We must become organised like the universe

Islam, as the complete and natural way of life, nurtures the most noble qualities and esteemed traits within humanity.

Among the many it promotes are those related to order, systematic behaviour, and regulation in every aspect of life, while discouraging disorder, randomness, and chaos. Observing the divine laws — both natural and religious — reveals a major emphasis on these traits.

Universe has total accuracy

A truly meticulous order

Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) has created the universe and imbued it with immense order, saying:

الَّذِي لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَلَمْ يَتَّخِذْ وَلَدًا وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ شَرِيكٌ فِي الْمُلْكِ وَخَلَقَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ فَقَدَّرَهُ تَقْدِيرًا

“He to whom belongs the dominion of the Heavens and the Earth and who has not taken a son and has not had a partner in dominion and has created each thing and determined it with precise determination.” [1]

He created planets that move at precise speeds within defined orbits, towards clear goals which they never exceed.

Allah says,

لَا الشَّمْسُ يَنْبَغِي لَهَا أَنْ تُدْرِكَ الْقَمَرَ وَلَا اللَّيْلُ سَابِقُ النَّهَارِ وَكُلٌّ فِي فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ

“It is not allowable for the Sun to reach the Moon, nor does the night overtake the day, but they all float, each within an orbit.” [2]

In fact, this law of order extends to all of Allah’s creation.

He (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) says,

وَكُلُّ شَيْءٍ عِنْدَهُ بِمِقْدَارٍ

“And everything with Him is by due measure.” [3]

Imagine if anything was slightly off balance

Consider the precise distance of Earth from the Sun.

If Earth were any farther away, temperatures would plummet, disrupting the water cycle and potentially plunging the planet into an ice age.

Proximity any closer than where we are would cause excessive heat, destroying plant life, damaging the water cycle, and making life untenable.

The same can be said about the delicate balance of gravity: if it were stronger, excessive ammonia and methane would accumulate in Earth’s atmosphere, severely damaging life.

Conversely, if gravity were weaker, Earth would lose substantial amounts of water, rendering life unsustainable.

The ozone layer’s thickness also plays a significant role in maintaining Earth’s habitability. An overly thick ozone layer would drastically lower temperatures, whereas a thinner layer would leave Earth overheated and vulnerable to the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays.

Similarly, the thickness of Earth’s crust is vital.

A thicker crust would absorb too much oxygen from the atmosphere, whereas a thinner crust would lead to excessive volcanic activity — both scenarios making life unviable.

The rate of Earth’s rotation is equally crucial. A slower rotation would cause extreme temperature variations between day and night, while a faster rotation would result in devastating atmospheric winds, cyclones, and storms.

Moreover, Earth’s axial tilt of exactly 23 degrees is essential for the seasonal cycle. Any deviation from this angle would lead to extreme seasonal temperature variations, with scorching summers and extreme winters. [4]

The universe is undeniably structured upon principles of meticulous order, precise regulation, and organised processes.

As Allah declares,

صُنْعَ اللَّهِ الَّذِي أَتْقَنَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ

“It is the work of Allah who perfected all things.” [5]

Turning to the laws of Allah within Islam, we observe the exact same phenomena: laws that are meticulously ordered, regulated, and systematised.

As for the Qur’ān, Allah says,

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ عَلَى عَبْدِهِ الْكِتَابَ وَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ لَهُ عِوَجَا

“All praise is due to Allah, Who has sent down upon His Servant the Book and has not made within it any crookedness.” [6]

And He (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) says,

كِتَـٰبٌ أُحْكِمَتْ ءَايَـٰتُهُۥ ثُمَّ فُصِّلَتْ مِن لَّدُنْ حَكِيمٍ خَبِيرٍ

“A Book whose verses are perfected and then presented in detail by One who is All-Wise and All-Aware.” [7]

Our worship has been perfected

Immense order of prayer times

The same can be said about the practices of Islam; in Salah, we find that their prescribed times are of immense precision and order.

