June 28, 2015

The Variety Makes You Think, No?

Today, I went grocery shopping with Saim. So the thing about grocery shopping is, it’s difficult. Going into a store full of food of different shapes, sizes, color, tastes, and smells makes you a tad bit hungry. And that hunger results in binge shopping — which means we go into the store with only 5-7 items on the list and walk out with double, sometimes triple, the amount of stuff. And if you’re fasting — well, say goodbye to your bank account!

Well, unfortunately, I was feeling unwell today and was therefore unable to fast, so the lust for food wasn’t too bad.

Anyhoo, we went around the whole of the store getting all that we needed and guiltily sneaking into the cart that wasn’t on the list ( like candy!) Finally, towards the end of the trip, we made it to the Fruits and Veggies section. Apart from the regular old apples, bananas, and oranges, this is what we discovered:

Horned Melon

Photo Source: Saim Rashid

Granadilla

Pitahaya Yellow

It’s just beautiful. This was just the smallest selection of the many different fruits that grow all over the world. We are so used to just the ones we see at the supermarket and the ones we have an acquired taste for, like mangoes, peaches, pineapples, etc. It’s when I see spiky fruits in our friendly neighborhood supermarket that the realization strikes that there are so many different types of fruits, vegetables, wheats, rice, and roots that are used all over the world for sustenance.

And not only by humans. Animals all have different types of nuts, fruits, and grasses that they live on, ones that only they can access, prepare, and digest. SubhanAllah.

As a whole, we need to ponder on this. The fact that every living creature has it’s own means of sustenance depending on where it lives, it’s ability to access it, and it’s ability to digest and benefit from it is not a coincidence. Everything on this planet has been laid out in balanced manner, fitting like pieces of a puzzle.

We ask for proof of the existence of a God, but what bigger proof is there then the beautiful, well thought-out planet that we live on? We don’t need to see a sea part to acknowledge that there is a Creator. We just need to open our eyes and minds, and explore this rock of infinite miracles.