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Gratefulness To Allah

BEING grateful is to render one’s thanks to someone who has shown favor, to express gratitude and to appreciate.

The concept of being grateful to Allah, on the other hand, is to grasp and express that every kind of grace and favor is granted exclusively by Allah.

In the Qur’an, the opposite of being grateful is defined by the term “disbelief,” which is synonymous to being ungrateful.

Only this definition indicates the importance attached to being grateful as a worshiper and the detrimental consequences it (ungratefulness) may have for a believer.

Gratefulness to Allah is one of the concepts mostly emphasized in the Qur’an. In almost 70 verses, the importance of rendering thanks to Allah is stated, the examples of those who are grateful and ungrateful are given and the end they face is described. The reason why so much importance is given to this concept is simply because it is a mere indication of one ‘s faith and affirmation of the unity of Allah. In one of the verses “being grateful” is described as “worship only to Allah”:

O you who believe! Eat of the good things that We have provided for you, and be grateful to Allah, if it is Him you worship. (Al-Baqarah, 172)

In another verse giving thanks to Allah is described as the opposite of idolatry:

But it has already been revealed to you, as it was to those before you , “If you were to join (gods with Allah), truly fruitless will be your work (in life), and you will surely be in the ranks of those who lose (all spiritual good)”.

Nay, but worship Allah, and be of those who give thanks. (Qur’an, Az-Zumar, 65-66)

The following statement of The Evil One (Iblis) emphasizes the importance of giving thanks to Allah :

He (Iblis) said: “Because you have thrown me out of the way, lo! I will lie in wait for them on Your straight way: Then will I assault them from before them and behind them, from their right and their left: Nor will You find, in most of them, gratitude (for Your mercies).” (Al- Araf, 17)

As stated in the verse above, Satan devoted his life to mislead people due to his envy. His ultimate aim is to make people be ungrateful to their Creator. When this ultimate purpose of Satan is considered, it becomes more comprehensible how a man goes astray when he does not render thanks to Allah.

The Real Significance Of Prayer

If a person really believes in Allah (God), how will he show it? And how will it affect his life? For a Muslim, his faith is first demonstrated by the five daily ritual prayers called Salah. These prayers are so important that they are the second pillar of Islam after the Testimony of Faith (There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger), obligatory for all, and they are the first thing the Muslim will be asked about on Judgment Day.

Five times a day a Muslim is asked to stop whatever he is doing — be it sleep, work, or play — and make a ritual ablution before facing his Lord in Prayer.

No matter what his actions, the most important thing to a Muslim is his relationship with Allah. This relationship is demonstrated and put into practice, as well as improved and increased, by the ritual prayers.

Only if the prayers are sound and proper will the deeds be sound and proper.

In the Prayer, the Muslim faces toward the Ka’bah in Makkah, the symbol of the Oneness of Allah and the unity of Muslims. He stands, bows, and prostrates to his Lord while praising Him, reciting some of the words He revealed in the Qur’an, and asking for His forgiveness and mercy. In doing so, the Muslim reminds himself of his position in the universe as a humble servant of Allah and of his total dependence on his Creator, Cherisher and Sustainer.

When the prayer is performed properly — with due humility and remembrance of Allah — it has a lasting effect on the person. It fills his heart with the remembrance of Allah, and with fear of and hope in Him. He will not want to move from that lofty position by disobeying Allah.

The Prophet compared this experience of making ablution and praying five times a day to having a river running in front of one’s house.

If one bathed in that river five times a day, would any filth remain on his body? Likewise, the ablution and prayer five times a day removes one’s sins and also prevents him from sinning.

Prayers also affect the life of the Muslim by encouraging him to schedule his activities around their fixed times.

There is some flexibility, for each time is actually a span of one hour or more.

But the Muslim who is conscious of Allah will strive to schedule his life in such a way that he does not miss any of the prayers — for example, by postponing a shopping trip until after a Prayer, or by taking a break from work, or by sleeping earlier so as to be able to rise for the dawn prayer.

