Why Should I Be Thankful?

My frustration peaked as I saw one more rejection letter. I had lost count of them by then. After studying like a maniac for 4 years (or 16, if you count them all), yours truly was rejected for not having great communication skills. Why did Allah Ta’ala not bless me with the ability to knock people off their chairs with words?!

Mum noticed, guessed the reason, and brought me a cup of hot tea. “Well, she is probably the only one I am thankful for,” I thought, “And tea, of course”. I started complaining as soon as mum sat down with me. She listened patiently and soothed me with kind words. My distress was real and deserved attention, no?

Once I was over with my rant and had relaxed a bit, she handed me a copy of Qur’an and asked me to read Surah Rahman. No lecture; nothing about how others suffer way more than I do; she simply let Allah help me see the things.

With Ta’wwuz and Tasmiyah, I opened to chapter 55.

Beginning with the name of our merciful Lord, الرحمن, the Surah instantly had a soothing effect on my anxious mind. I had always had an affinity toward this particular name of Allah.

I read on about how Allah (S.W.T) created humans, guided them with the Holy Qur’an and taught them eloquence. The thought crossed my mind that although I might not have been accepted at the company I wanted, I had been blessed with a number of capabilities, and various opportunities to develop them. That made me a little embarrassed at my unthankfulness.

The Surah further led me to see the aspects of the universe such as sun, moon, stars, plants, seas, and their balance. I realized how insignificant I am in the bigger scheme of things, and yet, they all are there to benefit me! Suddenly, my rejection letter sounded trivial.

Our Creator has carefully created humans with clay, and djinns with fire. He knows the purposes behind His creations; He guided them according to their natures. He is the Lord of every creature and entity.

The beautiful chapter then took me to visualize higher ambitions: Heaven and Hell. The descriptions of Hell for criminals and those of Heaven for the righteous are beautifully mentioned, which, as a writer, left me in an awe. The entire chapter is embellished with the beautiful soothing verse:

فَبِأَيِّ آلاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

“So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?”

The verse was, is, and will always be a source of solace for me. It sounds enchanting. I can’t say I was not upset with the rejections after reading it, but I felt honored that the Highest Being, Lord of the worlds cares for me. Who else do I need?

All the worries had vanished by the time I completed Surah Rahman. And, till date, even after landing a much better job, I turn to this chapter for optimism and the beautiful words.

Which is your favorite Surah or verse from Qur’an?