Surah An-Nahl (The Bee — النحل) (Ayah 81)

The importance of the shade of a roof or trees can be imagined when a man finds himself in a desert where there is no shade of any kind. The result of the sun’s heat being so well regulated is that an ordinary barrier gives us comfortable shade. Had the sun’s heat been more than at present, which is quite possible, our shaded dwellings would have become burning hot ovens. There being caves in hard rocks where man can make his dwellings and there being such materials in the world which, made into thin fibres provide clothes for the protection of man’s body, are very important factors for a creature like a human being, so much so that if they had not been available, there would have been no human beings and no human civilization on the earth. This realization develops two kinds of feelings in man—firstly, the feeling of obligation towards God, because He is the one who has given to man such valuable bounties and, secondly, a feeling of fear, because if God were to take away these bounties, man would have no other recourse. If such feelings awaken man’s inner self to such an extent that he spontaneously kneels down before his Lord, then this is indeed true worship (la‘allakum tuslimun).