Don't Touch The Cookie Jar!

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Muslims believe that we were put on this earth as a gift not punishment. Allah put all kinds of means for us to live on this earth, but how little are we grateful.

Allah Almighty says,

وَلَقَدْ مَكَّنَّـٰكُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْ‌ضِ وَجَعَلْنَا لَكُمْ فِيهَا مَعَـٰيِشَ ۗ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَشْكُرُ‌ونَ ﴿١٠

And We have certainly established you upon the earth and made for you therein ways of livelihood. Little are you grateful. (10)

[Qur'an, Al'Araf 7:10]

The Master of the Universe has made this whole earth and what it contains a giant warehouse of human needs and comforts, a most comprehensive inventory of that inside it. Now, what is left for us to do is to learn to go in there, take out what we need and use it how we will. Science and technology are essentially no more than a trained method of taking out things created by the Master of the Universe and stored in this warehouse, properly and nicely, and use it soundly and beneficially.

One who is short on sense and manners and does not know how to take things out from this warehouse, or does not understand how to use what he has taken out, he remains deprived of their benefits. An intelligent person benefits from both.

Yes, Islam has many rules, but there are means for you to enjoy life. Remember when your mother said, "Don't touch the cookie jar!" (or some candy)...why? because she wanted to see you suffer? because she didn't want you enjoy the cookie? And when you don't see your mother, you went to the cookie jar and dipped your little fingers into it, took out a cookie and hide under the table and ate the cookie (without her permission and against her order) and when your mother saw your sticky fingers and crumbs all over, she put you on time out (or take your toy away)...why? because she is a bad mother? because she doesn't want you to be happy? None of these...you know now that she did all that for your own good but at that moment you were too immature to think that way or to understand her wisdom or reasons.

We are those little kids...we don't know anything about what's really good for us. What we think/feel/see/hear/read as good for us may not be good for us and what we think/feel/see/hear/read as bad may be quite the opposite -- it is good for us. We are not the judge of good or bad, what makes sense or not makes sense. Allah, the Creator and Master of the Universe is. Maybe some things don't make sense to us right now but the time will come when it all make sense inshaAllah.

If you are intelligent, you will choose to follow His rules and don't try to go against them or around them. What Allah tells us to do, we do, and what He tells us to avoid, we avoid. It's following without any resistance like a dead body to the people washing him. If you do that, you will certainly come out very successful in this life before the next.

Allah Almighty says,

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱصْبِرُ‌وا۟ وَصَابِرُ‌وا۟ وَرَ‌ابِطُوا۟ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ﴿٢٠٠

O you who have believed, persevere and endure and remain stationed and fear Allah that you may be successful. (200)

[Qur'an, AleImran 3:200]

And Allah does not break His promise.

Enjoyment comes when you get what you desire. If you desire Allah and His Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wassallam), that's where your enjoyment is and manifested when you obey Allah and His Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wassallam) -- when you pray, when you are good to your parents, when you fast, when you perform hajj, when you pay zakat and give charity, when you are good to your neighbors, when you read or listen to the Qur'an, when you are merciful to Allah's creatures, when you put smiles on people's faces .... all seeking His Noble Countenance.

Allah Almighty has placed all that human beings need on this earth which demands that we should be grateful to Him all the time under all conditions. But, we are prone to heedlessness. It does not take much time to forget the favors of the Creator and Master - only to return to the same world of things.

So, Allah is reminding us in a mode of complaint: قَلِيلًا مَّا تَشْكُرُ‌ونَ (Little are you grateful).

May Allah protect us from disobedience and make us among His grateful servants. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam