The Blessings And Mercy Of Allah
Allah, the Exalted says:
“Say: ‘It is He who brought you into being and gave you hearing, sight and hearts. What little thanks you show!'” (67:23)
“Allah brought you out of your mothers’ wombs knowing nothing at all, and gave you hearing, sight and hearts so that perhaps you would show thanks.” (16:78)
“If you tried to number Allah’s blessings, you could never count them.” (14:34)
“Have we not given him two eyes, and a tongue and two lips?” (90:8-9)
Al-Fudayl رحمه الله recited this ayat (90:8-9) one night and wept, and someone asked him about his weeping. He answered, “Have you spent a night thanking Allah for giving you two eyes with which you see? Have you spent a night thanking Allah for giving you a tongue with which you can speak?” and he continued on enumerating in this manner.
Ibn Abi’d-Dunya رحمة اللہ علیه narrated with his chain of transmission that Salman al-Farisi (رضي الله عنه) said, “A man was given much of the world, and then what he owned was taken away. So he began to praise and extol Allah (azza wa jal) to the point that he no longer had a bed except for a mat woven of reeds or palm-leaves, but he continued to praise and extol Allah (سبحانه و تعالى). Another man was given much of the world and he said to the owner of the reed-mat, ‘Have you thought about what you are praising Allah for?’ He replied, ‘I praise Allah for that which even if I were to be given in exchange for it what all the creation have been given, i would not give them it.’ The man asked, ‘What is that?’ He answered, ‘Have you not thought about your sight? Have you not thought about your tongue? Have you not thought about your hands? Have you not thought about your feet?'” [Ibn Abi’d-Dunya in Kitab ash-shukr – 100]
It is transmitted with his chain of transmission from Abu’d-Darda رضي الله عنه that he used to say, “Health is the body’s wealth.”
Bakr al-Muzani رحمه الله said, “Son of Adam, if you want to know the measure of that with which Allah has blessed you, then shut your eyes!”
[Ibn Abi’d-Dunya in Kitab ash-shukr – 182]
Yunus ibn Ubayd رحمه الله said that a man complained to him of the constricted state he was experiencing, and Yunus رحمه الله asked him, “Would you be pleased to be given one hundred thousand dirhams for the sight with which you see?” The man replied, “No.” Yunus asked, “Then for your feet?” The man replied, “No.” He reminded him of Allah’s blessings which He had given him. Then Yunus said, “I see that you have hundreds of thousands and you complain about your needs!” [Abu Nu’aym رحمه الله in al-Hilyah – 2:22]
Wahb ibn Munabbih رحمه الله said, “It is written in the wisdom of the family of Dawud, ‘Health and well-being are the hidden kingdom.'”
In one tradition there is, “How many a blessing of Allah there is in a tranquil natural disposition.” [Abu Nu’aym in al-Hilyah – 1:210 – as a saying of Abu’d-Darda رضي الله عنه]
There is in Saheeh al-Bukhari from Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah Ibn Abbas (رضي الله عنهما) that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, “There are two blessing of which many people are cheated: health and leasure.” [Al-Bukhari – 6412]
Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah Ibn Mas’ood (رضي الله عنه) said, “Pleasure is security and health.” [At-Tabari in Jami al-bayan – 30:284]
Ibn Abi’d-Dunya رحمه الله narrated with a train of transmission in which there is some weakness from Anas رضي الله عنه that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, “The blessings will be brought on the Day of Rising, and the good and wrong actions, and Allah سبحانه و تعالى will say to one of his blessings, ‘Take your due from his good actions,’ and it will not leave him a good action without going off with it.” [Ibn Abi’d-Dunya in Kitab ash-shukr – 24]
Also with his chain of transmission, there is in a narration from Wahb ibn Munnabih رحمه الله that he said, “A worshipper served Allah سبحانه و تعالى for fifty years, and then Allah سبحانه و تعالى revealed to him, ‘I have forgiven you.’ He asked, ‘Lord, what have You forgiven me, when i have not done anything wrong?’ So Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) gave permission to a vein in his neck and it throbbed and ached violently, so that he did not sleep and he did not pray. Then later it became still and he stood in prayer. An angel came to him, and he complained to him of the pain he had experienced from the throbbing of his vein, and the angel said, ‘Your Lord (سبحانه و تعالى) says, “Your worship of fifty years is equal to the stillness of that vain.”‘” [Ibn Abi’d-Dunya in Kitab ash-shukr – 148]
Al-Hakim رحمه الله narrated this same sense in a marfu hadith in a version of Sulayman ibn Harm al-Quraishi رحمه الله from Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir رحمه الله from Jabir رضي الله عنه from the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) that Jibril (عليه السلام) told him that a slave worshipped Allah سبحانه و تعالى on top of a mountain out in the ocean for five hundred years, and then later he asked his Lord to take his soul while he was in prostration. “So we passed by him when we descended [to the earth] and when he ascended [to the heavens]. We find in knowledge that he will be raised up on the Day of Rising and made to stand before Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) and that the Lord will say, ‘My worshipper, enter the Garden by My Mercy.’ Then that worshipper will say, ‘My Lord, by my deeds!” three times. The Allah will say to the angels, ‘Weigh My blessings to My worshipper against his deeds.’ They will find that the blessing of sight alone will encompass the worship of five hundred years, and yet there will still remain the other blessings of the body, so Allah will say, ‘Enter My worshipper into the Fire.’ and so they will drag him to the fire. Then he will cry out to his Lord, ‘By Your Mercy enter me into the Garden, by Your Mercy!’ So Allah will enter him into the Garden. Oh Muhammad, things are only by the Mercy of Allah.”
[Jami’ Al-‘Ulum Wa’l-Hikam]
