Patience and Gratitude
“Strange are the affairs of the believers (Muslims), for anything that happens to them, there is some goodness that will come out of it.
– If good things happen to them and they are thankful, that is good for them;
– If bad things happen, and they remain patient, that too is also good for them.”
{Sahih Muslim, paraphrased for better understanding}
Right now the whole world is united and facing something that is unprecedented. The struggles, hardships, and difficulties it has brought upon thousands will be felt for months to come and we pray that all of us will grow through this experience and start appreciating the little things in life again.
Alhamdulilllah, through Islam, we have have been given guidance and perspective on how to handle many situations including when things are bad. Allah(swt) and Prophet Muhammad (saw) taught us two different approaches to use depending on what is happening. One approach is with gratitude and the other is with patience.
Gratitude:
The Arabic word for being grateful or to show gratitude is Shukr. In Islam, the concept of gratitude is extremely important. In fact, showing gratitude and being grateful (thankful) to Allah (swt) is a form of worship, while not showing gratitude is a sign of a person who lacks faith in Allah (swt). Below are a couple reasons why we need to be grateful from the Qur’an and Sunnah.
1) WE CAN NEVER COUNT ALLAH’S BLESSINGS
“If you tried to count Allah’s blessings, you would never be able to number them. Surely Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
{Surah 16, Ayah 18}
Right now it is very apparent how blessed so many of us truly are! As humans we tend to fall into the habit of not acknowledging everything we have to be thankful for and simply take them for granted unfortunately. However, since the spread of the virus many of us have reflected on the privilege and blessings in our lives such as access to an abundant amount of food, water and supplies on a regular basis. We also have become very attune to the blessing of being healthy and having a body that carries out our tasks day after day. Even in quarantine many of us have a spouse, child(ren), or other family members with us. If we were to sit and write down all our blessings we would never reach an end. Many of these blessings were always there, but it took a virus to put our lives on pause and appreciate them. Although times are not easy and there is a lot of uncertainty in the world, know that there is still so many blessings all around us to be grateful for!
2) BEING GRATEFUL INCREASES ALLAH’S FAVOURS
“And remember! Your Lord caused to be declared (publicly): ‘If you are grateful, I will add more (favours) unto you: but if you show ingratitude, truly My punishment is terrible indeed.”
{Surah 14, Ayah 7}
Allah (swt) says in the Qur’an that if we are constantly thanking Him for all the blessings He has bestowed upon us, He will continue to give us more! It’s easy in the hustle and bustle of everyday that we often forget to thank Allah(swt) for everything we have. From simply waking up in the morning with the ability to walk and talk, to the moment we lay back down to sleep having accomplished so much. There are many things that this virus has made us acutely aware of such as being able to go out and enjoy nature, being with friends, grocery shopping with ease, no fear or uncertainty with our jobs and so on. We need to use this time to reflect and work on creating an attitude of gratitude which thanks Allah(swt) abundantly from now on.
Yes, it’s a challenging time taking care of kids, working from home, or possibly loosing our jobs. Yet at the same time we still have so much to be grateful for, many of which we didn’t fully appreciate before. Now is the time to remember those things and remind yourself to thank Allah(swt). The best part is not only is it an act of worship but the more you thank Him the more He will give you too.
Patience:
“And seek help through patience and prayer. It is difficult˹to do so˺ except for those who ˹truly˺ submit (to Allah)”
{Surah 2, Ayah 45}
Just like the concept of gratitude, Allah (swt) talks about patience in many places in the Qur’an. You have to truly believe that Allah (Swt) is in control of everything. He has decreed that a microscopic virus flip the world around and awaken us from simply living each day without much thought or worry. We have been pushed from our regular routines, things have been cancelled and shut down allowing people everywhere to reflect. Some are fearful of where their rizq (sustenance) will come from, while others fear for their life and the life of their loved ones. These fears are normal and a part of being human, but we must also be patient and understand that this life is a test and through adversity comes ease.
“Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear.”
{Surah 2, Ayah 286}
Understanding that Allah(swt) has sent down this virus to us for a purpose, and knowing that whatever situation we are in He has a plan for us is very important. He only puts us through that which we can handle and He alone has wisdom for why this is all happening. It is up to us to trust in Him and be patient throughout all of this. This of course includes taking necessary steps and precautions.
Patience and Gratitude Printables
Right now kids around the world are home from school. There are most likely a lot of mixed emotions going on within them including anxiety, fear, stress, sadness, loneliness, anger, boredom and more. It’s a tough time to navigate as parents as we have never been faced with such an issue. Try your best to be patient with them and yourself as you try to reduce the feelings of fear and anxiety. Talk to them about the above, and how we need to be grateful and patient during this time. Try to reconnect to Allah(swt) through dhikr, prayer and reading Qu’ran as a family.
As a way to help support parents and kids we have made 14 pages from our Patience and Gratitude Magazine from February available for FREE to download Here:
I AM GRATEFUL Poster
We are also launching a colouring contest for kids ages 3-12 called: Alhamdulilah for Everything. Below you will find a poster that shows different categories of things we should be grateful for on a regular basis. Have your child colour it in to the best of their abilities and tag us on facebook or instagram with their first name / age or email us a picture to submit@myDeen.club.
One winner from each age group 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12 will be chosen to win a ONE YEAR SUBSCRIPTION to myDeen Magazines (Value of $100). Contest ends April 3rd, at 11:00am EST. Winners will be announced via social media and email.
To build on the poster have your child either verbally list other things they are grateful for or draw them. You can also have older kids create their own I AM GRATEFUL poster in which they write, draw and colour other things that they are grateful for.
Hope you and your child enjoy this contest together. Feel free to share it with others through email, whatsapp and social media.
Stay Safe and #stayhome