How Many Favors of Allah Do You Deny?

It is stated in Sahih Muslim that Abu Huraira RA narrated that once during a day or a night Allah’s messenger SAW came out and found Abu-Bakr and Umar and he said SAW “what has brought you out of your homes at this hour?” they replied “hunger, O Allah’s messenger.” He said, “By Him (Allah) in Whose Hand my soul is, I too have come out for the same reason for which you have come out”.
To cut a long story short, they all went to the house of one of the Ansaar who eventually treated them to a lavish meal of lamb and dates. After they had finished eating and drinking to their fill, Allah’s messenger SAW said to Abu Bakr and Umar “by Him in whose Hand my soul is, you will be asked about this treat on the Day of Resurrection. He (Allah) brought you out of your homes with hunger and you are not returning to your homes till you have been blessed with this treat.”

Muslims today are not mindful of Allah’s countless Ni’ima (favors, bounties) on His Creations. Were we mindful of Allah’s countless bounties on us, we could have been more grateful and thankful.
He SWT mentions to us in the last verse of surah At-Takathur, (chapter 102, verse 8) that we all shall be asked about all the delights, bounties, pleasures that we indulged in, in this world. YA SUBHANALLAH!

Imaging all the favors you have, all the pleasures you indulge in and all the bounties of Allah that we take for granted without being thankful.

Imaging that glass of sparkling clean water, you take to quench your thirst especially during the hot season. “…tell me! If (all) your water was to sink away, who then can supply you with flowing (spring) water?” Qur’an Chapter 67 verse 30.
The answer to the above is obvious. ALLAHU RABBUL-AALAMIN! If all the superpowers of the world would gather, the men of them and the jinn of them, to produce a drop of water from nothing, they would fail woefully.
Still imagining the blessing of water; it is the only substance in the whole universe that genuinely quenches thirst.

It is the only substance that truly purifies us from dirt and other impurities. Have you ever wondered what you would do without water?
Imaging the blessing that we derived from being under the cover of a wide, never-ending canopy called the sky. Have you ever noticed a crack, pothole or erosion in the sky? You have never heard or seen JULIUS BERGER working upwards trying to fix some patches in the sky.
“…you can see no fault in the creation of the Most Gracious. Then look again: can you see any rifts?” Qur’an 30vrse 3.
Have you ever wondered how exposed and insecure you would be without the shade provided by this canopy?

The other day, I was walking with a friend and we were marveling on the creation of the sun, the moon, and the stars. In addition, the changes in the seasons were reflected. The same sun that lights up our world has been in service uninterrupted since time immemorial with all its attendant bounties. Have you ever imagined life without daybreak or daylight? Have you ever wondered why the sun never tires or grow old and wrinkled?
Do we thank Allah for the illuminating light of the moon and the serenity created by the night?
Imagine the way the day dissolves into the night and how the night gradually withdraws into the day. Have you ever wondered how many people would be caught in the wrong if the day and night comes at a GO?
Allah SWT blesses us with seasons, each with its benefits, year in, year out. Sometimes, it will be hot, humid and rainy, other times, cold, dry and windy. Imagine if it were to be one fixed season. Whom do you complain to? Moreover, what will you do? Vote out the party in power to effect a change? NO WAY!

Look at yourself in the mirror and see the countless favor Allah has done to you.
You have two eyes, well positioned and it works automatically changing colors without you prompting it. Imagine if all colors come with their pair of eyes. I guess we would have been walking with bags of eyes.

You have a nose that is also well positioned that perceives nice fragrances and bad smell. How much do you pay for that efficient service?

Your ears each placed at the right position, hearing all. Sometimes automatically listening to Arabic, English, Hausa, Yoruba and Ibo. Have you ever wondered how many you will carry if every language comes with a customized ear?

An interesting thing about all these bounties is that it comes free. Upon reflection on these countless bounties, I was amazed on the air that we breathe, free and unhindered. It may interest you to know that a normal size human being needs an average of 12cubic meter of oxygen to survive per day. This is currently valued at #6,000 (six thousand naira). Just multiply this by 365days and you will get what I mean.
I did mine including my two wives, six kids and a cousin that is under my care, it came up to #21,900,000.00 (twenty one million, nine hundred thousand naira) on oxygen only in one year! ALLAHU AKBAR!

Imagine what would happen if BPE could capture the oxygen, unbundled and sold to some CORE INVESTORS. In addition, we have to pay to breathe. Reflect on this again, have we been truly grateful to Allah?

The greatest of all Niima is that of Islam. Whomever Allah guides to Islam has indeed been blessed. You may not be able to appreciate this until you contemplate misguidance.

The difference between a human being and an animal is the implementation of the sharia of Allah. Some are even of the view that an animal may even be more thoughtful than a human without divine guidance. An animal would never kill a fellow animal without intent to eat as food, but how many of us humans kill fellow humans senselessly.

Allah SWT made us Muslims and sent us the AL-FURQAN (Qur’an) to serve as the criterion between the right and the wrong. He SWT sent us Muhammad SAW as a final prophet to teach and guide us to the path of righteousness. ALHAMDULILLAH!
Without Islam, we could have been sleeping with our own daughters and mothers, eating swine, drinking OGOGORRO, walking naked and maybe dining with dogs, pigs and apes. Yet, we do not thank Allah as He should be thanked.

Moreover, do not ever think that Allah will benefit from our gratefulness. He SWT needs nothing from us. It is for our own good.

How many favors of your LORD do you deny? SUBHANALLAH!