The earth is one of the Signs of God. It contains a plenty of God’s blessings and bounties. If we look at streams and rivers, trees and mountains, meadows and orchards, et al, we come to realise that there is a wide variety of powers and wealth which God has made subservient to man. The Qur’ān (22:65) bears testimony to this fact: “Do you not see that God has made subservient to you all that is on earth, and the ships that sail the sea at His bidding? He it is who holds the celestial bodies, so that they may not fall upon the earth except by His leave. Most compassionate is God, and merciful to mankind.”
Here the Lord Almighty draws our attention to the smooth functioning of some of the objects of nature. The interrogation, ‘Do you not see…’ is highly emphatic, underlying the need for man to reflect on the world around and not to be oblivious of these bounties of God. That God has made subservient to us ‘all that is on earth’ indicates the treasures that the earth contains like air, water, soil, vegetation, minerals and mines of coal, gold, etc.
Then the Lord Almighty draws our attention to ‘the ships that sail the sea’. We see ships, big and small, sailing the sea. But how is it possible that we use ships for travelling and for transportation of our merchandise? God says this all is ‘at His bidding’.
Then we are drawn to the celestial bodies. How the sun and the stars and other celestial bodies keep on moving in perfect harmony and do not fall upon the earth makes us realise the Limitless Mercy of God, ‘Most compassionate is God, and merciful to mankind.’
How is this all possible? It is only because God has subjected to us all these bounties by making the laws of nature affecting the earth compatible with man’s nature and abilities as well as his requirements. It is only due to God’s Mercy and Power that they work smoothly ‘except by His leave’. It is ‘by His leave’ that we some time find rivers and seas overflowing, causing devastating floods which wash out standing crops and human habitations. And again it is ‘by His leave’ that we find rock masses sliding from mountain tops or sides, which we call landslide that causes grave danger to people living at the mountain foots. These floods and landslides are manifestation of God’s absolute power.
It is the Mercy of God that He has made the earth subservient to man through the powers and abilities He gave him. Without these God-gifted powers and abilities we would not have been able to tap the resources of the earth to our benefit. So, it is necessary for our ultimate success here and in the hereafter that we respond to the Mercy of God, reflect upon His blessings and stand grateful to Him by committing our all to His Will.