Will I Love Jannah? Is it Worth the Struggle?

 

“Other people are happy and have peace”

Who told you?

We’re only judging by the external here. We ‘think’ some people have easy and pleasant lives judging by their appearances, but we don’t know what struggles they may be having behind closed doors. You don’t know what kind of internal/emotional/mental struggle they might be going through.

There are many studies that show how people put on an image of happy life, whereas they go through internal pain and struggle.

So, don’t judge a book by its cover while you don’t know what’s hidden from you.

Allah is Just. We are all being tested.

Allah [swt] says:

“[He] who created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best in deed — and He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving –“[Quran 67: 2].

This means that life is a test for ALL human beings.

If you’re sitting in an exam and you’re doing the right thing and answering your exam, while other students are having fun and enjoying themselves but they’re not answering their exam, does this means they’re the successful ones?

Does this mean we should be leaving the exam and follow the ones who’re wasting time and failing their tests?

Do you think by not answering the exam, they’ll actually be successful?

Sooner or later, the exam papers will be taken (death will come) and everyone will be judged and held accountable for their actions and whether they actualized their purpose in life or not.

“O mankind, indeed the promise of Allah is truth, so let not the worldly life delude you and be not deceived about Allah by the Deceiver.” (Quran 35: 5)

Why does Islam have many rules?

We’ve answered this question thoroughly in this two-part series; please have a look here below.

If God Loves Us, Why So Many Rules in Islam?

If God Loves Us, Why So Many Rules in Islam? (Part 2)

“You won’t get the maximum enjoyment in Jannah”

Who told you that?

This statement is absolutely false. Jannah is nothing but maximum unlimited enjoyment!

Whatever you desire, you’re going to get and even more with no limits!

Allah said that repeatedly in the Quran.

Like here:

“Gardens of perpetual residence, which they will enter, beneath which rivers flow. They will have therein whatever they wish. Thus does Allah reward the righteous” (Quran 16: 31)

And here:

“For them therein is whatever they wish, [while] abiding eternally. It is ever upon your Lord a promise [worthy to be] requested.” (Quran 25: 16)

And here:

“Enter it in peace. This is the Day of Eternity.” They will have whatever they wish therein, and with Us is more.” (Qur’an 50: 34-35)

There is no sadness or sorrow or resentment or limitedness in Jannah AT ALL!

“And We will remove whatever is in their breasts of resentment, [so they will be] brothers, on thrones facing each other.” (Quran  15: 47)

“And We will have removed whatever is within their breasts of resentment, [while] flowing beneath them are rivers. And they will say, “Praise to Allah, who has guided us to this; and we would never have been guided if Allah had not guided us. Certainly the messengers of our Lord had come with the truth.” And they will be called, “This is Paradise, which you have been made to inherit for what you used to do.” (Quran 7: 43)

“And they will say, “Praise to Allah, who has removed from us [all] sorrow. Indeed, our Lord is Forgiving and Appreciative – He who has settled us in the home of duration out of His bounty. There touches us not in it any fatigue, and there touches us not in it weariness [of mind].” (Qur’an 35: 34-35)

“What if Allah said go to Hell?”

But how can you have such negative expectation of Allah The Most Merciful, the incomparably Merciful?

Allah has 100 portions of mercy because of just one there is/has been mercy on earth from the beginning of time until the end of time? Imagine all the mercy that the earth has ever witnessed from the beginning of time and until the end of time is just one portion of the mercy of Allah, and 99 double that amount is still reserved with Him for the Day of Judgment. [Related by Muslim]

No one will even remotely be as merciful as Allah. Jesus (peace be upon him) is a limited human being. Allah taught him what he teaches people. But Allah is The Only Unique Source of All Mercy. No one can ever come near to Allah’s Mercy.

Allah says:

“What would Allah do with your punishment if you are grateful and believe? And ever is Allah Appreciative and Knowing.” (Quran 4: 147)

And He says:

“Indeed, Allah does not do injustice, [even] as much as an atom’s weight; while if there is a good deed, He multiplies it and gives from Himself a great reward.” (Quran 4: 40)

So, never have negative assumptions of Allah.

Allah shows incomparable mercy. Just actualize your purpose of creation and don’t harm yourself or others.

