THE RELIGION OF HUMANITY: Islam’s Ethical and Spiritual Outlook

THE LIFE OF A BELIEVER Respect, compassion, trustworthiness, patience, dignity, keeping promises, and goodwill toward others—all such noble human traits originate from acknowledgement. Similarly, all negative traits are linked to a lack of acknowledgement. Rejection of faith stems from denial. Jealousy arises because a person refuses to acknowledge another’s excellence. A person commits dishonesty because they do not accept that what they possess actually belongs to someone else. DO NOT BE UNGRATEFUL Abu Huraira reported that the Prophet of Islam said: “Look at those who are below you (in worldly matters), and do not look at those who are above you. This will help you avoid belittling the blessings that God has granted you.” (Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 2963) Worldly resources are not distributed equally. Some people have more, while others have less. One person may be given one type of blessing, and another may receive something different. This natural difference in distribution creates disparities between people in worldly terms. In this situation, if a person compares themselves with someone who appears to have less, it will awaken a sense of gratitude within them. But if they compare themselves with someone who seems to have more, it will lead to feelings of discontent and ingratitude.