You made all this possible whereby we are now able to use Your bounty.

You made all this possible whereby we are now able to use Your bounty.” Dawood turned towards Sulaiman and said, “Thankfulness enhances a man’s status.” Bounties of life, wealth, and thankfulness for it A great wise man has said, “Do not go on saying, ‘O’ God! give me, give me,’ rather say, ‘O Lord! Make me thankful to You for Your bounties. Make me realize the truth so that I may be grateful to You by appreciating Your bounties.’” Now these hours in the Holy month of Ramadan are divine bounty.

Ask those who have died. They yearn to be in the world to earn its benefits. Really we should repent over our ungratefulness during these precious nights (Shab-e-Qadr) of Ramadan, because we did not appreciate the divine bounties. We did not recognize the Real Benefactor. We destroyed the bounty by utilizing it inappropriately. Frittering away of wealth is also ungratefulness.

You should either eat or feed with it but do not squander money by extravagant spending like carpeting the staircases etc. Give it to a person who has no money. You should take benefit from this divine bounty and not waste it. Thankfulness with regard to money is to spend it in the path of God Haji Noori has described a story in Darus Salam. A devoutly pious worshipper had been busy in his worship for several years.

He was informed in one of his dreams that Almighty God had decided that, “Half of your life span will be spent in poverty and in the other half you will be rich and wealthy. Now it is for you to choose which part of your life you prefer first”. He replied in that dream, “I have a wise wife. Let me consult her.” Of course there is no harm in consulting a pious lady who is intelligent and not mad after wealth and worldly desires.

The wise lady said, “Choose the first half for ease and needlessness.” Thus their wealth began to increase from the next morning. Then the wife said, “O man! As promised by God, just as He gives you bounty, you too should spend it in His path.” So wealth came to one hand and it was given to the poor and spent in God’s path with the other. Thus half of his age passed. Now, he awaited poverty. But there was no change. God’s bounties continued to rain on them as before. He asked, “O God!

How is it like this?” He was informed, “You thanked Us for the bounties so We increased them further.” If you are grateful, I would certainly give you more, and if you are ungrateful, My chastisement is truly severe.