Colour Blind

Lombok Reflections

Colour blind

Standing on the shore on the local island of Gili Air, the scene before me felt endless.

The sand was soft, the rays of the midday sun drenching my body, but what truly captured my heart was not the boats drifting lazily or the mountains in the distance. It was the sea and sky, locked together in a vast embrace, each painted in more shades of blue than I thought possible SubahanaAllah.

The shallow waters nearest to me glistened in aquamarine, almost translucent in their gentleness. Just beyond, the sea shifted into turquoise, alive with light and motion. And further still, where the depth increased, it darkened into royal navy, almost black in its mystery.

Above, the sky mirrored this shifting canvas, pale at the edges, deeper and bolder the higher I looked, streaked with white clouds like strokes on a divine painting.

I found myself mesmerised.

One word, “blue,” felt so inadequate, so small in trying to describe what lay before me. There weren’t one or two shades, but countless. Each ripple, each gust of wind, each passing cloud shifted the picture slightly, unveiling a new shade. The sight was alive, never fixed, never repeating itself.

In that moment I felt a subtle reminder from Allah ﷻ. Nothing He creates is ever one-dimensional. We humans, in our haste, try to simplify life. We call something good or bad, we place people in boxes, we define ourselves in narrow ways. But the sea and sky were teaching me otherwise. Just as there are endless shades of blue, there are endless shades to our existence, our faith, our journey.

The Quran draws our attention to this richness in creation:

“Do you not see that Allah sends down rain from the sky? With it We bring forth fruits of different colours. And in the mountains are streaks white and red, of varying shades, and (some) extremely black. And among people and animals and livestock are various colours likewise. Only those fear Allah, from among His servants, who have knowledge.”

(Surah Fatir, 35:27–28)

The diversity of colours, of forms, of creation is not random. It is an invitation to reflect. The shades of the sea were not simply beautiful, they were signs, ayat, urging me to slow down and see beyond the surface.

I thought then about people. How quick we are to judge from the surface, seeing only the “colour” they show at that moment. But just like the sea, every person has layers and depths unseen. A smile might mask a storm beneath. A stern expression might cover a heart breaking in silence.

Only Allah knows all shades of a soul. He is Al-Lateef, the Subtle, the All-Aware of what lies hidden, what others cannot perceive.

And then I turned inward.

How many shades exist within myself?

There are days when I feel close to Allah ﷻ. Light, clear, confident. And there are days when my faith feels heavy, when doubts or fatigue blur my clarity. But both belong to me. Both are part of the ocean of my being. And Allah does not despise the darker shades of my journey. He created them too, to test me, to soften me, to shape me.

The Prophet ﷺ reminded us of this very balance when he said:

“The believer’s affair is truly amazing. Everything is good for him, and this is only for the believer. If something good happens to him, he is grateful, and that is good for him. If something bad happens to him, he is patient, and that is good for him.”

(Sahih Muslim, 2999)

Like the shifting sea, the believer is not meant to remain in one state forever. Gratitude paints one shade, patience another. Both are necessary, both are beautiful, both are part of Allah’s artistry in shaping our souls.

As I stood on that shore, I realised how often I had judged myself harshly for not being in constant brightness, constant strength. Yet the ocean showed me that change is not failure. It is the rhythm of creation. The water closest to shore is light and playful. The depths further out are heavy and dark. But together, they form the same sea. In the same way, my light and dark moments are not contradictions but companions, completing the picture of my faith.

The Prophet ﷺ also said:

“Allah does not look at your forms or your wealth, but He looks at your hearts and your deeds.”

(Sahih Muslim, 2564)

The shades that others see may shift, sometimes bright, sometimes dim. But Allah looks deeper, to the intention behind each moment, to the sincerity within the heart. Just as the ocean contains unseen currents and depths, our lives contain hidden struggles and hopes only He truly knows.

As I turned away from the sea that day, I carried its lesson with me. The endless shades of blue were more than a sight of beauty. They were a reminder that every shade of my life. Gratitude, struggle, closeness, distance, is known and encompassed by Allah ﷻ. And in His perfect artistry, no shade is wasted.

O Allah, let us see Your signs in every detail of creation. O Allah, grant us gratitude in ease and patience in hardship. O Allah, soften our hearts to accept every shade of Your decree, and guide us through the shifting states of life until we return to You with hearts at peace. Ameen.