Therefore, if one really believes in Allah, he will show it by his commitment to the five daily Prayers, and these, in turn, will help him to live righteously.

Worship Allah Alone, Who Created Us

[ALLAH’S Quran – 2:21 ] “O mankind, worship no one but your Lord. The one who created you and people who lived before you; so that you may become righteous and get salvation.”

[Bukhari, Book #23, Hadith #441] “Narrated Abu Huraira : Allah’s Apostle said, “Every child is born with a true faith of Islam (i.e. to worship none but Allah Alone) but his parents convert him to Judaism, Christianity or Magainism, as an animal delivers a perfect baby animal. Do you find it mutilated?” Then Abu Huraira recited the holy verses: “The pure Allah’s Islamic nature (true faith of Islam) (i.e. worshipping none but Allah) with which He has created human beings. No change let there be in the religion of Allah (i.e. joining none in worship with Allah). That is the straight religion (Islam) but most of men know, not.” (30.30)

The Four Factors: Check Yourself For Signs Of Hypocrisy

Just as our body gives us signals when we tax it too much physically or mentally, with migraine headaches, aching bones, low immunity to seasonal viruses, and muscular strains symbolizing the need for us to slow down, relax and give ourselves some stress-free time to unwind.

So too, our actions and dealings with people give us some telltale signs about the state of our spiritual well-being and health.

A healthy soul is serene when it is at the peak of faith. Imagine how it felt after spending a part of the night of “Al-Qadr” in prayer during Ramadan, or after consciously forgiving someone who had wronged you, or after sincerely repenting of and giving up a sin.

Such moments became turning points in your life that made you feel as if you were freed from shackles when you rushed back to Allah. During such times, the heart is spiritually charged, healthy, and resonating with faith. On the flip side are some warning signs in our actions that we should watch out for, because they indicate that we are gravitating towards the worst disease of the heart: Nifaq or hypocrisy. Just as a bodily disease requires immediate prescription of an appropriate remedy for timely cure, a disease of the heart also necessitates immediate diagnosis of symptoms and prescription of a remedy.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “There are four (characteristics), whoever has all of them is a complete hypocrite, and whoever has some of them, has some element of hypocrisy, unless he gives it up: When he speaks, he lies; when he makes a covenant, he betrays it; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; when he quarrels, he resorts to insults.” (Sahih Muslim, no. 53)

The Munafiq or hypocrite is someone who possesses all of the above traits. He makes an outward show of piety, but is inwardly different from his deliberately put-on, outer facade.

A Family Home Of Unique Qualities

All human societies uphold certain values and try to promote them. These include truthfulness, honesty, sincerity, caring for others, courage, patience in adversity, forbearance, pursuit of knowledge, etc. Parents try to instill in their children the importance of developing such qualities and maintaining such values. Teachers endeavor to show their pupils that even when any of these qualities may land a person in a bit of trouble, the end result of holding on to them is always better. Yet people normally have some of these qualities and remain lacking in others. A person may be honest and truthful, but may lack patience. Another may acquire broad knowledge through diligent learning but remains unable to handle a family crisis. To hold on to all superior values all the time is very rare, and to ensure that these are upheld by everyone in one’s household is a very difficult task. The home of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), however, provided a unique example of holding on to every superior value and reflected a standard of moral characteristics that is second to none in all human history.

When we look at life in the Prophet’s home, we find that it was a life of poverty in every respect: barely enough food to eat, small and basic housing, little furniture and a clear lack of comfort. The Prophet married several women, and his marriages were for social, political and legislative reasons. When we read that each one of his wives had her own home, we tend to imagine that the Prophet had several houses competing to give him a comfortable living. That is totally wrong. Each of his wives had a single room, adjacent to the mosque. Each was no better than a small hut, built of mud bricks or uneven stones, with a low ceiling that a tall man can reach by merely lifting his hand. Such simple housing was coupled with equally simple furniture. Often there was nothing to sit on except a rough rug or a straw mat. Once Umar visited the Prophet and looked around. He expressed his sorrow that the Prophet’s home had no facilities other than the bare essentials. He remarked that the emperors of Byzantium and Persia had so much comfort while the Prophet lived under such conditions. The Prophet told him that such worldly comfort is transitory and he would rather have nothing of it.

