113: Gratitude
[b]من لم يشكر الناس لم يشكر الله[/b]
"Whosoever is not thankful to people is not thankful to Allah."
[Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)]
Allah says:
[b]فَاذْكُرُونِي أَذْكُرْكُمْ وَاشْكُرُواْ لِي وَلاَ تَكْفُرُونِ [/b]
[i]"Remember Me, I remember you; Be thankful and not ungrateful." [/i][b][Qur'an 2: 152].[/b]
There is an emphasis on God-consciousness and on Gratitude in this divine injunction. This makes us realize that …[list][*]Gratefulness is a matter of the heart and truly grateful people are more spiritually aware and are more likely to appreciate the interconnectedness of personal life to human interdependence.[/*][*]True thankfulness to Allah means that we sincerely
thank Him for his innumerable blessings; not by reminding others of what we have done in His Name.[/*][*]Gratitude is indeed the spiritual activity of the sanctified heart of a humble person.[/*]
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[b]A Thankful Heart[/b][list][*]The educationist, Jean Massieu said,
"Gratitude is the memory of the heart." [/*][*]Among the well-known prayers of the Prophet was
"O Allah! I ask thee… for a grateful heart."[/*][*]Seneca said:
"Nothing is more honorable than a grateful heart."[/*][*]Or as Aesop said:
"Gratitude is the sign of a noble soul."[/*][*]Gordon Hinckley, the renowned Mormon leader, said:
"Where there is appreciation, there is courtesy; where there is gratitude, there is humility."[/*][*]Hannah Moore said:
"There are three requisites to the proper enjoyment of earthly blessings; a thankful reflection of the goodness of the giver; a deep sense of our unworthiness; and a recollection of the uncertainty of how long we will possess the. The first will make us grateful; the second will make us humble and the third will make us moderate." [/*][*]William Shakespeare prayed:
"O Lord, Who lends me life, lend me a heart replete with thankfulness."[/*][/list]
[b]Check your Blessings[/b]
[list][*]
"Wise is the person who grieves not for what he does not have but gratefully rejoices in what he does have", said the Graeco-Roman philosopher, Epictetus.[/*]
[*]The English writer, Charles Dickens said:
" Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every person has plenty; reflect not upon your past misfortunes, of which all people have some."[/*][*]Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said:
من لم يشكر القليل لم يشكر الكثير "Whosoever is not thankful with a little won't be thankful with a lot."[/*][*]The Caliph 'Ali said:
"Do not let your thanklessness drive away even the least of your blessings."[/*][*]Successful talk show host, Oprah Winfrey said:
" Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate only on what you don't have, you'll never ever have enough." [/*][/list]
Reflect on these wise words ...
"If we could only learn to appreciate the little things…
A song that pleases you, for there those who can not hear
The beauty of sunset, for there are those who can not see
A stroll along the beach, for there are those who can not walk
The warmth and safety of your home, for there are those who are homeless
The company of friends and dear ones, for there are those who are lonely
These are little things that life is all about.
So search your soul and learn to appreciate." [Shadi Souferian]
Remember …
[list][*]Be of those who give and forgive; Be not of those who get and forget[/*]
[*]The ethical dimension to gratitude demands genuine thankfulness proportionate to the blessings received, never to deny those blessings nor devalue the worth of those who so bless us. It is perchance with this in mind that our beloved Prophet reminded us:
من لم يشكر الناس لم يشكر الله "Whosoever is not thankful to people is not thankful to Allah."[/*]
[*]Allah says:
لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ "If you are grateful, Allah shall increase for you." [Qur'an 14:7] Realize, how we use our blessings is an indication of our level of gratitude.[/*][/list]
[b]Grateful People are among the Best of People[/b]
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was asked, "Who are the best of people ?"
He said:
اذا غضبوا غفروا و اذا ابتلوا صبروا ، و اذا احسنوا استبشروا ،و اذا أساءوا استغفروا ،
[i]Those who are cheerful when they do good, who are repentant when they do wrong, who are grateful when they receive, who show patience when in difficulty and pardon when they are angered."[/i]