Thursday, August 11, 2016

For the favours and comforts which we enjoy, shouldn't we be thankful to it?


Human beings have been conferred with numerous blessings. Health, wealth, family, safety, well being, peace are some of those. Being a Muslim, I feel that indeed it’s a greatest blessing from my Lord for being a son to Muslim parent and HE given me the Eeman.

From Dawn to dusk, birth to death, we cannot count onto the blessings of our Lord. As Allah says in His holy quran, “And if you should count the favors of Allah, you could not enumerate them; Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful” Quran 16:18

 وَإِن تَعُدُّوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَا ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

Before the birth, HE protected you in three layers of covering inside mother’ womb; provided with necessary food & nutrition intake through your mother and made to breathe through her.

After ten months, opened a new world for you; Induced care & affection onto your mother’ heart; she cares for you more than anything else in this world; even when she is fast asleep, would wake up at once on hearing you cry; knows much better the reason for your cry, whether it’s for food or even your slightest discomfort. Aren’t this mother’ love a blessing from your lord?

Made you to dwell in mother’s lap for two years in the best comfort; and there on placed you on father’ shoulder in growing age. Then provided with different modes of transport to travel in adolescent age; even after death, made four to carry you in their shoulders

Living with all these countless blessings, what are we going to do for HIM in return? Allah repeatedly asks this in holy quran.

There are ways to be thankful for His blessings

 First: Firstly, knowing and realizing the blessings

When Allah bestowed a favour and we realized that it’s a blessing, thus we’ve thanked Allah (swt).

Once, Inb Taimiya was asked about his present condition. He replied, “I’ve been living very happily with the two blessings bestowed upon me by my Lord”
1. My sins which were hidden from others. Allah saved me by hiding it so that none could be aware
2. Has placed my love in the hearts of followers, for which I don’t have any special quality. I’ll be ever thankful for these two blessings

From the moment when life hung without any balance on the mother’ womb and until the time it reaches the grave, Allah’s grace & blessings are enormous and abundant

  Second: Remembering those blessings

Allah says in His holy Quran, that to remember the grace & blessings of Allah unto you.

After elaborating all the favours He given us, advises us about what we want to do in return for these favours. The Most Beneficent just asks us to remember on those blessings

Indeed in this remembrance, there is greatest message for us.

When all the grace and favours in terms of wealth, kingdom and others were given to Prophet (PBUH), he used to remember the earlier days and once said, recollecting how Khadija (RA) helped him in troubled times. “She (Khadija RA) believed in me when no one else did; she accepted Islam when people rejected me; and she helped and comforted me when there was no one else to lend me a helping hand.”

When Moosa (AS) asked, Oh my Lord, You have conferred upon me so many favours. How would I express my gratitude? Lord replied, “You have now already thanked for it”. When the moment you thought about it, you already expressed the gratitude for it

Third: Being humble

Humility can guide us to Paradise, just as it’s opposite, Arrogance (kibr in Arabic) will only lead us to Hell. It’s the arrogance of Shaitan that caused his expulsion from Paradise and made to be cursed when refused to humbly obey God’ command and prostrate before Adam

Enjoying the grace of your Lord, and being humble towards Him, is a sign of success. As the Quran states, about the qualities of believers who submitted humbly to the commands of God

Successful indeed are the believers, those who humble themselves in their prayers (Quran 23:1-2)  

There are numerous sayings of Prophet Mohammad on humility –

Shall I not tell you about the companions of Paradise? They are every humble person considered weak, but if they gave an oath by Allah it would be fulfilled. Shall I not tell you about the companions of Hellfire? They are every harsh, haughty, and arrogant person. – Prophet Mohammad

Fourth: Spread the word about your Lord’ favours to others

Speaking about the blessings of Allah is gratitude and ignoring them is ingratitude – Prophet Mohammed (PBUH)

Holy Quran says,

Telling about the graces to others which your Lord given is nothing to do with being pride. Instead it’s a form of thanking your Lord. As the Quran itself asks to proclaim it.

 “And proclaim the Grace of your Lord” (Quran 93:11)
  

Thank you!!

Arabic Translation Centre (ATC)
www.arabictranslationcentre.com