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Jan 23, 2005
From: _cheaky81001_Allah S.W.T Increases His Blessings on Those Who Are Grateful*
Every person is in
need of God at every instant of life. From the air one breathes to the food he
eats, from the ability to use one’s hands to the faculty of speech, from being
sheltered to being in a joyful spirit, one lives completely in need of what God
creates and grants him. Still, a vast majority of people do not perceive their weaknesses
and that they are in need of God. They suppose that things develop spontaneously or that they
acquire everything by their own efforts. This is an important error, as well as
a serious ingratitude towards God. Ironically, people who render their thanks to a person for even
an insignificant gift, spend all their lives ignoring the countless blessings
that God gives them all through their lives. However, so great are the blessings
granted to a person that one could never count them. God relates this fact in a
verse as follows:
(If you tried to number God’s blessings, you
could never count them. God is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful) (Surat
An-Nahl 16:18)**
Despite this fact,
most people fail to give thanks for any of the blessings they have. The reason
for this is related in the Qur’an: Satan, who pledged to misguide people from
God’s way, said that his ultimate aim is to make people be ungrateful to God. Satan’s
defiant statements to God emphasize the importance of giving thanks to God:
(’Then I will come at them, from in front of
them behind them, from their right and from their left. You will not find most
of them thankful.’ He (God) said, ‘Get out of it, reviled and driven out. As
for those of them (mankind) who follow you, I, will fill up Hell with every one
of you.’) (Surat Al-A`raf7:17-18)
People who give thanks have the insight and
capability to perceive the beauties and blessings that God creates
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Believers, on the
other hand, aware of their weaknesses and in humility before God, render their
thanks to Him for every blessing granted. Wealth and possessions are not the
only blessings for which believers render their thanks to God. Knowing that God
is the Owner and Possessor of everything, believers express their inner
gratefulness for good health, beauty, knowledge, wisdom, love of faith and
hatred from disbelief, understanding, insight, foresight and for power.
They are thankful for
being rightly guided and for being in the company of believers. A beautiful
landscape, easy handling of their affairs, fulfillment of their wishes, tidings
of great joy, respectful conduct or any other blessings make believers
immediately turn to God, express their gratefulness to Him and reflect on His
mercy and compassion.
In return for good
morals displayed, a reward awaits believers. This is another of the secrets
revealed in the Qur’an; God
increases His blessings on those who are grateful. For example, God grants even more health
and power to those who render their thanks to God for the good health and
strength they have.
God bestows even more
knowledge and property to those who are grateful for their knowledge or wealth.
This is because they are sincere people who are contented with what God gives
and are pleased with the blessings and who take God as their friend. God relates
this secret in the Qur’an as follows:
(And when your Lord announced: “If you are
grateful, I will certainly give you increase, but if you are ungrateful, My
punishment is severe.”) (Surat Ibrahim 14:7)
A disbelieving or ungrateful person will only see the
imperfections and faults even in the most beautiful environment
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Being grateful is also
a sign of one’s closeness to and love of God. People who give thanks have the
insight and capability to perceive the beauties and blessings that God creates.
God’s Messenger, peace be upon him, also referred to this when he said:
When God gives you
property, the bliss of God’s blessing and offering must be reflected on you.
On
the other hand, a disbelieving or ungrateful person will only see the
imperfections and faults even in the most beautiful environment, and thus will
be unhappy and discontented. Indeed, as a divine purpose in God’s creation, such people
always come across with seemingly unfavorable events and unpleasant
scenes. On the other hand, God
displays more of His bounties and blessings to those who have a sincere and insightful
outlook.
That God increases His
blessings to those who are grateful is one of the secrets of the Qur’an. However, one needs to keep in mind that
sincerity is a prerequisite for being grateful.
No doubt, one’s way of
showing his gratitude without turning sincerely to God and feeling the inner
peace of God’s infinite mercy and compassion, which is solely intended to
impress people, would be sheer insincerity.
God knows what hearts
harbor, and will bear witness to this insincerity. Those who have insincere
inner intentions may conceal it from other people, but not from God. Such
people may render their thanks with affected manners when there is no
affliction, but at times of hardship, it is possible that they may readily
lapse into ungratefulness.
It
should be also noted that true believers remain grateful to God even under
harshest conditions. Someone
looking from outside may see the diminishing of some blessings believers enjoy.
However, believers, who are able to perceive the good aspect of every event and
situation, see goodness in this too. For example, God states that He will test people with fear, hunger
and loss of wealth or life.
In such a situation,
believers rejoice and feel grateful, hoping that God will reward them with the
gifts of paradise in return for the steadfastness they displayed in this
test. They know that God does
not impose on anyone more than he can bear. The steadfastness and submission of such awareness lead them to
patience and gratitude.
Therefore, it is an
obvious attribute of believers to show unwavering dedication and submission and
God promises to expand His blessings on His grateful servants both in the life
of this world and in the hereafter.
...... from Islam Online
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