Thankfulness to Allah - Qamar Islam Khan

Thankfulness to God is one of the highest virtues which a man could aspire for. It is easy to be thankful when one has got an easy life, a prospering business, a respectful job, and a happy family. It is a different story when things are not going as desired. Most of us, in such situations, remain obsessed with sorrow, forgetting countless bounties of God which we are bestowed with, even at the time of that tragedy. Perhaps it is this tendency which is mentioned in the Qur’an in these words: “And few amongst my servants are grateful. Allah says:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَيَرْضَى عَنْ الْعَبْدِ أَنْ يَأْكُلَ الْأَكْلَةَ فَيَحْمَدَهُ عَلَيْهَا أَوْ يَشْرَبَ الشَّرْبَةَ فَيَحْمَدَهُ عَلَيْهَا

“Verily, Allah is pleased with the servant who praises Him when he eats and he praises Him when he drinks.” (Sahih Muslim 2734)

God wants us to be thinking individuals. It is therefore not only important to audit what we have done but to plan for the future as well. We must plan for our time and money to live a purposeful life. Such a life is the main difference between animals and human beings. Otherwise, our life cycle is not much different. We are born, we eat and drink, grow, reproduce, and die. Allah says:

ثُمَّ لَآتِيَنَّهُم مِّن بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ وَعَنْ أَيْمَانِهِمْ وَعَن شَمَائِلِهِمْ وَلَا تَجِدُ أَكْثَرَهُمْ شَاكِرِينَ

“Then I will certainly come to them from before them and from behind them, and from the right-hand side and the left-hand side, and You (Allah) shall not find most of them thankful.” (Surah Al-Araf 7:17)

Islam is referred to as those who are wise, who possess a mature and comprehending intellect. Ironically, we humans are the only ones who forget to be grateful to Him. Be ever grateful to Allah for everything that you possess including your wealth, health, status, intellectual abilities, and life. Allah says:

تُسَبِّحُ لَهُ السَّمَاوَاتُ السَّبْعُ وَالْأَرْضُ وَمَن فِيهِنَّ وَإِن مِّن شَيْءٍ إِلَّا يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِهِ وَلَٰكِن لَّا تَفْقَهُونَ تَسْبِيحَهُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ حَلِيمًا غَفُورًا

“The seven heavens and the earth and all who dwell in them give glory to Him. There is not a single thing that is not chanting His praise yet you cannot understand their praise. He is ever forbearing, forgiving.” (Surah Al-Isra` 17:44)

Allah has blessed us with more things than we can count. Whether they are physical, emotional, psychological, financial or any other type of favours, we have been bestowed with them without having to ask and without any sort of payment. If one realizes this completely, it is indisputable that we must always be grateful to our Lord and Creator, Allah. Allah says:

وَإِن تَعُدُّوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَا إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

“And if you should count the Favors of Allah, not you could enumerate Indeed, Allah (is) Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Surah An-Nahl 16:18)

Thanks or gratitude means reciprocating kindness and giving praise to the one who has done good and kind things. The one who is most deserving of thanks and praise from people is Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, because of the great favours and blessings that He has bestowed upon His slaves in both spiritual and worldly terms. Allah says:

أَفَمَن يَخْلُقُ كَمَن لَّا يَخْلُقُ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ

“Then is He Who creates like one who (does) not creates? Then will you not remember?” (Surah An-Nahl 16:17)

If you appreciate Allah’s favours, He has promised increased Rahma or mercy for you. Allah’s reward for your gratitude is unlimited and unconditional. From the very beginning of the human being’s creation, the issue of gratefulness and thankfulness to Allah has been debated.

