Travel Tales: Seeing Beauty

Issue 100 January 2013

The Prophet said, “God is Beautiful and he likes beauty.” All around the world are beautiful and natural sights, which have all been created by God. In the Qur’an, it says, “Say, [O Muhammad], ‘Travel through the land and observe how He began creation.

The Prophet said, “God is Beautiful and he likes beauty.” All around the world are beautiful and natural sights, which have all been created by God. In the Qur’an, it says, “Say, [O Muhammad], ‘Travel through the land and observe how He began creation. Then God will produce the final creation. Indeed God, over all things, is competent.’” (29:20) In this verse, God instructs the Prophet to tell the people to travel around and see his creations first-hand. While we can never fully understand God, we may be able to feel closer to Him by appreciating the beauty of these natural wonders.

Nature is mentioned in the Qur’an a number of times. For example, one verse states, “And it is He who spread the earth and placed therein firmly set mountains and rivers; and from all of the fruits He made therein two mates; He causes the night to cover the day. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought.” (13:3) Another verse talks about the vegetation on the Earth specifically: “And within the land are neighboring plots and gardens of grapevines and crops and palm trees, [growing] several from a root or otherwise, watered with one water; but We make some of them exceed others in [quality of] fruit. Indeed in that are signs for a people who reason.” (13:4)

Beauty can be found in many places around the world. You may see it in the setting of the sun on a beach in Sri Lanka. Or perhaps you may be taken by a view of the rolling green hills in Scotland. Alternatively, a waterfall in the middle of Bosnia might appeal to you, or perhaps you might be inclined to visit the Grand Canyon in America and become in awe at its grandeur. There is also an incredible variety of wildlife around the world. Africa is home to giraffes, lions, elephants, chimpanzees and gazelles to name a few. In Asia, you can find tigers, pandas, camels and Komodo dragons. 

Sometimes beauty in the natural world appears at certain times of the year. For example, the cherry blossom season occurs at the start of spring in Japan, and people from all over the world travel to see the cherry trees laden with pink buds. The northern lights is another instance of seasonal beauty, where the night sky is lit up by a wonderful array of colours in the form of a nocturnal rainbow. They can be seen in the upper most parts of the northern hemisphere, in Canada, Alaska, Lapland and Norway, and seeing them is undoubtedly one of nature’s more spiritually uplifting experiences.