“Loss in this world and the next if I don’t enjoy myself”

The actual double loss is for those who didn’t know or connect with Allah. This life is temporary and it will end abruptly at any second. Having piles of worldly enjoyment never really bring deep happiness to people, and many studies prove that. The more you have from this life, the more you’ll feel deprived and that you still need more. It never quenches people’s thirst.

This is why people get addicted on drugs, alcohol, plastic surgeries, even sex… anything to give them pleasure, and the more they get, the more they lose satisfaction and need a more ‘high’ that they can’t find. Then life will end while they’re chasing desires that didn’t truly fulfill them and they lose this life and the next.

Ultimate loss is for those disconnected from Allah, those who are not truly faithful. They’re the ones who will neither feel deeply truthfully happy here, nor will they have any share in the afterlife. THAT is the true loss.

“Say, “Indeed, the losers are the ones who will lose themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection. Unquestionably, that is the manifest loss.” (Quran 39: 15)

“And of the people is he who worships Allah on an edge. If he is touched by good, he is reassured by it; but if he is struck by trial, he turns on his face [to the other direction]. He has lost [this] world and the Hereafter. That is what is the manifest loss.” (Quran 22: 11)

Read the above verse again. May Allah not make us among those who have this true double loss!

Advice

Know that free time at your age especially is the devil’s playground. So, occupy yourself with the right activities. Know your purpose of life. Know more about Allah so you won’t have wrong/false information and expectations about Him.

Find good companions and start studying your religion even if online in trustworthy resources. There are many resources; you can email us again if you need recommendations. But occupy yourself with what’s useful, and seek the help of Allah, and do not weaken.

“So rely upon Allah; indeed, you are upon the clear truth.” (Quran 27: 79)

“So adhere to that which is revealed to you. Indeed, you are on a straight path.” (Quran 43: 43)

Dealing with hardships the very best way

And Allah knows best.

- aboutislam.net

About Dina Mohamed Basiony

Dina Mohamed Basiony is a writer based in Cairo, Egypt. She specializes in Islam and spirituality. Dina holds an MA and BA in Journalism and Mass Communication from the American University in Cairo.

This Chapter of Quran Will Comfort Your Heart

 

When we have times of sorrow, we feel very down often. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had many times of sorrow in his life, we’re going to focus on one time of sorrow here.

 Ibn Abbas said that when the Quran was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), there was a delay in the next revelation coming for a number of days, (it’s not actually clear the exact number of days); and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) felt devastated.

The Quraysh were goading him; they were laughing at him; they were saying “Muhammad’s Lord has left him”…

A Chapter of Comfort

But when this was said, chapter Ad-Doha was revealed, it was revealed as a comfort and it’s a direct address to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Imagine at this time, when Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is losing hope, Allah speaks exactly to him through this chapter of the Quran. He addresses Himself as “your Lord”.

This is personal language, this is something very special between Allah and His Prophet. It emphasizes two things: Allah has not left you, and Allah is not displeased with you.

 And it’s a response to the needs and the anguish that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is going through.

 Two things we need: Allah and then others need us, and guidance; like with the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) he needed Allah and other people needed him, it’s the same with us as well.

Allah gives us comfort as well through this chapter of Quran that when we have times of difficulty, Allah might even send ease, not just through looking into this chapter of Quran, but also by sending people to us so that we have the ability and the opportunity to help other people. Other people are being fulfilled by us and we are being fulfilled by our Lord.

- aboutislam.net

About Ustadha Ameena Blake

From Sheffield, UK; Ustadha Ameena Blake embraced Islam in 1992. Her academic qualifications include undergraduate in English Studies, Post Graduate in teaching, MSc in Leadership and Management and MA in Islamic Studies.Ameena has been active since 1994 having studied under various shuyukh and academics including Dr Jamal Badawi, Sh Abdul Aziz Atiq (Yemen), Sh Faisal Manjoo, Dr Atullah Siddiqui and others. Roles have included Vice President of MAB, Assistant Secretary General of the MCB and Head teacher of a girl’s Islamic school. She is founding director of the EHUK women’s refuge project and is a lecturer at Markfield Institute of Higher Education. She also sits on Mosque boards and is an Islamic advisor on Halal Guide.Ustadha Ameena lectures about Islam nationally and internationally and has appeared at conferences, fundraisers and events across the globe.Her topics include tazkiyah, women in the Quran, dawah and Seerah and others. She delivers regular live interactive lectures on Facebook and has appeared on channels including Channel 4, Sky TV, The Islam channel, BBC radio, Iqraa TV and others.