When dawn breaks, the time for Fajr — the first prayer of the day — has arrived. When the Sun rises, the time for Fajr has passed.

When the Sun passes its zenith, the time for Duhr (noon prayer) — the second of the five — has arrived.

When the length of shadows equates to the height of the object, the time for Duhr has passed and the time for ‘Asr (afternoon prayer) — the third of the five — has arrived.

When the Sun sets, the time for Maghrib (sunset prayer) — the fourth of the five — has arrived.

When the red afterglow of the sky has disappeared, this indicates the beginning of the time for the Isha prayer — the last of the five.

All of this is a tremendous display of order and precise regulation.

Structure of prayer is clear-cut

Turning to the form of prayer, it’s the exact same theme.

The Prophet ﷺ said,

أقيموا الصفوف وحاذوا بين المناكب وسدوا الخلل ولينوا بأيدي إخوانكم ، ولا تذروا فرجات للشيطان ومن وصل صفا وصله الله ومن قطع صفا قطعه الله

“Straighten your rows, align your shoulders, close the gaps, and be gentle with your brothers’ hands. [8] Do not leave gaps for the Devil. Whoever connects a row, Allah will connect him; and whoever cuts off a row, Allah will cut him off.” [9]

Furthermore, the Prophet ﷺ would say,

 إنما جُعِل الإمامُ ليؤتَمَّ به، فإذا كبَّر فكبِّروا، وإذا ركَع فاركَعوا، وإذا رفَع فارفَعوا

“The Imam is appointed to be followed. So when he says ‘Allahu Akbar’, you should say it too; when he bows, you should bow; and when he stands up, you should also stand up.” [10]

Moments before prayer in Makkah, as you gaze upon tens of thousands gathered, you wonder how anyone could organise such a crowd.

Yet, just ten seconds into the call to prayer, every single person is standing in line, enveloped in total silence, all following a single Imam in prayer!

Rules of fasting are precisely observed

The same theme underlies the pillar of fasting; Muslims are instructed to abstain from food, drink, and marital relations from the exact moment of dawn, and are allowed to resume these at the exact moment of sunset.

Observe Muslims worldwide just one minute before sunset in their respective cities around their dinner tables: not a single one will be seen eating until those 60 seconds have elapsed, a remarkable testament to the order and system inherent in Islam.

Same order is evident in the Hajj rituals

As examples, pilgrims perform seven circuits of circumambulation around the Ka’bah, starting and ending at the Black Stone.

Similarly, the ritual walk between the hills of Safa and Marwa consists of seven rounds, starting at Safa and concluding at Marwa, with no deviations permitted.

The pelting of the Jamarāt involves a precise sequence: starting with the smallest pillar (Jamrat al-Sughra), moving to the medium one (Jamrat al-Wusta), and finishing with the largest (Jamrat al-Kubra).

Business conduct has been made clear

The same organisation and order are evident in Islamic laws governing mu’āmalāt (commercial transactions, including buying, selling, and lending), agriculture, business ventures, or even marital issues, the penal code, as well as in warfare, peace processes, and arbitration.

These laws are characterised by their exceptional orderliness and intricate structuring.

Roles of all people have been well defined

Islam clearly defines the roles of prophets and messengers, males and females, husbands and wives, even animals.

Consider the orderly duties assigned to angels; some are tasked with managing rain, while others record human deeds. Certain angels are responsible for instilling life into foetuses, and others for retrieving souls at the time of death.

Additionally, there are angels designated as gatekeepers of Paradise and Hell, and others who handle tasks like revelation and overseeing mountains.

Absolutely nothing is left to chance or disarray.

Are we living in an orderly fashion?

There you have it: a universe and a way of life built upon order and structure, designed to steer us away from chaos, disorder, and randomness.

With this framing, we are now poised to ask: are our lives honestly characterised by such deliberate organisation?

How could we lose sight of this, tumbling through life, when the laws of both Islam and the universe are daily reminders of how our journeys toward Allah and the Hereafter must also follow deliberate planning?

