These days, my relationship with words isn’t very good. Whenever I approach one, it seems to flee from me. I want to express my state through a story that keeps spinning in my head. It seems like we come to an understanding with just a word or two. Like two people who are mad at each other, one says, “If you’re here, I’m not,” and then disappears. As I wonder what to do with the remaining word, wouldn’t you know, it waves goodbye from the club of the sulky as well. As stories whirl in my head like a folk song whose melody is known but lyrics forgotten, I undergo a minor crisis. In our parts, we say, “I feel constricted!”
“Since we couldn’t find a middle ground with words, then I should busy myself with other tasks to calm the urge to write!” I said. I came across a video. It was short but impactful. This video, revealing other worlds through its fine craftsmanship, was about a tailorbird. After watching, I exclaimed, “Subhanallah!” (Glory be to God). Seeing the embroidery of the Almighty’s Power on a sweet bird made me glorify Him. This bird seemed so interesting that I felt compelled to say, “I must tell about this, everyone should know.” The fleeing words must have found this interesting too, as they took their places in the lines.
This bird, enchanting with its craftsmanship, is as small as a sparrow. Despite its tiny size, it displays great skill. These small birds, measuring 10–15 cm in length, have a yellowish-green back, a white chest, and a reddish-brown top. They belong to the warbler family. I was amazed at how, like an architect, it uses leaves to construct its nest. Moreover, defying the stereotype that sewing is only for women, the male tailorbird stitches together closely situated leaves at the end of a branch with plant fibers it gathers. Its movements were very agile as it used its sharp beak to make holes along the edges of the leaves. Then, it threaded these holes with the fibers it collected. The interesting part in the video was, after passing the fiber through, it would tie a knot to prevent it from falling out. Building a hidden nest inside the leaf-covered pouch for the female tailorbird to lay her eggs was a manifestation of our Lord’s various Names.[1] [2]
While researching the tailorbird, I discover various birds that build their nests like architects. The skillfulness of each one is a significant lesson for those who use their intellect. I realize that contemplation, in the face of these wonders that astonish humans, holds an important place in our lives.
I believe these lines suffice to explain the meaning and importance of such a significant concept as contemplation. “Contemplation holds a very important place in a believer’s life. However, to do this, one must know what contemplation means. Contemplation initially relies on prior knowledge. Ignorant and baseless contemplations are mere imaginations and eventually lead to weariness, and later one starts to see it as meaningless. Therefore, one must first be knowledgeable about the subject of contemplation, meaning they must have certain prior information. Humanity, with its current level of knowledge, will make new compositions and analyses thanks to this initial knowledge, delve deeper into them, and arrive at different conclusions.”[3]
Illustration by Feyza Küçük.
I started with the skills given to a bird. What delighted me led to associations with other information and facilitated new discoveries. To truly engage in contemplation, one must read extensively. I may not have reached such contemplation yet. In addition to reading, I strive to learn the methods and principles of contemplation, but I keep reading, researching, and constantly learning new things. I believe that one day I will also learn to think in many dimensions and knock on the door of truth. Otherwise, I would not move beyond merely talking about beauties we cannot help but admire.
[1] http://www.dersimiz.com/bilgibankasi/terzi-kusu-hakkinda-bilgi-2834
[2] http://bilgivitrini.com/terzi-kusu-nedir-ozellikleri-nelerdir/
[3] http://fgulen.com/tr/eserleri/zihin-harmani/bir-saat-tefekkur-bir-sene-nafile-ibadetten-hayirlidir
