Monday, June 16, 2025

When the Sky Falls: A Spiritual Reflection on the Ahmedabad Plane Crash

By Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi, New Age Islam 14 June 2025 The recent Ahmedabad plane crash has left the entire nation stunned, heartbroken, and shaken to its core. It was not just an accident. It felt like a wound carved deep into the collective heart of India. Social media is overflowing with sorrow, anger, confusion, and tributes. Families have been shattered, lives forever changed, and the country mourns together. (Photo: NDTV) ----- Some people are pointing fingers at the government, some at the airline authorities, some at regulations, and some are searching for deeper reasons. And while investigations will run their course, and lessons must be learned, there is a quieter reflection that often gets lost in all the noise—a spiritual reflection on what it means to live, to die, and to be human in a world that often gives us no warnings. Life and Death: The Two Truths We Can Never Escape In moments like these, one thing becomes painfully clear: life is fragile. No matter how advanced our technology becomes, no matter how secure we think we are, no human has ever escaped the reality of death. The tragedy in Ahmedabad reminds us, once again, that we are not promised old age. We are not guaranteed a “complete” life. People die in childhood, youth, adulthood, and old age. Death has no calendar except the one held by God. We often live as if we are immortal—as if we will have time “later” to fix things, to say sorry, to pray more, to love better, to become more just. But incidents like this jolt us into recognizing an ancient and inescapable truth: Death can come anywhere, at any time, at any age, by illness, by accident, by divine decree. This is not a statement of fear. It is a spiritual call to awareness. The True Question: What Are We Doing With Our Time? When someone dies suddenly, especially in a shocking and tragic way, we are reminded of the most essential question: What am I doing with the time I have left? Am I using it to spread love or hate? Am I working to ease someone’s suffering or contributing to someone’s pain? Am I living just for my desires and ego, or am I trying to become a better human being? These questions are not meant to depress us. They are meant to awaken us. Because if we realize that death is certain—but the time is uncertain—then our present moment becomes sacred. It becomes an opportunity to do good, to mend our character, to rise above pettiness, to choose kindness over cruelty, and to reject hatred in every form. More Than Mourning: A Call to Personal Reform Our mourning should not just be emotional, but it should also be transformational. If we are truly disturbed by what happened, then our grief should turn into action, not just in the political or legal sense, but in the spiritual and moral sense. Let us ask ourselves: Are we honest in our dealings? Are we fair in our judgments? Are we raising our children to value peace, honesty, and compassion? Are we nurturing hearts that are humble before God and kind toward people? Because in the end, the world is full of systems, but only the soul lives forever. And when we stand before God, we will not be asked about the wealth we accumulated or the titles we earned. We will be asked about our sincerity, our character, our justice, and our love for others. A Life Free From Corruption and Extremism If there is anything this moment should teach us, it is that life is too short and too sacred for hatred. We must work to be human beings who are: Free from corruption – not just political corruption, but personal integrity. Are we truthful even when no one is watching? Free from extremism – in religion, in politics, in speech, in action. Are we balanced and fair, or do we fall into the traps of blame and blind hatred? Free from violence – physical, emotional, verbal. Are we bringing peace into our homes and communities? Free from injustice – do we treat others fairly? Do we stand up when we see someone being wronged? Free from moral decay – are we honest, humble, respectful? Do we live with dignity and treat others with it too? These are not grand ideals. These are the basic building blocks of a meaningful life. Collective Grief, Collective Responsibility In moments like these, when an entire country mourns together, we also have an opportunity to heal together. We can use this pain to fuel introspection. We can use the collective sorrow to remind ourselves that every person’s life matters, and that every act of goodness matters. Yes, investigations must happen. Yes, authorities must be held accountable. Yes, systems must be improved. But none of this will bring back the lives lost. What can honour them is our decision to become better people. To live with humility. To walk this Earth with care. To speak with wisdom. To make peace where we can. To let go of grudges, racism, sectarianism, and violence. A Message to the Youth To the younger generation reading this: You are not too young to think about life and death. You are not too young to become ethical, responsible, and kind. You do not need to wait until you are old to start doing good. Death has no age limit, and neither does righteousness. Be the voice of change. Be the heart that heals. Be the light in someone’s dark day. Let this tragedy not just be another news headline that fades away. Let it become a turning point for you, a spiritual awakening that shifts how you see the world, and how you choose to live in it. We pray for those who lost their relatives, parents, children, or partners in the Ahmedabad plane crash. May God grant patience and strength to their families. May those injured be healed completely—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. And may the rest of us not return to “normal” without learning anything from this pain. Let us carry the memory of this moment not just in hashtags, but in how we choose to live. Let us remember that we are not promised tomorrow—but we are given today, and that is more than enough to become the people we were created to be. ----- A regular columnist with NewAgeIslam.com, Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi Dehlvi is a classical Islamic scholar with a Sufi background and an English-Arabic-Urdu Translator. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/spiritual-reflection-ahmedabad-plane-crash/d/135866 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism

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