Thankfulness

And covet not a thing in which Allah hath made some of you excel others. Unto men a fortune from that which they have earned. (Envy not one another) but ask Allah of His bounty. Lo! Allah is ever Knower of all things - Al-Quran 4:32 In all fairness, none of us was created equal. To each person his/her own circumstance. The good and the bad that lay dormant in each of our persons may be clear as the brightness of daylight or as dim and unnoticeable as the swift transition of the day into twilight. Allah alone is the Knower of all things. Success and failure in our endeavors are a predetermined lot for each and every person. Blood, sweat and tears shed in the name of good or evil will reap its own reward. A fair share will be given to every man in its due time. No matter if plans fail or events proceed not as predicted. Fear not if disaster befalls or dark clouds overtake you. At the end of the day, what matters most is reason, not result. The why for every action is what elevates or degrades one person from another in the eyes of Allah. One who does good deeds in the name of fame is far different from one who does good for the sake of Allah or for the sake of others. A person may donate a million dollars from his multi-billion dollar share yet still be unable to match the kindness of a beggar who gives up his only loaf of bread to feed an orphan. And what is the difference between the two? A question worth reflecting. WE are all endowed with different degrees of material wealth and physical well-being. We can see around us if we scrutinize closely the society we are in. Be you among the poverty stricken or are you haunted by incurable illnesses? Are you socially stigmatized or trapped by the fashion of times? Envy not what others have which you have not. For envy and jealousy does aught more than simply hurt your heart and soul. In the temporary existence of this world, the distribution of good and bad in every person's life may appear to be imbalanced. Ever wondered why the life of another appears to be going so much smoother than yours? Or wished that your life were but a slight tad bit better than what it is now? Would that your life was blessed. How many times have you wished such? Riches. Wealth material or otherwise. Blessings of God that promise joy and satisfaction. How many of us yearn for them? How many among us have them? The real question we should be asking is, "How much of what I have do I deserve? And how much of what I have is a blessing?" More often than not, we are blind to the many blessings in our lives. The small infinitesimal signs of Allah's mercy that we so often fail to look out for. chanel handbags Much is there for us to be thankful for; if we but try to look out for it. Let not greed and envy overtake you. For such emotions will most definitely blind you. Narrated Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri: Allah's Apostle said, "The thing I am afraid of most for your sake, is the worldly blessings which Allah will bring forth to you." It was said, "What are the blessings of this world?" The Prophet said,"The pleasures of the world." A man said," Can the good bring forth evil?" The Prophet kept quiet for awhile till we thought that he was being inspired divinely. Then he started removing the sweat from his forehead and said,"Where is the questioner?" That man said, "I(am present)." Abu Sa'id added: We thanked the man when the result(of his question) was such. The Prophet said... "Good never brings forth but good. This wealth(of the world) is(like) green and sweet(fruit), and all the vegetation which grows on the bank of a stream either kills the animal that eats too much of it, except the animal that eats the Khadira(a kind of vegetation). Such an animal eats till its stomach is full and then it faces the sun and starts ruminating and then it passes out dung and urine and goes to eat again. This worldly wealth is (like) sweet (fruit), and if a person earns it (the wealth) in a legal way and spends it properly, then it is an excellent helper, and whoever earns it in illegal way, he will be like the one who eats but is never satisfied."

Volume 8, Book 76, Number 435 Sahih Bukhari