Almost all of us are driven by negativity bias; tendency to experience and remember negative emotions more frequently and intensely than positive ones. This is a scientific fact.
This term was coined by researchers, Paul Rozin and Rozyman. For instance if we are asked about the problems that we are having or have experienced in life we come up with a non stop list like I got disqualified from JKSsB/ Net/Set/UPSC exams; I don’t have a govt job, I am not getting married; my friend betrayed me; my health condition is not good; my weight is not good etc etc..
We remember negative information and events more than positive ones, for example we remember the exams we failed more than the exams we qualified, we remember the occasions when our friend denied more than the occasions on which he/she helped; we remember the illness more than the times when we enjoyed the best state of health.
If we talk about our life we receive equal number of blessings or even more but we choose to focus more on negative.
How many of us thank Allah for the eyes he gave us to see the beautiful world. There are lakhs of people who are completely blind and they wish that they could ever get a glimpse of the beautiful face of their child or spouse.
There are countless hearing impaired or deaf children, youth or old people who long to hear the chirping of birds, azaan, Or they wish to hear the sweet voice of their loved ones. Do we every think that hearing is a blessing? There are innumerable people who struggle to walk or need support to move.
They long for the day when they would get up independently and move a step. They struggle to dress up; they struggle to eat, they struggle to go to washroom; wasn’t it in the hands of Allah that he would have made us in their place but he didn’t.
He made us abled bodied, he gave us the limbs, and all the well functioning body. How many times a day or how many times a week or month we verbally or silently thank Allah for the limbs we walk and work with.
How many people are there in this world who are homeless, live in tents or under open sky, sleep on footpaths; get hit by pedestrians or stung by insects or bitten by stray dogs while they are asleep. Isn’t it it the favour of Allah that he chose us among those who have shelter over their heads.
Isn’t our one storey or one room or a mud house far better than sleeping in the open sky with bricks as pillow. How many times we show gratitude for having a shelter over us and how many times we complaint that the interior of our house is not well fashioned and trendy and show discontentment with that.
How many people are there in this world who are not fasting either because of their ill health or disbelief or ignorance. Isn’t it the blessing of Allah that he chose us among those who fast and offer prayers and get an opportunity to seek forgiveness for their sins. How many of us thank Allah for this blessing that our birth took place in the family of practicing Muslims.
How many are in this world who sleep hungry and or just can afford one meal a day. Aren’t our low but hard earned halal wages far better than the huge money earned through corruption, deception and immoral activities. How many of us thank Allah that he chose us among the ones who are earning halal and not amongst those who are earning haram.
How many of us thank Allah for the blessing that we are able to recite and understand quran and other religious and beneficial literature that’s preventing us from going astray and helping us choose right over wrong. How many are there who are associating partners with Allah and following bidah because of their naivety and ignorance. Isn’t it the blessing of Allah that we are not associating any partner with him in worship. Doesn’t this blessing deserve gratitude. Likewise there are endless blessings that Allah has bestowed on us but we ignore them or don’t pay heed to.
Take away: Let’s show sincere gratitude for the blessings that Allah has gave us before Allah takes away those blessings from us. It’s a matter of one flash for Allah to turn us from able bodied to disabled. It will take Allah a single second earthquake to turn our palaces to debris.
It takes Allah a single Kun – be- to put a person into deadliest disease. If an animal is taken care of well he remembers it till death. We are humans and receive innumerable blessings from Allah, so what should be our level of gratitude. …infinite. So let’s realise this before death arrives as there is no U-turn in grave.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author.
The facts, analysis, assumptions and perspective appearing in the article do not reflect the views of GK.