Ihyaaud Deen An Effort to Revive Deen in Totality
Expressing Gratitude for the Countless Bounties of Allah Ta‘ala
It is reported in a Hadith that once, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) recited Surah Takaathur, and when he came to the verse:
ثُمَّ لَتُسۡـَٔلُنَّ یَوۡمَئِذٍ عَنِ النَّعِیۡمِ ٪﴿۸﴾
Then, on that Day (i.e. the Day of Judgement), you will be questioned concerning all the bounties (of your Lord).
he remarked, “You will be questioned, in the presence of your Lord, regarding the cold water you drink, and the protection provided by your houses (i.e. Allah Ta‘ala will say, “We granted you cool shade and protection from sun and rain), and you will be questioned regarding your having enough food to satisfy your hunger, and you will be questioned regarding the soundness of your limbs (i.e. Allah Ta‘ala will say, “We granted you sound and healthy limbs, hands, feet, eyes, ears, nose, etc. so what have you done to express your gratitude for all these gifts?), and you will be questioned regarding the sound sleep you enjoy, and you will even be questioned regarding your being able to win, in marriage, the hand of a woman of your choice, whom someone else also wanted to marry, but Allah Ta‘ala married her to you as a special favor (i.e. He put it in the minds of her parents that they should marry her to you and not to the other person).”
If we just consider the bounties of Allah Ta‘ala mentioned in this Hadith, we can realize how greatly everybody is indebted to Allah Ta‘ala for His favors which are being bestowed at all times upon His creatures, rich and poor alike.
Is there a man howsoever poor and needy, who is not being constantly granted countless favors and blessings of Allah Ta‘ala? Take, for example, the gift of physical health and soundness of limbs, which is, undoubtedly, a great blessing of Allah Ta‘ala. Moreover, the ability to breathe is an invaluable gift of Allah Ta‘ala, which every living being enjoys at all times.
In another Hadith, it is mentioned that when this Surah (i.e. Surah Takaathur) was revealed, some of the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) said, “O Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam)! What bounties are we enjoying? Our daily provision consists of just half a meal of barley bread, which is not enough to satisfy our hunger.”
Upon this, Allah Ta‘ala sent wahi to Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) saying, “Ask them! Do you not possess shoes to wear? Do you not get cool water to drink? These are also bounties of Allah Ta‘ala.”
It is mentioned in one Hadith that on the Day of Judgement, the first question to be asked from a man in regard to Allah Ta‘ala’s bounties, will be, “Did we not make your body healthy and give you cold water to drink?’”
In yet another Hadith, it is mentioned that of the bounties of Allah Ta‘ala to be accounted for on the Day of Judgement are: the piece of bread eaten to satisfy one’s hunger, the water drunk to quench one’s thirst, and the piece of cloth used to cover one’s body.
Another Hadith mentions:
Once, on a hot summer noon, Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) went to Musjid-e-Nabawi. When Hazrat Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) came to know of it, he also went to the musjid and asked Hazrat Abu Bakr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) what had brought him out of his house at that hour. He replied that it was the intensity of hunger that had driven him to it. Hazrat Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) said, “By Him Who is the master of my soul, it is the same with me.”
Meanwhile, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) also came to the musjid and asked what had brought them there at that hour. They replied that pangs of hunger had brought them out. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said, “That which brought you out, has also brought me out.”
All the three then got up and went to the house of Hazrat Abu Ayyoob Ansaari (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), but he was not at home. His wife was greatly pleased, and when Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) asked her where Hazrat Abu Ayyoob (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) had gone, she replied that he would return in a short while.
At that moment, Hazrat Abu Ayyoob Ansaari (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) arrived. On seeing them, he hurriedly went and brought a whole bunch of dates. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said to him, “Why did you cut off the whole bunch? You could have picked the ripe dates only.”
He respectfully replied, “O Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam)! I plucked the whole bunch so that dates of all kinds, the fully ripe, the half-ripe, the dried ones and the fresh should be before you and you should be able to select the particular kind you relish.” Thus, they ate dates of all kinds.
In the interim, Hazrat Abu Ayyoob (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) slaughtered a small goat, roasted some of its meat on a fire and cooked the rest in a pot. He then presented it to them.
Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) took some bread and a piece of roasted meat, gave it to Hazrat Abu Ayyoob (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) and said, “Take this to Faatimah; she also hasn’t eaten anything for several days.” Hearing this, Hazrat Abu Ayyoob (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) hastened to fulfil the instruction and return to them.
When all of them had partaken of the meat and bread, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said, “(We have enjoyed so many bounties of Allah Ta‘ala) meat, bread, the unripe and the ripe dates.” Saying this, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) was moved to tears and said, “These are the bounties about which one shall be questioned on the Day of Judgement!”
The Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) were shocked to hear this. (It pained them to think that they would have to account for these bounties, in spite of the fact that these things had become available after suffering such pangs of hunger.)
Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said, “You shall have to render an account, undoubtedly, and to make amends, you should recite bismillah (in the name of Allah, the Most Kind, the Most Merciful) before starting to eat; and recite the following dua after you have finished:
اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ الَّذِيْ هُوَ أَشْبَعَنَا وَأَنْعَمَ عَلَيْنَا وَأَفْضَلَ
“All praise be to Allah, Who (in His Infinite mercy,) made us eat to our fill, bestowed us with His favors, and blessed us abundantly.”
