World Blog by humble servant.Definitions of blessing.

Blessings

[14:34] And He gives you all kinds of things that you implore Him for. If you count GOD’s blessings, you can never encompass them. Indeed, the human being is transgressing, unappreciative.

[16:18] If you count GOD’s blessings, you cannot possibly encompass them. GOD is Forgiver, Most Merciful.

Definitions of blessing:

1. God’s favor and protection

2. A prayer asking for God’s favor and protection

3. A beneficial thing for which one is grateful

The first definition, God’s favor and protection, is God’s mercy. His mercy allows the universes to exist, and He constantly maintains their existence. 7:156 teaches us that God’s mercy encompasses all things. Therefore, every second of every minute of every hour is a blessing of God’s mercy. God informs us in 14:34 and 16:18, God’s blessings are uncountable.

The second definition, a prayer asking for God’s favor and protection, includes all kinds of things we implore God for.

These blessings are things provided to us apart from God’s all-encompassing mercy such as maintaining gravity so we don’t float up into space, or sending down water from the sky to revive the land, etc. These particular blessings could be things like enabling us to make contact with the Creator by establishing Salat, or having the means to fix or buy a vehicle for transportation. As stated in 14:34, these blessings are things God gives us that we are imploring to receive. We learn in 17:11, the human being often prays for things that hurt us. Therefore, God does not just give us what we ask for; He gives us exactly what we need as we need it.

Johnnie Ellington II

The third definition, a beneficial thing for which one is grateful combines the first two definitions with an action of appreciation. Everything God gives us—whether it is gravity, water, Salat, or physical property—is beneficial to us. The added word, grateful, defines that we should appreciate our blessings all of the time, and therefore appreciate God all of the time.

God willing, we can eliminate drama and negativity in our lives with constant thanks and appreciation

to God for the number of blessings we can count. Since we never could encompass them, we would not have time to object to the things we do not understand. We would be constantly thanking God for the blessings He is giving us.

God granted me blessings of knowledge and faith, thank you God.

[30:56] Those who are blessed with knowledge and faith will say, “You have lasted, according to GOD’s decree, until the Day of Resurrection. Now, this is the Day of Resurrection, but you failed to recognize it.”

God willing, I would like to take you back to my childhood. February 21, 1975, was a time in my life I could not speak, read, or write spiritually I was dead. Thank God, He provided me with hearing, eyesight, and brains so I could learn from all the things around me. This learning process was a blessing although the outcomes were not always good for others or me.

When I was kid, Mom used to babysit other people’s kids.

Johnnie Ellington II

Using my eyesight and brains, I learned she put things up high but some kids would try to climb.God, a blessing of knowledge how to "overcome obstacles.

Johnnie Ellington II

I began to use the knowledge of words.

Johnnie Ellington II

The most important knowledge I received as a child was the existence of a Creator. The first two commandments of the Old Testament, worshiping only God and do not make idols, were the foundation of my  belief system. Thank You God, a blessing of knowledge that could provide eternal life in Paradise.

Johnnie Ellington II

More blessings! God granted me blessings of a messenger, scripture, and wisdom to bless me with a purification process and teach me what I never knew, thank You God.

[2:151] (Blessings) such as the sending of a messenger from among you to recite our revelations to you, purify you, teach you the scripture and wisdom, and to teach you what you never knew.

I remember getting a Bible as a gift in my younger teen years, which was when I began reading scripture. When I was reading I was amazed with Jesus’s life. During this time, I realized what kind of lifestyle was required to achieve a high standard of human morals. I read the New Testament for several years, and then around the age of 18, I began to read the Old Testament. Astonished by the historical accounts of the miracles that took place, I read the entire Bible. God had blessed me with scripture.

Johnnie Ellington II

By God’s leave, I began studying the Bible and finding contradictions. God inspired me to ask questions. Shortly after, God presented the Quran to me. I continued my study, compared both books, and concluded the Quran is the scripture I needed to implement in my life. Such a blessing.

Living my life as a traditionalist for approximately 20 years, there was an unsettling sense of overwhelming ritualism. I became discouraged many times, feeling it was an impossible task to keep up with all the rituals to achieve Paradise. I fell on and off that path until God blessed me with wisdom.

