100 Principles for Purposeful Living

regarding both men as well as God. A person can't be grateful to one while being ungrateful to another. Acknowledging a favor is a noble human quality. This is called thanksgiving. God has bestowed upon man the greatest favors. Therefore, every human being should give thanks to God the most. The sign of this gratitude is shown in man’s acknowledgement of the favors of the people in his daily life. If this acknowledgment is lacking in a person, then it is a sign that he is not thankful even in the matter of God's blessings. Gratitude in the case of God and ingratitude in the case of man cannot coexist in the heart of a person. There will be either gratitude for both God and human beings or no gratitude for either of them. 45. Regretting a Mistake The Prophet of Islam said that every human being is a sinner and the best sinner is the one who regrets his mistake. (Musnad Ahmad, Hadith No. 13049) This shows that what is wrong is not making a mistake rather the refusal to admit it is a bigger mistake. Admitting one’s mistakes is not a sign of weakness but a sign of maturity. The present world is designed for the purpose of the test. Here man has to live in such situations as he is likely to make mistakes over and over again. Therefore, the identity of a true person is not that he never makes a mistake, but instead, it is that he does not persist in repeating it. Immediately after making a mistake, his conscience awakens and he becomes deeply ashamed of it. Making mistakes should be a means of awakening the spirit of accountability in a person. 46. The Voice of the Conscience