Our existence is a blessing of Allah. Our extremely balanced body is a blessing of Allah. The entire world created so favourably for us is a blessing of Allah. When this reality dawns and we realize Allah’s immeasurable blessings upon us, the soul is filled with a feeling of gratefulness to Allah. The heart and mind are overawed by His greatness. At that moment words of acknowledgment of Allah —‘Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds’ spontaneously come to the lips.
When all these feelings find verbal form, they are called praise and gratefulness to Allah. God is the greatest being of the universe. Yet, in a universe visible to all, Allah’s supreme glory remains invisible. Realization of Allah is to discover this hidden greatness. This realization finds expression in words such as ‘Praise be to Allah —Lord of the Worlds.’
Jazaakallah! – May Allah Reward You
One of the teachings of Islam is that on receiving some gift or benefit from another, one should pray that Allah may reward the giver handsomely. Acknowledging a gift with the words: "May Allah reward you," not only expresses a high form of regard for the giver, but also testifies to the fact that Allah alone has it in His power to give rewards. When the recipient of a favour says to Allah on behalf of his benefactor: "O Allah, help him as he has helped me, and give him more than he has given me," this demonstrates an even higher form of regard.
The phrase 'May Allah reward you,’ is expressive of two virtues, one being gratitude and the other being the willingness to give as well as to take. Its utterance emphasizes the principle that one should be a giver as well as a taker. One should always be at pains to benefit those who have benefited him. One should be so thankful to his benefactor that one starts praying for them. A genuinely heart-felt prayer is the best gift that one can give to his fellow-men.
Insha Allah! (Allah Willing)
One of the teachings of Islam is that when we undertake a task, we should start by saying, ‘Insha Allah,’— Allah willing. According to the Quran, the owners of a certain orchard made it known that they intended to pluck its fruits as soon as they were ripe. But they added no reservation such as: ‘If it be Allah’s will.’ When they reached their orchard the next morning, they found that a God-sent calamity had destroyed their entire crop. This was the result of their having omitted to say ‘Allah willing’ (68:18).
Allah willing (Insha Allah) is a phrase of great significance. Islam teaches us that whenever one embarks upon any venture, one should say, ‘if Allah wills’ before one begins. This is to acknowledge the reality that Allah alone is the Doer in this world. A person can achieve his ends successfully only when Allah’s blessings are with him. Allah alone has the power to make things happen, as everything functions according to His will. Man can only wish for certain happenings, but occurrence rests with Allah alone.
When one thinks seriously of Allah’s all-powerfulness and his own total helplessness, such feelings find expression in the words, ‘Insha Allah.’ In this way he acknowledges that he can only make a beginning. So far as the completion of the task is concerned, it lies entirely in Allah’s hands.
The phrase Insha Allah in its essence is a form of prayer. Beginning one’s work with Insha Allah is like seeking Allah’s company and when Allah, the Lord of the universe, accompanies us on our journey, who can stop us from reaching our destination?
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