Allāh has blessed humans with countless blessings that are beyond measure. Surah Al Rahmān (Chapter 53 of al-Qur’an) (So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny? 53:13) is witness to the blessings that Allah has bestowed upon humans. The best of the favors of Allah to human beings is that He sent Messengers with the Scriptures for their guidance. The prophethood of Muhammad perfected the contours of Revelation and Allah’s Din. It forms the greatest of the favors done by Allah Almighty on mankind.
However, despite enjoying and benefitting from the favors man forgets to thank Allah. Allah reminds us of the purpose for which we have been created. He foretells us about the peace, solace and contentment in Jannah but we are bargaining for the life of this transitory world. Abū Umamah (RA) reports that Rasūlullah (SAW) said, “The worst of the creatures in the sight of Allāh on the day of judgement would be a man who sold out his afterlife for pleasing someone in the world”. The pleasure of people has driven us oblivious to the pleasure of Allāh. To please people is more important to us than pleasing our Creator and sustainer Allah.
In order to obey Allah, we must remember His favors done to us every single day. We must not be among those who rebel against Allah, the greatest of our well-wishers. We must shun the company of arrogant, thankless men. ‘Abū Mūsa al Ash`arī (RA) reports that he heard Prophet Muhammad (SAW) saying: “The similitude of a good company and a bad one is that of the owner of the musk and of the one blowing the bellows. The owner of the musk (scent) would either give you some musk free of charge, or you would buy it from him, or you smell its pleasant fragrance; and as for the one, who blows the bellows i.e. the blacksmith, he either burns your clothes or you smell a repugnant odour.”
A good companion is compared with the carrier of musk and the bad one is compared with the one who blows the bellows at a blacksmith’s shop. It has been well said that a man is known by the company he keeps. One should be careful about the choice of his/her friends and companions. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) used to pray: “O my Lord! Make me one of those who when they do good, feel happy and when they commit some wrong, they seek forgiveness”. The servants of Allah are those who remind us of our true purpose: the pleasure and obedience of Allah, the Exalted. Disobedience of Allah is no doubt the worst of the ingratitude and greatest of the disloyalties. Imam al Shafi (RA) has rightly said that if one exerts his best, he cannot please all, so one should make one’s sincerity entire for Allah and seek his pleasure and obedience.

The author is a student of religious studies at the Central University of Kashmir. Feedback at [email protected]

Aaqib Aejaz Lone