Gratitude

As I was sitting and contemplating one day, I started to consider how people think… how people react… I started to consider life generally… do the words we read in the Quran describe the mindset we hold today?

سورة المدثر ١٥-١٤
وَمَهَّدتُّ لَهُ تَمْهِيدًا
ثُمَّ يَطْمَعُ أَنْ أَزِيدَ

سورة فصلت ٤٩
لَّا يَسْأَمُ الْإِنسَانُ مِن دُعَاءِ الْخَيْرِ وَإِن مَّسَّهُ الشَّرُّ فَيَئُوسٌ قَنُوطٌ

Surah Al-Muddaththir 74:14-15
To whom I made (life) smooth and comfortable!
Yet is he greedy-that I should add (yet more);-

Surah Fussilat 41:49
Man does not weary of asking for good (things), but if ill touches him, he gives up all hope (and) is lost in despair.

I started to consider how we, most of the time, take each day for granted… and more often than not, forget that each moment in our existence is really a lot more than what we can physically see and touch… it is a test on character. The fears we hold… the fear of different situations in our lives… the fear of failure… it all comes down to faith.

سورة البقرة ٢٦٨
الشَّيْطَانُ يَعِدُكُمُ الْفَقْرَ وَيَأْمُرُكُم بِالْفَحْشَاءِ ۖ وَاللَّهُ يَعِدُكُم مَّغْفِرَةً مِّنْهُ وَفَضْلًا ۗ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ

سورة التوبة ٣٨
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَا لَكُمْ إِذَا قِيلَ لَكُمُ انفِرُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ اثَّاقَلْتُمْ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ ۚ أَرَضِيتُم بِالْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا مِنَ الْآخِرَةِ ۚ فَمَا مَتَاعُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا فِي الْآخِرَةِ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ

Surah Al-Baqara 2:268
The Evil one threatens you with poverty and bids you to conduct unseemly. Allah promiseth you His forgiveness and bounties. And Allah careth for all and He knoweth all things.

Surah At-Tawba 9:38
O ye who believe! what is the matter with you, that, when ye are asked to go forth in the cause of Allah, ye cling heavily to the earth? Do ye prefer the life of this world to the Hereafter? But little is the comfort of this life, as compared with the Hereafter.

As long as our hearts are content, then, our world is good. We are distracted to pursue whatever the day may hold for us.

سورة الكهف ٣٥
وَدَخَلَ جَنَّتَهُ وَهُوَ ظَالِمٌ لِّنَفْسِهِ قَالَ مَا أَظُنُّ أَن تَبِيدَ هَـٰذِهِ أَبَدًا

سورة فصلت ٥١
وَإِذَا أَنْعَمْنَا عَلَى الْإِنسَانِ أَعْرَضَ وَنَأَىٰ بِجَانِبِهِ وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ الشَّرُّ فَذُو دُعَاءٍ عَرِيضٍ

سورة المؤمنون ٧٨
وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنشَأَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ وَالْأَفْئِدَةَ ۚ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَشْكُرُونَ

Surah Al-Kahf 18:35
He went into his garden in a state (of mind) unjust to his soul: He said, “I deem not that this will ever perish,

Surah Fussilat 41:51
When We bestow favours on man, he turns away, and gets himself remote on his side (instead of coming to Us); and when evil seizes him, (he comes) full of prolonged prayer!

Surah Al-Muminoon 23:78
It is He Who has created for you (the faculties of) hearing, sight, feeling and understanding: little thanks it is ye give!

This message may be over 1400 years old but it is describing a mindset that is still with us today, in each and everyone of us, to a bigger or lesser extent. We forget or pay little attention to the many times we are helped in this life…

سورة النور ٢١
وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ مَا زَكَىٰ مِنكُم مِّنْ أَحَدٍ أَبَدًا وَلَـٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ يُزَكِّي مَن يَشَاءُ ۗ وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

Surah An-Noor 24:21
and were it not for the grace and mercy of Allah on you, not one of you would ever have been pure: but Allah doth purify whom He pleases: and Allah is One Who hears and knows (all things).

سورة ابراهيم ٣٤
وَآتَاكُم مِّن كُلِّ مَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُ ۚ وَإِن تَعُدُّوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَا ۗ إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَظَلُومٌ كَفَّارٌ

سورة آل عمران ١٤٥
وَمَن يُرِدْ ثَوَابَ الدُّنْيَا نُؤْتِهِ مِنْهَا وَمَن يُرِدْ ثَوَابَ الْآخِرَةِ نُؤْتِهِ مِنْهَا ۚ وَسَنَجْزِي الشَّاكِرِينَ

Surah Ibrahim 14:34
And He giveth you of all that ye ask for. But if ye count the favours of Allah, never will ye be able to number them. Verily, man is given up to injustice and ingratitude.

