Mastering the Elements of Life

Our life is very real not an animated movie

Having too much watching action movie especially that which was related with martial arts sometimes made me wonder in understanding some fundamental knowledge about elements of life. The animation effects given to the action scenes particularly can be very deceiving. People can even think that the movie stars can really do that while in reality the actor or actress was replaced by the stunt man /woman. Or that the art of mastering the elements is done through that way either the steps or the result of it. The movie world is the world of fantasy, though there are some movies were made from true story.

When I watched movies particularly the avatars cartoon movie - though I understand the essence of it, my other part that have affinity to the truth wondered if it's truly like that. So there I was thinking and wondering and seeking answer to that question while taking the comparison of it in the Quranic story. Praise be to Allah that has revealed me the answer to that question and give me another pearl of wisdom to add on my beautiful necklace of life.


The Elements of Life

Following the verses in the Qur'an it is said "And [mention, O Muhammad], when your Lord said to the angels, "I will create a human being out of clay from an altered black mud." [QS 15: 28]

Man made pottery - as old as the age of mankind

Have we looked closely how a potter made a pottery?

They take the earth and mix it with the water to become mud. With only those two elements the pottery they make won't last long. It won't be able to contain the water. That's why they have to go to further process by giving them the fire in the furnace. Even after this process the pottery won't last long. They will instantly crack when it is introduced to water, they won't be able to contain water. So they have to go to another process; it is by giving them the wind (air) in the annealing chamber. When they come out of the annealing chamber that's when the pottery is able to contain water in it. They aren't the same as their origin and now they can be a useful vessel.

It is the same with us human being. Our physical figure is made of those elements of earth, water, fire and wind (air), with the most important elements are of the earth and water. As it is said in the Qur'an 'And it is He who has created from water a human being and made him [a relative by] lineage and marriage. And ever is your Lord competent [concerning creation].' [QS 25: 54] and in another verse is said 'And certainly did We create man from an extract of clay.' [QS 23: 12]

The four elements of life

These four elements affect us in the form of attributes and characteristics. For example the fire element affect the anger and patience, the (wind) air element affect the happiness and sadness, the water element affect the flexibility and rigidity, the earth affect the stillness and motion and so on. All those attributes are potentially inherent. After we're given the Breath of Allah called soul, elanvital, spirit, living energy or whatever we name it, that's when we are alive and can do many things as we are now.

Did you notice my remark on water being placed inside the pottery and without the proper process, the pottery won't be able to contain it? It is in that light that people can understand the parable given in the Quran verse "And it is He who created the heavens and the earth in six days - and His Throne had been upon water - that He might test you as to which of you is best in deed...." [QS 11: 7]


The Master of Elements

To the messengers of Allah, these elements of life had been conquered and they served them as their proof of the Truth and that they were truly the messengers of Allah sent to them. Their proof is what we know as the miracles.

So we have prophet Nuh (Noah) AS being the master of the earth following the verse 'And it was said, "O earth, swallow your water, and O sky, withhold [your rain]." And the water subsided, and the matter was accomplished, and the ship came to rest on the [mountain of] Judiyy. And it was said, "Away with the wrongdoing people." [QS 11: 44] so the earth served him AS by swallowing the water to rest the ship after overflowing its 'oven'.

Strike with your staff the sea

And then we had prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) AS being the master of the fire following the verse 'Allah said, "O fire, be coolness and safety upon Abraham."' [QS 21: 69] and the fire served him AS in following the command of Allah.

We also had prophet Musa (Moses) AS being the master of water as referred to the verse 'Then We inspired to Moses, "Strike with your staff the sea," and it parted, and each portion was like a great towering mountain.' [QS 26: 63] and he AS found safety even under the great towering mass of water while taking his people to the other shore through the Red Sea.

And we also had Prophet Sulaiman (Solomon) AS being the master of the wind as mentioned in the verse 'And to Solomon [We subjected] the wind, blowing forcefully, proceeding by his command toward the land which We had blessed. And We are ever, of all things, Knowing.' [QS 21: 81].

The embodiment of the Breath of Allah

The existence of the Breath of Allah is embodied in the prophet Isa (Jesus) AS as mentioned in the verse " .... and we gave Jesus, the son of Mary, clear proofs and supported him with the Pure Spirit... "[QS 2: 87], for his birth was made through that and he AS showed proof of it when he AS raised Lazarus of Bethany from his death.

And the master of all elements of life is the great prophet Muhammad SAW for no man ever - not before and not even after - split the moon without mastering the elements of life as mentioned in the verse 'The Hour has come near, and the moon has split (in two).' [QS 54: 1].

Did they use certain martial steps to reveal that miracles like any movie scenarios? I don't think so :) Their secret lies in following the command of Allah that they believed wholeheartedly and worship Allah in their life. That is the difference between the Messengers of Allah from the magicians or witches who used the witchcrafts and follow the footstep of the accursed devils.

The hour has come near and the moon has split [QS 54:1]

To prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) AS, he was commanded to worship Allah through praying [QS 2: 125] to prophet Musa (Moses) AS, he was commanded to pray [QS 10: 87] to prophet Sulaiman (Solomon) AS, he was commanded to pray [QS 14: 40]. And certainly to prophet Nuh (Noah) AS [QS 71: 3] and the great prophet Muhammad SAW, they were commanded to pray. And to us, the followers of the great prophet Muhammad SAW we are also commanded to pray after confessing our beliefs and submission to Allah as our God and Muhammad SAW is His Messenger.


