“…Call to mind that He made you inheritors after the people of Noah, and gave you great stature among the nations. Call to mind the benefits from God, that you may flourish.” 7:69

“It is We Who have placed you with authority on earth, and provided you with means for the fulfillment of your life. Little is the thanks that you give.” 7:10

“One day We will call together all human beings with their leaders. Those who are given their record in their right hand will read it, and will not be dealt with unjustly in the least.” 17:71

As President, on October 3, 1789, George Washington made the following proclamation and created the first Thanksgiving Day designated by the national government of the United States of America:

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor, and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me “to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.”

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be. That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks, for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation, for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war, for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed, for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions, to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually, to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed, to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord.

To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and Us, and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best. Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

“But it has already been revealed to you, as it was to those before you, ‘If you were to join gods with God, truly fruitless will be your work, and you will surely be in the ranks of those who lose.’  No, but worship God, and be of those who give thanks.” 39:65-66

 ”…He created the sun, the moon, and the stars, all governed by laws under His command. Is it not His to create and to govern? Blessed is God, Guardian Evolver of all the systems of knowledge.” 7:54

It can be a little counterintuitive to think of God as blessed. Perhaps what makes this concept difficult to immediately understand is that we are not used to hearing God being impressed or effected. So if nothing can affect God, and nothing and no one can bless God, then how is God blessed?

Maybe He blessed Himself.

Or, more likely, He has always been blessed. And maybe out of His Humility and Thankfulness (35:30), He recognizes His Blessing (7:54), and is Big enough (13:9) to bear witness to it (12:66) and to set an example (33:62) for us to recognize that we too are blessed.

What do you think? Post a comment.

I once interpreted verses like the following to mean that our body dies but we as souls do not…

Do not think of those who are slain in Allah’s way as dead, no they live, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Evolver. 3:169

But now I am considering the possibility that verses like 3:169 are about the soul after it has died and been brought back to life. This notion that the soul dies comes in light of verses like these…

He said, “There you will live, and there you will die, but from it will you be taken out.” 7:25

How can you ignore Allah, seeing that you were without life, and He gave you life? Then He will cause you to die, and will again bring you to life, and again to Him will you return. 2:28

So yes, we as souls will die, but we will live again. Except perhaps those hell-bent, as these verses imply…

Indeed he who returns to his Lord as a wrong-doer, for him is hell. Therein will he neither die nor live. 20:74

Who will enter the great fire, 87:12

In which they will then neither die nor live. 87:13

But those who reject Allah, for them will be the fire of hell. No term will be determined for them, so that they can die, nor will its penalty be lightened for them. This is how We reward every ungrateful one. 35:36

Verses like these make me think that perhaps the possibility of the soul remaining dead may be another punishment awaiting those who die in the wrong.

These verses about hell also make me wonder if the lack of peace, joy, and heaven in our present life indicate that we in fact are not really living at all?

And still the question remains, what happens to us as good souls when we die? Are we unconscious, and dead to all reality? I guess we will find out.

What do you think? Post a comment.

We’ve all heard the saying, “Misery loves company”, but is it true? Do unhappy people like other people to be unhappy too?

I think a moral of this story in Surah 7 is yes, “Misery does love company”.

7:13 Allah said, “Get you down from this. It is not for you to be arrogant here. Get out, for you are most arrogant.”
7:16 He said, “Because you have thrown me out of the way, I will lie in wait for them on your straight way.
7:18 Allah said, “Get out from here, disgraced and expelled. If any of them follow you, hell will I fill with you all.