Is It Compulsory to Shave Baby Hair in Islam?

 

Shaving the head of the baby is among the rites of aqeeqah. So a Muslim should never hesitate to do the shaving as well as all other Sunnah acts of aqeeqah, for they entail obedience of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

I congratulate both of you for this wonderful gift of Allah. You have every right to cherish it and give thanks to Him. I also pray that Allah grants your son sound faith and upbringing, and may he become a valuable asset to the community. Amen.

What is aqeeqah?

Aqeeqah is an important Islamic rite of initiation. It is a great sunnah of the Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him). This custom existed among the pre-Islamic Arabs, albeit in a twisted and distorted form, as they had mingled it with pagan customs.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was sent by Allah to restore the pristine faith of the Prophet Ibrahim (peace and blessings be upon him). He thus restored `aqeeqah to its original status as a rite symbolizing the true tawheed (Oneness of Allah), purging it of all pagan associations and accretions.

What should be slaughtered for aqeeqah?

The aqeeqah process consists of the following rites: shaving the head of the child and donating its equivalent in weight in charity; sacrificing a goat or a lamb and offering the meat in charity as thanksgiving; and giving the child a good name.

Thus, you should never hesitate to shave the head. If you are afraid of doing it yourself, you should get a barber or some experienced elder who can do it for you. Just as it is important from a religious point of view, it is also good for better hair growth. So don’t skip it.

As for weighing the hair, it should also be done. An ordinary, sensitive kitchen scale is all that is necessary for this purpose. If you cannot find one, you may go by an educated guesswork. In this case, it is better that you err in terms of giving more, rather than giving less.

As for the meat, if you are giving a feast, you should make sure that you invite some poor people to partake of it. For the original purpose of aqeeqah is not to feed those who are rich and well-fed.

Rather it is intended to offer an avenue for feeding the poor and indigent. An alternate way is to pick out some poor families and offer part of the meat to them, in case you are unable to invite them for the feast.

Finally, the aqeeqah ritual is the first step towards initiating the child into the Islamic faith and practices.  Following this, you and your wife bear the added responsibility of nurturing sound faith, values, ethics, and morals in the child in your everyday living.

May Allah grant you the strength and knowledge to shoulder this heavy responsibility, amen.

Allah Almighty knows best.

- aboutislam.net

About Sheikh Ahmad Kutty

Sheikh Ahmad Kutty is a Senior Lecturer and an Islamic Scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Why Can’t We Always Be Close to Allah?

 

“I perceive Your glimpses at times, but why not always?

Why do clouds keep coming to my mind’s sky and prevent me from finding You?”

Why can’t we always be close to Allah?

Try to recall that feeling to your mind. We experience it when we first get interested in learning and practicing Islam. But it doesn’t end there. Allah keeps sending life events our way that shake our hearts awake.

It might be a terrible accident, or an extremely painful loss. It might be finding your soul mate, or visiting the House of Allah for Hajj.

It’s not the momentary high you find once in a while during the Friday sermon that makes you cry with the congregation, and then forget all about it by the time you’re home and having lunch and criticizing your wife’s cooking.

How to Love Allah

I’m talking about the more permanent kind of feeling, the days on end of bliss. When you feel all day long that peace in your heart that seldom leaves you even in turbulent hours of the day when things go wrong.

When you feel like thanking Allah every so often. When watching a dog pick up some crumbs you threw away after lunch brings tears of gratitude to your eyes. And when you feel a slight ache in your heart that you’re semiconscious of all day.

It’s similar to what one feels when in love. Like you’d be flying up among the clouds if only you’d got wings. Like every little thing reminds you of the object of your love. Like how the awareness that he’s watching you brings a sweet smile to your lips.

It’s like falling in love. But it’s a thousand times better.

You just have to open any book of poetry. People throughout time, Muslim and non-Muslim, young and old, of every place and era, have attempted to put the feeling into words, and have succeeded to some extent. That’s what makes poetry so beautiful after all. The first two lines I quoted, for example, were by Rabindranath Tagore (translated by me).

