Need a Blessing?* [[---- Part 3 ----]]

 *Need a Blessing?*

[[---- Part 3 ----]]
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بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

We often fall into the trap of believing that success is a simple formula: hard work + talent + opportunity = desired outcome. While these elements are important, for a Muslim, they are merely the visible tools. The true, unseen force that gives these tools their efficacy is Barakah—the blessing of Allah.

My People,

Allah's blessings are not just in wealth, but in time, health, peace of mind, and spiritual contentment. However, these blessings are not unconditional. They are a trust from Allah, and our actions can either increase them or cause them to be diminished or even removed.

The Quran and Sunnah highlight several actions that can lead to this spiritual poverty:

*Action No 1:*

Ingratitude (Kufr al-Ni'mah): This is the primary cause. Failing to acknowledge that every good we have is from Allah, and instead attributing success to our own intellect or effort, is a grave form of ungratefulness. Allah says, "If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]..." 📚(Surah Ibrahim, 14:7). The inverse of this promise is a stark warning.

This reminds me,

Ibrahim started a business life with a single small shop and, through what everyone called his "brilliant business acumen," had built a commercial empire.

Ibrahim lived in a magnificent palace. His cars were the finest, and his name commanded respect. Yet, in the heart of that beautiful home, something essential was missing.

There was a time, in the early days of his struggle, when Ibrahim’s heart was soft. He would wake for Tahajjud, his hands raised in the dark, whispering, "Ya Allah, please, just enough to feed my family and pay my debts." And Allah, in His infinite mercy, provided. A small contract would come, a timely payment would arrive. Ibrahim would weep with gratitude, his Shukr (gratitude) a palpable force in his life.

But as his empire grew, a subtle shift occurred. When a competitor praised his success, Ibrahim would chuckle, "Well, you have to have the brains to see an opportunity and the guts to seize it." When his wife gently reminded him, "Alhamdulillah for all this, Ibrahim," he would nod absently and reply, "Yes, yes, but I also worked 20-hour days for it. I earned this." The Shukr in his heart was slowly replaced by Ujb (self-admiration).

One morning, he arrived at his office to chaos. His fortune had vanished overnight. A chain of events, unpredictable and devastating, had shattered everything he'd built. The empire he thought was made of steel and intellect was, in truth, made of air and blessing.

Sitting on the floor of his empty office, surrounded by the echoes of his failure, the truth finally broke through his pride. He hadn't just lost his wealth; he had, through his ingratitude, returned it.

Tears😢 streamed down his face as he finally understood. He hadn't built a palace. He had merely been entrusted with one, and he had failed to acknowledge the true Owner.

He bowed his head, and for the first time in years, the words came from the deepest, most shattered part of his soul: "Ya Allah, forgive me. It was never my doing. It was always Yours."

The lesson:

Each time a servant says, "I built this," Allah simply replies, "By My leave, and now, by My will, it is gone." For the greatest blessing is not the gift itself, but the continued gratitude that allows it to remain.

To be continued.