Meerkats or Otters…
Daily Walk — Signs of Allah’s Mercy
Wednesday, 22 July 2026 — 7:30 a.m.
It was a very grey and overcast start to the morning, with a few drops of rain still falling. There were puddles everywhere from the earlier rain, so the whole place had that freshly washed feeling.
The highlight of the walk was spotting the otters. They kept popping their heads up and down like meerkats, looking around before disappearing again. It was quite funny to watch and certainly brightened up an otherwise gloomy-looking morning.
Seeing the wet ground immediately brought to mind the words of Allah:
“Look then at the effects of Allah’s mercy: how He gives life to the earth after its death. Surely that same God can raise the dead, for He is Most Capable of everything.”
Surah Ar-Rum, 30:50
Imam al-Tabari explained that the “effects of Allah’s mercy” are the effects of the rain that Allah sends from the clouds. Through it, He brings dead ground back to life, causing plants and grass to grow again. Al-Tabari then connects this directly to the Resurrection: the One who revives the earth with rain can also bring the dead back to life. Ibn Kathir gave the same explanation, saying that Allah uses the revival of the earth to remind us that He will also revive our bodies after death.
It made me think differently about the puddles. They were not simply a nuisance left behind by bad weather. They were traces of Allah’s mercy and a small reminder of something far greater—the day when Allah will bring all of us back to life.
Anas ibn Malik رضي الله عنه said that when rain fell, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ uncovered part of his garment so that the rain could touch him. When the Companions asked him why, he replied:
“Because it has just come from its Lord.”
Sahih Muslim 898
The Prophet ﷺ saw something special in freshly fallen rain. It had only just been created and sent down by Allah. That changes the way a believer looks at an ordinary rainy morning.
I finished the walk with an iced Americano from ZUS Coffee for RM6.90. That felt like an absolute bargain compared with what the same drink would cost in the UK—a nice and inexpensive ending to the morning.
Grey skies, a few drops of rain, puddles on the ground, otters popping their heads up like meerkats, and a bargain coffee at the end. Nothing dramatic, but plenty to notice and be grateful for.
O Allah, allow us to recognise Your mercy in the ordinary moments of our lives, to reflect upon Your signs and never to take Your blessings for granted. Āmīn.