Make Hay While the Sun of Islam Shines
أَفَلَتْ شُموسُ الأَوَّلِينَ وَشَمْسُنا … أَبَداً عَلى فَلَكِ العُلى لا تَغْرُبُ
This couplet from Sayyiduna Shaykh ‘Abdul-Qādir Al-Jīlānī (Raḥimahullāh) is a powerful metaphor that speaks to both the legacy of the righteous and the enduring Light of Islam.
Let us reflect on it in detail:
1. The Meaning of the Poem
Translation:
“The suns of those who came before have set, but our Sun — upon the orbit of loftiness — never sets.”
Here, “the suns of those who came before” refers to the luminaries of past nations — their prophets, saints, scholars, and righteous kings. Every community before the Final Ummah had its time of brilliance, but eventually their glory faded, their dispensations were abrogated, or their civilizations declined.
“Our Sun” is the light of Islam — the final, complete, and preserved Deen (religion) brought by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. It is likened to a sun that remains on falakul-‘ulā — the highest celestial sphere — perpetually shining. It never sets because:
- The Qur’an is preserved as the last revelation.
- The prophethood of Muhammad ﷺ is final, and his message is for all times and places.
- The principles of Islam — justice, mercy, tawḥīd, and spiritual purification — are timeless.
- The chain of spiritual renewal and righteous leadership (though not prophecy) continues through the ʿUlamāʾ and Awliyāʾ until the end of time.
2. The Timeliness of This Message
Ramadhān may be over, but the Sun of Islam never sets. Indeed, Ramadhān is a month of intense spiritual training, but its purpose is to fuel the believer’s year-round relationship with Allah Ta’ala. The Sun of Islam shines in every season, every circumstance, and every era.
Shaykh ‘Abdul-Qādir Al-Jīlānī (Raḥimahullāh) reminds us that while the outward “suns” — particular eras, personalities, or moments — may come and go, the essential Light of Islam remains. This is both a consolation and a call to action.
3. Encouragement: “Make Hay While the Sun Shines”
The idiom “make hay while the sun shines” fits perfectly here. If the sun of Islam never sets, then every moment is an opportunity — but we are the ones who sometimes close our eyes, wander into the shade of heedlessness, or let the clouds of sin block its warmth and illumination.
Practical ways to “make hay” with the teachings and practices of Islam:
- Pledge to daily Qur’ān lessons: Let the Qur’ān be the light of your heart as it was in Ramadhān. Even a few verses a day with reflection and action keeps the sun bright in your life.
- Preserve the fasts: Nabi ﷺ encouraged the six fasts of Shawwāl, showing that the spirit of Ramadhān continues.
- Guard the Prayers (Ṣalāh): Especially the Fajr and ʿIshāʾ Salaahs — they are signs of a life lived in the perpetual Light of Islam.
- Keep the night alive (qiyāmul-layl): Even if not the full night, a few Rakʿahs in the last third of the night connects you to that “sun” when others sleep.
- Seek sacred knowledge: The Sun of Islam shines through the ʿUlamāʾ. Regular circles of knowledge, even once a week, nourish the soul.
- Remain in Thikr and Duʿā: The sun never sets on a heart that remembers Allah abundantly.
- Service to others (khidmah): The Sun of Islam is most visible when believers embody mercy, justice, generosity, and upright character.
- Avoid the eclipse of sin: Just as an eclipse blocks the sun, major and minor sins block the spiritual light from reaching the heart. Repentance and Taqwā keep the light clear.
4. A Reflection on “Falakul-‘Ulā” (Orbit of Loftiness)
Shaykh ‘Abdul-Qādir describes Islam’s sun as being on falakul-‘ulā — the highest orbit. This tells us:
- Islam is not stagnant. It moves in perfect order, like the sun in its orbit, yet it remains exalted above decline.
- Believers must elevate themselves — through Ikhlāṣ (sincerity), following the Sunnah, Ihsān (spiritual excellence), and striving for Allah’s pleasure — to align themselves with that lofty orbit.
- The sun’s light reaches all levels, but the one who climbs higher receives more direct illumination. So too, the more we ascend in spirituality and knowledge (Roohaaniyat and Ilm), the more we benefit from the light of Islam.
Conclusion
Eid is a day of joy, but the true joy of the Believer is in remaining under the Light of Islam after the days of Ramadhān. The sun that shone upon the early nations has set; but our Sun, by Allah’s mercy, remains — until He wills otherwise at the end of time.
So let us make hay while this Sun shines. Let us not be among those who see its brightness yet live in the shade. May Allah make us from among the Ahlul-Qur’ān, Ahlul-‘Ilm, and Ahlul-Ihsān — those whose hearts never experience sunset after having tasted the light of guidance.
And our final prayer is: Al-ḥamdu Lillāhi Rabbil-ʿālamīn.
(Munsha’ib)
