more science discovers, the more the Qur’an unveils. And like every precious thing, the truth of the Qur’an is veiled, protected, accessible only to those who seek sincerely.

What is certain is that the Qur’an calls us to live consciously in our time on this Earth — a time made of cycles, trials, and meanings, not merely of dates and clocks. To manage this time — and to understand its relativity — is part of the test we live.