Imagine the chaos if passengers on a plane asked the pilot,

“Where are we headed?”

Only to hear,

“I don’t know, I’ll just see where the aircraft takes us.”

In reality, every flight is planned with precise details about the “to”, “from”, “how”, “with whom”, “why”, “when”, and “what if”.

If we apply such rigour to our Earthly journeys, how much more should our foresight and intentionality to our journey toward the eternal home of the Hereafter be?

Picture a universe completely devoid of order

To grasp the gravity of this question, imagine a universe created by Allah devoid of any order or precision, a world that functioned under the same law of spontaneity that characterises many of our lives.

Picture a world where the Sun unpredictably flickered across the sky, sometimes for mere minutes a day, followed by prolonged darkness, or blazing nearly all day before abruptly ceding to night.

Envision the immense disarray and uncertainty — daily life besieged by unrelenting unpredictability, leading to immense physical, biological, and psychological turmoil.

If an unorganised universe would disrupt our lives this much, why expect an unorganised Islamic life to yield different results in the afterlife?

Imagine attending the funeral of someone close to you

Picture the following: you’ve just driven to the cemetery. At this moment, you park the car and step out, gripped by the dread of bidding farewell to your loved one.

As you near the gathering, the reality of the event dawns on you: this tragedy is real, and it’s irreversible. Your footsteps echo on the path, the quiet around you broken only by the gentle hums of Dhikr or recitation of Qur’ān in the distance.

As you look around, you see the familiar, pained expressions of friends, family, and colleagues, all united in mourning and du’ā. You weave through the crowd, composed, trying to stave off another wave of tears, until you reach the grave.

In an attempt to catch one final glance before the shovelling of soil starts, you look inside. To your shock, it’s you lying there! This gathering, this Janaza, is for you. People from every chapter of your life have come to pray and pay their respects.

You step back and notice four men standing around the grave, each preparing to speak in your tribute: a family member, a friend, a co-worker, and member of the Masjid… each on the verge of speaking in honour of your memory.

Ask yourself what they each would say about you. Think about what you hope they would say about you and the qualities you wish to be remembered for. Their words will represent the impact that you made on your family, friends, colleagues at work, and the Ummah… or that which you never had.

Become more organised from this point on!

Carry the above scenario back to reality and connect it with the contents of this article.

Strive to mirror the characteristics of order and purposefulness that we observe in both the laws of the universe and Islam within your daily Islamic life.

Ensure that your pursuit of Jannah is something you intentionally plan for and work towards. Avoid being reactionary, passively waiting for circumstances to present opportunities, floating through the years and wandering through life. Legacies and impact are not built in this way.

Instead, think well of Allah (subḥānahu wa ta’āla), take command of your life, and strive to engineer the circumstances needed for your Islamic prosperity.

Action points

• Start by identifying Paradise as your long-term objective.
• Turn to yourself in an honest assessment of what you are, what you are not, and what you can be.
• Immerse yourself in an Islamic project that uniquely engages you via thoughts and efforts — something that defines your daily pursuits with family, friends, colleagues, and the Ummah.

Source: Islam21c

Notes

[1] al-Qur’ān, 25:2

[2] al-Qur’ān, 36:40

[3] al-Qur’ān, 13:8

[4] https://www.sdadefend.com/pathlights/ce_encyclopedia/Encyclopedia/01-ma10.htm#Elemental%20Forces

[5] al-Qur’ān, 27:88

[6] al-Qur’ān, 18:1

[7] al-Qur’ān, 11:1

[8] Abu Dāwūd said,

“What is meant by ‘Do not resist your brothers’ hands’ is that a man should be easy-going if his brother pushes him forwards or backwards to make the row straight.”

‘Awn al-Ma’būd 

[9] Narrated by Abu Dāwūd, on the authority of Ibn ‘Umar

[10] Narrated by Bukhārī, on the authority of Anas