Let Him Separate Himself

IN the days when Musa (peace be upon him) wandered with the tribe of Bani Isra’eel in the desert, an intense drought befell them. Together, they raised their hands praying for rain. To the astonishment of Musa (peace be upon him) and all those watching, the few scattered clouds that were in the sky vanished and the heat intensified.

It was revealed to Musa that there was a sinner amongst the tribe who had disobeyed Allah for more than forty years of his life.

“Let him separate himself from the congregation,” Allah told Musa (peace be upon him). “Only then shall I shower you all with rain.”

Musa (peace be upon him) then called out to his people, “There is a person amongst us who has disobeyed Allah for forty years. Let him separate himself from the congregation and only then shall we be rescued from the drought.”

That man waited, looking left and right, hoping that someone else would step forward, but no one did. Sweat poured forth from his brow. He knew that he was the one.

The man knew that if he stayed amongst the congregation all would die of thirst and that if he stepped forward he would be humiliated.

At that moment, he supplicated to Allah with a sincerity he had never known before, with humility he had never tasted, and as tears poured down on both cheeks he said, “O Allah, have mercy on me! O Allah, hide my sins! O Allah, forgive me!”

As Musa (peace be upon him) and the people were waiting for the sinner to come forward, clouds hugged the sky and rain poured.

Musa asked Allah, “O Allah, you blessed us with rain even though the sinner did not come forward.”

Allah replied, “O Musa, due to the repentance of that very person I blessed all of Bani Isra’eel with water.”

Musa (peace be upon him), wanting to know who this blessed man was, asked, “Show him to me O Allah!”

Allah replied, “O Musa, I hid his sins for forty years, do you think that after his repentance I shall expose him?”

Destiny
There shall be a night, some night in your life, that you shall awaken in Jannah or Hellfire. On his deathbed, Anas Ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) prayed to Allah, “O Allah, protect me from a night whose morning brings a journey to Hellfire.” Think about that morning.

Only two more nights remain
Ibn Jareer narrates on the authority of Mujahid, that there was a man from Bani Israeel who used to spend the night in prayer. Then during the day he would fight the enemy in the way of Allah until the evening and he did this for a thousand months.

Allah revealed for us the Surah about the Night of Al-Qadr.

“The night of Al-Qadr (Decree) is better than a thousand months (i.e. worshiping Allah in that night is better than worshiping Him a thousand months.” (Qur’an, 97:3)

Peace shall descend on Laylatul Qadr until the dawn. It may be that we leave the masjid after Fajr in the next few fays forgiven by Allah, Glorious and Most High.

Communication Between Birds

And Sulaiman (Solomon) inherited (the knowledge of ) Dawud (David). He said: “O mankind! We have been taught the language of birds, and on us have been bestowed all things. This, verily, is an evident grace (from Allah).” (Qur’an, 27:16)

IN the above verse, it is said that the Prophet Solomon was taught the speech of birds in addition to the endowments that God’s grace had adorned him with. The Qur’an refers to the communication between birds and to the fact that the twittering and singing of birds has particular meanings. Birds, like human beings, do communicate. This undeniable communication is certainly not as developed as it is in man.

Research conducted by zoologists has established that sounds emitted by animals are meaningful and not haphazard. Birds, ants, dolphins, etc., have systems of communication.

Meanings in sounds emitted by birds
As the Qur’an speaks of the language of birds, let us take a look at research conducted on birds. Brazilian and American ornithologists have studied the hummingbird (one of the tiniest birds in the world) and published their findings in the British journal Nature. The author of the article, Maria Luisa Da Silva, says that the vocabulary of the hummingbird is not innate but develops afterward. In other words, the hummingbird learns to speak as human beings do.