The Concept of Thankfulness in Islam:

Make the True Meaning of Thanking Allah
Receiving the Abundant Love from Allah
Keeping Ourselves Away from Shaytaan
Most people subconsciously thank God
Showing What True Worship Means
Shukr leads to Allah’s pleasure
As a Gratitude to Allah SWT
To Avoid Becoming Kufr
It Hugely Benefits Us
To be Successful in Life
Gaining Allah’s Pleasure
We thank Allah for our benefit
Getting Closer to Allah’s Mercy
Training the Patience in Difficulty
We can never count Allah’s Blessings
Back to the Purpose of Human Creation
Gratitude is the purpose of our creation
Shukr leads to abundance in Allah’s favours
Being grateful and patient in times of difficulty
Shukr is a quality of success in this life and the Hereafter

Reflect upon your own life and you will find innumerable occasions when Allah’s `hand’ has been holding you and helping you. So often, believers and even atheists subconsciously use the expression ‘Thank God’, without realizing the full implications of our words. Allah says:

كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوْنَ أُجُورَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَمَن زُحْزِحَ عَنِ النَّارِ وَأُدْخِلَ الْجَنَّةَ فَقَدْ فَازَ وَمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَتَاعُ الْغُرُورِ

“Every soul (will) taste [the] death, and only you will be paid in full of your reward (on the) Day (of) [the] Resurrection. Then whoever is drawn away from the Fire and admitted (to) Paradise surely he is successful. And not (is) the life (of) the world except enjoyment (of) delusion.” (Surah Al-Imran 3:185)

Allah explained in the Quran that the only people who truly worship Him are those who give gratitude to Him, so those who are not among the people of gratitude are not among the people of Ibadah (worship and obedience).

Allah Almighty says in The Holy Quran:

” If you are grateful, He is pleased with you…” (Az-Zumar 39:7)
“And be thankful to Me, and do not be ungrateful.” (Qur’an: 2:152)
“If you are grateful, I will surely give you more and more”. (Ibrahim 14:7)
“… and be grateful to All? h, if it is Him you worship.” (Al-Baqarah 2:172)
“A person can have nothing but what he or she strives for.” (Quran 53:39)
” And whoever is grateful, he is only grateful for the benefit of his himself.” (Luqman 31:12)
“Then I will certainly come to them from before them and from behind them, and from the right-hand side and the left-hand side, and You (Allah) shall not find most of them thankful.” (Al-Araf 7:17)
“Is, then, He Who creates comparable to any that cannot create? Will you not, then, take heed? For should you try to count Allah’s blessings, you could never compute them.” (An-Nahl 16:17-19)
“For surely if it was not for the grace of God on you and His mercy, you would have been among the losers.” (Al-Baqarah 2:64)
“He fought only to defend his peace sanctuary when God commanded it, even though he hated war.” (Quran 2:216)
“It is He Who brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers when you knew nothing; and He gave you hearing and sight and intelligence and affection: that you may give thanks (to Allah).” (An-Nahl, 16:78)
“Indeed God is the possessor of bounty for all people but most people do not give thanks.” (Al-Baqarah 2: 243)

Everything that happens to us – even events that we may consider to be personal afflictions or natural disasters-are from Allah. Therefore, in times of calamity and distress, there will be some good for us, provided we respond appropriately. Allah says:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَلْتَنظُرْ نَفْسٌ مَّا قَدَّمَتْ لِغَدٍ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ

“O you who believe! Consciously revere Allah and let look every soul what it has sent forth for tomorrow, and consciously revere Allah. Indeed, Allah (is) All-Aware of what you do.” (Surah Al-Hashr 59:18)

According to Islam, one of our foremost duties is to be grateful to God for all of His blessings. We can describe three levels of thankfulness. Be ever grateful to Allah for everything that you possess including your wealth, health, status, intellectual abilities, and life. Allah says:

وَاللَّهُ أَخْرَجَكُم مِّن بُطُونِ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ شَيْئًا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ وَالْأَفْئِدَةَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

“It is He Who brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers when you knew nothing; and He gave you hearing and sight and intelligence and affection: that you may give thanks (to Allah).” (Surah An-Nahl, 16:78)

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