Gratefulness to God

[ilma_bee]

Salam

About gratefulness towards God.. Before I've been thinking different and I was able to feel grateful in a simple way. I thought that everything I get is mercy and with love from God. After I read some Quran verses, that everything is fitnah I can't have the same feeling anymore. Sometimes it's even given with bad intention.

Some of the examples
Verse 64:15 Your property and children are only a trial (if it's only a trial then it's not simply a gift with love, if it's not a gift or a reward how can you be grateful?)

Verse 39:49 And when adversity touches man, he calls upon Us; then when We bestow on him a favor from Us, he says, "I have only been given it because of [my] knowledge." Rather, it is a trial, but most of them do not know. (If you asked, and it was given to you, but not as a mercy..then how to feel grateful? If you ask a person for help, and they help you, but they feel no good and kind intention towards you how will you feel?)

So my problem now is how can you be grateful if something was not given you with love in the first place, or you cannot be sure about the intention towards you. If you get my point. Imagine your friend gives you a gift, and he says this is only to see if you will be gratefull. How will you feel? Will you be able to be grateful?

[Jafar]

About gratefulness towards God.. Before I've been thinking different and I was able to feel grateful in a simple way. I thought that everything I get is mercy and with love from God. After I read some Quran verses... <cutted>

I've highlighted the important part in bold, it's the only thing that matter, the rest doesn't matter.

God is the ultimate provider of everything, He has no needs, He's the ultimate giver to ALL (not only you and not only to human).
Because what He provides was given out of love, unconditional love.
He never asked for something or anything in return.
Don't believe me? Ask Him directly you have a direct comm. channel to your own Creator.

Having said that, being grateful is a pre-requisite for happiness.
Only by being grateful you will found happiness and NOT the other way around, happiness is a pre-requisite to be grateful. If you're thinking that only when I have found my happiness then I will be grateful, then I can guarantee you will never be happy, you will be trapped in an endless chase for 'happiness'.

This is not related to the Infinite Creator but this is more related to you, your thoughts and your own emotion.
Whether you're grateful or not grateful the Infinite Creator will always continue to provide out of His unconditional love.

[jkhan]

Salam

About gratefulness towards God.. Before I've been thinking different and I was able to feel grateful in a simple way. I thought that everything I get is mercy and with love from God. After I read some Quran verses, that everything is fitnah I can't have the same feeling anymore. Sometimes it's even given with bad intention.

Some of the examples
Verse 64:15 Your property and children are only a trial (if it's only a trial then it's not simply a gift with love, if it's not a gift or a reward how can you be grateful?)

Verse 39:49 And when adversity touches man, he calls upon Us; then when We bestow on him a favor from Us, he says, "I have only been given it because of [my] knowledge." Rather, it is a trial, but most of them do not know. (If you asked, and it was given to you, but not as a mercy..then how to feel grateful? If you ask a person for help, and they help you, but they feel no good and kind intention towards you how will you feel?)

So my problem now is how can you be grateful if something was not given you with love in the first place, or you cannot be sure about the intention towards you. If you get my point. Imagine your friend gives you a gift, and he says this is only to see if you will be gratefull. How will you feel? Will you be able to be grateful?

Peace...
Comparisons are key. It clarifies things better. But Don't ever compare God literally with human.. It wil never give any constructive meaning.. I said this coz you compared and the result you found is weak..
Okay your topic.. Very good one.. You are identical to one recent member Sarah.. She Keeps on posting everything.. And sometimes repeating.. I don't see her much nowadays.. Anyhow we all learning..

First of all we are created and created for testing or trial.. Don't derail from that.. But God gave us many an innumerable FAVORS which we can't even enumerate..
God advises for our betterment in advance that it is a trial and not to get deceived... That very advice you took utterly negative..
Everything is good but those everything could turn the table.. Unless we forget that this World's life is a trial... It's like a trap but well known trap.. Don't fall into the trap wittingly.. Find ways to avoid trap and be successful..

It's like a gift one gives to you.. Suppose knife..  He says you have many benefits with this knife and it may take your life as well.. You were in need of the knife... You are so happy using it.. Why can't you be thankful to the one who gave you.. Coz you were in need.. And if that same knife if you happen to kill an innocent..  Will you blame the one who gave you.. Did he give you to kill a person.. Was it his intention when he gifted you..
Same way 64:15 God gave spouse and children with shear mercy..  Don't turn it as your agony.. It's all in our hand.. Pass the trial..
For that be wise and grateful to the one who gave everything...  Reward is waiting for the trial.. How merciful He could be?  Not just a trial without being rewarded.. But full of rewards..
God didn't hide. He is clear.. This life is not reward... But a trial but with lots of NI'MA (favour).. Why can't we be grateful to one who favored in our need.. In 39:49 weren't they in need?  So what suits most when one favors us in real need.. Be grateful.. I wonder how you missed the basic..

Incredible what you claim..
Or else.. Take this example..
Suppose you are an athlete.. You decided to be an athlete.. So fortunately one sponsored you and gave you almost everything. All you have to do is be on track and perform.. For that needs much application of commitment and hard work..
Can you say in between all they want is my medal and I am suffering .. It's not they love me but my medal..  You can't say so.. Coz its you decision to become an athlete your dream.. Medal is your goal and medal is their happiness.... So be thankful to the one who gave this opportunity..
Same way we are in this trial coz of our own acceptance... We did accept this life and trial.. That's what God claim.. That's why God created platform for that.. Not created the Earth and heavens in vain .. As medal is the aim of athlete, Reward is our aim.. And happiness of God when you receive the reward is all what God wants..
God is pleased then with us and we are pleased with God..

