Reasons for the Decrease of Blessings in the Home
There are several factors that contribute to the loss of blessings in a Muslim household. These factors include:
- Eating Separately: Consuming meals separately can lead to a reduction in blessings. This practice necessitates that each family member uses their own dish, which causes the food to be fragmented and the blessings to diminish. In contrast, when all family members share a meal from a single dish, greater blessings are likely to be present.
This emphasizes the importance of communal meals, as families should strive to eat together from one dish, regardless of their numbers. Additionally, neglecting to recite the name of Allah before meals and failing to instill this practice in children can also result in a decrease in blessings.
- Failure to Thank Allah for Blessings: Expressing gratitude to Allah for His blessings and joyfully acknowledging His favors is highly encouraged in Islam. Allah says: “If you are grateful, I will surely increase your favor.” Neglecting to express gratitude can lead to a decline in growth, goodness, and blessings.
- Neglecting Greetings Upon Entering the Home: Allah has mandated greetings as a means to obtain mercy, blessings, and prosperity. Greetings invoke goodwill and are considered pleasing words in the eyes of Allah. The Quran states: “A greeting from Allah, blessed and good.” Thus, failing to greet upon entering the home can lead to a loss of blessings.
- Engaging in Excessive Sins and Neglecting the Remembrance of Allah: One of the primary reasons for scarcity of sustenance and blessings is indulging in sins and neglecting the remembrance of Allah, along with failing to follow His commands and avoid His prohibitions.
Islamic Evidence Indicating Reasons for the Decrease of Blessings
Numerous prophetic traditions and Quranic verses address the causes behind the decrease in blessings. Some of these include:
- Reported by Wahshi bin Harb from his father and grandfather that the companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) asked, “O Messenger of Allah, we eat but are never satisfied.” The Prophet replied, “Perhaps you eat separately?” They affirmed, and he said, “Gather together for your meal and mention Allah’s name; it will be blessed for you.”
- According to Jabir bin Abdullah, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “When a man enters his house and remembers Allah upon entering and at his meal, the devil says: ‘You have no place to stay, nor dinner.’ But if he does not mention Allah upon entering, the devil says: ‘You have found a place to stay, and if he does not remember Allah at his meal, he says: ‘You have found a place to stay and dinner.’
- The Prophet (peace be upon him) stated: “Indeed, Allah tests the servant with what He has given him; if he is content with what Allah has apportioned, he will receive blessings and provisions. However, if he is discontent, there will be no blessings, and he will not receive more than what has been decreed for him.”
- Allah says: “If the people of the towns had believed and feared [Allah], We would have opened upon them blessings from the heavens and the earth.”
Remedies for the Decrease of Blessings
The remedy lies in the Muslim family being conscious of their Lord, believing in Him, and expressing gratitude for His blessings, in accordance with Allah’s statement: “And [mention] when your Lord proclaimed: ‘If you are grateful, I will surely increase your favor; but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe.” Additionally, families should turn to Allah in prayer and supplication as a means to invite blessings into their lives.
In the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), there is an excellent role model; he often prayed for blessings in his provisions, saying: “Guide me alongside those You have guided, and bless me in what You have granted.” Furthermore, families should practice contentment and satisfaction with Allah’s gifts and maintain family ties, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever wishes to have his provision expanded or his lifespan extended, let him maintain the ties of kinship.”