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Bismillahi Rahmani Raheem
Often hear people say the word “grateful of blessing”. What exactly is gratitude? Why is gratitude so important? What about being unthankful?
Thanks to the blessing of Allah, which is one of the core of the Islamic faith, (76:1-3) “Has there [not] come upon man a period of time when he was not a thing [even] mentioned? Indeed, We created man from a sperm-drop mixture that We may try him; and We made him hearing and seeing. Indeed, We guided him to the way, be he grateful or be he ungrateful. “
These verses make it clear that everyone is created out of nothing and that no one can imagine who will be born before any pregnancy or can do anything memorable before that, because no one can predict who and when will be born, and what kind of people they would become, an important person or just an ordinary person, no one can imagine. And Allah has indeed created people from a mixture of semen, and has given them mind, hearing and sight, and guidance to them, And divided these people into two categories, those who are grateful, and those who are not grateful. Therefore, gratitude is equivalent to faith.
In the Qur’an, there are many descriptions of nature and science, because only by knowing our own creation and the creation of nature can people truly feel the gift of Allah, so that they can sincerely be thankful to the greatness of Allah.
For example, all the planets created by Allah, such as the stars, the moon and the sun, and the positions they regularly move around will have varying degrees of influence on every corner of the world, as simple as day and night interchange. Animals, plants, and insects have an important ecological impact. Just imagine, if Allah commanded that there is only day and no night, what impact would it have on all creatures on the earth? Or if there is only night and no day, what effect will it have? How many people are really grateful for the simple day and night rotation? How many people would be grateful for the different seasons?
For another example, Allah mentioned that He created mountains and mountains only to make the earth stable and unshakable. Ask ourselves if we are grateful for being able to live and move stably on the earth every day without earthquakes?
Allah also mentioned that He created mountains of different colors. Indeed, He decorated the world with flowers, trees, animals and insects of different colors. Do we really feel grateful for this colorful world?
For another example, Allah has created different sea, land and air animals, as well as a variety of insects. From the hot and dry desert to the extremely cold Arctic, traces of different creatures can also be found, and the existence of all creatures is important for balancing the entire natural ecosystem. Ecology is also indispensable. Look at the gradual extinction of some animals and plants, and then look at the gradual changes to the natural environment, we are moving towards an unbalanced stage of the ecosystem unconsciously. Then ask ourselves if we are grateful for this nature that is full of resources and it has provided almost everything to humans and all other creatures that need to live?
For another example, Allah mentioned that He created all things with water. Indeed, many sciences have confirmed that water is as indispensable to all things as air. Because of this, many scientists are constantly searching for a planet with water sources in outer space to judge whether living things exist. Meanwhile, look at the structure of human body and all animals and plants, more or less all have varying degrees of water content to sustain life. Let’s ask if we are grateful for the delicious water to drink and the same water that can clean everything? Are we grateful for the fruits and vegetables that are full of water?
Another example is to look at the structure of oneself, are we grateful that there are eyes that can be opened every day, nose that can smell all odors, lungs that can breathe, hands that can touch, feet that can walk, heart that can beat, and can sit up without feeling dizzy and ill? Are you thankful that we can get up again day after day?
For another example, living in a house with roof, living in a country without war, and having a different choice of food, having family members, friends or colleagues around you, being able to do good deeds, etc. Are we grateful for these?
The things to be thankful for mentioned above are just the tip of the iceberg. There are still many things to be thankful for, which you need to observe and feel for yourself.
(2:172) O you who have believed, … be grateful to Allah if it is [indeed] Him that you worship.
(2:152) So remember Me; I will remember you. And be grateful to Me and do not deny Me.
(14:7) …If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]; but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe.’
(39:7) If you disbelieve – indeed, Allah is Free from need of you. And He does not approve for His servants disbelief. And if you are grateful, He approves it for you;…
Therefore, being thankful and grateful, not only do it for Allah, but also do it for ourselves. When a person can perceive/see all the blessings in himself and around him, he will not despair for a momentary disappointment or a momentary failure. Instead, be grateful for the blessing one still have, face all difficulties head-on, never give up easily, never indulge oneself, never find excuses to put the blame on other people or things, never feel sorry for oneself, (Chinese proverb) “never complain the sky and resents the earth”, instead will actively reflect, self evaluate, take steps to correct and re-start again, just because they know that the blessing of Allah is vast and endless, because they know that as long as one is grateful and ask Allah, Allah will open different doors for them, and grant more blessing to them.
(34:15-19) There was for [the tribe of] Saba’ in their dwelling place a sign: two [fields of] gardens on the right and on the left. [They were told], “Eat from the provisions of your Lord and be grateful to Him. A good land [have you], and a forgiving Lord.” But they turned away [refusing], so We sent upon them the flood of the dam, and We replaced their two [fields of] gardens with gardens of bitter fruit, tamarisks and something of sparse lote trees. [By] that We repaid them because they disbelieved. And do We [thus] repay except the ungrateful? And We placed between them and the cities which We had blessed [many] visible cities. And We determined between them the [distances of] journey, [saying], “Travel between them by night or day in safety.” But [insolently] they said, “Our Lord, lengthen the distance between our journeys,” and wronged themselves, so We made them narrations and dispersed them in total dispersion. Indeed in that are signs for everyone patient and grateful.
These few verses reflect a fact that many people will commit, that is, (Chinese proverb) one submerges in blessing but does not realize the blessing. Apart from not thanking Allah for everything that Allah has bestowed, they also ask Allah to remove certain blessings because they did not want to share them with others. In the end, Allah took back all the blessings, and it was too late to regret it. Beside Allah, who can prevent the blessings from being taken away? And who can return the lost blessing again?
