That lesson is the very same lesson Allah teaches us in the Qur’an. Allah says: "And He giveth you of all that ye ask for. But if ye count the favors of Allah, never will ye be able to number them. Verily, man is given up to injustice and ingratitude." (14:34)

So, Allah teaches us that we could never count His blessings — no matter how many lifetimes we spent compiling lists.

For many of us, Allah has given beautiful homes, wealth, food, children, spouses and health, to name just a few of his gifts. Even when Allah takes one of these blessings away, He gives immeasurable amounts of another. Even if we were starving — with no home, no children and no wealth, but were given the gift of sight, we would still possess a priceless treasure. And as believers, if we were to lose every single blessing we own, we would still hold the greatest gift ever given to man – the gift of al-Islam.

Prophet Ibrahim said it so beautifully: "… Lord and Cherisher of the Worlds; Who created me, and it is He Who guides me; Who gives me food and drink, And when I am ill, it is He Who cures me; Who will cause me to die, and then to life (again); And who, I hope, will forgive me my faults on the day of Judgment." (Qur’an, 26:77-82)

With all these blessings of Allah showered on us with each breath we take, how could we ever repay them? How could we repay Allah for giving us the air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink, and the faith that keeps our hearts alive? These are gifts that we could never repay Allah for. Allah does not need us, Allah is far above any need. All Allah asks from us, in exchange for these blessings, is gratitude.

And for those who do show gratitude, He promises even more. Allah says in the Quran: "And remember! your Lord caused to be declared (publicly): "If ye are grateful, I will add more (favours) unto you; But if ye show ingratitude, truly My punishment is terrible indeed." (14:7)

So the formula is simple. Those who show gratitude will have more favors showered upon them. For those who show ingratitude, the result is punishment. In fact, this formula can be seen clearly in human life.

A study conducted by Emmons and McCullough in 2003 found that people who were "consciously more grateful" felt better about their lives, were more optimistic, were more enthusiastic, were more likely to have helped someone else and actually had fewer illnesses.

So, the effects of gratitude or ingratitude are not just saved for the hereafter. The effects are felt right here, right now. For those who are ungrateful, their first punishment is internal. An ungrateful person can never be happy. What many people fail to realize is that happiness and contentment are never found in external things. Happiness can only be found on the inside. And if there was only one ingredient to true happiness, it would be gratitude.

But how do we show this gratitude to Allah for all that He has blessed us with? In fact, the greatest way to show gratitude is through obedience. What greater show of gratitude could there be than to use the gifts we are given in a way that would please the giver? And what greater show of ingratitude could there be than to use the gifts we are given in a way that angers the giver? What greater show of ingratitude could there be than to use the gift of sight in a way that angers Allah? What greater show of ingratitude could there be than to use the gift of health to sin against Allah, or the gift of speech to curse Allah?

It is important to note that the very same Arabic word denotes both ingratitude and disbelief. The word "kufr," which literally means "covering up," is used to express the covering of faith, as well as the covering of Allah’s blessings.

The opposite of that type of kufr is "shukr" — gratitude. And there is no better example of how to show that shukr to Allah than the example of our beloved Prophet Muhammad, (PBUH).

Ayesha reported: "The Prophet used to offer prayers at night (for such a long time) that his feet used to crack. I said, ‘O Allah’s Apostle! Why do you do it since Allah has forgiven you your faults of the past and those to follow?’ He said, "Shouldn’t I love to be a grateful servant?" (Bukhari)

So the Prophet (PBUH) would stand in prayer, even to the extent that he would suffer pain, not out of fear of punishment or desire to expiate sins. He did it for no other reason than to show love and gratitude to the One whose blessings could never be contained by all our lists combined.