يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ٱتَّقُوا۟ رَبَّكُمُ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍۢ وَٰحِدَةٍۢ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًۭا كَثِيرًۭا وَنِسَآءًۭ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِى تَسَآءَلُونَ بِهِۦ وَٱلْأَرْحَامَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًۭا ١
O humanity! Be mindful of your Lord Who created you from a single soul, and from it He created its mate, and through both He spread countless men and women. And be mindful of Allah—in Whose Name you appeal to one another—and ˹honour˺ family ties. Surely Allah is ever Watchful over you. 4:1 Translation: Dr. Mustafa Khattab
It can be difficult to appreciate the gift of life when one’s life seems difficult, distressed, or even unwanted. How is life a gift when life causes one so much pain, hurt, and discomfort? It can be difficult to live through those moments of difficulty and remember that life is a gift when we no longer want to live when we find ourselves questioning why we should appreciate a life that we never asked for. But then one has to remember that the gift is not only about the receiver but it is also about the gift giver. We often say —when it comes to gifts between people, that, “It is the thought that counts.” Even if someone buys you an ugly sweater or a worthless trinket or some other gift that they thought you might like that you did not, you still appreciate the gift because the gift giver thought to give it to you. The gift giver gives from their heart, they give because they want to give. They give because of their joy, their love, and their connection to you. They give because they want to make you smile, they want to make you happy, they want to improve your life in some way, and they want to bring joy to your life in some way. Whatever the actual object is, it is first appreciated because it is. Because the gift was an option, not an obligation. A desire and not a necessity —a trinket of meaning and the hope of connection, not a need. That is a part of why the gift is special, not because of what it is but because of what it represents.
It’s the thought that counts because it’s the thought of you —the bringing of you to mind, that made that person moved to buy the gift. Allah, of course, is never wrong, and so this similarity of His gift —the gift of life, is ten times greater because we understand that unlike the gift giver who can gift wrongly Allah always gifts ‘rightly’. The gift of life to every single human being was purposeful, intentional, meaningful, valuable, and meant for the good of each and every individual. That Allah thought of us, created us, and put us into this universe in and of itself gives life meaning before our actual lives can ever give us meaning.
Whether our relationships give us joy, whether our work gives us meaning, whether our existence on earth is pleasant or miserable, the fact that we are alive is a gift wrapped up in meaning because it is a manifestation of the love, the care, and the honor of the gift giver. Many of us go through dark times and the taking of one’s own life seems to be an increased contemplation and an increased manifestation in modern society. But we must remember that life is a gift even when it doesn’t feel like it, that like the ugly sweater your aunt gifts you during the holidays, it is the thought that counts. It is the giver that counts and the relationship which they attempt to cultivate. And Allah is so much greater than that, we have to trust that even in our darkest moments life is a gift because of the thought, the love, the mercy, and the kindness of the gift giver. We have to see past our momentary pain through to Allah’s intention, that alone will remind us that life is a gift even when it feels like a curse.
Photo by Gaelle Marcel on Unsplash
______
Related:
- In the Absence of Meaning https://bythefigandtheolive.com/absenceofmeaning/
- Alienation and Return (1) https://bythefigandtheolive.com/alienation
- Alienation and Return (2) https://bythefigandtheolive.com/alienationandreturn2/
Consider subscribing to our newsletter Afterthoughts for more posts and our weekly newsletter, paid subscriptions to help to support our work. Subscribe for a free or paid subscription here. Also, be sure to join our Telegram and follow our Instagram.
Recent Comments