Shouldn't I Love To Be A Thankful Slave?

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

When you wake up in the morning and see yourself in the mirror, does it not motivate you to thank Allah that you are still alive, and eyes to see yourself in the mirror, and legs to walk to the shower, and nose to smell your new expensive brand of soap, and hands to pick up the shampoo?

Remember, there are people who woke up on their hospital beds, hooked to the ivy, can't move, waiting for the doctor to give them the bad news and don't care to see themselves in the mirror anymore.

This is the reality of life. Every soul shall taste death.

Allah says,

كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ ۗ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوْنَ أُجُورَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ۖ فَمَن زُحْزِحَ عَنِ النَّارِ وَأُدْخِلَ الْجَنَّةَ فَقَدْ فَازَ ۗ وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ ﴿١٨٥﴾ لَتُبْلَوُنَّ فِي أَمْوَالِكُمْ وَأَنفُسِكُمْ وَلَتَسْمَعُنَّ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ وَمِنَ الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا أَذًى كَثِيرًا ۚ وَإِن تَصْبِرُوا وَتَتَّقُوا فَإِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ عَزْمِ الْأُمُورِ ﴿١٨٦

Every soul will taste death, and you will only be given your [full] compensation on the Day of Resurrection. So he who is drawn away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise has attained [his desire]. And what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of delusion. (185) You will surely be tested in your possessions and in yourselves. And you will surely hear from those who were given the Scripture before you and from those who associate others with Allah much abuse. But if you are patient and fear Allah - indeed, that is of the matters [worthy] of determination. (186)

[Qur'an AleImran 3:185-186]

If you realize that this life is fleeting, it should motivate you to thank Allah Almighty. The fact that Allah has given you another moment of life, with perfect form and good health and working senses and bodily functions, you have much to thank for.

So, what are you doing rushing for the dunya and don't even think to offer a sunnah (or dhuha) prayer before you go to work or to school?

We see reality as it is and behold Allah and seek Allah before we seek from anything else.

Look at your body. If it wasn't for the bones in our body, we would be like jelly fish--unattractive, unattached! Our very own body is a tremendous blessing from Allah.

Allah says,

ثُمَّ لَتُسْـَٔلُنَّ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَنِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ

Then you will be asked on that Day about your blessings.

[Qur'an at-Takathur 102:8]

Verily, the first thing the slave is asked about on the Day of Judgment is of blessings. He will say to him, "Did we not make your body healthy and quench your thirst with cold water.

(Tirmidhi)

وَءَاتَىٰكُم مِّن كُلِّ مَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُ ۚ وَإِن تَعُدُّوا۟ نِعْمَتَ ٱللَّـهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَآ ۗ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ لَظَلُومٌ كَفَّارٌ

And He gave you from all you asked of Him. And if you should count the favor of Allah, you could not enumerate them. Indeed, mankind is [generally] most unjust and ungrateful.

[Qur'an Ibrahim 14:34]

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

Every person's bones have a charity due to them each day that the sun rises: doing justice between two people is charity; assisting a man to mount his animal, or lifting up his belongings onto it is charity; a good word is charity; every step you take towards the prayer is charity, and removing the harmful from pathways is charity.

[Bukhari and Muslim]

There is no bone, or vein, or nerve except that on it is the mark of Allah's creation, Mighty and Majestic; so it is incumbent on the slave to thank Allah for that, and praise him for making him in a perfect form.

[Ibn Rajab]

Allah says,

قُلْ هُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنشَأَكُمْ وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلسَّمْعَ وَٱلْأَبْصَـٰرَ وَٱلْأَفْـِٔدَةَ ۖ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَشْكُرُونَ

Say, "It is He who has produced you and made for you hearing and vision and hearts; little are you grateful."

[(Qur'an Al-Mulk 67:23]

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to recite long prayers at night, as Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: “The Prophet used to offer prayer at night (for such a long time) that his feet used to crack. I said, "O Allah's Apostle! Why do you do it since Allah has forgiven you your faults of the past and those to follow?" He said: “Shouldn't I love to be a thankful slave (of Allah)?” [Bukhari]

The greatest gratitude comes from having this view of Allah. Make much remembrance of Allah. Keep our tongues moist with remembrance of Allah. The greatest remembrance of Allah is the Qur'an itself.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, draws our attention to an important issue, that we should appreciate what people do for us by thanking them. He said:

Anyone who doesn’t thank people has not thanked Allah.

[Abu-Dawud and Tirmidhi]

One of the Beautiful Attributes of Allah is Ash-Shakur meaning that Allah is the most appreciative. So we should be grateful to the one who endows us with health, family, wealth, peace and security, a nurturing environment, and so on. By recognizing Allah's bounties, our hearts will find contentment and peace.

May Allah make us among His grateful servants. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam