A way to get an increase in life without much effort

لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ

“….And if you are grateful, I will surely increase you….” Surah Ibrahim, ayah 7

Subhaanallah this ayah makes me feel so nostalgic. This is one of the first ayahs that I had learned in detail when I hadn’t known anything about tafseer or arabic. And Subhaanallah what an amazing ayah to start your Quran journey with, when you yourself are going through a hard time.

To appreciate this ayah let’s look at where these words were said and by whom. These words were actually said by Musa (AS) to his people, Bani Israel. And if you know the story of Bani Israel you would know that they were tormented in the time of Firaun. Bani Israel were enslaved by Fir’aun. He used to kill their baby boys every other year. This is very easy to say. But imagine the pain of the parents, who had to look at their babies being slaughtered right in front of their eyes, and not being able to do anything about it.

But by the Will of Allah, Bani Israel are saved from the clutches of Fir’aun when Musa (AS) parts the sea with his staff, and they walk across the sea while Fir’aun gets drowned.

After the whole ordeal, Musa (AS) is left with this huge number of people whose hearts are scarred. Scarred because of the suffering they had gone through for such a long time. And it’s not like all the problems are solved now. They are stuck in the middle of a desert with no utilities. They are likely to die after a few days because of the lack of food and water. So Musa (AS), being the messenger sent to them, has to address all of them. He has to tell them something that will give them hope and encourage them. What do you think he would say? To have patience? To accept the qadr of Allah? To be happy with what Allah decreed?

He says none of this. And instead, tells them about a promise that Allah revealed to him. He says

وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ ۖ وَلَئِن كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِي لَشَدِيدٌ

” And [remember] when your Master proclaimed, ‘If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]; but if you are ungrateful, indeed, My punishment is severe.’ ” Surah Ibrahim ayah 7

Wait, grateful? Wasn’t that the last thing that we were expecting? How can you expect a group of people who were tortured for years, whose babies were killed for such a long time, to be grateful? And now especially when they don’t even have their basic needs met. How in the world can they be grateful?

But through this promise Allah is teaching us a huge lesson. And the lesson is that we can’t have patience without some amount of gratitude. And no matter how hard the times are, there will always, always be something to be grateful for. And if we are grateful, what does Allah say. He says that He swt will absolutely and definitely increase you. I added those two words because of the Arabic of the ayah. The لَ and shahdhaa on the ن gives emphasis to the meaning of لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ. What Allah is saying is that even if we show a single instance of gratitude He will surely and absolutely increase us. Increase us in what? He swt did not specify it. Because different people need increase in different things. Some need in increase in wealth. Some need increase in iman and in guidance. Some need increase in health. Some need increase in knowledge, increase in wisdom, increase in contentment and all of it. And Allah is most knowing of what each and every one of us need increase in.

So if you are going through a hard time, think of the favours that your Master has already given you. Be it the roof over your head, the food on your plate, the other luxuries you have, the breath that you just took or the heart that is beating inside your chest. Think of them deeply and ask yourself how you would be without those favours that have already been given to you by your Master. Feel that moment of gratitude. And then be hopeful of the increase that your Master has promised you.

May Allah make us of those who are grateful to Him and hence make us worthy of being increased. Ameen!