An Attitude of Gratitude

Javeed Akhter

If we reflect upon it for a minute there is lots we all have to be thankful for. Much of it we take for granted; our life, health, children, knowledge and so on.

Islam strives to make people lose this complacency and be aware of their good fortunes. In the Qur'anic chapter titled Rahaman the flamboyant recurring refrain “and which of thy Lord’s favors will you deny?” is a direct allusion to the human flaw of taking things for granted.

Though not unique, the teaching that one should be thankful in every circumstance and strive to attain an attitude of gratitude, is central to Islamic way of thinking.

Gratitude may be expressed in many ways, like charity, and Sadaqa but above all by good deeds; by giving without expecting thanks in return.

A consequence of being thankful is optimism. It is an antidote to pessimism and depression.

Dr. Robert A. Emmons of the UC Davis has done interesting research on gratitude and its relation to happiness. Some of his findings were summarized in an op-ed in the Chicago Tribune recently. Those who kept gratitude journals and lists, felt better about their lives as a whole, and were more optimistic than those who recorded hassles or neutral life events. They were more likely to have made progress toward important personal goals (academic, interpersonal and health-based) over a two-month period compared with control groups. Young adult subjects self reported higher levels of positive states like enthusiasm, determination, attentiveness and energy. They were more likely to have helped someone with a personal problem or having offered emotional support to another.

In summary Emmons' research shows that inculcating and practicing gratitude resulted in higher reported levels of optimism, alertness, energy, enthusiasm and determination.

Salat, the Muslim prayer, is a gratitude exercise performed many times a day; sajada, prostration, is the ultimate symbol of gratitude.

Different stages of gratitude are recognized: The first level is gratitude for the favors one has received I life. A higher state is attained when one is grateful even if a wish is unfulfilled. Here one sees the blessing veiled in difficulty.

The Qur’anic verses from Fajr (89.15, 16) allude to both of these states; it considers both good and bad fortune as equal trials.

As for man, whenever his Lord tries him by honoring him, and is gracious unto him, he says: My Lord honors me. (15)
But whenever He tries him by straitening his means of life, he says: My Lord despises me. (16)

People who realize good fortune is as much of a trial as is difficulty and those who remain thankful, even in the face of hardship, have achieved an uncommon level of spirituality. They have attained the much coveted inner peace, the nirvana, the serenity of soul, the tranquility of heart that we all desire. The challenge is to remain content, even in adversity.

As a wise man once noted “A heart filled with thankfulness has no room for self-pity or despair.”

The Fort Hood Tragedy:

Need for Patience.

A major tragedy, like the horrific violent act by Major Hasan, brings to the best and the worst in people.

Even before we learned any of the details of the incident or the bio of the killer politicians like Joseph Lieberman were calling it the greatest act of Islamic terrorism since 9/11. Lieberman, who is in charge of homeland security, plans to launch an investigation even though he has pre judged the conclusions. Lieberman is joined in his shrill rhetoric by many in the media and a slew of right wing pundits.

Experts tell us that an act like this is multi-factorial in origin. It is becoming increasingly clear that Major Hasan’s actions may have been partially because he either was mentally ill or snapped under the stress of his personal circumstances. There are indications that he was increasingly ambivalent in fighting other Muslims. But it is not clear how much he was motivated by religious zeal. If he was then he has clearly a wrong and twisted understanding of Islam.

It is reported that he became increasingly reclusive after his parent’s death. His supervisors during the residency program worried about his becoming “psychotic.” It is hard to understand why they did not demand a psych evaluation. But we still do not know all the details. We need to wait till the army’s investigation is complete. This is not to condone or justify his actions or turn him into a victim; it is to understand what happened and learn from it.

Even a psychiatrist may have an incipient mental illness that is exacerbated by the stress of his work. This may be especially true if the work involves dealing with human tragedy like PTSD ad infinitum. Others in the army in positions similar to Hasan should be examined for warning signs of stress.

Not uncommonly a sudden and swift breakdown is the first overt sign of a mental illness. All too frequently early symptoms of a mental illness may be misconstrued as personality trait of being introverted or having poor social skills. The person suffering from mental illness, almost invariably, does not recognize that he is in trouble. Often family or close friends may not pick up on clues of an impending breakdown. Major Hasan appears to be a man who had few friends and a meager social support network.

There are contradictory reports that Hasan was stereotyped and even harassed. It would not be surprising if some stereotyping goes on in large institution like the army. A question to be looked at carefully is how the armed forces deal with stereotyping of minority groups like women, blacks, gays, Muslims and others.

It is important that a professional and unbiased analysis of all the factors involved be carried out. The army appears to be doing just that. The investigation should not be tarnished by the grandstanding of politicians or Islamophobes.

The words of General George Casey Jr., the Army chief of staff, provide much needed dose of sanity and objectivity when he pointed out that Hasan may have just “snapped” and cautioned against speculation about the soldier’s faith might “cause a backlash against some of our Muslim soldiers.” General Casey pointed out correctly that “it would be a shame if our (army’s) diversity became a casualty as well” of the tragedy. Casey’s words are wise and apply to our civil society as well. We are a nation committed to the ideals of fairness, justice, tolerance and above all E pluribus ununm.

Javeed Akhter, a physician, is founding member of a Chicago based Muslim American think tank “The International Strategy and Policy Institute.”
Cell: 630 567-5528
Home: 630 887-9242
Address 915 Midwest Club pkwy
Oak Brook, IL 60523