“Mum, you don’t buy me anything,” she shrieked, as she dashed her wardrobe door causing the uncountable shelves with clothes to vibrate…

He scrolled through social media, the deceiving posts, the perfect lives and pictures of life events displayeded all over made him feel insecure and unblessed. He thought to himself “why Lord am I being deprived?…”

She stared at the mirror with a frown. Her flawless face twisting in disgust, angling in every direction to find the best look as mentioned in the magazine. The mirror capturing a perfect face with eyes beautifully carved .A piece of art by God. “God created me ugly,” she said as she slumped back onto the chair.

Ahmed sighed. He looked around his mansion like house he had everything at his disposal, the latest phone, the latest car, a perfect family. But something inside him made him feel incomplete. He could only see flaws, none of his material possession pleased him

“Verily man is ungrateful to his Lord”  ( Surah Aadiyath: verse 07)

And suddenly nothing you own seem to make you happy. You look at your house only to wish it was bigger, You look at your vehicle only to wish it could be of the latest brand, you look at your spouse and children only to wish they would be like how the movies portray. STOP! Right there and ponder over the verse from the Quran.

“Be grateful and I shall give you more, but if you thankless verily my punishment is indeed severe”  ( Surah Ibrahim : verse 07)

Allah has mentioned in the Quran that if you show gratitude He would multiply His blessings upon you. Being happy and grateful is not based upon materialism but it’s a state of perspective. YOU are the maker of your happiness and when Allah sees you making the effort He would bless you for it.

In Dunya everyone wants to achieve bigger and better and if we don’t have similar blessings as others we tend to compare ourselves and thus leading to ingratitude. Appreciating the small things will eventually lead you to the big.

Why is that we fail to understand that everyone is blessed in their own way in their own time. If you are deprived of wealth be grateful to Allah for your health, if you are deprived of health be thankful to those who are by your side through thick and thin.

Attune your mind to open up and accept the things you have and stop focusing on that which you lack. As the line goes, “Those who are not happy with today’s less will never be happy with tomorrows increase”

Ibn Abbas reported that Allahs messenger ( may peace be upon him) said, “ If there were for the son of Adam a valley full of riches, he would like to possess a second one like it, and son of Adam would not be satiated but with dust” (i.e grave)    Sahih Muslim – book 05: Number 2285

Gratitude is knowing and acknowledging that everything you possess is a beautiful loan from Allah the Almighty and He can increase it or with hold it as He wishes.

Tame your thoughts and desires from wanting more. Don’t try to change people just to fit your best interest but accept them and be grateful to Allah for bestowing you with family and friends to enjoy life with.

What’s in it for you?

·Care free soul.

Being grateful makes you contented with that which you own and would prevent you from joining the rat race for more. It’s not about ignoring the problem rather focusing on life’s trials.

·Building strong bonds.

When you have practiced being grateful to Allah it would be very easy for you to thank people as well. You will make them aware of how much they mean to you and appreciate the favours done to you, hence building stronger relationships

·Be an optimist

Positivity attracts positivism like good health , joy , love whereas negativity attracts negativism. Don’t waste time focusing on what you lack. Move all your energy into climbing up the mountain rather than sulking how low climb the mountain you didn’t choose is.

· Obtain more Barakah.

The more you keep saying “ Alhamdulillah” ( all praise is to Allah) the more your Niamah (blessings) are going to increase. Saying “ Alhamdulillah” in hard times ( all praise is to Allah) is acceptance of your situation. As you never know what evil was actually warded off.

Close your eyes for a moment and think of how you’d be if you had lesser that that which you have now…

Open your eyes and see the beauty of what you possess.

“And if you should count the favour of Allah you cannot enumerate them, Indeed mankind is most unjust and ungrateful”   (Surah 14 : verse 34)

“The secret of having it all is knowing you already do”

Salma Ameen, Colombo; Sri Lanka