Some people have big, strong muscles ... and they work out at the gym to get stronger and bigger. And they feel good and proud when they see themselves in the mirror. And when they go out, they may walk on the earth like they are going to rip the ground and no one can even touch them. But actually, this sense of power and strength that they feel on the inside is just a passing illusion. They are not mindful of their origin and how Allah created them from humbled substances such as dust, clay, from a mingled sperm-drop, and then from a clinging clot which all needed constant protection inside the belly of a mother. 'Who has perfected everything He created, and He originated the creation of man from clay; then He made his progeny from an extract of a fluid despised; then He fashioned him and breathed into him something of His Spirit. And He gave you hearing, sight, and intellect. Yet you hardly give any thanks.' (32:7-9) I think what's also amazing is that even though we were created from such lowly and humbled substances, we were also created in the most beautiful form (physically, mentally, and spiritually). As Allah says in another verse, 'Indeed We have created man in the best of stature' (95:04) and '... He formed you and perfected your forms and provided you of the good things' (40:64). But of course, the blessings go beyond just our physical constitution and physical appearance. Just to stay alive from one second to the next is another blessing of inconceivable magnitude. Would we be able to avoid illness or a sudden death if Allah wills that to happen? Even a microscopically small and invisible virus can cause us to become sick and possibly even kill us. Sometimes people will ask someone the question, 'What's your secret to a long and healthy life? What do you do to stay in such good shape?' And the person might respond to that by mentioning a particular diet that they follow, what they eat or don't eat, the level of physical activity that they perform, how many miles they walk every day, or how happy and peaceful they are and don't have much stress, or something along those lines. But little are they grateful for the fact that it is Allah who gave them the means for survival and good health. The answers that they give are surely reasonable at a surface level (the things that I mentioned above), but none of it is actually the real thing that has kept them alive. So, the blessing of their health becomes worthless because of their ungratefulness. To take lesson from a modern-day example, one prominent figure that comes to mind is the legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, who passed away in 2016 (may Allah have mercy on him). He was admired by many for his physical athleticism, his passion for the sport, his endurance, the way he would elusively move and dance around in the ring, the time-precise and killer-instinct head movements that enabled him to dodge punches in split-second, and even the psychological tactics that he used both before and during a fight. And after winning a match, he would speak to the crowd and shout out words like 'I told you I'm the greatest! I'm the greatest of all time! No one can defeat me! I am lord of the rings!' After defeating one of his opponents in February 25, 1964, he started boasting 'I'm king of the world! I'm pretty! I'm a baaad man! I shook up the world! I shook up the world! I shook up the world!' Well, we can say that he trains hard, fights hard, and talks tough, but eventually he was struck by a progressive disorder called Parkinson's disease. It's a disorder that affects the nervous system and consequently other parts of the body that are controlled by the nerves. So now, the same man who impressed people with his movements and balance and physical prowess is someone who has become completely the opposite of what he was before. His movements are slow, he can't walk the same way, he shakes, he chews slowly, his eyes stare straight ahead, and the mouth that just wouldn't shut up is now largely mute. But thankfully, he realized that this was a trial from Allah and that there is a lesson behind it. In reflecting on his Parkinson's disease, he said, 'I'm blessed and thankful to God that I understand that he's trying me. This is a trial from God. He gave me this illness to remind me that I am not number one; He is.' And I think that's the statement that proved the strength of his inner integrity more than all the other wildly boastful comments that he made in the past. So, to connect all of this back to the verses that I have reflected upon, it's an illusion to think that our 'strength' lies only in our skills and abilities or how strong we look. This may be true in a way but it's true only at a superficial, worldly level. On the contrary, real strength is the one that comes from acknowledging our inherent weaknesses and limitations in this life and knowing that these are amongst the decrees of Allah, and then being patient with it. And so sometimes the illnesses or the physical problems that we face reminds us of that.