In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Allah has bestowed on us many blessings and countless graces. The most important of these blessings and graces is the blessing of Islam. This great blessing has no equal. Whoever understands it and thanks Allah for it will be successful in this world and the hereafter, if he strictly follows it in words and action.
Allah Almighty says,
وَءَاتَىٰكُم مِّن كُلِّ مَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُ ۚ وَإِن تَعُدُّوا۟ نِعْمَتَ ٱللَّـهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَآ ۗ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ لَظَلُومٌ كَفَّارٌ ﴿٣٤[Qur'an Ibrahim 14:34]
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. (34)
وَمَا بِكُم مِّن نِّعْمَةٍ فَمِنَ ٱللَّـهِ ۖ ثُمَّ إِذَا مَسَّكُمُ ٱلضُّرُّ فَإِلَيْهِ تَجْـَٔرُونَ ﴿٥٣[Qur'an An-Nahl 16:53]
And whatever you have of favor - it is from Allah. Then when adversity touches you, to Him you cry for help. (53)
Therefore, it is incumbent upon all Muslims to thank Allah (may He be Praised) for these bounties and to avoid being ungrateful.
Allah Almighty says while mentioning the bounties He bestows upon His servants,
وَٱللَّـهُ أَخْرَجَكُم مِّنۢ بُطُونِ أُمَّهَـٰتِكُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ شَيْـًٔا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلسَّمْعَ وَٱلْأَبْصَـٰرَ وَٱلْأَفْـِٔدَةَ ۙ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ﴿٧٨[Qur'an An-Nahl 16:78]
And Allah has extracted you from the wombs of your mothers not knowing a thing, and He made for you hearing and vision and intellect that perhaps you would be grateful. (78)
Thanking Allah for His bounties in general and in specific protects these bounties and increases them.
Allah Almighty says,
وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ ۖ وَلَئِن كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِى لَشَدِيدٌ ﴿٧[Qur'an Ibrahim 14:7]
And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed, 'If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]; but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe.' (7)
بَلِ ٱللَّـهَ فَٱعْبُدْ وَكُن مِّنَ ٱلشَّـٰكِرِينَ ﴿٦٦[Qur'an Az-Zumar 39:66]
Rather, worship [only] Allah and be among the grateful. (66)
فَٱذْكُرُونِىٓ أَذْكُرْكُمْ وَٱشْكُرُوا۟ لِى وَلَا تَكْفُرُونِ ﴿١٥٢[Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:152]
So remember Me; I will remember you. And be grateful to Me and do not deny Me. (152)
يَعْمَلُونَ لَهُۥ مَا يَشَآءُ مِن مَّحَـٰرِيبَ وَتَمَـٰثِيلَ وَجِفَانٍ كَٱلْجَوَابِ وَقُدُورٍ رَّاسِيَـٰتٍ ۚ ٱعْمَلُوٓا۟ ءَالَ دَاوُۥدَ شُكْرًا ۚ وَقَلِيلٌ مِّنْ عِبَادِىَ ٱلشَّكُورُ ﴿١٣[Qur'an Saba' 34:13]
They made for him what he willed of elevated chambers, statues, bowls like reservoirs, and stationary kettles. [We said], "Work, O family of David, in gratitude." And few of My servants are grateful. (13)
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, advised the great companion, Mu'adh Ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) to say this Du`a' (supplication) at the end of every Salah (Prayer): "O Allah, help me to mention, thank and worship You in the best manner."
Thanking Allah for His bounties and using them in all that pleases Him make things much better and diminishes the effect of evils.
One of the best and noblest characteristics of the prophets and messengers of Allah and their followers is thanking Allah for His bounties and asking for His support.
Allah Almighty says about His prophet Sulayman (peace be upon him) in the Qu'ran,
فَتَبَسَّمَ ضَاحِكًا مِّن قَوْلِهَا وَقَالَ رَبِّ أَوْزِعْنِىٓ أَنْ أَشْكُرَ نِعْمَتَكَ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَىَّ وَعَلَىٰ وَٰلِدَىَّ وَأَنْ أَعْمَلَ صَـٰلِحًا تَرْضَىٰهُ وَأَدْخِلْنِى بِرَحْمَتِكَ فِى عِبَادِكَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ ﴿١٩[Qur'an An-Naml 27:19]
So [Solomon] smiled, amused at her speech, and said, "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." (19)
Allah Almighty also said when mentioning His bounties upon His prophet Nuh (peace be upon him),
ذُرِّيَّةَ مَنْ حَمَلْنَا مَعَ نُوحٍ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ عَبْدًا شَكُورًا ﴿٣[Qur'an Al-Isra' 17:3]
O descendants of those We carried [in the ship] with Noah. Indeed, he was a grateful servant. (3)
Being grateful for Allah's blessings is using the blessings in what pleases Him and avoiding what displeases Him, and acknowledge these bounties and attributing them to Allah alone away from ostentation or pride especially before those who are deprived of these graces.
Ingratitude to Allah's bounties and ungratefulness are some of the causes of removing His bounties. Moreover, doing so is considered to be oppression against one's soul.
Allah Almighty says,
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّىٰهَا ﴿٩﴾ وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّىٰهَا ﴿١٠[Qur'an Ash-Shams 91:9-10]
Indeed he succeeds who purifies his own self (i.e. obeys and performs all that Allah ordered, by following the true Faith of Islamic Monotheism and by doing righteous good deeds). And indeed he fails who corrupts his own self.
Man disgraces himself by committing evil deeds.
Fearing Allah, obeying Him, following His commands and avoiding His prohibitions bring goodness, remove evils and keep Allah's bounties.
وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ ٱلْقُرَىٰٓ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَٱتَّقَوْا۟ لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِم بَرَكَـٰتٍ مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَـٰكِن كَذَّبُوا۟ فَأَخَذْنَـٰهُم بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْسِبُونَ ﴿٩٦[Qur'an Al-A'raf 7:96]
And if only the people of the cities had believed and feared Allah, We would have opened upon them blessings from the heaven and the earth; but they denied [the messengers], so We seized them for what they were earning." (96)
لَهُۥ مُعَقِّبَـٰتٌ مِّنۢ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِۦ يَحْفَظُونَهُۥ مِنْ أَمْرِ ٱللَّـهِ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّـهَ لَا يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّىٰ يُغَيِّرُوا۟ مَا بِأَنفُسِهِمْ ۗ وَإِذَآ أَرَادَ ٱللَّـهُ بِقَوْمٍ سُوٓءًا فَلَا مَرَدَّ لَهُۥ ۚ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن دُونِهِۦ مِن وَالٍ ﴿١١[Qur'an Ar-Ra'd 13:11]
For him (each person), there are angels in succession, before and behind him.[] They guard him by the Command of Allah. Verily! Allah will not change the (good) condition of a people as long as they do not change their state (of goodness) themselves (by committing sins and by being ungrateful and disobedient to Allah). But when Allah wills a people's punishment, there can be no turning back of it, and they will find besides Him no protector. (11)
May Allah make us among His thankful servants and make us His best servants. Ameen.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
No comments:
Post a Comment