Remembrance in Green

Yesterday, I ran along a nature path by my house. There are trees on either side, growing up, shading the path, creating a tunnel of soft green shade. There was something almost mystical about it that tugged at my heart as I trotted underneath the crown of leaves.

Then, today, I stumbled upon this - the green prayer. SubhanAllah, imagine that! inshaAllah I'll try it in the future. I already try to listen to the Qur'an once a week while on a run. Now, I can pause my music for a bit and remember Allah (swt).

Remembrance of God is a living method of perpetual prayer. It is not necessary to lock yourself away from the world, rather the world of God's creations is an arena of meditation that serves to remind us of Him at every turn. He is the creator of all.

One of the best methods of cultivating remembrance of God (dhikr) is to associate His Name with the colour green. Green is the traditional colour of the Holy Prophet Muhammad - may Allah be pleased with him and grant him peace. In the practise of remembrance we can connect this colour - the colour of nature - with the gentle, internal invocation of the Creator.

1. Establish the invocation of the Divine Name (Allah) in your heart. Allah... Allah... Allah...
2. Go for a walk every day. Maintain the invocation in the heart as you walk.
3. Associate the invocation with the colour green. Associate it with the green foliage of trees and grass and the green of nature as you go for your daily walk.

Eventually, the colour green will remind you of the Divine Name. Whenever you encounter the colour green your heart will automatically begin to cry out "Allah! Allah! Allah! Allah!..."

The Dhikr is a prayer of nature. It celebrates nature as the creation of Allah. When you are strolling through a park, when walking in a forest or enjoying the peace of a garden, the verdant vegetation of nature will remind you of God.

This is one of the best ways to practise Dhikr (remembrance). Establish Dhikr as the best of habits. Establish Dhikr as the habit of your heart. Whenever you see the colour green have your heart return to God.

And all the [beauty of] many hues which He has created for you on earth: in this, behold, there is a message for people who [are willing to] take it to heart! (Quran 16:13)

Not the path by my house, but a pretty forest path never the less. inshaAllah I'll bring a camera on a run sometime and take a picture