Ibn al-Qayyim said:

Yearning for Allah and meeting Him is like a gentle breeze blowing upon the heart, blowing away the blazing desire for this world. (Hardness of Heart)

And this is Rumi’s way of expressing it:

That which God said to the rose, and caused it to laugh in full-blown beauty, He said to my heart, and made it a hundred times more beautiful. (Goodreads)

Why Do We Keep Losing it?

How much do we really love Allah?

If we do love Allah, why don’t we feel this love in our hearts all the time? Why do we keep losing this incredible feeling?

It’s because the world is full of distractions – and it is full of distraction for this very reason.

Indeed, We have made that which is on the earth adornment for it that We may test them [as to] which of them is best in deed. (Quran 18:7)

Allah says about the disbelievers on the Day of Judgment:

… Who took their religion as distraction and amusement and whom the worldly life deluded.’ So today We will forget them just as they forgot the meeting of this Day of theirs and for having rejected Our verses. (7:51)

We lose that incredible feeling when we get distracted by things – earning money, spending money, eating food, cooking food, selecting what to eat from a hundred different menus, games, relationships, clothes, shoes… all kinds of stuff.

And once we lose the feeling, we don’t remember what it felt like anymore, and don’t feel the urge to get it back either. We’d rather settle for less fulfilling pleasures. We’d rather opt for a temporary pacification of our desires than true, lasting peace of mind.

We’d rather stop being the moonlight and settle for being the pool of water that’s reflecting it, as Paulo Coelho says. “Tomorrow, the water will evaporate in the sun*”, as will our temporary pleasures.

The Key to Finding it

What’s the key to remaining connected to Allah? Allah gave it to us already – salah. The five daily obligatory sessions are to establish and maintain our direct connection with Allah, not just in these sessions, but throughout the day.

How do we establish prayer? By praying like the person who had the closest connection to Allah – Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Pray as you have seen me praying. (Bukhari 6008)

What was his prayer like? Of course, it is necessary to follow the rules of doing the ritual correctly, such as praying within the specified times, praying the correct number of units, saying the supplications in the correct order, etc.

But those are just like the bricks with which you build the prayer. The actual essence of the prayer lies, not in the physical movements, but in the heart of the worshiper.

The Prophet described the prayer as the “coolness of my eyes”. That exactly describes the feeling you get when you’re at an imaan-high. And that’s what we want to achieve.

Many great people much more learned and experienced than us have written on this topic, on how to find khushu’ and imaan in salah. I share the following advice with you in my humble effort to add to it a personal element.

How to Achieve Khushu

The first thing that helps is bringing a sense of timelessness in your salah, to feel as if the rest of your time on earth is dedicated to praying this prayer only, and that nothing else comes after it.

The Prophet put it this way:

When you stand to pray, pray like a man bidding farewell. (Ibn Majah 4171)

This can seem incredibly difficult to achieve given our hectic lifestyles. And it might take a lot of willpower and mental energy. But even if you achieve one moment of it at a time, it’s worth all that effort. And it gets better insha’Allah.

Finding this sense of timelessness is made easy if you know what you’re saying in salah. So learn the basic Arabic you need to do that. Concentrate on the meanings of what you’re saying, trying to make it personal.

For example, when you say “Allahu Akbar” (Allah is Greater), think of the topmost worry in your mind right now, such as an assignment or your spouse’s illness, and assert in your heart that Allah is greater than all that.

Make Personal Dua

Another way of making the prayer personal is by adding in personal supplications in the steps of prayer where supplications are recommended, such as during sujood (prostration).

The purpose of supplication is not to inform Allah of your thoughts and feelings, because Allah already knows all about those. It is to express to Allah our love for Him, our helplessness and neediness, our submission to Him.

The quotes given above show us some of the more successful human attempts at expressing our feelings for our Creator. If you want to give full expression to your feelings, there’s an easier and more effective way. Memorize duas from the Quran. These duas are actually Allah teaching us how to speak to Him in the best way.

