When Awe Becomes Worship
Modern science has found something remarkable. Neuroscientists say that when we experience awe, our perception of time slows down. A few seconds can feel like minutes. Our memory of that moment stretches and deepens. This is why life feels richer when you stand before the ocean, watch a sunrise, or sit quietly under the stars.
Think of how this applies to us in our everyday lives. You might step outside and feel the cool breeze after a hot day. You might watch the rain fall and hear its rhythm against your window. You might look into the face of a newborn baby, so pure and delicate. These moments have the power to pull you out of the rush of life and remind you that there is something greater.
In Islam, this state of awe is not just an emotion. It is an act of worship. Every time your heart whispers Subhanallah, every time your soul feels small before the greatness of Allah’s creation, you are in remembrance of Him. Allah says in the Qur’ān,
“Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding. Those who remember Allah while standing, sitting and lying on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], ‘Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You’…”
(Surah Aal Imran, 3:190–191).
The scholars mention that true reflection on Allah’s creation can elevate you beyond years of ritual without presence. It is narrated from some of the companions that one moment of deep contemplation is more valuable than seventy years of nafl worship. Because worship is not only about actions of the body. Worship is the state of your heart when it turns towards Allah with awareness and love.
When you are in awe of the sunrise, or the endless stars, or even the detail of a single flower, it is not just beauty you are seeing. It is Allah inviting you to recognise Him. The Prophet ﷺ would often look at the sky and make du’ā, teaching us that creation is a reminder of the Creator.
So pause more often. Step outside and let your heart expand when you look at the sky. Listen to the sound of the waves, the birds at dawn, the rustle of the trees. In those moments, whisper Alhamdulillah. This is how we stretch time, how we make our lives feel full and meaningful. Because every moment of awe tied to Allah becomes a moment of worship written for us, a treasure that remains when this world passes.
May Allah allow us to find awe in Him daily, and may our reflections open for us doors of nearness that even years of outward effort cannot.