Johnnie Ellington II

These blessings are just the base of many other blessings God has been showering upon me. Using the Quran I looked up more things God names as blessings and that He has already given me. God blessed me with: the correct way to perform religious duties of Salat, Zakat, Hajj, and Ramadan, joy (3:15), reconciling my heart to turn enemies into friends (3:103), protection from aggressors (5:11), kindness to believers, sternness with disbelievers, and striving in the cause of God without fear of any blame (5:54), good provisions (10:93), moral character (68:4), contentment (47:5), children & grandchildren (16:72), shelter and garments (16:81), resources (24:22), and many, many, many other blessings that I can never encompass.

Johnnie Ellington II

God willing, I will not forget that God is pouring a never-ending string of blessings upon me. God tells us we need to remember His blessings for success in 7:69, and He is strict in retribution with those who disregard them in 2:211.

I would like to close with another verse in the Quran that we can use to implore God for blessings.

[3:194] “Our Lord, shower us with the blessings You promised us through Your messengers, and do not forsake us on the Day of Resurrection. You never break a promise.Johnnie Ellington II

We see the faults of others more easily than our own. We also tend to talk about and highlight people’s mistakes more often than their good works. Indeed, we do not show the same keenness to appreciate people when they do good, as we do to criticize them. As an old saying goes:

Once I did bad and that I heard ever.

Twice I did good, but that I heard never.

Johnnie Ellington II

Believers’ Trait

By definition, believers are appreciative of God’s blessings to them. It is their trait. It is a distinguishing quality from the disbelievers. They value God and whatever He provides for them. A good family and caring friends, beautiful brothers and sisters in faith. A community that they can rely on.

All the material or spiritual blessings that God bestowed on them, no matter how little or how abundant. They are thankful to God.

The Quran teaches us that God increases His blessings to people and communities when they are appreciative of the blessings they receive. On the other hand, an unappreciative state of mind is associated with disbelief in God and will lead people to an eventual loss, both in this life and in the Hereafter.

Your Lord has decreed: “The more you thank Me, the more I give you. But if you tum unappreciative, then My retribution is severe.” [14:7]

Johnnie Ellington II

Count God’s Blessings

Even those of us who are not as fortunate as some others in this material life can find many things in our lives to be thankful for. Just looking at ourselves should be enough. Do we have eyes with which we can see? Do we have ears with which we can hear? Tongues we can speak and taste with? Legs we can walk with? Lungs we can breathe with? Think about all the organs, small or large, external or internal, that make up our body, and are functioning without giving us any trouble, in accordance with God’s design. Think about the countless red and white blood cells running around in our veins to keep us going. They busily work in their designated jobs day and night for as long as we live.

Think about the air we breathe. We do not have to carry an oxygen tank on our backs to get the air we need. How difficult it would have been for us then. Imagine people lining up to refill their tanks in oxygen stations. God made the air freely available. We should be thankful to Him for His infinite mercy.

Johnnie Ellington II

How about the sun and the moon, and the stars God has put for our service. Nights He has designed for our rest. Days He has made for us to provide sustenance. The seasons. The rain. The snow. The oceans, the mountains, the trees, the animals … The list of God’s provisions and blessings is virtually endless.

Do you not see that God has committed in your service everything in the heavens and the earth, and has showered you with His blessings—obvious and hidden? Yet, some people argue about God without knowledge, without guidance, and without the enlightening scripture. [31:20]

Johnnie Ellington II

And He gives you all kinds of things that you implore Him for. If you count God’s blessings, you can never encompass them. Indeed, the human being is transgressing, unappreciative. [14:34]One of the most neglected virtues of our daily existence is appreciation. We often take our parents, spouses, children, brothers and sisters, good friends... so much for granted that we rarely let them know we appreciate them.

Similarly, all the blessings from God, material or otherwise, may become so much a part of our livelihood that we tend to forget their existence in our lives. Unfortunately, it is our tendency not to appreciate things until something happens to them. But it may be too late then.

Why not appreciate God’s blessings to us when we can? Why not take the time and reflect on what God has bestowed on us? Not only once a year, on Thanksgiving day, or during some religious days, but much more often. Every day, every possible moment of our lives. We should reflect and thank God for His blessings, and also show our appreciation to the people that we love. If we do, we will be appreciated by these people, but more importantly by God, who promises to give us more because we value His blessings.