Ubayy ibn Ka’b reported: In regards to the saying of Allah Almighty, “As your Lord took from the children of Adam, from their loins, their progeny and He made them testify against themselves: Am I not your Lord?” (7:172). Adam, upon him be peace, looked at his progeny and he saw the rich and the poor, those with a beautiful appearance and otherwise. Adam said, “O Lord, why did You not provide the same to all Your servants?” Allah said, “Verily, I love to be thanked.”
Source: Musnad Aḥmad 21232
Grade: Hasan (fair) according to Al-Albani
Ibn al-Qayyim said, “If all of them were given equal amounts of blessings and well-being, the blessed one would not recognize its extent and not offer gratitude, as he would not see anyone but in the same situation as him. Among the strongest means of gratitude and greatest of them to extract it from the servant is that he sees others in a contrary situation to his.”
Source: Miftāḥ Dār al-Saʻādah 1/7
عَنْ أُبَيِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ فِي قَوْلِ اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَإِذْ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِن بَنِي آدَمَ مِن ظُهُورِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ وَأَشْهَدَهُمْ عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ أَلَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ ينظرُ آدم عليه السلامُ إلى ذُرِّيَّتَه فرأى الغنيَّ والفقيرَ وَحَسَنَ الصُّورَةِ وَدُونَ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ رَبِّ لَوْلَا سَوَّيْتَ بَيْنَ عِبَادِكَ قَالَ إِنِّي أَحْبَبْتُ أَنْ أُشْكَرَ
21232 مسند أحمد بن حنبل
118 المحدث الألباني خلاصة حكم المحدث حسن الإسناد موقوفا في تخريج مشكاة المصابيح
قال ابن القيم وَلَو تساووا جَمِيعهم فِي النِّعْمَة والعافية لم يعرف صَاحب النِّعْمَة قدرهَا وَلم يبْذل شكرها إِذْ لَا يرى احدا إِلَّا فِي مثل حَاله وَمن أقوى أَسبَاب الشُّكْر وَأَعْظَمهَا استخرجا لَهُ من العَبْد ان يرى غَيره فِي ضد حَاله
1/7 مفتاح دار السعادة