When the earth is bereft of its partner, the rain, it finds itself afflicted by a touch of aridity – upon which the earth clothes itself with the garments of “and you see the earth barren” (al-Hajj 22:5) until it reaches a degree of severe poverty, whence it raises its hand, begging for charity from the clouds. The High Creator afterwards waters the nether from the above; aid is called forth and rain is elicited without stimulation; “We drive them to a dead land” (al-Fatir 35:9)
Indeed the effect of the Creator on the drab and lifeless is a wonder. Therewith, weather garbs itself in the darkest vesture while the cavalry of rain approaches, unsheathing swords of lightning. A vagarious stratum of air being spraying out its troops of breezes, disclosing to the wind the intention of rain. Therefore the clouds borrow the tearful eyelids of lovers, and the hands of the munificent, causing the valleys to abound with flowing rivers. Overtime the palm of the breeze grazes these rivers, its necklace rubs against its silver chains, all the while the sun hides out, as the clouds spray their raindrops; all the while, the two partners; earth and rain, ratify a contract of mutual love.
As the winter sun begins to lay down on the immature land, the saplings begin to emerge; spring rushes into the lands lending the earth youthful garments to wear. Thereupon, the eyes of earth open after a year of sleeping, and the plants arise as if brides adorned by every kind of jewellery; the narcissus appears as it it were an eye and its leaves as if they were silver; the anemone shows the colour of shyness, and spice plants appear as if in a state of trepidation; the viola flower gives the appearance of bite marks on the flesh; the lily nods off and then rouses; the branches of trees intertwine and then separate; and fragrances reveal their secrets to the breeze. All aesthetic songs converge in the procession of this wedding of communion; each art surpassing all the other arts. Birds compete with each other in assonance; each bird expresses its yearning in it own language; the dove chants, the bulbul sermonises, the black-headed pigeon recites, the acquit birds whistle; the Hoopoe sings an the tree-branches sway – all of them expressing their gratitude and thankfulness to the One in Whose hands lies all Authority. Only then does the nose of the yearner manage to detect the scent of the object of his affections.