Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, and peace and blessings be upon Muhammad, his family, and his companions.

The blessing of awareness: did Allah create these senses and this insight for us without purpose? Have we truly used these blessings for what they were created for?

Allah, the Creator, gave us these amazing senses so that we may pay attention. Yes, so that we may be aware. Did the hoopoe bird make better use of its awareness than many people do? Yes. When it found a great kingdom with power, progress, civilization, and a mighty ruler, none of these impressive things distracted this small bird. Instead, with its sharp sight, it noticed a flaw in the people’s beliefs. It said to the Prophet Solomon (peace be upon him): “I have discovered something that you have not noticed.”

You, who may feel weak and powerless, are like the hoopoe. When you use your senses and insight correctly, you begin to see the weaknesses and shortcomings of people whom you once thought were greater, stronger, and above you. You see their flaws and mistakes, and they no longer intimidate you. You see them in their true and natural size.

This remarkable gift of awareness requires all of our senses. Without using them, there can be no true awareness. Look at what the cooperation of our senses can achieve by Allah’s will. Look at how the body and the senses work together to create awareness. Here we can see the value of cooperation and teamwork.

The Algerian researcher and scientist Yasmin Belkaid, Director General of the Pasteur Institute in Paris, recently received the prestigious Louis-Jeantet Prize for Medicine for 2026, one of the most important scientific awards in Europe. The prize supports promising future research and was awarded in recognition of her pioneering work that changed traditional views about the microbiome—the beneficial microorganisms that live in and on our bodies—and its relationship to health.

Belkaid redefined the role of beneficial bacteria. Her research demonstrated that the human immune system does not work independently from the microorganisms living inside the body, such as those found in the intestines and on the skin. Rather, these microorganisms are essential partners that train immune cells and regulate their responses against infections and inflammation.

She also showed how certain nutrients have a crucial effect on immune tissues. For example, her research highlighted the role of vitamin A in regulating immune defenses within mucosal tissues.

Her discoveries revealed that our body is a cooperative world. Before her research, scientists often viewed the body as a closed fortress, with the immune system acting as an army fighting every foreign organism. Belkaid completely changed this understanding. She showed that we are not simply a single living being; rather, we are a complete ecosystem, a miniature planet inhabited by trillions of microbial residents—bacteria, fungi, and viruses—living in a vast and mutually beneficial relationship.

The effects of cooperation can be seen in our health, our well-being, and our progress. Allah wants us to recognize this through our own bodies and through the world around us. Allah says in the Qur’an: “And in yourselves; will you not then see?” (Qur’an 51:21).

It would be better for us to abandon excessive individualism, which has distanced us from our natural disposition and harmed both our present and our future. We must realize that one swallow alone does not make spring.

And Allah knows best. May Allah send His blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his companions.