I’ll leave you with an example of the best form of expression of our feelings for Allah:

Say, ‘O Allah, Owner of Sovereignty, You give sovereignty to whom You will and You take sovereignty away from whom You will. You honor whom You will and You humble whom You will. In Your hand is [all] good. Indeed, You are over all things competent. You cause the night to enter the day, and You cause the day to enter the night; and You bring the living out of the dead, and You bring the dead out of the living. And You give provision to whom You will without account.’ (Quran, 3:26-27)

* Manuscript Found in Accra

- aboutislam.net

About Tabassum

Tabassum is a freelance writer and online Alimiyyah student at Al-Salam Institute, UK.  ihsan.life

Only Allah’s Light Can Defeat Darkness

 

The world can be a dark place. War, greed, racial hatred, oppression… these are expressions of social ignorance on a sweeping scale. Sometimes it feels like the world is being consumed by the forces of darkness, doesn’t it?

Then we have personal suffering, abuse, and selfishness – manifestations of spiritual darkness at the most intimate level. Because these ills strike at our friendships, in our homes and in our own hearts, they are even harder to deal with than global calamities.

There’s only one refuge, one source of protection, comfort, and guidance. The only true light comes from Allah (God, the Cre isator). Only Allah’s light can defeat the darkness. All other promises of hope and salvation are illusions.

{Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth.} (Quran 24:35)

Can one find comfort in material luxury, physical sensation, or intoxication? Not really. Those are distractions. Whatever pleasure we get from them fades quickly.

Can one find solace in nature? Perhaps, but only because the beauty of nature is a reflection of Allah’s mercy and creative genius. The creation is a sign that points to the Creator.

When you’re sitting there on a mountain meadow, looking out over the forested slopes and thinking, “This sure is beautiful. I feel at peace,” what you’re really doing – whether you realize it or not – is praising Allah and sensing the beauty and wonder that He placed in His creation.

One another note, do some fools commit evil in the name of religion? Yes, but Allah is exalted and glorified above what people do.

Our refuge from all of this is Allah’s light. The following is an authentic dua’ which the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to supplicate in sujood:

“O Allah, place light in my heart, and on my tongue light, and in my ears light and in my sight light, and above me light, and below me light, and to my right light, and to my left light, and before me light and behind me light. Place in my soul light. Magnify for me light, and amplify for me light. Make for me light, and make me light. O Allah, grant me light, and place light in my nerves, and in my body light and in my blood light and in my hair light and in my skin light. O Allah, make for me a light in my grave… and a light in my bones. Increase me in light, increase me in light, increase me in light. Grant me light upon light.”

It should be noted that this light has nothing to do with skin, hair or eye color. It is a reference to Allah’s light, which Ali ibn Abi Talib said was the gift of Allah’s guidance in the heart of the believer. Allah says:

{Allah is the Wali (Protector or Guardian) of those who believe. He brings them out from darkness into light.}  (Quran 2:257)

It seriously disturbs me that people – and Muslims are not immune – continue to equate lightness and darkness of skin to goodness and badness of character. A person might have skin dark as ebony, yet be filled with Allah’s light, so that the noor radiates from her face. And a person might be white as bone, yet thoroughly evil. Anyone who believes differently is confused and spiritually lost. May Allah protect us from such corrupt ways of thinking.

We seek refuge in Allah’s light from the darkness of the world. In practical application, seeking Allah’s light means that we seek the guidance of the Quran (which is a manifestation of light).

We love and follow the Prophet (peace be upon him). We strive to be present in our worship. We try to be kind to Allah’s creatures – not only other humans, but the animals and plants as well, as we were placed in stewardship over them. We struggle daily against our own negative impulses, and we try to make the world a better place.

Source: http://islamicsunrays.com/

Does Feeling Lonely Mean Allah No Longer Loves Me?

 

In Islam, feeling lonely or doubting Allah’s love does not mean Allah has abandoned you. These emotions are considered human tests that can bring a believer closer to Allah, who knows the heart, hears every supplication, and promises love to those who do good.

Islamic Perspective on Loneliness and Feeling Unloved

What you are feeling is deeply human. Loneliness, emptiness, and even flashes of envy do not mean Allah has left you. Your worth is not measured by who checks on you but by your heart and deeds: “Allah does not look at your appearance or wealth, but at your hearts and deeds” (Muslim). “Those who believe and do good—the Most Merciful will grant them love.” (Maryam 19:96)

Being alone can be a test, not a punishment. Many of the righteous experienced isolation and were elevated through it. If dark thoughts arise, gently turn away and say: A`udhu billahi min ash-shaytan ir-rajim.

Wanting companionship is natural. Always seek kind company and a community that reminds you of Allah. Comfort is not found only through one person; it flourishes among believers.

