Rerouting… Recognizing our Blessings
Ramadan is a month of Blessings
The first exit takes us through the explanation of “Ramadan is a month of Blessings.” What does this mean? It is the tagline for every Ramadan related event or merchandise. However, what does this really many and how can it help us reroute ourselves to Ramadan?
“And you were given from everything you asked for, if you list the blessings of Allah you will not be able to count them, indeed the human is oppressive unthankful.” (Surah Ibrahim – Ayat 34)
Allah says “from everything you asked” – so definitely we may not be given everything we ask for and even that is a blessing for us because maybe what we want desperately is actually harmful for us. Allah continues to teach us about the countless blessings and basically says that despite us not getting everything we want we still have too many blessings to count however as humans we are unthankful.
Next time you come across a pretty décor piece that says “Count your Blessings” – always remember you can never count them because they are too many to count.
How is Ramadan a month of blessings?
The reward for fasting is such that Allah determines it himself because when we fast we choose to not eat or drink throughout the day for the sake of Allah. It is mandatory to fast in Ramadan for the ones who are capable , therefore the month provides us with the opportunity to perform a deed that can get us more rewards than what we do throughout the year. This opportunity is a blessing.
This is the month when many people give more. We do more sadaqah , we host more people etc. hopefully for the sake of earning reward. So since we do good , we expect good to happen to us and that happiness and hope is also a blessing.
The third step in understanding Ramadan is a month of blessings is to know that it is important for us to recognize our multiple other blessings too. Let’s think of this from a social perspective. If we don’t recognize the good deeds of another person we can’t be thankful to them. It is the same with the blessings of Allah. If we fail to recognize the blessings he has given us because we are constantly comparing ourselves to others then we can not thank him.
Our health, family, shelter, food, are blessings we take for granted. Think about those who have lost everything. How are they able to survive? When we say Ramadan is a month of blessings we should always use it as an opportunity to count the infinite blessings we have and thank Allah for them. The more we thank him the more he will bless us and the more we complain the more we will be deprived. It is important to note that deprivation of blessings doesn’t mean that he will take everything away from us. It can also come in the form of not being able to enjoy moments and always being full of negative energy.
Let’s thank Allah on this first exit in our reroute. Let’s throw away invisible baggage that contains self-pity and sadness. Let’s say Alhamdulilah with sincerity and make sincere Duas for inner peace and contentment. It will pave the way for a fulfilling Ramadan experience!
Please stay alert. Exit 2 is coming up.
