Whereas it was the condition of our pious predecessors رَحِمَهُمُ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَالٰی that whether it was illness or health, convenience or difficulty, joy or sorrow they used to be grateful in every circumstance.

Grateful person

It is stated on page 211 of ‘Aansuon ka Darya’ [River of Tears] a 303-page book published by Maktaba-tul-Madinah, the publishing department of Dawat-e-Islami: There was a person from Damascus called Abu ‘Abdur-Rab, and he was the richest person in the city. Once he set out on a journey and reached a pasture, when night fell. He stayed there. He heard a voice from one side of the pasture of someone abundantly praising Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ. He went out in search of the voice and saw a person wrapped in a mat. He greeted the person and asked him who he was. That person replied that he was a Muslim. This Damascene asked him about his condition. He replied, ‘It is a blessing for which it is Wajib for me to give thanks.’ The Damascene asked, ‘You are wrapped in a mat. What blessing is this?’ He replied, ‘Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ created me, so He عَزَّوَجَلَّ did good to me as a creation and created me a Muslim and made my body parts healthy and concealed the things which I do not like to hear about, so who will be more blessed than one who has these blessings like I have.’

The Damascene said that he asked him, ‘May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ have mercy on you! Would you like to go with me? I am staying near here beside the canal.’ That person replied, ‘Why?’ I said, ‘Because I want you to have some food and I will offer you the things which will let you become independent of this mat.’ He said, ‘I do not need them.’

Having said this, he refused to go with me, so I returned. (After listening to him) I forgot my own status. I said (in my heart), ‘I have never seen anyone richer than me in Damascus, even then I am looking for more. I then humbly said to Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ: O Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ! I repent to You of this condition of mine. In this way, I repented and no one knew about this.

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب       صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلٰى مُحَمَّد