Count your Blessings: What Are You Grateful for About 2020?

 

Boy, what a year has it been, huh? 

There seems to be no shortage of negative remarks on how "terrible" or a “disaster” this year has been... Such as the beginning of this (somewhat motivational?) welcoming message at local Gym 😅

There tends to be an overemphasis on the negative that we have drowned ourselves in an escalating spiral of anxiety and worry, while criminally overlooking so many other great things in our lives that we should be grateful for. With this deteriorating morale, coupled with the "no end in sight" situation of the #COVID19 pandemic, it’s easy to see why mental health issues have gone on the rise. 

Despite the "crazy" stuff happening, it's high time we look on the bright side of life and give a healthy dose of optimism to our own mental health, with a simple gratitude exercise: What can we be grateful for? 

Get really intentional and mindful with the other Awesome stuff in our lives that we tend to take for granted, especially those which we know that others have been deprived of. We have so much that others wish they did! 

You don't have to proclaim it out loud; instead, do something better: sincerely express your gratitude by praising Allah for them. Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said:

 مَا أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَى عَبْدٍ نِعْمَةً فَقَالَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ إِلَّا كَانَ الَّذِي أَعْطَاهُ أَفْضَلَ مِمَّا أَخَذَ

“Whenever Allah bestows a blessing upon a slave, and he says: 'Alhamdulillah' (all praise is to Allah),' 

He gives what is better than that which he received (the blessing)." (Ibnu Majah)

Even those so-called "bad" things that have happened, there may be many great things that may have come from it, as a result. Adversities and tragedies, after all, tend to have a sneaky way of turning out to be opportunities and a source of great blessings in disguise, which we only figure out in retrospect when the dust has cleared. Perhaps we may not see it yet, but the wisdoms are there in the making.

وَعَسَىٰ أَنْ تَكْرَهُوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ ۖ وَعَسَىٰ أَنْ تُحِبُّوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ شَرٌّ لَكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

“Perhaps you may hate something, when it is in fact good for you; and perhaps you may love something but it is good for you. And Allah Knows, but you do not know” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 216)

When it comes to making du’aa and asking Allah, many of us tend to focus only on what we DON’T have, what we are lacking in, and to alleviate the difficulties that we are going through.

There is nothing wrong with that at all – in fact Allah Loves those who ask of Him - but what we tend to forget, is to ask Him to grant barakah (blessings) and retain those blessings that He already has granted to us. 

And as we have seen in these recent months, Will and Wisdom of Allah, the palpable reality of how He can snatch those blessings away at any moment, and how frail we really are at His Mercy.

That is why, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ himself used to make the following du'aa :

اَللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ زَوَالِ نِعْمَتِكَ, وَتَحَوُّلِ عَافِيَتِكَ, وَفَجْأَةِ نِقْمَتِكَ, وَجَمِيعِ سَخَطِكَ

“O Allah! I seek refuge in You against the declining of Your Favours, the passing of safety & well-being, the suddenness of Your punishment and all that which displeases You” (Muslim)

May Allah retain and bless all the favours He has granted us and our families, and may He reward the patience of those in times of distress and alleviate their suffering.

So, what are the things you are grateful for?

وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِنْ شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ ۖ وَلَئِنْ كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِي لَشَدِيدٌ

And (remember) when your Lord proclaimed: "If you give thanks (by accepting Faith and worshipping none but Allah), I will give you more (of My Blessings), but if you are ungrateful and disbelieve, verily! My Punishment is indeed severe." (Surah Ibrahim, 14:7)