Every other person nowadays repeatedly exclaims, with loud sighs and exasperated wipes of wet brows, how extremely hot the weather is. Despite going through this bout of intense heat every year as summer makes its debut, we seem to find it shocking how high the temperatures can shoot up, come May. Consequently, we loathe how the heat adversely affects our day-to-day living, especially in those developing countries where air conditioners, generators, refrigerators, and deep freezers are still elusive luxuries that not everyone can afford.
There are ways of countering our by-default habit of complaining, cribbing and negative thinking about the hot summer. We should remind ourselves that we are indeed tremendously blessed by Allah through His wonderful creation of the heavens and the earth, which sees four seasons come and go throughout the year, with each bringing forth special bounties and joys that benefit us.
Heat brings vegetation
The heat, accompanied by rainfall, brings forth our provision – all that we eat and drink with much relish. The blazing sun melts snow from the mountains that causes rivers, geysers and fresh-water streams to gush forth for us.
“And He it is who has caused waters to come down from the sky; and by this means have We brought forth all living growth, and out of this have We brought forth greenness. Out of this do We bring forth close-growing grain; and out of the palm tree, dates in thick clusters; and gardens of grapes, and the olive tree, and the pomegranate: (all) so alike, and yet so different! Behold their fruit when it comes to fruition and ripens! Verily, in all this there are messages indeed for people who will believe!” (Qur’an, 6:99)
The process of photosynthesis that the sunlight causes makes the dead trees come alive and bear fruit; the seeds sown into the ground produce grains, pulses, vegetables and rice that we whip up into exotic delicacies. Furthermore, animals mate during this season and increase in numbers.