The Rage of Elements

The origin of the elements of life is neither good nor bad. They are as they are. They are in harmony with the Nature. However as things are happening in the universe and human being is guilt of charge for their disharmony by making destruction on this planet earth, these elements are following the command of their Master and can serve as a deadly weapon called calamity to mankind.

the rage of water element

Have we looked back to the history of human civilization how they were doomed? As the quranic verses told us about their doomed one after another, when they had shifted from the Way of Allah.

We read in the history, the people of prophet Nuh (Noah) AS. They were destroyed by the biggest flood that had ever happened on this planet earth. It was the rage of water element that was caused by the infidelity of mankind. [QS 26: 105-121]

There came the next generation, it was the people of Aad with their brother prophet Hud AS. Their infidelity has caused them to get cold hurricane [QS 41: 15-16 and 26: 123-139]. It was the rage of wind (air) element that was caused by the infidelity of mankind.

Then came another generation, the people of Tsamud with their brother prophet Salih AS. And they turned away from the Way of Allah and it caused them to be struck by the thunder in their city. That was the rage of fire element that was caused by the infidelity of mankind. [QS 11: 61-68 and 26: 141-158]

Then came another civilization. And after sometime again they turned away from the Way of Allah. This time it was the people of prophet Luth (Lot) AS in Sodom and Gomorah. Their infidelity was so great that the earthquake had turn their city upside down. Geographically scientist identified that great calamity as a fracture followed by folding of the earth plates. But in relation to the created and The Creator, it was the rage of earth element that was caused by the infidelity of mankind [QS 26: 160-174].

Sodom and Gomorah - the Wraths of God
and life is never the same anymore

All those calamities were indeed from Allah, for the time when it would happened was already informed to them to save and separate the right ones from the wrong ones. Such was the message about the calamity to those people just like one that was told to prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) AS and prophet Luth (Lot) AS by the angels during their visit [QS 15: 51-66].

In previous article prophet Muhammad SAW gave instruction to recite adzan and iqamah to the baby when they newly arrived in this world. And he said it was to protect them from umm al sibyan, the mother of the kids. What is the mother of the kids? She is the elements of life from which this physical being is made of. When they are in disharmony. The symptom is in the form of abnormal electrical activity inside the brain (fire), their foamy mouth (water) and uncontrollable motion (earth) and their heavy breathing / hyperventilation (wind), and the scientist said it was a kind of epilepsy disease. In truth adzan and iqamah recited to the baby is their first reminder to start ruling their own physical body to remember Allah, their Creator as well as to remind them of the praying and the true success they need to seek while living their life in this world.

Adzan and Iqamah for the baby

For us who live in the era after the great prophet Muhammad SAW, as Allah has stated in the Qur'an 'And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds.' [QS 21: 107] thus we are saved from instant calamity regardless the infidelity made by mankind nowadays unlike the previous generation had. Such is the great blessing of the great prophet Muhammad SAW to the people nowadays. Nonetheless, the Nature is following the command of Allah we called the law of nature where it moves toward balancing itself when things are imbalance. That's why at The End of The Day there is always an explanation to all that happened to people, for Allah is The Most Knowing and The Wisest of All.


Mastering the Elements

Of all Muslims who pray, very few know about the hidden wisdom in the what they do. I will try to elaborate it further in another article insha Allah. But here I just want to say that the most unique and supreme act of devotion is in the form of shalat. I used the word shalat as its original arabic word instead of praying. Because there are two words in arabic for praying; one is ash-shalat and the other is ad-du'a. And they are distinctly different. Some people may think they're the same. But not for me.

The four basic postures of shalat

Shalat is a series of motion in worshiping Allah which is begun by takbiratul ihram (the sanctified glory) and ended by salam (peaceful greeting). And between the beginning and the ending there are some compulsory motions that without them, the shalat considered imperfect. Those motions are al-qiyam (stand erectly), ar-ruku' (bowing), as-sujud (prostrate) and at-tahiyyat (sitting).

Based on its characteristic and its motion, each of the motions carries its own symbol and meaning. Al-qiyam is the symbol of fire element, ar-ruku' is the symbol of the wind (air) element, as-sujud is the symbol of water element and at-tahiyyat is the symbol of earth element. These four elements that form our physical being are led to remember Allah, their Creator into these four motions as the symbol of us in submitting our four elements to the Court of Allah.

When we have been able to bring these four elements of our physical being into submission and outwardly they perform their devotion to Allah together with our mind and soul inwardly, we then have understood the meaning of Oneness (Tawhiid) and have been the master of our elements of life. That is when we truly understand why Allah said in the Quran "Indeed, I am Allah. There is no deity except Me, so worship Me and establish prayer for My remembrance." [QS 20: 14] and in another verse "It is You we worship and You we ask for help." [QS 1: 5]. Instead of 'I' the Qur'an used 'we' to worship Allah and ask for His help. It is the unification of our whole being; the four elements of our life combined with our mind and soul to worship Allah and to ask for His help. This is the essence of shalat.

It is You we worship and You we ask for help

In another verse it is said "... and establish prayer. Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing, and the remembrance of Allah is greater. And Allah knows that which you do." [QS 29: 45] So try to establish it. For in establishing it, you will know the meaning of 'hayya alal falaah' (let us succeed) in the call of praying (adzan). It is in accordance to the verse in Qur'an "Certainly will the believers have succeeded: They who are during their prayer humbly submissive" [QS 23: 1-2]

It is in this light that I received my wisdom in taking the first lesson of thariqah by fasting four days in sequence, praying and reciting the remembrance (dzikr). They are to cleanse my four elements of life that have been tainted by the dirt of ignorance and at the same time awaken my fifth element to the remembrance of Allah, the Lord of all worlds.

May Allah keep us to be His humbly submissive servant.