Gratitude

Humans are interesting. We always want what we cannot have. We always look for perfection in anything we do. We always want more, and more. Nothing is ever enough.

When you barely pass an exam, you first seem grateful to Allah, but when your friends get higher grades, you start to have a tinge of jealousy and that gratefulness gradually disappears. 

When we see what other people have; nicer clothes, prettier/handsomer face, wealthiness, happiness, we regret not having that, we fail to see what we have, what gifts of ability Allah has gave us instead. We always say, ‘if only I had......’

We are definitely ungrateful to Allah. If someone gave you a gift that you really wanted, that you’ve been craving for all your life, you would definitely jump up and down and say what people always say ‘ I’m so thankful and touched, I’LL REMEMBER THIS FOR LIFE’, and we do remember it as long as we still have the gift at least. But the fact that Allah gave us life itself, it just doesn’t come to our senses sometimes; we don’t remember it every day do we?

   This following paragraph is copy pasted from this site; perfect words that must be shared.

http://sunnahonline.com/library/purification-of-the-soul/157-being-thankful-to-allah

As the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, advised us, the best way to stay thankful to Allah is to count His favours in our lives every day. For Allah says:

"And He gives you all that you ask for. But if you count the favors of Allah, never will you be able to number them. Verily, man is given up to injustice and ingratitude." [Al-Qur'an 14:34]

This statement of Allah is so true, yet we put so little value on it, and do not take heed.

The very fact that we got up this morning, that we can offer the salah that we had breakfast, that we have clothes to wear, water to bathe ourselves, that we have homes to shelter us from the elements, that we have our health, our families, etc., are all favours from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. We should take none of it for granted, or become arrogant enough to believe that we attained any of it because of our own efforts alone.

Thankfulness frees the heart from greed, jealousy and envy. When we are thankful to Allah, we remain mindful of Him and His continuous Mercy toward us, and this in return humbles us and improves our characters. The very fact that Allah has guided us to Islam and the sunnah of His Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, in itself should be a source of continual praise. Allah says:

"Surely We have shown him the way: he may be thankful or unthankful." [Al-Qur'an 76:3]

Allah also says that only few of His servants thank Him. Let us then strive to be among these few by keeping our tongues wet with His remembrance and our hearts soft with His praise.

Hence, we as medical students, everytime we go to bedside class, everytime we see a patient, be thankful to Allah for any healthy organs, tissues or joints we have that day. 

For we know that a small pathogen, a mini tiny clot can cause so much harm to us.
And on the way home, take a look around; the sun, the blue blue sky, the puffy white snow, the cute little ducks, people around you; please open your heart and remember to thank Allah.

Penulis:

Pelajar perubatan tahun empat

Medical University of Warsaw