Remember: “He is with you wherever you are.” (Al-Hadid 57:4)

What feels like emptiness can be an invitation to draw closer. Your tears and whispers are heard by As-Sami` (All-Hearing) and embraced by Al-Wadud (Most Loving).

Small Daily Steps to Strengthen the Heart

• Keep praying and supplicating to Allah—in any words, often.
• Join a study circle or Dhikr group; build gentle friendships.
• Remind yourself: being alone, unloved, it may be how Allah strengthens your heart.

You are not forgotten. Allah sees you, hears you, and cherishes your patience. Keep reaching for Him; He never abandons His servants.

Almighty Allah knows best.

- aboutislam.net

About Sheikh Ahmad Kutty

Sheikh Ahmad Kutty is a Senior Lecturer and an Islamic Scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Getting Rid of Stress and Anxiety

 Anxiety is part of the human condition, and the only thing that reduces anxiety is certainty. How do you get certainty? Listen to this educative and informative talk by Sheikh Hamza Yusuf, as he takes us through 4 minutes of reflection on how to cure stress in our lives. - aboutislam.net

What Allah Says When You Recite Surah Al-Fatihah

 In this episode, Dr. Yasir Qadhi explains a very beautiful hadith qudsi about Surat Al-Fatihah.

The hadith tells about a conversation you engage in when you recite Surah Al-Fatihah during your prayer. The other party you are talking to is Allah subhanahu wa tala.

Can you imagine that? You have this amazing opportunity to talk to your Lord every day. The Almighty does respond to you and reply to your words.

Recite Surah Al-Fatihah, Enjoy Divine Conversation

Abu Huraiah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said that Allah (glory be to Him) has said

“I have divided the prayer between Myself and My servant into two halves, and My servant shall have what he has asked for…“

Salah (prayer) is a personal conversation between the slave and his Master; between the worshiper and the Lord of the Heavens and the earth.

How often do we take heed of what we are saying in Salah and how often are we aware that Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) is responding to us!

Join Shaykh Dr. Yasir Qadhi as he discusses the Hadith Qudsi of the conversation between Allah and you in prayer.

Learn and benefit from this great series and transform your prayer so that it’s never the same again, insha’ Allah! - aboutislam.net

The Power of a Thankful Heart

 

Sleep closes your eyes, but power continues to run through your veins and nerves, sustaining life in your body, never ceasing or slackening.

Who keeps them alive, active, and vigilant for you? Who created and caused them to work from nothing?

You were not created because you asked to be, or provided for while an embryo and a baby because you asked to be. Rather, it was the Generous Bestower and Glorious Maker Who did these things for you, out of His Grace. He truly is more merciful to you than you are to yourself.

Meaning of Thankfulness

Thankfulness is a word that – along with gratitude – means praise and exaltation, and herein lies its worth and merit.

What is important is that the tongue utters gratitude while feeling it in the heart, and acknowledging from deep inside that God, as the source of every good bestowed, deserves all thanks that is sent.

With every blink of the eye and beat of the heart, Allah acquaints mankind with Himself through the blessings He bestows and the good things He sends.

These blessings and bounties, which are renewed throughout every day and every night, should be received with recognition for and thanks to the One Who Bestowed them.

It is He Who made the night and the day follow each other, for such who desires to remember or desires to show gratitude. (25: 62)

If you provide someone with food, give him shelter, pay off his debts, or raise him to a high rank, and he then frowns upon you or gives you his back despite the kindness shown to him, you would perceive him as someone without whom earth would be a better place.

What do you think about the Lord of existence – Who creates out of nothing, provides sustenance and clothing, and showers down His Graces and Favors year after year – when He sees that those living and rejoicing in His Blessings are stern and steadfast opponents of Him!

He has created man from Nutfah (mixed drops of male and female sexual discharge), then behold, this same man becomes an open opponent. (16: 4)

Ingratitude

Ingratitude is baseness. The incessant flow of bounties is just repaid with turning the back to their Giver and disobeying Him in His watchful Presence.

With persistence in such behavior, the right to more is diminished to nothing. Therefore is the command to mankind to thank and express gratitude to Him, their Lord.

Gratitude is not a difficult duty that has to be borne with patience; rather, it is the road to perfection that people must walk with determination and purpose.