Studies on crows have demonstrated that they emit a variety of sounds, namely, to call the colony of crows to come together, to express alarm, and to communicate a state of distress. Ornithologists, who have recorded these sounds using a sonograph, are still engaged in deciphering the meanings behind them. Bernd Heinrich, among these scientists who speak of the difficulty in decoding the sonograms, associates this research work with the work of the inhabitants of other planets visiting our earth and trying to decipher eating, playing, making love and activities like catching fish using a sonograph. What we are trying to do is to imagine ourselves in their place. Heinrich speaks of the difficulty encountered in deciphering the language of animals in general, as different species have different ways of communication, each calling for a different approach.

There is a body language, expressed by the changes in your body position and movements, that show what you are feeling or thinking. Nodding means “yes,” hailing is a sign of calling to someone in order to greet him or try to attract his attention. Although the sounds emitted by birds are a means of communication, they also have, in general, a body language. Their body language is easier to decipher. For instance, a bird that emits a sound by touching its beak with his tongue means “I am a friend, I have no intention to harm you.” Theresa Jordan gives a whole list of signs, demonstrating thereby that even the body language necessitates a glossary.

The physiology of birds is as interesting as their language, the long distances they cover without swerving from their destination are something to marvel at. Ornithologists studying birds will see God’s perfect artistry revealed in these creatures too.

There is not a moving (living) creature on earth, nor a bird that flies with its two wings, but are communities like you. We have neglected nothing in the Book, then unto their Lord they (all) shall be gathered. (Qur’an, 6:38)

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh): A Unique Type Of Sociability

Some people may need seclusion to maintain their purity of heart and mind. Psychologists say that man’s thinking becomes more mundane when one is in a crowd.

This may be true in as far as ordinary leading figures are concerned. God’s messengers, however, elevate the masses and are never pulled down by the masses. Some of Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) companions used to complain that when they sat with the Prophet they felt to be at a high level of mental awareness which they could not maintain when they got home.

Because of the strength of his relation with his Lord, Muhammad could make the earth heaven and transform ordinary people into angels. His companions were always remembering God when they were with him, and they urged one another to attend to their worship and fulfill the duties assigned to them by God.

The Prophet disliked gatherings where people were oblivious of their duties. He looked unfavorably at any gathering in which God is not glorified. He said: “When a group of people break up after a meeting in which they have not remembered God or glorified him, their meeting is just like a gathering around a dead donkey. They are sure to regret it.”

Should they have a meeting in which matters relating to both this life and the life to come are mentioned, they should be keen to retain its benefit and remove its evil by concluding it with a prayer for forgiveness. The Prophet teaches us: “Whoever sits with some people when they exchange much idle conversation, let him say before leaving: ‘All glory and praise be to You, my Lord. I bear witness that there is no deity other than You. I pray for Your forgiveness, and I repent of my sins’. When a person says this supplication, he is certain to be forgiven whatever took place in that meeting.” Another hadith mentions this supplication and adds: “If that is a good gathering, the supplication becomes its identifier, and if it is a bad meeting, the supplication ensures the supplicant’s forgiveness.”

Social gatherings may lead people to compete for worldly things, and may encourage them to show off and press their own advantages. They may preoccupy people with trivialities, or cause them to transgress. Therefore, the Prophet was keen to end his meetings with people with a prayer for all who are attending. Abdullah ibn Umar reports: “The Prophet rarely left a meeting before saying this prayer for his companions: ‘Our Lord, grant us a feeling of fearing You which is strong enough to keep us away from disobeying You; grant us a level of obeying You that is enough to ensure admission into Your heaven; grant us enough certitude of faith to make all world’s catastrophes seem to us to be light. Our Lord, allow us to enjoy our senses of hearing and sight and to keep our strength throughout our lives, and make these the last of me. Make the one who is unjust to us the pursuer of revenge, and support us against our enemies. Do not make our loss a loss of faith. Our Lord, do not make this world our highest pursuit, or the limit of our knowledge. Do not give power over us to anyone who is unmerciful.”

It was in this fashion that the Prophet ended his meetings. When people left him, they were keenly aware of God’s grace being bestowed on them