|
One of the most neglected virtues of our daily existence is appreciation. We often take our parents, spouses, children, brothers and sisters, good friends... so much for granted that we rarely let them know we appreciate them.
Similarly, all the blessings from God, material or otherwise, may become so much a part of our livelihood that we tend to forget their existence in our lives. Unfortunately, it is our tendency not to appreciate things until something happens to them. But it may be too late then.
Why not appreciate God’s blessings to us when we can? Why not take the time and reflect on what God has bestowed on us? Not only once a year, on Thanksgiving day, or during some religious days, but much more often. Every day, every possible moment of our lives. We should reflect and thank God for His blessings, and also show our appreciation to the people that we love. If we do, we will be appreciated by these people, but more importantly by God, who promises to give us more because we value His blessings.
We see the faults of others more easily than our own. We also tend to talk about and highlight people’s mistakes more often than their good works. Indeed, we do not show the same keenness to appreciate people when they do good, as we do to criticize them. As an old saying goes:
Once I did bad and that I heard ever.
Twice I did good, but that I heard never.
By definition, believers are appreciative of God’s blessings to them. It is their trait. It is a distinguishing quality from the disbelievers. They value God and whatever He provides for them. A good family and caring friends, beautiful brothers and sisters in faith. A community that they can rely on.
All the material or spiritual blessings that God bestowed on them, no matter how little or how abundant. They are thankful to God.
The Quran teaches us that God increases His blessings to people and communities when they are appreciative of the blessings they receive. On the other hand, an unappreciative state of mind is associated with disbelief in God and will lead people to an eventual loss, both in this life and in the Hereafter.
Your Lord has decreed: “The more you thank Me, the more I give you. But if you tum unappreciative, then My retribution is severe.” [14:7]
Even those of us who are not as fortunate as some others in this material life can find many things in our lives to be thankful for. Just looking at ourselves should be enough. Do we have eyes with which we can see? Do we have ears with which we can hear? Tongues we can speak and taste with? Legs we can walk with? Lungs we can breathe with? Think about all the organs, small or large, external or internal, that make up our body, and are functioning without giving us any trouble, in accordance with God’s design. Think about the countless red and white blood cells running around in our veins to keep us going. They busily work in their designated jobs day and night for as long as we live.
Think about the air we breathe. We do not have to carry an oxygen tank on our backs to get the air we need. How difficult it would have been for us then. Imagine people lining up to refill their tanks in oxygen stations. God made the air freely available. We should be thankful to Him for His infinite mercy.
How about the sun and the moon, and the stars God has put for our service. Nights He has designed for our rest. Days He has made for us to provide sustenance. The seasons. The rain. The snow. The oceans, the mountains, the trees, the animals … The list of God’s provisions and blessings is virtually endless.
Do you not see that God has committed in your service everything in the heavens and the earth, and has showered you with His blessings—obvious and hidden? Yet, some people argue about God without knowledge, without guidance, and without the enlightening scripture. [31:20]
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. [14:34]
Appreciating all the blessings of God is for our own good. We reap its benefits manifold. It makes our soul grow and brings us closer to God. It reminds us that God is the ultimate source and provider of everything. Furthermore, God blesses us with more, watches over us, and protects us from evil as long as we remain appreciative.
The more appreciative we are of God’s blessings, the better believers we can become. But if we turn unappreciative, God is in no need, Praiseworthy (31:12). Because only the disbelievers lack appreciation of His blessings, we cannot afford to take any of God’s blessings for granted if we want happiness in this life and in the Hereafter.
Therefore, you shall eat from God’s provisions everything that is lawful and good, and be appreciative of God’s blessings, if you do worship Him alone. [16:114]
Abdullah Arik
[reprinted from SP November 1995]
Abraham Lincoln said something that we need to consider carefully in our society today. It’s more true now than ever. We must turn back to God in humbleness and appreciation for all our blessings.
“We have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us! It behooves us then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.
Abraham Lincoln, March 30, 1863