Muslimah-S
Seek The Almighty
Gratitude to God is at the heart of Islam
By Asma Mobin-Uddin
Columbus Dispatch (Faith and Values), November 22, 2002
At the heart of Islam is the teaching that one should praise and be
thankful to God in every circumstance.
Muslims answer the question, ‘’How are you?’’ with the Arabic phrase
‘’Alhamdulillah,’’ which means, ‘’Praise and thanks be to God.’’ This response
reflects the acceptance that God, who is loving and kind, cares for all his creatures
with unbounded tenderness, mercy and wisdom. Regardless of whether we interpret
our situation as easy or difficult, Muslims believe that every situation we face is
placed before us by God for a reason, and that ultimately in that reason there is good
and benefit for us. For this we are thankful to God.
The Quran teaches that human beings were created by God for the purpose of
being grateful to him. ‘’It is he who brought you forth from the wombs of your
mothers when you knew nothing, and he gave you hearing and sight and intelligence
and affection so that you may give thanks (to God)’’ (Quran 16:78).
The Quran also explains that one of Satan’s main aims is to keep people
from being grateful. After God sent him out of the garden for his arrogance and
disobedience, Satan vowed in response: ‘’I will lie in wait for them (human beings)
on your straight way. Then I will assault them from in front of them and behind
them, from their right and their left. Nor will you find, in most of them, gratitude
(for your mercies)’’ (Quran 7:16-17).
Most faiths emphasize being grateful to God as a means of worship. At the
essence of Islam is the teaching that those seeking inner peace must develop
patience and trust in God such that they are thankful to him in every situation.
According to Islamic belief, one reason God allows people to undergo difficulty
and trials during their lives is to test who will remain grateful to him. People who
remain thankful, even in the face of great hardship, enter into a state of intimacy
with their Lord. They attain an inner peace that protects them from the storms of the
outside world.
Most of us can easily list many blessings for which we are thankful. We also tend
to find it easy to list the difficulties in our lives. We often think that if God would
just fix our problems for us, then we would be completely content. Our challenge
is to learn to always be thankful for and content with God’s bounties, even in
adversity.
Gratitude to God does not arise from the removal of external stressors; rather,
it is an internal state of the heart. This state is consciously achieved by continuous
struggle and effort as we reflect on the blessings and mercy of God and strive to
block out the whispers of negativism and discontent that keep our souls in a state of
ingratitude.
I was inspired by the example of a Pakistani couple I once knew whose only
child had a serious genetic disease. The parents were young, far from their family,
and faced the trial of their newborn baby dying in front of their eyes over the course
of a few months. They spent many sleepless nights attending to him at home and
in the hospital. No one would have faulted them for voicing their frustration and
suffering as they dealt with the heartbreak of caring for their terminally ill baby.
Despite the hardships they faced, their emotions were tempered by their trust
in God and their belief that there is always reason and benevolence in God’s will.
Whenever the parents were asked how they were doing, they would sincerely
respond, ‘’Alhamdulillah.’’ Every time. In every condition. This phrase expressed
their gratitude to God for his help and support in their time of trial and for giving
them the strength to deal with each challenge they faced. Even in their grief after
the death of their child, they remained thankful for the short time they had had with
him.
Being grateful to God is essential to our well-being in life. A heart filled with
thankfulness has no room for self-pity or despair. With the understanding that praise
and thankfulness is due to God in every circumstance, souls find contentment and
hearts find peace.
Asma Mobin-Uddin is a pediatrician and serves as vice president of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations’ Ohio Chapter
By Asma Mobin-Uddin
Columbus Dispatch (Faith and Values), November 22, 2002
At the heart of Islam is the teaching that one should praise and be
thankful to God in every circumstance.
Muslims answer the question, ‘’How are you?’’ with the Arabic phrase
‘’Alhamdulillah,’’ which means, ‘’Praise and thanks be to God.’’ This response
reflects the acceptance that God, who is loving and kind, cares for all his creatures
with unbounded tenderness, mercy and wisdom. Regardless of whether we interpret
our situation as easy or difficult, Muslims believe that every situation we face is
placed before us by God for a reason, and that ultimately in that reason there is good
and benefit for us. For this we are thankful to God.
The Quran teaches that human beings were created by God for the purpose of
being grateful to him. ‘’It is he who brought you forth from the wombs of your
mothers when you knew nothing, and he gave you hearing and sight and intelligence
and affection so that you may give thanks (to God)’’ (Quran 16:78).
The Quran also explains that one of Satan’s main aims is to keep people
from being grateful. After God sent him out of the garden for his arrogance and
disobedience, Satan vowed in response: ‘’I will lie in wait for them (human beings)
on your straight way. Then I will assault them from in front of them and behind
them, from their right and their left. Nor will you find, in most of them, gratitude
(for your mercies)’’ (Quran 7:16-17).
Most faiths emphasize being grateful to God as a means of worship. At the
essence of Islam is the teaching that those seeking inner peace must develop
patience and trust in God such that they are thankful to him in every situation.
According to Islamic belief, one reason God allows people to undergo difficulty
and trials during their lives is to test who will remain grateful to him. People who
remain thankful, even in the face of great hardship, enter into a state of intimacy
with their Lord. They attain an inner peace that protects them from the storms of the
outside world.
Most of us can easily list many blessings for which we are thankful. We also tend
to find it easy to list the difficulties in our lives. We often think that if God would
just fix our problems for us, then we would be completely content. Our challenge
is to learn to always be thankful for and content with God’s bounties, even in
adversity.
Gratitude to God does not arise from the removal of external stressors; rather,
it is an internal state of the heart. This state is consciously achieved by continuous
struggle and effort as we reflect on the blessings and mercy of God and strive to
block out the whispers of negativism and discontent that keep our souls in a state of
ingratitude.
I was inspired by the example of a Pakistani couple I once knew whose only
child had a serious genetic disease. The parents were young, far from their family,
and faced the trial of their newborn baby dying in front of their eyes over the course
of a few months. They spent many sleepless nights attending to him at home and
in the hospital. No one would have faulted them for voicing their frustration and
suffering as they dealt with the heartbreak of caring for their terminally ill baby.
Despite the hardships they faced, their emotions were tempered by their trust
in God and their belief that there is always reason and benevolence in God’s will.
Whenever the parents were asked how they were doing, they would sincerely
respond, ‘’Alhamdulillah.’’ Every time. In every condition. This phrase expressed
their gratitude to God for his help and support in their time of trial and for giving
them the strength to deal with each challenge they faced. Even in their grief after
the death of their child, they remained thankful for the short time they had had with
him.
Being grateful to God is essential to our well-being in life. A heart filled with
thankfulness has no room for self-pity or despair. With the understanding that praise
and thankfulness is due to God in every circumstance, souls find contentment and
hearts find peace.
Asma Mobin-Uddin is a pediatrician and serves as vice president of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations’ Ohio Chapter
Allah will help us to remain steadfast in the path of Allah.
