New region, new birds to discover

I was out for my daily “power walk” and on the way back home I noticed a beautiful bird in the garden along the pathway. Since I have only been in the Middle East for a month I am discovering all sorts of new species of creatures including; lizards that come out at night when temperature cools and the prey is asleep, lots of creepy crawlies and too many cockroaches and an plethora of gorgeous birds.  Some of the birds are very similar to those found in North America, starlings and little chickadees while this was like none I had ever seen before.  When it saw me admiring it, it seemed to respond by cocking his head toward me and raising the crest on top.  Then when I had had sufficient time to absorb this feature the bird took to flight revealing an amazing pattern of back and white stripes.

A bit of research on the internet revealed that “Hoopoe” it is the National Bird of Israel and also called a Hudhud in parts of the middle east.  The bird is included in an ancient lesson in Islam. (see story below)

Use your all Powers to bring Humankind to the Right path

In spite of his wealth, glory, and vast empire, Prophet Sulayman (as) remained a humble and devoted servant of Allah (swt). He spent his nights in prayers and fasted during the days. He used his power and might only in the way of Allah (swt) to bring humankind to the right path. For his livelihood, he used to make baskets and sell them in the market; and with the money he obtained, he bought food and shared it with the poor.One day, when he was inspecting the birds, he noticed that a bird called Hudhud (Hoopoe) was not present. He said, “Where is Hudhud? I will punish him severely if he remains absent without a good reason.” Shortly after that, Hudhud arrived and told Prophet Sulayman (as) that he had flown over the land of Saba (Sheba) where he had seen a beautiful woman ruling over the people. Her name was Bilqees. She had plenty of wealth, a strong army and a throne made of gold, diamonds and other precious stones. He saw her and the people worshipping the sun, instead of Allah (swt). Prophet Sulayman (as) was very pleased with Hudhud and gave him a letter to deliver to Bilqees. Hudhud flew to the land of Saba and dropped the letter in the lap of Bilqees while she was in the palace. When Bilqees received the letter, she called her advisors and said, “I have received an honorable letter from Sulayman. It begins In the name of Allah, the beneficent, the merciful and it reads: “Accept Allah (swt) and worship only Him. I am his prophet, believe in what I say and accept my command”.