To Taste, To Smell
Archived under My Writings , Tazkiyyah .
Is it not strange how we do not 'know what we have until it has gone'? Why it is that as humans, we tend to overlook or even look down upon seemingly simple matters or blessings that we have because we believe that it'll always be there because it has always been there.
One such blessing is the ability to smell and taste.
Many reading this may not be able to relate to this inability to taste or smell unless you've had an extremely bad cold or flu which inhibits this very important blessing. It was only yesterday, after having eaten an apparently tasteless lunch, that it dawned upon me how important these two senses are. I could not help but be thankful because my inability to taste the succulent flavours or smell the tantalising aroma of my lunch is, by Allaah's Will, a temporary one. Yet there are those who are permanently unable to smell or taste. They eat only to gratify their hunger; however, they are unable to truly enjoy that which they eat.
Can you imagine eating a dish that you are told is delicious and certainly looks the part, yet you are not able to make your own assessment because you cannot taste it. Can you imagine warming up a soup on the stove, intending to leave it for a few minutes, but leaving it for longer due to other things that require attention; you then return to find a burning pot – yet you were none the wiser because you could not actually smell it. What about going out for an afternoon walk, wishing to fully enjoy the scene, you bend to inhale what you know should be a sweet fragrance from a rose, yet you are unable to indulge in such a blessing.
These are but a few examples, and a few should be ample as a reminder for the believers. A reminder that that which Allaah has blessed us with – the ability to see, smell, hear, taste and touch – are simply that: blessings. They are not rights that we have upon Allaah, as Allaah is able to give to those He wishes and withhold from those He wishes. Therefore, what are we to do? We are to be grateful. For today, you have the ability to smell and tomorrow you may not. Today you may be able to taste, but tomorrow you may not. Indeed, today you may be alive, but tomorrow you may not.
Be thankful for today and the many hidden blessings it holds and use them in the pleasure of Allaah, for maybe – just maybe – you may not have it tomorrow.
May Allaah make us amongst those who are grateful, whether we have much or little, and protect us from forgetting the uncountable blessings He has bestowed upon us, aameen.
~ Umm Junayd.
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Your Thoughts
MashaAllah! to the above comment.
It really never dawned on me the possibility of losing these two senses. What I always remind myself usually are the sense of seeing and hearing. But I think this is really a good reminder. I hope that I am reminded of this often and I pray for Sis Yafiah that ALLAH accepts your fast from you and place you among His servants who are ever-patient, aameen!
Indeed the gifts of smell and taste are something we often overlook.
Thank you for this remindful post.
As humans we do take a lot of things for granted. I was reading through some literature about our dear Prophet (pbuh) and I learnt that he used to be thankful for the simplest of things, even for when he performed his toiletting with ease.
That was when I too began to appretiate those little things. I always always thank God for it. So that if I wake up someday and it's gone, I would know I acknowledged it while I had it and I was thankful for it.
My heart goes out to Sis Katherine... Lovely post Sis UJ! :)
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You have described the experience of not being able to taste or smell very well Umm Junayd. In addition there are all sorts of other disadvantages you would hardly be aware of before you lose these senses. A lot of subconscious information is taken in about other people through the sense of smell as well. It also took me a long time to be confident again in cooking. After a head injury which resulted in my loss of these two senses my quality of life certainly changed. I try not to think about it too much but when I do I say to myself that it is something I can accept and offer to Allah subhanu wa ta'ala as a kind of fast.