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LESSON #16:
Chapter 2: Verse 104-112
…وَمَا تُقَدِّمُواْ لِأَنفُسِكُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍ تَجِدُوهُ عِندَ اللّهِ…
How comforting is this verse for those who act for the sake of Allaah alone.
How encouraging is this verse for those who struggle to keep their intentions straight.
How admonishing is this verse for those who are feeding their souls against the forces of good.
And how scary is this verse for those who are ungrateful to their Rabb.
Allâh customized each one of our lives so intricately that sometimes it all feels too complicated to appreciate. Especially when we start comparing our struggles to others’ day-to-day happy lives. The truth is, we can’t try on lives like we do with dresses. One’s own life is the only one that fits us best. So whatever hit us was not going to miss and whatever missed us was not going to hit. What they have, you may not — but what you have, they may not.
Gratitude is an important missing piece in our lives that sometimes leaves us hollow right in the middle if we don’t remember to show gratitude and give Allah the credit instead of thinking we’ve done it all ourselves. Allâh says in the Qur’an:
“If you are grateful, I will surely increase you …” [Qur’an 14:7]
So when you see someone and feel that your life is not enough, find a tiny little thing to be grateful for.
The Prophet (ﷺ) used to stand (in the prayer) or pray till both his feet or legs swelled. He was asked why (he offered such an unbearable prayer) and he said, “should I not be a thankful slave.” [Bukhari]
According to studies, the following are the 10 happy habits, with the average ratings of survey participants on a scale of 1-10, as to how often they performed each habit:
1: Giving: doing things for others — 7.41
2: Relating: connecting with people — 7.36
3: Emotion: taking a positive approach — 6.74
4: Appreciating: noticing the world around — 6.57
5: Meaning: being part of something bigger — 6.38
6: Resilience: finding ways to bounce back — 6.33
7: Trying out: learning new things — 6.26
8: Direction: having goals to look forward to — 6.08
9: Exercising: taking care of your body — 5.88
10: Acceptance: being comfortable with who you are — 5.56
Exercise:
Thank people in your life. Write to them or just say it to them but give thanks. Tell them what you are thankful for. Appreciate the smallest things.
And last but not least, don’t forget to thank Allâh (the reason why we created #AlhamdulillahForSeries so people could stop to appreciate tiny little things in life granted by our Rabb, The Greatest.)
: Verse 104-112 *Gratitude*){kind=link}