Have you ever wondered why some people, maybe even living hand-to-mouth lives, when you meet them: They greet and talk to you in a way that quite aptly changes the trajectory of your day; they simply cheer you up in that 1 minute of conversation.
Rhonda Byrne has written an entire book around the topic ‘Gratitude’. When I read it. I was like, man, this is what Islam is all about; the book quotes, “whoever does not have gratitude, even what he or she has will be taken from him or her.”
If we dissect Islam deeply, gratitude is embedded in every little thing we do. From the morning prayers to the night prayers, from saying Salaam to drinking water to eating to saying something as simple as ‘Alhamdolillah’ (all praise be to Allah) when asked how we’re doing. Our lives revolve around it, and we’re constantly thanking Allah SWT for the blessings that He has endowed upon us.
The idea is that the laws of the Universe are set. They’re the same for everyone. We can’t say that since we’re Muslims, only the gratitude law should apply to us.
Allah SWT says in the Quran, “If you are grateful, I will certainly give you more.” [14:7]
It’s interesting to note that Allah SWT didn’t specify what He will give more. Is it wealth, health, happiness, love, or what? One interpretation of this verse is that He’ll give you more of whatever you’re grateful for.
Considering our human-ness and the saying ‘the grass is always greener on the other side’, if Allah SWT blesses someone with everything they could think of, it’s likely for them to still be ungrateful; since that’s our fit’rah (nature). Being grateful when you don’t feel like being, is in my opinion, a test in itself.
I mean, logically, no one would feel contented knowing he has barely enough to meet his expenses. It’s only when your Niyyah (intention) becomes to please Allah SWT, and then being content with however much you have, is when the Barakah (blessings) of Allah SWT step in. The moment we start being grateful for the things we’re blessed with, that’s when they begin to magically increase.
True, it is contrary to logic; but Islam is based on many metaphysical concepts that you need to put your faith in. Our minds cannot comprehend everything.
While logic says, when you give out more, you lose money; when you take interest (riba), you get more, Islam says the exact opposite. As Muslims (ideally), we should believe in Allah SWT’s infinite treasures & wisdom, and with that in mind, strive to attain His pleasure.
So if you want to be rich, you need to stop complaining about not having enough money. Start being grateful to Allah SWT for every penny you have, and you’ll start to see it magically increase.
The moment you change your mindset from ‘me’ to ‘we,’ the Universe realigns itself in your favor to help you reach the goals. So if you want more money (in this case), pray to Allah SWT to give you more so that you can help the creation of Allah SWT by doing xyz (help an orphan, give more charity, etc.).
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