Sensing, Seeking

For part of last summer, my children and I depended upon blackberrying for a near-daily source of sustenance alhamdulillah. Because we didn’t have financial means to purchase fruit of similar nutritional value, I experienced myself sensing dignity-unease about foraging. But, in part, I also felt comfortable collecting blackberries because we never took more than a portion each. As spring currently arrives, I find myself seeking more harmony and wholeness regarding sourcing my food over the coming months insha’Allah.

 

Alhamdulillah, last year I am aware was to some extent motivated by intentions to not waste Allah’s blessings. But I didn’t reflect fully upon this. Was I too uncomfortable with my ‘poverty’ to take a wholesome approach? I don’t think so. We visited the local blackberry bushes almost daily, and I could see that hardly anyone else picked their fruit. Even so, had I been finacially richer, I imagine I would likely have said we should leave the fruit for poorer people. I often spoke to my children about sharing with people and wildlife.

 

Why didn’t I think deeply about the food situation in terms of the purpose for which Allah creates and provides all things in His inter-connected world? Why didn’t I think about my spitritual need for the food and the activity being nourished by it?

 

Why am I, and why are many of us, closed off to the reality that Allah created us within our ecosystems, inter-dependent upon and responsible for them?

 

Many years ago I was inspired to think and act at a deeper ecologically level by Shumaisa Khan. And as I increasingly intend to prepare holistically for Ramadan, I am seeking inspiration from her again.

Allah’s Signs

 

Shumaisa says:

“Remember, non-human beings are always in a state of fitrah and surrendering to the Oneness of Allah (سبحانه و تعالى); by being in their company, some of this quality can rub off on us. So this Ramadan, spend time with the aayaat (verses) of the Quran, but also spend time with the aayaat (signs of God) manifested in the book of nature!”

 

Alhamdulillah, through re-reading articles by Shumaisa, I got the inspiration I sought. Shumaisa helped me to regenerate a mindset for appreciating and engaging deeply in the local environments Allah has placed me in. After taking a few minutes to read Wild Nourishment for Ramadan Part 1, I now feel happy about wanting to be among Allah’s signs in nature, including to forage, to benefit my personal spiritual health.

 

Masha’allah, Shumaisa has also written a short guide towards taking action upon this insight in Wild Nourishment for Ramadan Part 2.

 

Importantly, after reading it, I also feel educated enough to be able broaden my foraging activity, insha’Allah. Shumaisa specifically explores nettle, dandelion, wild garlic, hawthorn flower, and elderflower, and I have featured photos of them in my video below.

 

Although you have read this far, does part of you want to shun a ‘book of nature’ approach to connecting with Allah’s signs and opt for familiar procedures of reacting to pleas for financial charity by giving away sums you can’t really afford? I am asking from a place of experience and empathy. Many of us have been exhausted by seemingly self-sacrificial strategies. Mnay of us have focussed upon ourselves in part: our unworthiness or lack of value, rather than seeing the awesome whole – that we were created by Allah. Many of us have neglected to wholly self-nurture, to fully enable ourselves to connect and give with excellence.

 

Let’s reflect upon another quote from Shumaisa:

“Having been involved in different social movements, I have come to believe that although there is urgency around challenges such as homelessness, climate change (and other ecological concerns), conflicts, and so on, chronically living out of sync with nature’s intelligence and burning out isn’t the way to resolve them. Rather more people living in greater integrity – to the extent possible given life circumstances – can unleash more of what the world needs.”

 

If you are still reading, maybe like me you are ready for a rhythm shift, a new momentum, and new strategies for sensing, seeking, and connecting with Allah and His signs. Alhamdulillah, I wrote the following song, subsequent to my inspiration from Shumaisa. And I pray it will inspire me, my family, and you and yours.

 

Sense of Sense

(Three Blind Mice)

 

Sense of sense. Sense of sense.

What do we make? What do we make?

 

We look for weeds in familiar stalks.

We feel for tame on familiar walks.

We tune out sounds of familiar talks.

We don’t make sense.

 

Sense of sense. Sense of sense.

What don’t we make? What don’t we make?

 

We don’t see food in familiar stalks.

We don’t feel wild on familiar walks.

We don’t hear friends speak familiar talks.

We don’t make sense.

 

Sense of sense. Sense of sense.

Let’s re-direct. Let’s re-direct.

 

Allah makes food in familiar stalks.

Allah makes wild on familiar walks.

Allah makes friends speak familiar talks.

Let’s make real sense.

 

© Elizabeth Lymer 2018

CLICK HERE > Be helped by Shumaisa Khan’s regenerative work

 

CLICK HERE > Visit Wisdom in Nature, for useful articles and workshops by Shumaisa Khan (and others)

 

PRAISE ALWAYS! Alhamdulillah for Allah’s signs! Glory to Allah for guiding us in sensing and seeking them, in all their diversity. All thanks to Allah for abundant blessings in signs that we discover as well as those we don’t wholly comprehend.