The Importance of Gratitude in Ramadan and Beyond

Often we seek Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala during difficult times or perhaps more often when we are seeking fulfillment of our needs. However, we should ask for and seek Him steadfastly, particularly when things are going well in our lives.

During times of ease is our time to thank Him and praise Him for all the blessings He has provided us.

"And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed, 'If you are grateful, I will surely increase you' [in favor]…" (Qur'an 14:7)
Being grateful is recognizing and appreciating. The more we express appreciation, the more we will see. The more we recognize how Allah subhanahu wa t'ala has blessed us, the easier it is to see His presence in our lives, and this in itself should creates a soothing of the heart. By thanking Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala we are recognizing He is al-Wahhab (the Giver of gifts), ar-Razzaq (the Sustainer), al-Wadud (the Most Loving) and insha’Allah (God willingly), we will be able to recognize how He manifests His attributes and Names in our lives.

Taking time each day to thank Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala for His blessings upon us will cause us to become overwhelmed because we can never count all of them, but attempting to acknowledge them will create God-consciousness in our lives.

And surely, when we need Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala during difficult times, He will be there remembering us, because we remembered Him during our times of ease.

May this Ramadan heighten our God consciousness and draw us nearer to Him. Aamiin.