Embracing the Ebb and Flow: Finding Balance at the Beach
The Healing Power of the Ocean’s Symphony
For the first time in two weeks, I slept for eight hours last night and woke up feeling refreshed. I lay in bed for a few more minutes, letting my mind wander and contemplate some strange dreams. I then got up and said, “Alhamdulillahi ladhi ahyana bahda ma amatana wa ileiihi nushur” (praise to God who gave us life after death) and performed my fajr prayers.
One of my goals for this year is to visit the gym every day, as I find it therapeutic and healthy for both my mind and body. Unfortunately, the closest gym to me is undergoing maintenance for a couple of weeks. However, I still do regular pushups, sit-ups, and light cardio exercises indoors. I am also grateful to live close to the beach, as I can see the waves crashing from my window and take a two-minute walk to the beach.
This is indeed a favour from my Lord, which I cannot deny.
Alhamdulillah!
There is something special about visiting the beach early in the morning that ignites a spark within me. It feels like a spiritual experience. As I lace up my running shoes and head out for a jog, I can feel the excitement building. The sun is just starting to rise across the horizon, casting a warm glow over the sand and water. The air is crisp and clean, and the sound of the waves crashing against the shore is like a symphony to my ears, each wave a note in the melody.
As I think about jogging, I am reminded of my first marathon race. I was a beginner who had not run 2000 kilometers in one stretch, yet I registered for the GLO marathon race in 2008. It was a memorable experience. It took me three weeks to recover from foot sore — I did not wear comfortable shoes — my back ached as if it was worked on by an ironsmith. I’ll tell that story another time. But I completed the race. And ran 3 more after then.
I love challenges, I love to do scary things — crazy things.
I love to go where people are afraid to be.
I love adventure and hope I will be able to do as much as my imagination allows me.
Back to the beach…,
As I run along the shoreline, the sand squishing between my toes, I can’t help but feel a sense of wonder and awe. The vast expanse of water stretches out before me, endless and unyielding. The waves roll in, one after the other, each one different from the last. Some are gentle, lapping at the shore, while others are fierce and powerful, pounding against the sand.
The vastness of the ocean reminds me of the infinite possibilities that life holds. The ocean is a metaphor for life itself, a constant ebb and flow of ups and downs, just like the tide. It reminds me that no matter how big our problems may seem, they are but a tiny ripple in the grand scheme of things. It also serves as a reminder of the vastness of Allah’s creation and our smallness in comparison. As I stand at the shoreline and watch the waves roll in, I am reminded of the beauty and majesty of Allah’s creation and the importance of pondering over it.
It reminds me of His grandeur and reaffirms the authenticity and power of His words as He said in surah Al-Kahf:109
قُلْ لَوْ كَانَ الْبَحْرُ مِدَادًا لِكَلِمَاتِ رَبِّي لَنَفِدَ الْبَحْرُ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَنْفَدَ كَلِمَاتُ رَبِّي وَلَوْ جِئْنَا بِمِثْلِهِ مَدَدًا
Say, “If the sea were ink for [writing] the words of my Lord, the sea would be exhausted before the words of my Lord were exhausted, even if We brought the like of it as a supplement.”
He also reaffirms this in another verse where said,
وَلَوْ أَنَّمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ مِنْ شَجَرَةٍ أَقْلَامٌ وَالْبَحْرُ يَمُدُّهُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ سَبْعَةُ أَبْحُرٍ مَا نَفِدَتْ كَلِمَاتُ اللَّهِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ
And if whatever trees upon the earth were pens and the sea [was ink], replenished thereafter by seven [more] seas, the words of Allah would not be exhausted. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise. [Luqman:27]
Indeed, His words are powerful!
The beach is also a place of healing for me. The salty sea air is like a breath of fresh air for my soul. The sound of the waves and the feel of the sand under my feet is like a grounding force that brings me back to the present moment. It reminds me to let go of my worries and just be present in the moment. I feel strongly that this world is so much bigger than our individual problems and that we are all just a small part of something greater.
إِنَّ فِى خَلْقِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱخْتِلَـٰفِ ٱلَّيْلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍۢ لِّأُو۟لِى ٱلْأَلْبَـٰبِ
Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the day and night there are signs for people of reason. Al-Imran:190–191
One of my favorite things about the beach is the way the water changes with the tide. Sometimes it is calm and serene, other times it is wild and chaotic.
Today the water is fuller and the waves are stronger than on other days I have visited the beach. For a moment, I equate this fullness to how sometimes in life, our joy is full, like lots of children running around the house, with a cacophony of laughter and scattered toys, and the sounds of broken plates and colorful marks on the walls and faces.
