Allah has mentioned in the Quran;
(( And )remember) when your Lord proclaimed "If you give thanks (by accepting Faith and worshiping none but Allah), I will give you more (of my Blessings), but if you are thankless, Verily! My punishment is indeed severe.)) [Ibrahim 14;7]
Allah informs us to be thankful for what He has given us whether it may be; health, wealth, family, youth, life, Islam etc.
Here is a short story relating to the topic.
This is story is narrated by Abu Hurairah (Ra), that he heard the Prophet (Saw) saying;
Allah willed to test three people; a leper, a blind man and a bald headed man. So He sent down an angel.
This angel came to leper and asked him "What would you like the most?"
The leper replied, "I would like a good complexion and good skin, for people have considered me unclean." So the angel passed his hand over him, and his illness disappeared from him, he acquired good complexion.
Now the angel said, "What would you like to have most (i.e in terms of wealth/property)?" The man said, "Camels." So he was given a pregnant she-camel. He said "May God bless you for this."
The angel then came to the bald man and asked him, "What would you like most?"
The bald man said, "I would like nice hair for due to this condition people dislike me." So the angel passed his hand over him, and his baldness disappeared, he acquired a full head of hair.
Now the angel said to him, " What would you like to have most (i.e in terms of wealth/property)?" The man said, "Cattle." So he was given a pregnant cow. He said "May God bless you for this."
The angel then came to the blind man and asked him, "What would you like most?"
The blind man said, "That God may restore my vision so I might see people." So the angel passed his hand over him, and Allah restored his eyesight.
Now the angel said to him, " What would you like to have most (i.e in terms of wealth/property)?" The man said, "Cattle." So he was given a pregnant cow. He said "May God bless you for this."
Now the angel said to him, " What would you like to have most (i.e in terms of wealth/property)?" The man said, "Sheep." So he was given a pregnant sheep. He said "May God bless you for this.
Time now passed and each of the animals gave birth, eventually one of the men had a valley full of camels, one a valley full of cattle and the other a valley full of sheep.
Then the angel came to the Leper in disguise and said, "I am a poor man, at the end of my rope on my journey, none can help me this day except to God and to you. I ask you, by the One who gave you good complexion, good skin and great wealth for help so I may make it to the end of my journey."
The man replied, "But I have many obligations."
The angel then said, "I seem to know you. Were you not a leper, known by society as unclean? And did God not give to you what you wanted?"
The man replied, "No, I have simply inherited this wealth from my fathers and fore-fathers"
The angel said, "You are a liar. May God make you as you were."
The angel then came to the bald man in disguise and spoke to him as he did to the leper. The bald man replied as the leper did. So the angel said you are a liar. May God make you as you were."
Then the angel also came to the Blind man and said, "I am a poor man, on the road, at the end of my rope, with no resort this day but to Allah and you. I ask you by the One who gave you vision for a sheep to help me on my way."
The Blind man replied, "I used to be blind, but God restored my eyesight. Take whatever you want, and leave what you will. For by Allah I will give you no trouble about anything you take today for the sake of Allah."
The angel said, "Keep what you have; for you were being tested by Allah. Allah is pleased with you and displeased with the others."
[Story narrated in Sahih Bukhari]
Moral: This story shows that we must always be thankful of what we are given. Shukr as well as Sabr are essential in the life of a Muslim.
We must look at those who are lower than us in materialistic things, this will help us to be grateful for every little thing we are granted as the Prophet (Saw) said:
"Look at those below you and not those above you. It is better for you do not deny Allahs blessing on you." [Bukhari]
It is only when looking at those lowers than us we will realise how blessed we actually are. We must be thankful for what we have it rather than us being sorry once it is taken away.
Another hadith which comes to mind where the Prophet (Saw) has advised us to value five thing before five is as follows;
"Take advantage of five matters before five others: your youth, before your old age; and your health before you fall sick; and your wealth before you become poor; and your free time before you become busy; and your life before your death." [Tirmidhi]
We must all make the most out what we have and be thankful for what we have whilst we have it. We do not know what tomorrow will bring so be thankful while you can. Do Shukr.
May Allah give us all the ability to do Shukr and be thankful for what we have whilst we have. May He give us the ability to act upon words as advice and make the most of today. I pray that Allah grants us all beneficial knowledge.
To end with, I praise Allah the Almighty and ask Allah to bless all readers. May Allah accept all efforts. Ameen.
