Remember, and be grateful for all your blessings

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Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Fayfee said:

And this is [the case with] most of the blessings; in the main, they are not appreciated until they are lost.

So the one in good health does not appreciate the blessing of good health until he loses it (falls ill).

And the one who has the blessing of security does not appreciate its [true] value until he [loses it and] feels fear.

And the one who has wealth does not appreciate the [true] extent of this blessing until he is poor, …and so on.

So we do not wait until we lose this blessing to appreciate its [true] value. And because of this, Allaah (Jalla wa ‘Alaa) says:

{ اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ كُنتُمْ أَعْدَاءً فَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْ فَأَصْبَحْتُم بِنِعْمَتِهِ إِخْوَانًا }

{Remember Allaah’s favour upon you when you were enemies, then He united your hearts, so you – by His Grace – became brothers.}
– soorah Aal ‘Imraan, aayah 103

So Allaah (Subhaanau wa Ta’aala) commands us with remembering [His] blessings.

And [as for] His saying {Remember}, [then] this is a command which necessitates an obligation; meaning, [that] remembering the blessings [of Allaah] is an obligation, and not a recommendation; rather, it is an obligation.

[This] means that we are sinful if we do not remember the blessings [of Allaah].

So it is obligatory upon us to remind one another of these blessings.

Why? So we are grateful [to Allaah] for them, and if we are grateful for them, then they are increased [upon us], as He the Almighty says:

{ لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ }

{If you are grateful, I will certainly give you more}
– soorah Ibraaheem, aayah 7

So how is it that we want the blessings to increase, and yet we do not remember them, and nor are we grateful for them?

And because of that, [Shaykh] Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said about this aayah:

{ اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ }

{Remember Allaah’s favour upon you…}
– soorah Aal ‘Imraan, aayah 103

He said “Because the blessings…” or “Because remembering them necessitates being grateful for them, and not remembering the blessings necessitates forgetting them.”

And we remember [them] so that we can be grateful [for them].

Because if we do not remember these blessings, then they will be forgotten.

And I fear for the fool [who has forgotten these blessings], a day wherein regret will not benefit [him].

[So, my] dear beloved [brothers] – [I say this] because if the blessings are remembered and gratitude expressed, they remain, and if they are denied and forgotten, they are removed.

So we ask Allaah to make us and you all of those who are grateful and remembering [of His blessings].

Originally published on 20 November, 2020.