O you who believe, eat of the good things that We have provided for you, and give thanks to Allah, if it is truly Him that you worship. (2: 172)

Thankfully acknowledging Allah’s Favors with sweet composure and acquiescence of the heart towards the Maker makes a person worthy of receiving more. Blessings in his hands are like water poured on a fertile land that bursts with flowers and fruits. Pouring more cannot be withheld or reduced.

Contrarily, watering a barren land is a waste, and therefore water is cut off.

If you give thanks, I will give you more (of My Blessings), but if you are thankless, verily My Punishment is indeed severe. (14: 7)

Severe punishment is thus deserved for the evilness of ingratitude.

What will people lose if they enjoy the Blessings of Allah with a thankful heart that acknowledges the Bestower and says to Him, “Thank You.” Or is this too difficult?

The Prophet’s Thankfulness

Gratitude is more a feeling than mere movement of the lips, a feeling that was superbly translated into sincere actions and behaviors throughout the day and life of Prophet Muhammad.

Whenever he woke up, he would say:

All praise and thanks to Allah Who restored to me my soul, made my body healthy, and allowed me to remember Him.

Whenever he finished eating, he would say:

All praise and thanks to Allah Who fed us, quenched our thirst, and made us Muslims.

Whenever he returned from relieving himself, he would say:

All praise and thanks to Allah Who made me taste its (food) good flavor, retained within me its power (strength and energy derived from food), and removed from me its harm.

Whenever he wore a new garment, he would say:

All praise and thanks to Allah Who has clothed me with this garment and provided it for me, with no power or might from myself.

Whenever he returned from traveling, he would say:

We are returning, repenting, worshiping, and praising our Lord.

Whenever something happened that pleased him, he would say:

All praise and thanks to Allah by Whose Blessings all good things are perfected.

And whenever something happened that displeased him, he would say:

All praise and thanks to Allah in all circumstances.

And he prayed:

O Allah, help me remember You, thank You, and perfect my worship of You.

Satan’s Plan

What plan did Satan have against mankind after he was expelled from heaven?

His vengeful endeavors were to rob mankind of contentment and make them ungrateful.

His vengeful endeavors were to distract them and cover their insight with veils of heedlessness, so that they eat the Bounties of Allah and do not thank Him and see His Grand Signs and do not glorify Him.

When beasts find food, they devour it, sensible of nothing else. And when they lack food, they feel hungry, sensible of nothing else. When healthy, they run and jump. But when sick, they lie down and rest, sensible of nothing else.

They know no patience with affliction or thankfulness for bounties.

This is the kind of life that Satan wants mankind to live, neither to remember nor thank Allah.

This was the oath of Satan on the day he was driven out of heaven.

I will surely lie in wait for those on Your Straight Path. Then I will come to them from in front and from behind and from their right and from their left, and You will not find most of them grateful (to You). (7: 17)

The Consequences of Ingratitude

The worst of ingratitude is when it is a collective feeling into which an entire nation slides. As if there is a written agreement among them not to mention anything good about Allah, and to gorge His Bounties and ascribe them to anyone other than Him.

Were previous nations, such as ‘Ad and Thamud, destroyed for any cause other than ingratitude?

It was said to ‘Ad:

Remember that He made you successors after the people of Nuh (Noah), and increased you amply in stature. So remember the graces (bestowed on you) from Allah, so that you may be successful. (7: 69)

It was said to Thamud:

Remember that He made you successors after ‘Ad (people); and gave you habitations in the land, you build for yourselves palaces in plains, and carve out homes in the mountains. So remember the graces (bestowed on you) from Allah, and do not go about making mischief on the earth. (7: 74)

The flood of blessings and bounties that flowed throughout their land was nothing to these people. Consequently, they were deprived of what they were ungrateful for; dispossessed of what they denied, and torment was justified against them.

Mankind is warned not to tread such pernicious paths.

Remember Me, I will remember you. And be thankful to Me and do not be ungrateful. (2: 152)

But despite Allah’s Warnings, only few are those who acknowledge His Favors or feel grateful.

But few of My slaves are grateful. (34: 13)

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From the book “The Emotional Side of Islam” by Sheikh Muhammad Al-Ghazali. Translated and adapted by Haya Muhammad Eid and edited by Emily Katharine Richardson.

- aboutislam.net