I am a person who really loves cooking. Yeah, cooking is my passion. I try new recipes and the happiest part is, my food turns out well. So today I thought of preparing a new menu along with Cinnamon Rolls and I was cooking Beef Enchiladas. What was in my mind while cooking was that, “How will my husband’s compliment be?” It’s a new dish, it should turn out delicious and after all my husband’s first expression after the first mouthful will make my day. He never complains (am happy about that) but I know from his expression and the compliments afterwards whether it was fabulous or not.
Am typing this while my Enchiladas are in the oven. So excited. Yeah, we all yearn for a little appreciation. That also, when it comes specially from our beloved ones, we are overjoyed. That praise and compliments for our extra effort which we applied to make him/her happy is beyond words. For example, it is this appreciation among spouses which keeps the relationship live. We “realize” the efforts taken by our spouses to keep us happy and we feel very grateful and thus we do appreciate them.
So is the same situation with our Lord. He planned each and everything for us and even granted us those blessings. Whatever we posses now, aren’t they a blessing? Allah Ta’ala wants to keep his servant content and happy. Blessings may vary from person to person but yet they are blessings. As humans, we fail to ponder on the number of blessings he has given us and at the same time being ungrateful as well. It is a grateful heart which will have a mind to appreciate and be thankful.
Firstly we have to realize the numerous bounties we are gifted with. Parents, siblings, good spouse, food, shelter, relatives, good health, talents, after all our senses etc are all blessings from Allah Ta’ala. Blessings are countless. We have to realize that Allah deserves to be thanked and appreciated. Our hearts should absorb this fact. Secondly, this will lead to appreciating Allah and this would be reflected in our actions towards him. Allah mentions in the Holy Quran: It means, “If you are grateful. I will surely increase you in favour”.
“Alhamdulillah” towards Allah should not only be during good times but also during bad times as well. It may seem to be difficult but it is there lays the true gratefulness and appreciating our Lord through our heart and actions. This comes from the realization that our Lord gifted us everything, we are enjoying it free of charge and to be stricken with a calamity too is Allah’s decree in which lies an unknown hidden goodness.
I can once remember trying a new recipe and really that was my first and last disaster. I was really worried because when one recipe fails when all the others turn out well, your heart shifts towards a worried state. It was my husband who consoled me saying that “This is nothing, didn’t your other stuff turn out well and delicious, things like this happen, and you should not be worried”. Cooking well is a blessing and Allah would have tested me on how my reaction would have been even after a slight slip.
This can be applied to all the activities in our life. What matters is do we appreciate and be grateful towards our Lord both in good times and bad times as well. We have to become mature. Both me and You have to learn the art of appreciation and gratefulness. Our Lord is not in need of these but we have to show gratitude and appreciate him wholeheartedly in order to gain more favours which Allah has promised us.
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