How to acknowledge the barakah and blessings Allah has bestowed on us
“And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed, “If you are grateful, I will certainly give you more…” (14:7)
Looking at this verse in Surah Ibrahim, the question that springs to mind is what will Allah give us more of?
Will Allah bless us with more faith? More wealth? More professional success? And how much more will Allah bless us with?
The answer to this question is anything and everything. This is the beauty of the open-endedness with which Allah declares in the verse. There is no limit to the giving as long as we keep ourselves open to receiving.
Gratitude in the Qur’an
Allah’s blessings really know no bounds. This is what the verse from Surah Ibrahim (above) indicates. By being thankful for the lives that we have been given, Allah gives us more.
What else does Allah say about gratitude in the Qur’an?
In Surah Al-Baqarah, Allah says:
“Oh you who have believed, eat from the good things which We have provided for you and be grateful to Allah if it is [indeed] him that you worship.” [Qur’an, 2:172]
This verse touches on the connection between shukr and rizq i.e. gratitude and sustenance. One aspect of sustenance is the food we consume. The food that sits on our plates has come to us almost automatically. The most strenuous effort we have had to exert probably is purchasing and cooking or heating up the food as required. This is a complete sign of our reliance on Allah, Ar-Razzaq, being our Sustainer and for this, we owe Him thanks in unmeasurable amounts subhanAllah.
Another indication of blessings that we take for granted is touched upon in the following ayah:
“And Allah has extracted you from the wombs of your mothers not knowing a thing, and He made for you hearing and vision and hearts [intellect] that perhaps you would be grateful.” [Qur’an, 16:78]
There is a clear theme: we do not need to wait for the biggest, most explicit and most exciting occasions and blessings in our lives to show gratitude; it’s also the one’s we take for granted that warrant shukr. In fact there is more evidence of conscious reflection because when these blessings appear automatically in our lives, it is harder to recognise and acknowledge them. It is much easier to just take them for granted. These verses speak to the importance of recognising such instances in our lives and showing our appreciation.
The Law of Vacuum Prosperity
Have you heard of the law of vacuum prosperity?
The concept is simple. To attract more, you have to get rid of the old. Getting rid of the old (sometimes the bad) makes space for the new (and the good). Goodness is everywhere and our only limitation is our minds. But this works in all facets of life – physically, mentally, emotionally.
Say for example, you are longing for a wardrobe refresh. The law of vacuum prosperity proposes that first before anything, you have to make space for a new one. Clear out the old wardrobe and purge. What you have now done is invited the scope for a new wardrobe by making space.
Similarly, you are paying a bill at the end of a restaurant meal. The law of vacuum prosperity dictates that a void be created. What this means is that if you pay the bill begrudgingly, you have filled a what-could-have-been void with resentment thereby creating a negative mindset. This will obstruct the flow of appreciation to your headspace thereby making your experience at the restaurant not necessarily a positive one.
[Reference: Money - Know More, Make More, Give More (Rob Moore)]
Be open to receiving. While we have zoned in on the more materialistic applications of this concept of prosperity, what the examples do bring to light is the true nature of gratitude. Gratitude is a mindset. It is an active process, and understanding its true essence is most certainly not easy. If it were, then we’d all be living contentedly, wouldn’t we - happy with the smallest and biggest privileges afforded to us! All of the diseases that plague us – jealousy, greed, insatiability, intolerance - all of them can be cleansed with gratitude because it really is a truly powerful purifier for the soul and heart.
Research attests to this too. For example, Dr Desouky (writing for Yaqeen Institute) cites studies which demonstrate the association between gratitude and “well-being, physical health, and a reduced desire for material gains.”
It is exactly as Allah asserts in Surah Luqmaan:
“…Be grateful to Allah, for whoever is grateful, they do so for their own good.” (31:12)
How can we practice gratitude in the fullest sense of the word? Naturally, this means going beyond the tongue declaring Alhamdulillah (praise be to Allah). While important at a surface level, we can all bear witness to our hearts and tongues not always being aligned! Gratefulness needs to be felt internally to be exemplified externally. What is the key that we need to unlock the art of gratitude?
An Active Process
i. First point of action is acceptance! Accept that learning how to be grateful involves active steps because it is a whole entire process.
ii. Accept that these steps will be small and there will be tumbling and falling. There will be days when you feel miserable and pessimistic and negative. It doesn’t matter; what matters is that you get back up again.
Points of Action:
- Be grateful for the littlest of your blessings because the littlest things are what make up our day. The water that runs by a simple motion of the tap, the mattresses on which we rest our bodies, the ability to relieve ourselves, the marvel that is the human body – the list alhamdulillah is endless. A really fun (and light) activity to engage in with a loved one is to pick out three things you are grateful for every morning or every night. Try and pick something different every day and I guarantee you, you will be left amazed at the absolute wonder of our lives.
- Show appreciation to people. Everything on this earth has been created as a valuable resource for us. Even the people around us, Allah has blessed us with through His infinite wisdom because they support us in ways unbeknownst to us. By appreciating your nearest and dearest, you are indirectly showing your appreciation to your Creator. One way of showing your appreciation is reciprocating their kindness even more favourably. Allah absolutely loves those who are kind to His creation.
- We saw this recently on social media and loved the mindful mission it posed: the 24-hour complaint-free challenge. As its name suggests, the purpose is to try and go a full day without any whining, complaining or moaning! Even as we write this, we are chuckling knowing full well how challenging it would prove to be. A quick Google search yields many funny accounts of people having undertaken this mission for even longer periods of time. Most, if not all, of the participants began to harbour a newfound sense of gratitude. In Islam, one of the strongest ways to engage in shukr (thankfulness) is to keep our physical faculties away from the disobedience of Allah. This challenge would train our tongues to do just that.
- Comparison is the thief of joy. Sorry to get cliched on you but it really is the case. By engaging with the above three pointers though, we will learn to focus on all the goodness that fills us and surrounds us in the present and insha’Allah we will not seek validation by comparing to others. It is so natural to want to compare, so an action point to counter such feelings is to pray for Allah to further bless the person you are comparing your own situation with. Did you know, angels say ‘Ameen! May it be for you too,’ when you supplicate for good for your brother or sister in Islam? [Sahih Muslim: 2732] And remember, just because somebody has something you don’t, it does not mean their life is perfect. Your life is beautiful and as it is meant to be right now, right here. We lovingly invite you to embrace it.
We’re leaving this one to you readers! Tell us in the comments one thing you’re grateful for in this very moment and share something you’ve found helpful in your gratitude journey. May Allah open your hearts and bless you with all the goodness what that you desire and surround you with the light of utter joy and contentment. Ameen!
Before we leave you, please do take a read of this article which includes a compilation of five duas one can offer in relation to gratitude. Whilst the best form of shukr is manifested in the way one remains in obedience to Allah and refrains from acts causing His displeasure, the simplest form of shukr starts with the tongue. The verbal repetition will insha’Allah find it’s way to the heart enabling and unlocking the secrets to the truest form of gratitude.