“And [recall] when you said, “O Moses, we can never endure one [kind of] food. So call upon your Lord to bring forth for us from the earth its green herbs and its cucumbers and its garlic and its lentils and its onions.” [Moses] said, “Would you exchange what is better for what is less? Go into [any] settlement and indeed, you will have what you have asked.” And they were covered with humiliation and poverty and returned with anger from Allah [upon them…” Chapter 2 Al Baqarah, verse 61.
In a Hadith found in Sunan Ibn Majah, number 4142, the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, advised muslims to observe those who possess less worldly things than them instead of those who possess more as this will prevent them from becoming ungrateful.
Unfortunately, some incorrectly observe the lives of others which appear to be better than their own life. For example, normal people often observe celebrities and mistakenly believe their life is better. In most cases, this concept is not true. As people who appear to be in a better situation may well be facing difficulties which would make others not wish to trade places with them. An outsider will only observe things from one point of view. But if they could see the whole story they would realise everyone faces problems and no one has the perfect life irrespective of what their own or how famous they are. Often this misconception is caused by the media. But people fail to remember that the aim of the media is to paint a certain picture of the lives of celebrities which look appealing to read about. In most cases, if they only reported facts without sugar coating them the majority of their customers would turn away from them.
Muslims must avoid this false belief as it is a tool of the Devil who uses it to encourage people to become ungrateful over what they possess. The correct mind-set which has been advised in this Hadith will prevent one becoming ungrateful to Allah, the Exalted. Whenever a muslim feels ungrateful they should shift their focus to the countless people who are living in severe poverty and facing much greater hardships than them.
The grass is not greener on the other side of the fence it is in fact green enough on one’s own side. Chapter 2 Al Baqarah, verse 216:
“…But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah knows, while you know not.”
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