One of my favourite qualities in a person that instantly draws me towards them is when they get excited by little things.

Whether it’s discovering a new coffee shop, seeing an adorable baby on the street, or witnessing the colours of the sky, they are like a sponge, absorbing all the beauty and possibility of their surroundings and exuding joy and wonder.

These are the kinds of people you never get tired of being around because they don’t ‘preach’, they just choose to live that way, expectant of miracles and anticipating good things from Allah even if life isn’t a bed of roses for them.

May Allah bless and preserve such people and make us from them!

Aameen.

But, SubhanAllah, if we are so enamoured by this quality in the creation-the quality of being attuned and appreciative, then what about the Creator, Who is infinitely Greater?

Allah is Al-Khabeer; He encompasses everything that exists in His awareness, and He is Ash-Shakoor; The Appreciative.

It’s so easy to feel overwhelmed by our shortcomings and to feel far away from Allah because of them.

But when we internalize that Ash-Shakoor knows, appreciates, and rewards us for the smallest of deeds, even the deeds we intend but are unable to do, then this feeling of heaviness and anxiety is alleviated.

Alhamdulillah.

For instance, the Prophet ﷺ told us,

“I have seen a man enjoying himself in Paradise due to a tree in the road he cut down that used to harm people.”

[Muslim 1914]

Then we learn of a (believing) woman being completely forgiven because she fed a thirsty dog water despite living a life of immorality.  Even a person who removes a rock from the road will be rewarded with Paradise.

Fasting just one day, the Day of Arafah, is enough for the sins of two whole years to be wiped clean from our records. Allahu Akbar!

Alhamdulillah, what a beautiful Deen we’ve been gifted with!

We also learn that our good deeds are multiplied and rewarded as ten good deeds at the very minimum, while a sin is only as written as one, and even that isn’t recorded until six hours have passed without us seeking forgiveness. SubhanAllah.

What should this Name of Allah, Ash-Shakoor, inspire us to infuse into our lives?

The Prophet ﷺ was asked, "What deeds are loved most by Allah?"

He said, "The most regular constant deeds even though they may be few." He added, 'Don't take upon yourselves, except the deeds which are within your ability."

[Bukhari 6465]

In a similar narration, the Prophet ﷺ said,

“The most beloved of deeds to Allah are those that are most consistent, even if it is small.”

[Bukhari]

We often forget how much our smallest deeds mean to Allah as long as they are sincere and good, following Allah’s guidance and not our jahil (ignorant) traditions or innovations.

Allah tells us in the Qur’an,

“So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it.”

[Az-Zalzalah:07]

Holding on to righteous deeds that Allah loves and building good habits can save us when we need it the most.

Allah says about Yunus عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ when he was trapped in the whale,

“Had he not (constantly) glorified (Allah). he would have certainly remained in its belly until the Day of Resurrection.”

 [As-Saffat: 143]

Because Yunus عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ was consistent in His declaration of Allah’s Glory and freedom from imperfection (SubhanAllah), he was saved from this terrifying situation after his impulsive action.

Similarly, our mother, Hafsah رضي الله عنها, was about to lose the greatest of blessings, the Prophet ﷺ, who wanted to divorce her for reasons that Allah knows best.

It is known that she was the most fiery and passionate of the wives of our beloved Rasulullah ﷺ.

However, Allah sent Jibreel لَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ to intervene on her behalf.

He told the Prophet ﷺ, “Take back Hafsah because she is a woman who fasts a lot and a woman who prays a lot (at night) and she is your wife in Paradise.”

And we can imagine how thankful Hafsah رضي الله عنها was to be given another chance and that she made sure that their marriage would be more beautiful and harmonious than it was before, taking the advice of her equally headstrong father, Umar رضي الله عنه!

Yes, we have countless faults; we speak too soon and act too hastily. We let our emotions, insecurities, and desires get the better of us from time to time.

But we need to realize that Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى‎ forgives us for everything as long as we are true to Him, humble before Him, and focus on beautifying our connection with Him.

He truly appreciates everything we do while seeking His Mercy and Closeness; He saves us and provides for us in ways that our limited vision and perception cannot encompass.

And, on a slight tangent, my brothers and sisters, are we the sort of people whose eyes light up when people do the ‘smallest’ things for us?

When our child takes our plate to the sink, when our spouse makes us a cup of tea, or when a stranger picks up something we’ve dropped?

No one is entitled to Ihsan (utmost good) except Allah, yet He is so pleased and appreciative of whatever we do.

We are not entitled to anything, yet we take the good we get for granted, not even bothering to show our gratitude, though we are likely to complain if it’s missing from our lives. SubhanAllah!

May Allah guide us to show our eternal gratitude to Him by being grateful (and a source of gratitude) to others! Aameen.

After all, Rasulullah ﷺ, who had the most beautiful akhlaq and adab (character and conduct) taught us,

“He who does not thank the people is not thankful to Allah.”

[Sunan Abi Dawud 4811]

In conclusion, my brothers and sisters, let us not be lukewarm with our devotion to Allah; doing good only when it’s convenient and we feel like it.

Let’s be like those who race towards khayr at every opportunity we get, seeking the Countenance of our Lord and a Jannah as wide as the heavens and the Earth put together. Bi’idhnillah.