[Cerberus]

In my opinion gratefulness is not about being thankful.To be grateful is to adjust your attitude by realizing certain things.
Imagine you wake up everyday and it doesn't matter how much the whole world is smiling at you to live your life but yet there you are hung up on something that you're missing, or something you long for that you don't have just yet. It's unfair to do this to oneself, and it is harmful and creates unneccessary problems. So how do we fix this, this seemingly wrong view ? We remember the things that we have, recollect all the reasons for which we ought to be positive and satisfied. That is gratefulness and it's a tool to have in one's belt.

[Layth]

Salam Ilma,

About gratefulness towards God.. Before I've been thinking different and I was able to feel grateful in a simple way. I thought that everything I get is mercy and with love from God. After I read some Quran verses, that everything is fitnah I can't have the same feeling anymore. Sometimes it's even given with bad intention.

Some of the examples
Verse 64:15 Your property and children are only a trial (if it's only a trial then it's not simply a gift with love, if it's not a gift or a reward how can you be grateful?)

Verse 39:49 And when adversity touches man, he calls upon Us; then when We bestow on him a favor from Us, he says, "I have only been given it because of [my] knowledge." Rather, it is a trial, but most of them do not know. (If you asked, and it was given to you, but not as a mercy..then how to feel grateful? If you ask a person for help, and they help you, but they feel no good and kind intention towards you how will you feel?)

So my problem now is how can you be grateful if something was not given you with love in the first place, or you cannot be sure about the intention towards you. If you get my point. Imagine your friend gives you a gift, and he says this is only to see if you will be gratefull. How will you feel? Will you be able to be grateful?

I think you have come to some wrong conclusions...

Fitna/Trial is a fact of this entire life as everything can become a Fitna if you misuse it or abuse it (your money, your children, your self, etc.).

That God grants us provisions and good things is beyond doubt. However, if you fail to be thankful, then you will turn a mercy into a test.

"And your Lord proclaimed: "If you give thanks, I will increase for you, but if you are rejecting, then My retribution is severe."" (14:7)

There is no such thing as a 'free lunch' in this worldly life. So, either we acknowledge and thank God for what He has given, or we turn these gifts into evidence that can be used against us and for which we will be held accountable.

[tutti_frutti]

salam ilma_bee

as per my understanding, fitna and mercy do not contradict

example, if The God grants a couple a child after they have been praying for it, that could be a mercy and also a fitna. will the couple be humble to The God and  thank The God or will they turn their backs and forget the mercy showed to them by The God

example, in the Quran chapter 7 verses 189 and 190 we are told when a couple prayed for a child and The God answered their prayer they ascribed partners to The God from what He has provided them

other example is those lost at sea when The God saves them they then turn their backs

in another verse The God says if the people were thankful He would add them in mercy else in punishment if they deny

And when your Lord proclaimed, 'If you are grateful, I will surely increase you; but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe.' (ch 14, verse 7)

so in my opinion mercy and fitna go together. the test is perhaps whether we will thank The God and remember Him or will we take the mercy for granted and turn our backs. that’s my opinion

peace

[ilma_bee]

tutti fruti

Actually those verses that you mentioned..I had problem with understanding that as well.

Because, how can you be thankful if you don't know if what happened happened because of your prayer? Sometimes I ask for something, and it happens, then I'm happy and thankful, and then after some time I see it wasn't actually what I thought it was. So, you get confused.

 For example if you ask for rain, and it rains, but maybe it's not because of your prayer. Maybe it would rain anyway, or for some other reason. So how will you be specifically thankful? Or you don't know the intention towards you..whether it is mercy or not. Because some verse said that God gives property and children to certain people only to make them sin more...

I don't know..it just makes sense to be thankful if someone really helped you sincerely. Like, when God protected the prophets with his mercy, there it's very easy and logical to feel thankful. But about general blessings.. you might say thank you God, but you dont even know if this was given to you as a mercy, or if it was given because you asked for it..or it's only fitnah. Then how can you feel happy getting a blessing if it's only fitnah

[Jafar]

Because, how can you be thankful if you don't know if what happened happened because of your prayer? Sometimes I ask for something, and it happens, then I'm happy and thankful, and then after some time I see it wasn't actually what I thought it was. So, you get confused.  For example if you ask for rain, and it rains, but maybe it's not because of your prayer. Maybe it would rain anyway, or for some other  reason. So how will you be specifically thankful?

Indeed if you attach your state of happiness to something then you will definitely be confused.

Scenario A (Your thought process)
I wish for rain, then it rain, but was it because of my wishing? perhaps it's because of other people's wish? or it will rain anyway whether no one wish it or not?
End Results: Not Grateful -> No Happiness even though it rain.

Scenario B ( The reversal, the muslim way a.k.a the way of acceptance)
Whether it will rain or not I will accept it and I will be grateful.
End Results: Grateful and Happy regardless of the event.

"Let Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven".
-- Jesus

"Attachment is a strong, uncontrollable desire that causes suffering"
-- Siddhartha