Counting Our Blessings

Counting our Blessings – نعمة الله

Abu Ishaq al-Harbi said:

ولى عشر سنين أبصر بفرد عين ما أخبرت به أحدا
“It has been 10 years that one of my eyes has gone blind, and I have not complained in front of anyone about it.”

[“Tarikh Baghdad”, 6/31].

When the pious were afflicted with trials, they did not go around moaning about it in front of everyone.

They were patient with Gods Decree, hoped for His reward and were thankful for their blessings.

A single misfortune should not overshadow the thousands of blessings we are in.

Yes, we should seek medical & professional help if available, but we should avoid this negative moaning mindset – which magnifies the few misfortunes and forgets the countless blessings.

The Qur’an states:

وَإِن تَعُدُّوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَا ۗ
“If you tried to count God’s blessings, you could never do it.” [Qur’an 14:34].

It has been narrated:

جاء رجل إلى يونس بن عبيد فشكا إليه ضيقا من حاله ومعاشه واغتماما بذلك فقال أيسرك ببصرك مئة ألف قال لا قال فبسمعك قال لا قال فبلسانك قال لا قال فبعقلك قال لا في خلال وذكره نعم الله عليه ثم قال يونس أرى لك مئين ألوفا وأنت تشكو الحاجة

A man complained to Yunus bin Ubaid about his misery.

Yunus asked: “Would you ever give up your eye-sight for a sum of 100,000?”
The man said: “No.”
Yunus asked: “How about your hearing?”
The man said: “No.”
Yunus asked: “How about your tongue?”
The man said: “No.”
Yunus asked: “How about your intellect?”
The man said: “No.”
Yunus said: “I see that you possess 100,000’s worth [of blessings] and you are still complaining.”

[“Siyar A’lam al-Nubala”, 6/292].