Be Thankful!

                Often, I like to take time off and reflect on some of the things that I am lucky for and ought to show gratitude for possessing. A statistic that I find incredibly poignant is one which states that over seventy five percent of the population of the world survives on less than two dollars a day. When I thin about my spending patterns, I realize that the chocolate bar I had as a snack was more valuable than the entire diet of a child overseas somewhere. In the Holy Quran, we are reminded that “if you are thankful, you will be increased..”.  Unfortunately, it is easy to forget to take a moment to be thankful and understand the incredible blessings that enrich your daily life.

                A close friend of mine recently lost his mother. As I attempted to console him, I remembered the tremendous woman that my own mother is. I am thankful for having her in my life as the greatest motivator to change for the better and achieve my lofty goals. I am eternally grateful to my father for providing me with stability and exemplifying the qualities of a superb role model.

                As I walk down the streets of downtown Ottawa, I am confronted by many homeless and financially destitute people who yearn for opportunity and success in life. While I pass by errantly, I remember that I am grateful to have a home; to be secure of poverty and to live in relative affluence and excess. If not for the mercy and blessing of the Almighty upon me, I could have easily have been sitting downtown with a coffee cup in front of me begging for money and food.

                I am grateful to be surrounded by a tremendous group of friends who enabled me with the ability to evolve myself to be a better person. It is often said that the group of friends a person carries is reflective of their inner character. I am blessed with a circle of friends who are better than me and empower me with a desire to reach for sky and to always fulfill my goals.

                Most importantly, I am grateful to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. I owe so much to God. No one else could have taken me from the person who I used to be less than three years ago to whom I have become now. I am grateful to him for allowing me to be born into Islam and teaching me the magnificent story of the blessed Prophet Muhammed (PBUH). I am indebted to Allah that He has given me prayer as a means to communicate directly with Him. I am grateful to Allah that He has provided me with sustenance and a means of survival that is known only by Him. Finally, I am extremely grateful that He has created me amongst the most blessed of creation. As He says: “Indeed We have honoured the children of Adam..”. No matter what I do, I will never repay Him for the innumerable gifts He has bestowed upon me. All I can do is hope that I live up to the covenant that I have  given Him that I will serve Him well.