A Major Reason For Humiliation…

Brothers and Sisters in Islam, we must being to fear Allah and give Him His due right.  We must begin to realize all of Allah’s blessings upon us and the mercy He has had on each and every one of us. Once we have sat and pondered over these things, we need to begin to be thankful to Allah for all He has done for us. He states in His book;

{ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يَكُ مُغَيِّرًا نِّعْمَةً أَنْعَمَهَا عَلَى قَوْمٍ حَتَّى يُغَيِّرُواْ مَا بِأَنفُسِهِمْ }

{That is so because Allah will never change a grace which He has bestowed on a people until they change what is in themselves …} (Al-Anfal 8:53)

When we look around, we find ourselves living in big homes, in good health, in a state of safety and with all kinds of excess that surrounds us. This is just to name a few of the things that Allah has blessed the majority of us with. We still most times don’t recognize Allah’s favor upon us. We sit back and complain because we want more. When is the last time that you sat and thought about all that Allah has blessed you with? No matter how much you tried you will never be able to count all of the blessings that Allah has bestowed upon you. Look at the statement of Allah when He said;

{وَإِنْ تَعُدُّوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَا}

 {… and if you count the Blessings of Allah, never will you be able to count them …} (Ibrahim 14:34)

Even though this is an impossible feat, we need to try to be more aware of the many blessings and bounties that Allah has bestowed upon us. We can’t continue going through life taking Allah and His blessings for granted. Many of us do not even mention that Allah has aided us when we talk about the good He has blessed us with. We see this for example, when Allah has given us success in accomplishing something or gives us something that we really wanted. How many of us remember that it is Allah that aided us in this? When we tell people about our accomplishments, do we tell them that it is only because of the favor and blessings of Allah that we received what we have, or do we completely leave Allah out of the picture and tell them that if they work hard than they can succeed as well?

How many times do we thank Allah for it even in speech? When is the last time that you were given something and you said al hamdulillah (praised Allah) because what you have been blessed with? This is the least that we could do.

Worse that this, is when Allah blesses us with something and we turn around and use it in a way that is pure disobedience to Allah. Allah blesses us with a job to make money so that we can provide for ourselves and our families, and we turn around and use our paychecks to purchase those things that Allah is displeased with. Is this right? Or Allah blesses us with a private car or vehicle. Do we use it to get to the Masjid, or to classes to learn more about our religion? Many times it is used to go to parties, or visits to people or places that Allah is displeased with. The examples could go on forever. The point is for us to begin to think about what we do with Allah’s blessings. Do we use them as a way to show Allah our thankfulness or do we use what Allah has blessed us with to aide us in disobeying him? Most times it is the latter of the two. Is this being thankful to Allah.

Keep in mind though, that remembering and realizing them is not what is most important. Rather, the thing that is most important is what we do because of these blessings and with them. Allah says in the Quran;

{وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِنْ شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ } 

{And (remember) when your Lord proclaimed: “If you give thanks (by accepting Faith and worshiping none but Allah), I will give you more (of My Blessings) …} (Ibrahim 14:7)

If you don’t thank Allah than you need to be in fear one of two things. Either that the blessing(s) will be taken from you then and there, or that it will remain with you and you be taken so aside by it, that it leads you in to sin. Do we not take heed from the statement of Allah when He said;

 {أَيَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّمَا نُمِدُّهُمْ بِهِ مِنْ مَالٍ وَبَنِينَ * نُسَارِعُ لَهُمْ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ بَلْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ}

  {Do they think that We enlarge them in wealth and children * We hasten unto them with good things (in this worldly life so that they will have no share of good things in the Hereafter)? Nay, but they perceive not.} (Al-Mu’minun 23:55-56)

He also said;

{وَلَا يَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَنَّمَا نُمْلِي لَهُمْ خَيْرٌ لِأَنْفُسِهِمْ إِنَّمَا نُمْلِي لَهُمْ لِيَزْدَادُوا إِثْمًا }

 {And let not the disbelievers think that Our postponing of their punishment is good for them.  We postpone the punishment only so that they may increase in  sinfulness …}  (Aali Imran 3:178)

Allah sent down the Quran to be read. Read it Brothers and Sisters. When you read it and the history books, you see the outcome of all of those nations  that were not thankful to Allah for what He bestowed upon them. You will see the results of those that were ungrateful for Allah’s blessings and used that which Allah has blessed them with, for other then the obedience of Allah. Look at what Allah said in the Quran about this;

{فَأَذَاقَهَا اللَّهُ لِبَاسَ الْجُوعِ وَالْخَوْفِ بِمَا كَانُوا يَصْنَعُونَ}

{… So Allah made it taste the extreme of hunger (famine) and fear, because of that (evil, i.e. denying Prophet Muhammad SAW) which they (its people) used to do.} (An-Nahl 16:112)

Pick up the book and read the stories of  ‘Aad, Thamood and Firawn. Look at what they had from Allah’s bounty and blessings. That which is important for you to take note of is how they had all of those blessings and it was taken from them and turned into hardship and punishment. Think about it. They did not have the things that Allah has blessed us with in these days and time.