COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS AND BE THANKFUL TO GOD

The religious practices instituted by God, such as fasting in the lunar month of Ramadan, are not ordeals but rather great opportunities for us to develop our souls. They are blessings from God. If we can practice our religious duties the way we are supposed to, we get many benefits. Furthermore, these practices allow us to be more conscious of God in our lives.

Many people concentrate on the things they lack and get upset for what they do not have compared to others. If we want to be happier, we should count our blessings and think about all the things God has already given us. We should remember and reflect on the following verses of the Quran:

[16:18]  If you count GOD's blessings, you cannot possibly encompass them. GOD is Forgiver, Most Merciful.

[14:34]  And He gives you all kinds of things that you implore Him for. If you count GOD's blessings, you can never encompass them.

Indeed, the human being is transgressing, unappreciative.

We should try our best to count our blessings, even though we cannot encompass them all. We have so much to be thankful for if we just think about them and remind ourselves! How about reflecting on our bodies and the infinite variety of things God created for us? We should remember God’s blessings in the good times as well as when we go through the times of tests. We should not be unappreciative and heedless.

A wise person once said “We don't need more to be thankful for; we just need to be more thankful.” How true! Furthermore, if we appreciate God’s blessings and thank God for them, He rewards us with more. This is God’s promise in 14:7 that “The more you thank Me, the more I give you…”

For Our Own Good

Some people entertain the idea that God should not need any of our prayers and appreciation of His blessings.

The way they think is as if God has ego and needs to satisfy Himself. Nothing can be further than the truth!  They are the ones who have big egos. God makes it clear that He does not need any of our worship or any of us, but He is pleased for us if we make the right choice and decide to be appreciative (39:7). Therefore, if we are appreciative, it is for our own good (31:12).

Ramadan is Special

Ramadan (also spelled as ramadhan, ramazan, so on)   is a very special month for Muslims. It is the lunar month during which the Quran was revealed, providing guidance for the people, clear teachings, and the statute book...(2:185) We also understand that God revealed the Quran into Prophet Muhammad’s heart on the 27th night of Ramadan,  in the Night of Power or Destiny (17:1, 44:3, 97:1-5). It was then gradually released into his memory in accordance with God’s will and written down by him with the help of Gabriel over a period of 23 years.

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