(18:32-46) And present to them an example of two men: We granted to one of them two gardens of grapevines, and We bordered them with palm trees and placed between them [fields of] crops. Each of the two gardens produced its fruit and did not fall short thereof in anything. And We caused to gush forth within them a river. And he had fruit, so he said to his companion while he was conversing with him, “I am greater than you in wealth and mightier in [numbers of] men.” And he entered his garden while he was unjust to himself. He said, “I do not think that this will perish – ever. And I do not think the Hour will occur. And even if I should be brought back to my Lord, I will surely find better than this as a return.” His companion said to him while he was conversing with him, “Have you disbelieved in He who created you from dust and then from a sperm-drop and then proportioned you [as] a man? But as for me, He is Allah, my Lord, and I do not associate with my Lord anyone. And why did you, when you entered your garden, not say, ‘What Allah willed [has occurred]; there is no power except in Allah ‘? Although you see me less than you in wealth and children, It may be that my Lord will give me [something] better than your garden and will send upon it a calamity from the sky, and it will become a smooth, dusty ground, Or its water will become sunken [into the earth], so you would never be able to seek it.” And his fruits were encompassed [by ruin], so he began to turn his hands about [in dismay] over what he had spent on it, while it had collapsed upon its trellises, and said, “Oh, I wish I had not associated with my Lord anyone.” And there was for him no company to aid him other than Allah, nor could he defend himself. There the authority is [completely] for Allah, the Truth. He is best in reward and best in outcome. And present to them the example of the life of this world, [its being] like rain which We send down from the sky, and the vegetation of the earth mingles with it and [then] it becomes dry remnants, scattered by the winds. And Allah is ever, over all things, Perfect in Ability. Wealth and children are [but] adornment of the worldly life. But the enduring good deeds are better to your Lord for reward and better for [one’s] hope.
This story is about two believers, and clearly points out that being unthankful and ungrateful to Allah is like worshiping others besides Allah, because instead of thinking all gifts are from Allah, now the person feels that it is because of his own efforts and his own ability to create all these success. Also to think that all the fortune is eternal and indelible, and to self-delusion that one will go to heaven and receive more blessings, it is simply deceiving oneself. Never imagine that an accident, a natural disaster or a small illness, can be enough to change a life totally. At that time, regret will be too late. The ups and downs in life are the laws of life. (Chinese proverb) the sky has unpredictable weather, human has sudden good and bad incidents. At the end of the verses, Allah reminded only the continuous good deeds, in order to truly be favored and rewarded by Allah .
In the story of the prophet Yunus, he was reprehensible because he sinned and was swallowed up by the big fish. But because he always praised and thanked Allah, then Allah saved him from being buried in the belly of a fish.
The Prophet Ayub has been suffering from evil diseases for a long time, but he still often thanked God and endured the suffering. He did not complain the sky complain the earth(Chinese proverb), he did not focus on thinking about his own misfortune, instead he was constantly grateful for the blessings he used to have and the blessing he still had. His eyes only focus on what he still had, so at last he was cured by Allah.
In the stories of the Prophet Dawud and Sulaiman, it can be seen that because they are often being thankful to Allah, so Allah has bestowed upon them a lot of blessings that other prophets did not have. Whenever Sulaiman realized what he had been blessed, he would say, (27:19) “My Lord, enable me to be grateful for Your favor which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents and to do righteousness of which You approve. And admit me by Your mercy into [the ranks of] Your righteous servants.”
Also he would always remind himself (27:40) “This is from the favor of my Lord to test me whether I will be grateful or ungrateful. And whoever is grateful – his gratitude is only for [the benefit of] himself. And whoever is ungrateful – then indeed, my Lord is Free of need and Generous.”
In the end, besides constantly asking for forgiveness, all prophets were constantly being grateful and would not immerse themselves in temporary setbacks, failures and disappointments. Because only through thanksgiving, they found all these frustrations, setbacks and failures, became so insignificant compared to the blessings they had. And through all these, only bring them closer to Allah.
Hadith: Prophet (pbuh) said:
“Take advantage of five before five: your youth before your old age, your health before your sickness, your wealth before your poverty, your free time before your busyness, and your life before your death.”
(4:147) What would Allah do with your punishment if you are grateful and believe? And ever is Allah Appreciative and Knowing.
So don’t wait any longer, be grateful for what you have now, don’t wait until they are lost, then regret it, then wake up, don’t wait until it’s too late.
Don’t wait until when one become old, when one lose the health, when one become poor, when one don’t have time to do anything, and when one die, then one can’t go back, anymore, to the past to do what one wants to do, or simply have no more ability to do what one wants to do. What we have today, does not mean we will have the same tomorrow, unless we continue doing good deeds and keep gratitude to Allah, then Allah will continue granting blessings to a certain period.
Don’t be disappointed, don’t be discouraged, it’s time to take a new look at what we have and what we still have, thank Allah for His blessing, and ask forgiveness for our past inattentiveness, forgetting gratitude, and ignorant about we are already submerge into blessings but don’t acknowledge, and we should constantly reminding ourselves of what we have obtained, only because of the mercy and generosity of Allah. May Allah enlighten us to always remember to thank Allah for the blessing that He has bestowed upon us, and make us always do good deeds that please Allah, ask Allah by His grace and grant us among His beloved servants.
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