Self Reflection

Assalamualaikum w.r.t.b.

The Blessing of Repentence or The Blessing of Richness?

A resident in Damascus, Ubaidah bin Muhajir was a well-respected and extremely rich businessman, who one day decided to make a business trip to Azerbaijan. After a long day of travel, Ubaidah came across a pasture and a river that ran alongside it. He decided to make camp there and was resting when he heard the sound of someone praising Allah S.W.T.

Going to the source of the sound, Ubaidah came across a man who, attired in a garment made of straw and was resting in a ditch. After having extended greetings of peace to the man, Ubaidah inquired: "Who are you, O slave of Allah?"

"A Muslim," answered the man.

"How difficult your circumstances seem to be," said Ubaidah.

"I lead a life that is replete with blessings," said the main.

"How can you say that when you are wearing nothing but a covering made of straw!" exclaimed Ubaidah.

"And why shouldn't I praise Allah for creating me, for giving me good form, for causing me to be born healthy, and for covering that part of my body which I dislike mentioning? Who goes to sleep having greater blessings than these, all of which I enjoy?"

"May Allah have mercy on you," said Ubaidah. "Will you not come to my camp, for I have made camp beside the river?"

"Why?" the man asked.

"So that I can feed you and give you real clothing, making it unnecessary for you to wear straw."

"I have no need for any of that," said the man.

Ubaidah later said, "I then left him and returned to my campsite. I later fell into contemplation, and the more I thought about my situation, the more I despised my life and even myself. Here I was, the richest man in Damascus having nearly as much wealth as I had, and yet, I was on a journey to make even more money. It was at that point that I said: O Allah, I indeed repent to You for the evilness of my situation."

Ubaidah thereafter turned away from the pursuit of acquiring wealth, and instead dedicated his life to repentance and worship.

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Because of what Allah has given us (which is a massive quantity such that we can never repay it) to be thankful to Him, at all times, is the least we can do. To remember Him in everything that we do, for whatever it is that we do, we're relying on Him, on His nikmat.

Here you are reading, and here I am writing, we're using the body on which He has cased our souls into. For you are reading with your eyes, comprehending it with your brain, and hopefully, InsyaAllah, feel it with your heart.

It's not that hard, is it? To stop for a while and say: "Alhamdulillah Ya Rabb, Thank You for giving all these nikmat that You have given to me all these while."

Just Alhamdulillah is also good enough :)