As salaamu alaikum wa Rahmat Allah wa Barakatuh!
Many Muslims tell me that they feel unappreciated. Sisters feel unappreciated by their husbands, children, parents. Brothers feel unappreciated by their wives, children, family, employer. Children feel unappreciated by their parents. Parents feel unappreciated by their children. Well, here's a viewpoint.
To feel unappreciated, you must be seeking the appreciation, thankfulness, gratefulness of PEOPLE, and they don't express it well enough for you.
As Muslims, we need to think about WHY we do things. Are we acting to get appreciation from those around us, or are we acting to fulfill our duty to Allah, subhaana wa taala, and earn His pleasure? Truly, can we ever feel unappreciated by Allah, azza wa jal? His reward system is overwhelming! His incentives for obeying Him are irresistable!
It is reported that Al-Fudayl b. ‘Ayyâd said:
If you can be unknown, be so; it doesn’t matter if you are not known and it doesn’t matter if you are not praised. It doesn’t matter if you are blameworthy according to people if you are praiseworthy with Allâh the Mighty and Majestic.
Al-Bayhaqî, Al-Zuhd Al-Kabîr p100.
Masha'Allah, I never feel unappreciated because I perform my acts to please Allah, as part of my "Jennah account". And I always try to show appreciation to others who are fulfilling their duties to Allah because I remember the hadith that the one who doesn't thank the people, hasn't thanked Allah. It ends up being a circle; I feel appreciated and I show appreciation.
Bottom line: do everything to earn Allah's pleasure alone, including giving thanks for all the good that is done for you. Then you will find that you are shown appreciation both from Allah and the people, insha'Allah.
mashallah i remember reading this post when you had it posted on the old azj ning site
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