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The bounties of Allah - used or abused?

"Be!" Said He, and the world into being came.

Were He to say: "Be not!" All would be gone again.

He created us from a drop of water, gave us eyes to see and ears to hear as well as endowing us with the power of reflection, the capacity for understanding. These are hardly things of small account, yet we do belittle them ungratefully. At best, our attitude is very puny. True gratitude for the bounties we have received do not consist in pronouncing the formula "Thanks, O Lord," is a ritual utterance and does constitute actual gratitude toward Allah. The body shows its gratitude to Allah by standing, bowing and prostrating in prayer, by glorifying him and by proclaiming his Uniqueness and Oneness, by humbling its face in the dust in recognition of its servitude and impotence before the Lord of All Worlds. We show gratitude for the eye we have been given by seeing nothing but the Truth, by looking at everything with a view to learning some lesson. In the case of the ear, gratitude means listening to the word of God and always attending to the cause of speech rather than the speaker, whoever he may be. Preserving one's decency and virtue shows gratitude for beauty. For every bounty we receive there is an appropriate expression of gratitude. If it is material, spending it wisely. If it is knowledge, giving, teaching and instruction. If it is office and rank, acting with justice and getting restitution for the victim from his oppressor. Unless we demonstrate gratitude in these ways the bounties we receive will prove to be misfortunes. When called to account, we shall have to pay the penalty for our ingratitude and Allah knows best about what consequences lies ahead.