What are you doing....

Abu-Hurairah (RadiAllahu Anhu) narrated Allah's Messenger Salallahu alaihi wassalam said, "Indeed Allah does not look at your appearance and your wealth, but he looks at your hearts and your deeds."--Muslim--

Have all the money you want, look as good as you want, But if you are not doing anything sincerely for Allah...none of it matters.

What are you doing and who are you doing it for?

--Sada--

Gratitude

To educate yourself for the feeling of gratitude means to take nothing for granted, but to always seek out and value the kind that will stand behind the action. Nothing that is done for you is a matter of course. Everything originates in a will for the good, which is directed at you. Train yourself never to put off the word or action for the expression of gratitude. -- Albert Schweitzer --

Gratitude is the simplest yet most neglected expression in our lives today. We bury ourselves in situations that go against our will and desires to the extent that we forget about the blessings we have at hand. We have all repeatedly heard the saying, "Be grateful for what you have." But are we truly grateful for what we have? What is our instant reaction when we are struck by a calamity? Do we portray our happiness towards the decree of Allah by saying, "Alhumdulillah 'ala kulli haal" (Praise be to Allah in all situations) or do we despair, "Why me?" When we lose something dear to us do we think maybe there was benefit in it for me? "It may well be that you hate a thing while it is good for you, and it may well be that you love a thing while it is bad for you: and Allah knows, whereas you do not know." [2:216]. So we must show gratitude to Allah by being content with His decisions.

Likewise what is our reaction when we attain something we desire? Do we rejoice and praise ourselves? Or do we sincerely say "Alhumdulillah," for He is the One, the All Mighty, who granted us this opportunity? How many times a day do we think, 'I have accomplished such and such due to the bounty of Allah' or how many times do we think, 'I have accomplished this because of my own efforts and doings'? If we remember that all that we do is nothing but tawfeeq from Allah then our attitudes towards our lives will be much different. We will find ourselves humble, content and not complaining -- maybe even smiling.

Allah has given us so much to be grateful for, yet we have said "thank you" to our friends more than we have to Allah. How grateful are we to Allah for the eyes that we have been blessed with so we can see all that we see? What about the ears that we hear with? "It is He Who has created you (and made you grow), and made for you the faculties of hearing, seeing, feeling and understanding: little thanks it is you give."[67:23] What about the knowledge that we are attaining by using the three senses mentioned in the verse? Are we showing gratitude by putting it into action and teaching it to others? In Surah Nahl, Allah speaks about Ibrahim ('alayhis salaam) being guided to the right path due to his gratitude. "Abraham was indeed a model, devoutly obedient to Allah, (and) true in Faith, and he joined not gods with Allah. He showed his gratitude for the favors of Allah, who chose him, and guided him to a Straight Way. And We gave him Good in this world, and he will be, in the Hereafter, in the ranks of the Righteous." [16:120-122]. There is nothing but goodness in being grateful and the least we get out of praising Allah is the calmness of our own hearts.

So how many days have passed by since you have sincerely thanked Allah for your health, your home, for a good night's sleep, for the provision that He has given you? Be grateful for all that you have good or bad. Be grateful for the lack of excessive luxury because if you had it you may not be as close to Allah the way you are now. We enjoy more bounties in this part of the world then people anywhere else. The Prophet (salAllahu 'alayhi wasallam) advised us to look at those who are less fortunate than us concerning the provision of the Dunya. Also show the utmost gratitude that Allah has guided you. "And remember! Your Lord caused to be declared: If you are grateful, I will add more (favors) unto you; but if you show ingratitude, truly My punishment is terrible indeed."[14:7]

How can we be consistent in showing gratitude?

To start, have a gratitude journal. Every night write five things you are grateful for and do not repeat the same ones for the next three days. And truly say 'Alhamdulillah' from your heart for each and every blessing you write. "If you would count up the favors of Allah, never would you be able to number them: for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."[16:18]

May Allah make us among the grateful and the rightly guided ones. Ameen

Narrated AbuBakrah:

When anything came to the Prophet (salAllahu 'alayhi wasallam) which caused pleasure (or by which he was made glad), he prostrated himself in gratitude to Allah. [Saheeh Muslim]

--Sada--

Basic recap from Surah Baqarah Ayah 28 and 29

"How can you disbelieve in Allah seeing that you were dead and He gave you life Then He will give you death, then again will bring you to life (on the Day of Resurrection) and then unto Him you will return."- Basically HOW can we deny Allah's existence and disbelieve in Him after we were nothing and HE was the One to bring us into existence? It makes no sense. And then He will be the One to take that away and give us death. Our main focus in life ~~> I'm headed towards that direction, and there's no way that I can escape from it, so how can I prepare for it? The first death (state of lifelessness) refers to before man was ever given life, and the 2nd life is the one we are headed towards- when Allah will resurrect each and everyone of us on the Day of Judgment when each will be payed his full. In the end of the Ayah is a warning of the ReTuRn - again this is our main focus and purpose in life. We're ultimately going to have to return to Him, so we need to pack the best provisions in preparation for that meeting.

"He it is Who created for you all that is on earth. Then He Istawa ila the heaven and made them seven heavens, and He is the Knower of everything."- In this Ayah, basically Allah is mentioning another proof of His existence that we can witness (after mentioning us as a proof)- and that is in the creation of the Heavens and the Earth. His ability- He started the creation by creating the Earth (laying the foundation- the base) and then He made the Heaven into seven heavens (building on top of the base). ImPoRtAnT: Everything that was created is for mans use- it was created for us: the rain, sky, cattle, ground, abundant fruits- all of this was made for us and to benefit us.

Just something on the side which I found very beautiful: Ibn Ata said, "Allah has created the universe for you so that it should serve you and you should serve Allah and a wise man should thus know that he will certainly get what has been created for him and should not in worrying about it forget the being for whom he himself has been created."

Allah ends the Ayah by basically reminding us that His knowledge encompasses all of creation.

--Mariam Raza--