Gems from Juzz 'Amma: "Do they not look at the camels?"

~ Gems from Juzz 'Amma ~

Day 11 / Gem 11

Surah Ghashiyah, 17: "Do they not look at the camels?"

أَفَلَا يَنظُرُونَ إِلَى الْإِبِلِ كَيْفَ خُلِقَتْ 

Then do they not look at the camels – how they are created?

In this ayah, Allah is making us reflect, and He is specifically asking the disbelievers to reflect upon the creation of camels. In Arabic, the word commonly used for camel is, 'jamal' however, 'Ibl' is also used such as in this ayah and is the most general word for camel. Some Arabic teachers joke and say that if you don’t know what a word in arabic means, it probably means camel. Due to so much words being used to describe a camel in the Arabic language.

So why is the camel being referred to?

1 – The disbelievers themselves started their questioning of the camel, i.e. ‘If he (the camel) can eat thorns, we can too (in the hell fire).’  
2 – In the life of the desert, they depended on the camel for their survival.
3 – It’s an incredible creature, and out of the domesticated animals, the camel is the biggest, and even a child can control it. Even though a camel can easily crush a human being, yet alone a child. This child can lead a whole pack of camels just by leading the first one behind him.

The camel is a very high ride, and is well designed with having minimal water for days on end. It can feed itself off shrubs alone, which other animals cannot survive off. It is loyal to the human being, and even when tired – it continues to do its work. Along with this, it has incredible seating which can be comfortable to sit on top of. It has milk, when there is no liquid available elsewhere. It can store its own food (through storage of fat in its hump). Its meat benefits you. When it becomes old and dies – its skin benefits because it can be used for clothing.

Do they not look at the camels, how they were created?

عن مكحول رحمه الله قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: المومنون هينون لينون كالجمل الآنف إن قيد انقاد، وإن أنيخ على صخرةٍ استناخ.

 (رواه الترمذ&#1610)

Makhul (ra) narrates that the Prophet (sal Allah alayhi wasalam) said: The believers are gentle and soft like the obedient camel. If he is driven, obeys and if he is ordered to sit on a rock, he sits thereon. (Tirmidhi: 5086)

We can learn much from this massive creature. He is so huge and powerful, but when his master (the humans) tells him to sit down, he sits – even if he has been told to sit on harsh rocks.
This is how the believer should be with Allah, he obeys Allah even though Allah has given him the power to do many things. But when he is told to do something, he submits – even if there is pain involved. Didn’t they look to this camel, how it was created?

Gem: Allah has shown you His favours through that camel, He has shown you obedience to the Master through such a camel. He has shown us the miracle of His design through that camel. There are so many ways we can learn and reflect from the camel, how it was created for us.