A Journey Through the Blessings : Infancy, Care, and Early Childhood

O Allah,

After You brought me into this world, You did not leave me to take care of myself.

I came into this life weak and completely dependent. I knew nothing about the world around me, and I could not take care of even my simplest needs.

Yet You surrounded me with Your mercy and provided for me in ways I could neither understand nor ask for.

O Allah,

You gave me nourishment when I was unable to feed myself.

You provided milk suited to my weakness and my needs.

When I became hungry, I did not know how to say, “I am hungry.”

So You gave me another way to express my need.

I cried.

When I was hungry, I cried.

When I was in pain, I cried.

When I was frightened, I cried.

When I needed to be held, I cried.

Even my crying, which I did not understand, became a language through which those around me could understand my needs.

O Allah,

You gave me people who carried me in their arms, held me close, comforted me, and watched over me while I slept.

You gave me people who rejoiced at my first smile, my first word, and my first steps.

I did not understand the meaning of their happiness.

I did not understand how much effort and care they were giving me.

I slept peacefully while someone else stayed awake to take care of me.

I woke up and found food waiting for me.

I found someone to carry me.

Someone to keep me warm.

Someone to clean me.

Someone to protect me.

Someone to comfort me.

O Allah,

How dependent I was upon them.

And how completely You were the One who placed them in my life and enabled them to care for me.

Then, little by little, You began to teach me.

My eyes began to recognize the things around me.

My ears began to recognize sounds.

My hands began to touch and explore objects.

I began to discover the world around me.

Then I learned to sit.

Then to stand.

Then to walk.

Then to run.

Then to speak.

O Allah, how many abilities that seem ordinary to me today were extraordinary gifts at the beginning of my life!

I did not know how to lift my head, and You enabled me to do so.

I did not know how to sit, and You gave me the ability to sit.

I did not know how to stand, and You gave me strength to stand.

I did not know how to walk, and You gave me the ability to walk.

I did not know how to speak, and You gave me a tongue, hearing, understanding, and the ability to communicate.

Then my memory began to develop.

My mind began to learn.

My personality began to take shape.

O Allah,

I began learning the names of the things around me, yet You were the One who had given me the ability to learn in the first place.

I began learning language, yet You were the One who gave me my mind, my hearing, my tongue, and my ability to understand.

I learned from the people around me, yet You were the One who gave human beings the ability to teach and to learn.

I was discovering the world without realizing that, with every discovery, I was encountering another one of Your blessings.

O Allah,

You gave me a home.

You gave me a place to sleep.

You gave me food to eat.

You gave me clothes to wear.

You gave me people who cared for me when I became sick.

When illness came, I did not know what it was or how it could be treated.

Yet You caused those around me to seek care for me.

When I fell and was hurt, You gave me someone to comfort me.

When I was frightened, You gave me someone to reassure me.

When I cried, You gave me someone to wipe away my tears.

When I was happy, You gave me someone to share my happiness.

O Allah, You surrounded my childhood with care that I was not even capable of asking for.

Then I began discovering many things:

Colors.

Sounds.

Words.

Places.

Food.

People.

The sky.

The earth.

Plants.

Animals.

And as my knowledge of the world expanded, my awareness of Your blessings should have expanded with it.

But I was a child who did not yet know how to give thanks.

I used Your blessings without thinking about the One who had given them to me.

I used my eyes without thinking about the One who had given me sight.

I used my ears without thinking about the One who had given me hearing.

I spoke without thinking about the One who had given me the ability to speak.

I walked, ran, and played without thinking about the One who had given me strength and movement.

I ate, drank, slept, and woke without thinking about the One who kept me alive.

O Allah, I was living surrounded by Your blessings, while my awareness of them was so small.

Yet You did not withhold Your blessings from me because of my lack of gratitude.

You did not say, “Since you do not thank Me, I will no longer give you.”

Instead, You continued to bless me.

You continued to feed me.

You continued to give me drink.

You continued to protect me.

You continued to let me grow.

You continued to teach me.

You continued to surround me with Your mercy.

O Allah, when I look back at my childhood today, I realize that I was surrounded by Your mercy before I understood what mercy was, and surrounded by Your blessings before I understood what a blessing was.

So praise belongs to You for my childhood.

Praise belongs to You for those who cared for me.

Praise belongs to You for food and drink.

Praise belongs to You for sleep and rest.

Praise belongs to You for health and strength.

Praise belongs to You for hearing, sight, speech, and movement.

Praise belongs to You for shelter, safety, and care.

Praise belongs to You for every hand that reached out to care for me.

Praise belongs to You for every heart in which You placed mercy toward me.

And praise belongs to You for every blessing I enjoyed without even realizing that it was a blessing.

O Allah, I was weak, and You protected me.

I was ignorant, and You taught me.

I was helpless, and You strengthened me.

I was in need, and You provided for me.

I was unaware of Your blessings, yet You continued to shower them upon me despite my heedlessness.

So how could I not praise You?

How could I forget Your generosity?

And how could I ever count all the blessings You have bestowed upon me?