Surah Aal-i-Imraan 3:145
If any do desire a reward in this life, We shall give it to him; and if any do desire a reward in the Hereafter, We shall give it to him. And swiftly shall We reward those that (serve us with) gratitude.

How many people may have faced rejections in life because of one thing or another? The fact that our attention span is so short may lead to situations being too easily dismissed because we are too blind to listen to the words of our Creator… the same who controls everything…

سورة النور ٢٤
وَأَنكِحُوا الْأَيَامَىٰ مِنكُمْ وَالصَّالِحِينَ مِنْ عِبَادِكُمْ وَإِمَائِكُمْ ۚ إِن يَكُونُوا فُقَرَاءَ يُغْنِهِمُ اللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ

Surah An-Noor 24:32
Marry those among you who are single, or the virtuous ones among yourselves, male or female: if they are in poverty, Allah will give them means out of His grace: for Allah encompasseth all, and he knoweth all things.

The most important aspect in life is what we live for. Allah provides for His subjects. Question is, do we trust in this? So to those people who have been rejected on materialistic grounds, you may have been saved from joining with a person who strive through this life solely with materialistic ambitions. To you people I say, alhamdulillah, Allah is with you.

The point to consider in all things, is the gratitude we may not always show in the way that we should…

سورة محمد ٣٦
إِنَّمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ ۚ وَإِن تُؤْمِنُوا وَتَتَّقُوا يُؤْتِكُمْ أُجُورَكُمْ وَلَا يَسْأَلْكُمْ أَمْوَالَكُمْ

سورة الأنعام ٥٣
أَلَيْسَ اللَّهُ بِأَعْلَمَ بِالشَّاكِرِينَ

سورة الرحمن ٦١-٦٠
هَلْ جَزَاءُ الْإِحْسَانِ إِلَّا الْإِحْسَانُ
فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

Surah Muhammad 47:36
The life of this world is but play and amusement: and if ye believe and guard against Evil, He will grant you your recompense, and will not ask you (to give up) your possessions.

Surah Al-An’aam 6:53
Doth not Allah know best those who are grateful?

Surah Ar-Rahmaan 55:60-61
Is there any Reward for Good – other than Good?
Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?

Gratitude. One of the most healing and purifying feelings for the soul, a beautiful feeling of humility.

Take a moment to read and connect the statements below in the order presented here, contemplate them in depth as you read…

سورة النساء ١٤٧
مَّا يَفْعَلُ اللَّهُ بِعَذَابِكُمْ إِن شَكَرْتُمْ وَآمَنتُمْ ۚ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ شَاكِرًا عَلِيمًا

سورة طه ١٥
إِنَّ السَّاعَةَ آتِيَةٌ أَكَادُ أُخْفِيهَا لِتُجْزَىٰ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا تَسْعَىٰ

سورة الأعراف ١٤٦
سَأَصْرِفُ عَنْ آيَاتِيَ الَّذِينَ يَتَكَبَّرُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَإِن يَرَوْا كُلَّ آيَةٍ لَّا يُؤْمِنُوا بِهَا وَإِن يَرَوْا سَبِيلَ الرُّشْدِ لَا يَتَّخِذُوهُ سَبِيلًا وَإِن يَرَوْا سَبِيلَ الْغَيِّ يَتَّخِذُوهُ سَبِيلًا ۚ ذَ‌ٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا وَكَانُوا عَنْهَا غَافِلِينَ

سورة آل عمران ١٣٩
وَلَا تَهِنُوا وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا وَأَنتُمُ الْأَعْلَوْنَ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ

سورة آل عمران ١٤٥
وَسَنَجْزِي الشَّاكِرِينَ

سورة آل عمران ١٥٩
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ

Surah An-Nisaa 4:147
What can Allah gain by your punishment, if ye are grateful and ye believe? Nay, it is Allah that recogniseth (all good), and knoweth all things.

Surah Taa-Haa 20:15
“Verily the Hour is coming – My design is to keep it hidden – for every soul to receive its reward by the measure of its Endeavour.

Surah Al-A’raaf 7:146
Those who behave arrogantly on the earth in defiance of right – them will I turn away from My signs: Even if they see all the signs, they will not believe in them; and if they see the way of right conduct, they will not adopt it as the way; but if they see the way of error, that is the way they will adopt. For they have rejected our signs, and failed to take warning from them.

Surah Aal-i-Imraan 3:139
So lose not heart, nor fall into despair: For ye must gain mastery if ye are true in Faith.

Surah Aal-i-Imraan 3:145
And swiftly shall We reward those that (serve us with) gratitude.

Surah Aal-i-Imraan 3:159
For Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him).

I hope it has given something to consider as we face the time in front of us…
The best of times to you all inshallah.
Peace, happiness, and stay faithful.