God’s inestimable gifts

At times, man fails to realise God’s intangible favours until an obliging situation presentsitself.At the height of the recent fuel scarcitywitnessed in December 2017,I had a cause to travel from Abuja to the southern part of the country by public transport. When the 18-seater bus in which I sat with other passengers was ready to take off from the motor park, the driver requested passengers to pray. The passenger who volunteered to lead others in prayer sought refuge from God against all forms of evils andtragedies associated with traveling by road.

However, it was amazing that the expression “protect us from kidnappers” was repeated several times in the prayer more often thanhe mentioned perpetrators ofother crimes including armed robbers.Something more amazingthan the number of times passengers uttered “protect us from kidnappers”,however,caught my attention.

While the prayer was on, I noticed a passenger who sat beside me and had only one hand raising the same one hand in prayers. After traveling a short distance into the 8-hour journey, I also observed that thesame passenger’s onlyone hand had some deformities; making him a man with “half a hand”. Yet, he raised it not only to seek God’s help but also give gratitude to Him. When the prayer was over and my co-passenger brought down his hand, I felt a sense of guilt completely seizing my brainwaves.

I pronounced myself guilty because I felt, as an able-bodied person with two hands, two legs, two ears and two eyes; I’m more obliged to give gratitude to God twice or thrice as much as a physically-challenged individual would appreciate God’s inestimable favours. If a leper, the deaf, dumb or the blind would in spite of his physical disabilities or other genetic deficiencies would yet show gratitude to God; a physically sound person like you and I have no reason not to be thankful to God.

Because the accursedShaytan hadvowed to invite the entire humankind to the path of ingratitude, man is often blind-folded by the intriguesof the “Sneaking Whisperer” from comprehending Allah’s unspoken blessings. A mind that is predominantly underShaytan’s manipulation would fail to noticeeven the mostobvious gift of Allah (SWT) including health; let alone give thanks to the Giver of the health. A healthy and well-off individual who is also married with children is instinctively influenced by the deceptive ploys of Shaytanto forget that there are othersin large numbers who are ill, poor, jobless or childless.

Shaytan misleads man to sometimes ignore those who have lessin terms of health and wealth. Such people remember vulnerable persons including the ill only when they lose that which Allah (SWT) has blessed them with. That is also when they are “compelled” to reflect on the several tacit gifts they enjoy fromAllah’s infinite mercy.This lends credence to the popular saying, “I was crying because I had no shoes until when I saw someone without legs”. Our individual or collective predicaments notwithstanding, man is duty-bound to praise his creator.

All creatures including the inanimate give praise to Allah (SWT). Why then must it be man that would refuse to praise and thank Allah (SWT) even though he remains the only creatureblessed with favours that have not been granted to other creatures?Allah (SWT) gave man reason and intellect, which put him above other creatures.Likewise, while some animals walk on two or four legs, others crawl. Allah (SWT) created man in the best of moulds; giving him the purest of nature.

Given his treasure of reason and other abilities, man strives to better his life and living on earth. Man manufactures and rides on cars and aircrafts; he builds houses to his taste and comfort; he develops television sets, computers and mobile telephone sets to ease communication and make life delightful. Animals neither build nor furnish mansions as man does. Animals neither watch television nor wear clothes.Yet, only Man, not animals, is privileged to invent andenjoy thesedomestic devices. Let us equally remember that there are creatures such as angels that neither eat nor drink. The worship of Allah (SWT) is the food and drink of angels who, as described in Qur’an 66:6,“flinch not (from executing) the commandsthey receive from Allah but do (precisely) what they are commanded”.

We are all aware that trees, like human beings, are also creatures of Allah (SWT). Although they feed and grow just as man feeds and grows, they have not been granted the leverage to move from one place to another. Mountains and rocksmotionless; yet, they celebrate Allah’s praise. Allah (SWT) states in Qur’an 17:44 “The seven heavens and the earth, and all beings therein, declare His glory;there is not a thing but celebrates His praise…” Why then should man who travels across towns, cities, countries and continents refuse to celebrate Allah’s praise? No explanation, in my opinion, can thereafter excuse man’s ungratefulness to Allah (SWT).

The cow, camel and elephant are all creatures of Allah (SWT). Although each is stronger than man in strength, Allah (SWT)subjects these animalsto the command and domestication of man.Besides, we derive lots of benefits from these animals. We eat of the permitted flesh of many of these animals. The camel and donkey carry our loads across long distances. Are these illustrations, thus, not enough for man to give praise to Allah (SWT)? The most Merciful states in Qur’an 27:40 “…And if any is grateful, truly his gratitude is (aprofit) for his own soul, but if any is ungrateful, truly my Lord is free of all needs; Supreme in Honour”. May Allah (SWT) guide us to appreciate His subtle favours, the tangible as well as the intangible,amin.