Observation is looking at objects and events with intellect. This perspective reflects people’s worldview. Bediüzzaman’s statement, “Those who see beauty, think beautifully. Those who think beautifully, enjoy life,” is very meaningful in this regard. Our way of evaluating objects and events also shapes our lives.
People’s perspective on objects and events is determined by their emotions, thoughts, and beliefs. For example, we look at all events with a wisdom-based perspective. We believe that there is no movement in the universe without cause or randomly.
Our view of the world of living beings is due to their reflection of the names and attributes of Allah. Harming them means harming creatures that interpret the names and attributes of our Lord, created with many arts. For example, when we kill an ant, we harm a creature that reflects the divine names such as Al-Bari (The All-Holy Creator) and Al-Musawwir (The All-Fashioning), with many wonderful organs, architectural and communication features, and serving as an example to humans with their social structure and industriousness.
Our view of food items such as fruits, vegetables, milk, and eggs is that they are gifts bestowed by our Lord. It is necessary to truly recognize and thank our Lord who bestows these blessings as sustenance. They are not just ordinary food items. For example, let’s consider a date we eat. Suppose this date grows on a tree in Tunisia. It is a date palm tree grown with the rays of sunlight created by our Lord, carbon dioxide from the air, and minerals and water from the soil… The harvested dates are exported to our country. Then they come to our city, and we buy them from the market. Although the process is actually long and arduous, our only job is to buy the date from the market and put it in our mouth. Our involvement in the fact that this date is sustenance for us is only this much. We also have no influence on events such as digestion after putting it in our mouth.
That date was actually known to be eaten by us when it was created on that tree in Tunisia, and our name was written on it with invisible ink.
By thinking like this, we receive both material and spiritual pleasure from the dates we eat. While the material taste disappears after a while, the spiritual taste does not disappear, and the foods we look at with a perspective of being a gift from our Lord, instead of being wasteful, nurture our sense of gratitude and grow it.
