An emotional true story of the Mercy of Allah

M.S from Saudi Arabia tells us his story: He says,

” I did not know the way to mosque even though my father was a sheikh who taught Quran. The wealth that was easily available to me corrupted me and kept me far away from the path of Allah. Then Allah willed that I should have a car accident, and I lost the ability to walk completely. The doctors confirmed that there was no clear reason for his handicap except that nervous shock had destroyed my ability to move. One day I was on my way to meet my new friend: the wheelchair to which I moved as soon as I left my car which had been adapted for use by the handicapped. Before my brother put me on my wheelchair, the muezzin gave the call to Maqrib prayer. His voice was beautiful and suddenly touched my heart, moving me deeply. It was as if I was hearing the Adhan for the first time in my life, and I wept. My brother was surprised when I asked him to take me to the mosque so that I could pray with the congregation.

Many days passed as I was praying regularly in the mosque. Even fajr prayer I did not miss. Despite my instense suffering, I decided never to turn away from the path of Allah the Exalted. One night before fajr prayer, I saw my father in a dream, he had risen from his grave and patted me on my shoulder while I was weeping, and said to me ”O my son , do not grieve , for Allah has forgiven me because of you”. I felt very happy because of the good news and I went to pray and prostrate to Allah in gratitude. I saw the dream several times.

Years went by, and one morning, I was praying Fajr prayer in the mosque next to our house. I was sitting in a wheelchair at the end of the first row, and the Imam began to recite a long supplication. Du’a al Qunoot. I was deeply moved by his supplication; my tears rolled down and I felt my body trembling and my heart leaping from my chest. I felt death was close at hand. I calmed down suddenly and completed my prayer. After I said the Salam, I felt strength flowing through my body that I had never felt before. I got up out of the wheelchair and pushed it aside, so that I could stand on my feet and pray two rak’ahs in gratitude to Allah, May He be Exalted.

The worshipers gathered around me, congratulating me, and we all wept together. My joy and sincere feelings cannot be described. The Imam came and whispered in my ear, as he embraced me “Beware lest you forget the bounty and Mercy that Allah has bestowed upon you. If you think that you will disobey Allah the Exalted then go back to the wheelchair and never leave it until you discipline yourself”

Source: Islamic medicine the key to a better life by Yusuf Al-Hajj Ahmad

The Sahabah and Tabi‘in on gratitude

By Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah

Salmân al-Fârsî (RA) said: “There was a man who was given many of the luxuries of this world, and then they were taken away from him. But he continued to praise and thank Allâh until everything had been taken from him, even on his bed. And then he still praised and thanked Allâh. Another man, who had also been given many of the luxuries of this world asked him, ‘What are you praising and thanking Allâh for?’ The man said, ‘I am praising and thanking Him for blessings which, if others asked me to give them to them in return for all that they have, I would never give them up.’ ‘What can they be?’ asked the second man. ‘Can’t you see?’ asked the first man. ‘I have my eyesight, my tongue, my hands, my feet...’”

Mukhallad ibn al-Husayn said: “The definition of gratitude is abstaining from wrong action.” Abû Hâzim said: “Every blessing that does not bring you closer to Allâh is a disaster.” Sulaymân said: “Remembering His blessings makes one love Allâh.”

Hammâd ibn Ziyâd narrated that Layth ibn Abî Burdah said: “I went to Madînah, where I met ‘Abdullâh ibn Salâm, who said to me: ‘Would you like to visit a place visited by the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم , and we will offer you sâwiq and dates?...’ Then he said: ‘When Allâh gathers people on the Day of Judgement, He will remind them of His blessings. One of His slaves will say: “Remind me of something,” and Allâh will say: “Remember when you faced such-and-such adversity, and you prayed to Me, so I relieved you of it. Remember when you were travelling in suchand-such a place, and you asked Me to give you a travelling companion, and I did so... Remember when you asked for the hand of soand-so the daughter of so-and-so, and others also asked for her hand, so I gave her to you to marry; and kept the others away.” His slave will be standing before his Lord, Who will remind him of His many blessings.’” Then the narrator of this story (Layth) wept and said, I hope that no one will stand before his Lord in this way, because the one who does so will be punished.” (i.e. if Allâh has to point out that which should be obvious, this is a sign of a person’s ingratitude, and he will be punished.)

Bakr ibn Abdullâh al-Muzânî said: “When a man faces affliction, he may pray to Allâh and Allâh may deliver him from adversity. Then Shaytân comes to the man and whispers, ‘It was not as bad as you thought,’ Thus the man’s gratitude will be weakened.” Zazan said: “The right of Allâh over the man who is enjoying His blessings is that such a man should not use His blessings in order to commit wrong actions.” A man of knowledge said: “The blessing of Allâh to us in keeping the luxuries of this world away from us is greater than the blessing of that which he has given us, because Allah did not like His Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم to have the luxuries of this world. So I prefer to live in the manner which Allâh preferred for His Prophet صلى الله عليه و سل than to live a life which He disliked for him.”

Ibn Abi’d-Dunyâ said: “It was narrated to me that some scholars said: ‘The scholar should praise Allâh for having deprived him of the luxuries of this life, in the same way that he should praise Him for what He has bestowed upon him. How can you compare the blessings and luxuries for which he will be accountable to the deprivation of luxuries which is a relief from being tested, and which keeps his mind free to worship and remember Allâh? So he should give thanks to Allâh for all of that.’”

It has been said: “Gratitude is giving up wrong action.” Ibn alMubârak said: “Sufyân said: ‘He does not understand religion properly who does not count affliction as a blessing and ease as a disaster.’”

Source: Patience and gratitude by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah / An abridgement of his original work entitled, “Uddat as-Sâbireen wa Dhâkirat ash-Shâkireen”