The majority of people—in the words of the Qur'an—
"exult" when Allah showers them with blessings after some distress they have gone through. Forgetting the Granter of these blessings, they immediately turn their faces away. However, Allah says, "... Do not exult, in your riches; surely, Allah does not love the exultant."
The people of true faith are those who never exult in the blessings they enjoy and who are aware that they are from their Lord. They never lose sight of the fact that they are in need of Allah in times of welfare and peace as well as in times of difficulty. That Allah can take back His blessings any time He wills and leave them in need is a fact they never forget. With this mindset, in poverty or abundance, in ease or difficulty, they always assume a grateful manner towards Allah.
People of perfected faith fear the punishment of the dreadful Day. They know that Allah will punish those who are ungrateful to Him. That Allah will punish those who are ungrateful is stated in a verse:
That is how We repaid them for their ingratitude. Are any but the ungrateful repaid like this?
Just like difficulties, blessings are also a part of the test to which Allah puts His servants in this world. As the Prophet Sulayman expressed it:
… This is part of my Lord's favour to test me to see if I will give thanks or show ingratitude. Whoever is grateful–his gratitude is only for (the benefit of) himself. And whoever is ungrateful–then indeed, my Lord is Rich Beyond Need and Generous!
The attitude a believer of perfected faith adopts towards blessings is that he immediately takes refuge in Allah and feels grateful to Him, aware that this is a trial. And then he turns these blessings to good account in order to earn the approval of Allah.
However, one needs to keep in mind that the blessings Allah heaps upon His servants are not limited to the purely material. Faith, beauty, wisdom, the faculty of judgement, and good health are also great blessings for which believers should be grateful. In the Qur'an, Allah draws our attention to the infinite blessings a man enjoys:
"He has given you everything you have asked Him for. If you tried to number Allah's blessings, you could never count them... "
A scrutiny of the Qur'an and the lives of the prophets reveals that the riches and power bestowed upon them never diverted them from exercising justice or displaying moral perfection. They maintained their humility before Allah under all circumstances. In the Qur'an, Allah praises this fine moral virtue of His servants and defines them as being:
Those who, if We establish them firmly in the land, will regularly say their prayers and give alms, and will enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong. And to Allah belongs the outcome of all matters.
"Those who say, 'Our Lord is Allah,' and then follow the straight path shall have nothing to fear or to regret. Such people shall be the Companions of the Garden, remaining in it timelessly, for ever, as a reward for what they did."
Muslims are those who put their faith in Allah and then follow the straight path, showing determination in their faith.
Knowing that there is good in everything that comes from our Lord, they always remain grateful to Him and show wholehearted submission to Him.
They are the righteous in the sight of Allah.
In return for their sincerity, Allah has promised them goodness both in this world and beyond. He has surrounded them with His mercy. He has been pleased with them and given His love and approval to them. In the Qur'an, Allah gives the glad tidings of this honourable reward:
... Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him. He has prepared Gardens for them with rivers flowing under them, where they shall remain in them timelessly, for ever and ever. That is the great victory.
They do not harbour ambitions for the life of this world. They turn to the hereafter to attain the approval of Allah and His paradise. In return for their wholehearted submission, Allah proffers His worldly blessings to them as well as paradise:
So Allah gave them the reward of this life and the glorious recompense is of the hereafter. Allah loves the righteous.
In the face of hardships in this world, they show patience and remember that there is no friend or supporter for them other than Allah.
They take refuge in Him alone, and ask for His guidance.
In return, our Lord encompasses them with His mercy and undertakes their protection. Thanks to Him, every event brings goodness to them. Allah clears their path, and wishes ease for them. More importantly, as long as they remain His friends, He gives them total success and makes them the inheritors of this life as well as the hereafter.
Musa said to his people,
"Seek help in Allah and be steadfast. The earth belongs to Allah. He bequeaths it to any of His servants as He wills. And the best outcome is for the righteous."
"Praise be to Allah Who has fulfilled His promise to us and made us the inheritors of this land, letting us settle in the Garden wherever we want. How excellent is the reward of the righteous!"
They sincerely desire to be granted the mercy of Allah and tremble in awe of Him.
They call on Allah, making their religion sincerely His.
With a deep-seated awareness of their weaknesses before Allah, they wholeheartedly implore to Him to grant them salvation, to save them from the punishment of hell and to make them people worthy of paradise. Their Lord then answers their sincere prayers and admits them into His paradise, where they will reside with the blessing of His mercy for all eternity:
The righteous will be in a safe place amid gardens and fountains, wearing fine silk and rich brocade, face to face with one another. So it will be. We will marry them to dark-eyed maidens. They will call there for fruit of every kind, in complete security. They will not experience death there—except for the first one. In His mercy, He will safeguard them from the punishment of the Blazing Fire. A favor from your Lord. That will be the Supreme triumph.
The Companions of the Garden will be busy enjoying themselves that day, they and their wives reclining on soft couches in shady groves. They will have fruits there and whatever they request. "Peace!"—A word from a Merciful Lord.
