Cantaloupe Rinds and the Divine
God’s will, al-Ghazali, and epidemiology
Subscribe to my email list to receive notifications about future articles
Lying on my couch one day last year, idling in the midday sun, I suddenly became aware of a general feeling of malaise. Tuning in more closely to my body, I sensed a slight sharpness in my stomach and a throbbing in my temples. There was no doubt about it: I was getting sick.
I sat up quickly, alarmed and indignant. My schedule for the next few days was daunting, full of meetings and deadlines. It was enough to make my mind grow weary — the last thing I needed was a weary body.
Taking a deep breath in, I set my mind on a more measured response. I had been reading a book by the Islamic philosopher al-Ghazali, who encourages us to recognize God as the cause of everything and trust in His plan completely, a state of consciousness that he calls tawakkul.
Putting this spiritual wisdom into practice, I decided to reframe my situation. The indulgences of summer had caused me to gain some weight, and being sick inevitably reduces my appetite. Maybe God’s plan for me had been to kick-start some much-needed weight-loss.
Having ‘spun’ the unfortunate circumstance and aligned myself with God’s will, I relaxed and laid back down again.
