When we look around in these days and times, we see all kinds of turmoil surrounding us. We see people dying of starvation, war, poverty, homelessness, terminal illnesses and all other types of horrible situations. We see things that many of us know, that if we saw them in person or even experienced these things, it would shake our faith. We witness issues, with the elderly and even with infants that make our very souls shudder when they are just spoken about, let alone when we see pictures of these things.
Yet, when many of us look into our lives, none of these things are happening. We experience a small speed bump in the road and act as though the world is going to end. We ask question like ‘Why me” and things of this sort. It gets hot outside and we start to uncover because we are a bit uncomfortable when we are out and about having fun with our friends in the streets and the malls. We get our monthly bills and we do not have much spending money left for the month and all of a sudden we are talking about trying to do some impermissible actions, so that we can have extra money in our pockets.
Stop for a minute and think about all that Allah has blessed you with in your life. You don’t really have any significant health problems. Your spouse and children are still alive and well. No one is on the brink of starving to death. Need I continue to name more. Once again look at what you see going on around you, and tell me that the small problems that you have going on in your life are really worth constantly complaining about. Tell me that they are even remotely comparable to the situations going on in other peoples lives at this very moment. The majority of you can not begin to truthfully make this claim.
Instead of sitting around complaining about these small issues, especially in comparison to all that we witness going on in the world, thank Allah for that which He has blessed you with in your life. You need to also thank Allah for saving you from the trials that you see in the news on a regular basis. Take into consideration the fact that most of you can not even say that they know anyone personally that is going through one of these life threatening tragedies. Don’t you agree that you and those that you know, when looking at things from this aspect need to be more grateful to the Lord of the worlds?
A huge problem is that we are not a people that are used to being thankful for those things that we have. We have become accustomed to only complaining about the things that we have not yet been given. We, even though we hear it often, do not pay much attention to the fact that we need to be more thankful to Allah for what we have been blessed with in our lives. How has our situation become one of like this? Do we not consider the fact that Allah has explained to us how to get more of what we are looking for?
Allah tells us in His book how to gain excess, but we tend to ignore that which we were told. He says in Surah Ibrahim {If you are thankful, I will grant you increase} [14:7]. So we see that our situations are very easily rectified. Those things that we are complaining about, in terms of what we don’t have, are obtainable. If we simply stick to that which Allah has commanded us with in this verse, we will gain that which He has promised us. Instead of complaining about not having something, we should do more sitting around praising Allah and thanking Him for that which we have. This is that which will bring about the results in our lives that we are looking for, which is increase.
Something that we need to understand, is that our giving thanks to Allah for His many blessings is something that does not benefit Allah at all. Rather it is something that is a benefit to only us as individuals. Allah is far greater than to be in need of us thanking Him, in the way that it will cause Him some benefit. He is free from being in need of any of His creation in any way what so ever. The whole of the benefit of our thankfulness returns to us.
Take a second to ponder upon what Allah says in Surah Luqman. He confirms that our giving thanks only benefits us, and that our being ungrateful is only going to bring about bad for us. He says {And indeed We bestowed upon Luqman Al-Hikmah (wisdom and religious understanding, etc.) saying: “Give thanks to Allah,” and whoever gives thanks, he gives thanks for (the good of) his own self. And whoever is ungrateful, then verily, Allah is All-Rich (Free of all wants), Worthy of all praise.} [31:12]
So the first thing that we need to see from this article, is that our problems are not really big problems. We may see them to be, but when we compare them to the things that others are going through, then we will be able to put things in a better perspective. Not looking at those that have more than us, rather concentrating on those that do not have what we have will do much more for us developing this feeling of being grateful for what Allah has blessed us with. This will cause us to feel more appreciative than we do when we look at those that have those things that we have not been blessed with. This does not help us to appreciate things but rather makes us feel like we do not get those things that we really desire and causes us to not appreciate the things that we actually have.
The second benefit shown in this article, is the fact that if you are in a situation that you feel like you are in some sort of need, simply turn to Allah sincerely in thanks for those things that He has blessed you with, and you open the doors to receive increase. We must break the habit of being an ungrateful people when it comes to the blessings of our Lord. We must stop looking at what we have been given as though it is nothing, simply because we don’t have those things that we see that others already have. What is important is not what you have been blessed with, but rather what you do with it and the thanks that you show for getting it.
May Allah write our names down with those that are constantly in a situation of being grateful for His countless blessings, and from those that recognize them as we receive them. May He also make us from those that stop feelings as though we need something else, just because we see others with it. Allahuma ameen.