And at times, the wave recedes and everything looks still, calm, water receding far into the ocean, and the shore becomes wider. It reminds me of how the turbulence of life can be a blessing that we long for and reminisce about. Just like when the children have grown up, moved to college, and started their own lives, the whole house becomes silent, no more sound of broken plates, no more noise of laughter and cries and running around. The ocean is never the same, it is always changing. Going to the beach reminds me that change is a natural part of life, and we must learn to embrace it and flow with it.
As I watch the water, I am struck by the beauty and simplicity of it all. It reminds me that no matter how difficult things may seem in the moment, they will eventually pass and change. Like the tide, life ebbs and flows, bringing with it both calm and turmoil. But just as the tide always returns to the shore, so too will life eventually find balance.
Allah does not require of any soul beyond what He has given it. After hardship, Allah will bring about ease. At-Talaq:7
For a moment, think about it, whatever hardship you are going through is temporary. It WON’T last. It will pass someday.
As I jog this morning, I can’t help but feel a sense of peace wash over me. The beach is my sanctuary, a place where I can let go of all my worries and just be present in the moment. I often find myself getting lost in thought, marveling at the beauty of God’s creation. Looking at the sea and everything around it is a reminder that there is something greater than ourselves, something that we can’t fully comprehend. It reminds me of some of the weird thought I had as a kid. I marvel at the sky and stars at night often and a day I asked myself, “if God created all these, who created God?”
It reminds me of some of the weird thought I had as a kid. I marvel at the sky and stars at night often and a day I asked myself, “if God created all these, who created God?”
I later got to understand that it is an endless thought and a futile exercise to try to comprehend the One who has no origin. How do we calculate the circumference of a circle without knowing its starting point, the radius or diameter?
It became clearer, the magnificence of God is beyond our imagination. A good example was when Moses came at the appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he asked, “My Lord! Reveal Yourself to me so I may see You.” Allah answered, “You cannot see Me! But look at the mountain. If it remains firm in its place, only then will you see Me.”
When his Lord appeared to the mountain, He levelled it to dust and Moses collapsed unconscious. When he recovered, he cried, “Glory be to You! I turn to You in repentance and I am the first of the believers.”
Ibn Abbas reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said,
“Reflect deeply upon the creation, but do not reflect upon the essence of the Creator. Verily, His essence cannot be known other than to believe in it.” Musnad al-Rabī’ 742
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said,
“Satan will come to one of you and he will say, ‘Who created this and that?’ until he says to him, ‘Who created your Lord?’ When it comes to this, let him seek refuge in Allah and stop such thoughts.”
Indeed, His creations are so vast that we haven’t fully grasp the entire functions of our brain.
There are ˹countless˺ signs on earth for those with sure faith, as there are within yourselves. Can you not see? [Adh-Dhariyat:21]
The sea reminds me to remain steadfast in my faith, no matter the storms that may come my way. This life is like the sea: sometimes it is calm and sometimes it is rough, but the believer remains steadfast.
And patient.
And always trusting in His plan because,
…surely with hardship comes ease. [Ash-Sharh 94:5]
Another thing I find fascinating is the beauty of the beach and it accelerates my inspiration. As I take in the natural beauty around me, I am reminded that anything is possible. The vast expanse of water is a metaphor for the endless possibilities in life. I come here when I need clarity in my ideas and thoughts, when I need to write a unique poem, when I need to overcome worries, and when I want to hear the bird’s whispers, pick seashells and see white crabs run into their holes with their hundreds of pathways scattered across the sand like contours on a map. I come here just to BE.
The vastness of the ocean and the endless horizon tells us that there is so much more to life than what we can see in front of us. It reminds me that there is so much more to explore and discover. I like to look far into the ocean. It is a metaphor for my own personal journey, an endless expanse of possibility waiting to be explored.
I like to look far into the ocean. It is a metaphor for my own personal journey, an endless expanse of possibility waiting to be explored.
I am fascinated by water and perhaps it accounts for why I love to visit the beach. The Landmark beach is more than just a place for a morning jog or fun. It is a place of spiritual connection, healing, and inspiration. Often, when I jog, I listen to the Qur’an — following the reciter as I carry every step and when I walk at the shore.
I believe as it is a home to countless forms of life, so too is the world around us full of potential. All we have to do is open ourselves up to the possibilities and be willing to take risks.
BIG Risks.
And enjoy every moment of it.
I long to visit again soon. This is my place of sanctuary.
An Oasis.
