Giving Thanks For Abundance Is Sweeter Than The Abundance Itself

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 20 April 2023 Whenever I feel down in the dumps, it's one of the Masnavis or quotes by the great Rumi that comes to pull me out of the morass. One such gem of a thought is: Giving thanks for abundance is sweeter than the abundance itself. One should be aware of the context of this beautiful thought. Jalaluddin Rumi and Shams-e-Tabriz were soulmates. Shams was older than Rumi by 22 years as the former was born in 1185 CE and the latter in 1207 CE. Shams had the habit of suddenly disappearing without intimating Rumi. When he did this for the first time, Rumi went mad and he stopped eating. Shams came back after a fortnight. The overjoyed Rumi hugged him and thanked god as well as Shams for returning. He told Shams that while he was elated to see him, his palms got automatically clasped ( Nighafat in Pahalavi) to thank the Almighty for bringing Shams back. What a beautiful expression, Nighafat! A natural desire and an involuntary action to be grateful for whatever one has. And this spontaneous sense of gratitude exceeds the abundance one has. During Ramzan or Lent, the importance of showing gratitude to Allah or the Universe is particularly common and emphasised. Et bent minkoor dee ben abli ( to be grateful is to be plentiful) is a Turkish adage that articulates the value of being thankful. The ambit of gratitude is wider than one can think of. To be thankful to fellow humans is also gratitude and an exercise in universal connectivity. Mansoor al-Hallaj showed his thankfulness to those who were peeling his skin off. Sufi Sarmast held the blade of the sword and thanked his executioner. Psychologists believe that ever gratefulness can help one get rid of many hidden ailments. A sense of gratitude fills the heart with an all-pervasive blissfulness, so much so that even material abundance pales in comparison. Gratitude is a magnet that attracts greater abundance. To be thankful is to be conscious of all that you've. It's a key to existence and the essence of transcendence. ----- A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/thanks-abundance-sweeter/d/129608 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism