This teaching reminds us that every sense, limb and faculty is a gift from Allah, given so that we may serve one another. Yet we often focus on what seems to be missing – an arm, an eye, a foot – and let it breed contempt instead of gratitude. The message asks us to change our view: when we meet someone who lacks a hand, an ear or any other faculty, let us become that missing part for them, with support, compassion and sincere respect.
Divine gifts and the call to gratitude
Allah says that He has given us hands, eyes, ears, tongues, minds and countless other blessings. They are not merely tools; they are invitations to praise Him (hamd) and to recognise our dependence on His generosity. The teaching recalls Ottoman examples. The famous seafarer Oruç Reis – known as “Baba Oruç” – lost an arm in battle yet went on commanding fleets and conquering islands. He was not cast aside for his disability but celebrated as a hero: physical loss does not diminish a person’s worth or capacity to serve.
When we judge others by their apparent deficits – calling them “useless,” “unfit for service” or “unable to defend the homeland” – we deny Allah’s mercy, and such judgments wound deeper than any injury. Instead, let us thank Allah for our own wholeness and become the missing hand, eye, ear or foot for those who lack it.
Living the lesson together
- See each of our senses and abilities as a reason to praise Allah.
- Offer practical help – listening, lending a hand, sharing knowledge – to those whose faculties are limited.
- Change attitudes that push people with disabilities aside, remembering the Ottoman heroes who thrived despite impairments.
Then gratitude becomes an active practice rather than a passive feeling, and we build a community in which every member feels valued.
To deepen your understanding of such teachings in a circle of seekers, join our live meetings: https://royalottomans.com/live-meetings.
