بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Gratitude is not only the heart and essence of Islam, it is also the key to attracting abundance, prosperity, peace and success.
وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ ۖ وَلَئِن كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِى لَشَدِيدٌ ﴿٧
And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed, 'If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]; but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe.' (7) [Qur'an, Ibrahim 14:7]
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam continually reminded the believers to be ever grateful to our Lord, and the term shaakir, meaning “one who is grateful,” is often used in Islam as a name of great honor among Muslims.
The Qur’an time and again emphasizes that gratitude is essential to Islamic character, and that exercising gratitude is the means to greater abundance.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam would often spend long hours in prayer and dhikr deep into the night. Once, his wife Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) asked him, “Messenger of Allah, surely any mistakes you may have made are forgiven, as are any you may make — why do you stand in prayer so much?” He simply smiled and replied, “Shall I not be a grateful servant?”
Be ever grateful to Allah for everything you have, including your parents, your family, your teachers, your wealth, your health, status, your intellectual abilities, your life.
We can never count Allah's blessings. Allah Most High says,
أَفَمَن يَخْلُقُ كَمَن لَّا يَخْلُقُ ۗ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ ﴿١٧﴾ وَإِن تَعُدُّوا۟ نِعْمَةَ ٱللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَآ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَغَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌ ﴿١٨
Then is He who creates like one who does not create? So will you not be reminded? (17) And if you should count the favors of Allah, you could not enumerate them. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. (18) [Qur'an, An-Nahl 16:17-18]
The opposite of Shukr (gratitude) is Kufr (disbelief). In many places in the Qur'an, Allah compares the terms shukr and kufr.
فَٱذْكُرُونِىٓ أَذْكُرْكُمْ وَٱشْكُرُوا۟ لِى وَلَا تَكْفُرُونِ ﴿١٥٢
So remember Me; I will remember you. And be grateful to Me and do not deny Me. (152) [Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:152]
Iman (belief) implies shukr or gratefulness as opposed to kufr or ungratefulness. A disbeliever is ungrateful to the Being Who has given him everything, whereas a Believer is one who is ever thankful for all that Allah has given him.
Shukr is a quality of success in this life and in the Hereafter.
It was narrated that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said: "There are four qualities, whoever is given them has truly been given the best in this world and the next. They are: a grateful heart (that is thankful to Allah), a remembering tongue (that mentions Allah often), an enduring body (to persevere through the trials), and a believing wife that helps him with his faith."
Allah explained in the Qur'an 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).
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُلُوا۟ مِن طَيِّبَـٰتِ مَا رَزَقْنَـٰكُمْ وَٱشْكُرُوا۟ لِلَّهِ إِن كُنتُمْ إِيَّاهُ تَعْبُدُونَ ﴿١٧٢
O you who have believed, eat from the good things which We have provided for you and be grateful to Allah if it is [indeed] Him that you worship. (172) [Qur'an, al-Baqarah 2:172]
وَٱللَّهُ أَخْرَجَكُم مِّنۢ بُطُونِ أُمَّهَـٰتِكُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ شَيْـًٔا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلسَّمْعَ وَٱلْأَبْصَـٰرَ وَٱلْأَفْـِٔدَةَ ۙ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ﴿٧٨
And Allah has extracted you from the wombs of your mothers not knowing a thing, and He made for you hearing and vision and intellect that perhaps you would be grateful. (78) [Qur'an, An-Nahl, 16:78].
Islam teaches that Allah is bounteous, merciful, loving, providing and infinitely gracious. Should not the Muslim then live his or her life from a place of confidence, certainty and gratitude?
The classical Muslim scholars have indicated Shukr can be shown in three ways:
- Shukr of the heart (Qalb), which is achieved by harboring and intending good for all of Allah's creation.
- Shukr of the tongue (Lisan), which involves celebrating the praises of Allah, such as utterance of Alhamdulillah, and expressing gratefulness to Allah with our tongue.
- Shukr of the limbs (Jawarih), which is fulfilled by using our external senses to do good. Every time Allah gives us a blessing, we must use it in a way that benefits humanity and that pleases Allah.
Gratitude is the most essential reason for Islamic practice and worship. Actively and consciously practicing gratitude is the key to a life of abundance, prosperity, peace and joy. So be grateful.
1. Be Grateful Morning and Evening
Practice taking a brief moment first thing in the morning when you wake and last thing at night when you sleep to simply say and experience, “Alhamdulillah.”
2. Be Grateful When You Pray
Islamic practices provide a minimum of five opportunities daily to take rest in the Divine Presence and to be grateful. Make it a practice to consciously take a moment to say “Alhamdulillah,” while feeling and experiencing gratitude after your prayers. In fact, the best way to ensure your prayers are answered is to be grateful.
3. Be Grateful When You Eat and Drink
By taking a little extra time to experience gratitude when you eat and drink, you become more present, and in Islam, eating is meant to be a spiritual experience. Gently and consciously say “Alhamdulillah” as you eat, and you will find the entire experience more joyful and healthy.
4. Be Grateful When You Give Charity
By consciously giving charity, you not only affirm that you are blessed, but you attract greater abundance to yourself as you strengthen your belief and trust in Allah, become less dependent upon dunya, the world, and so become rooted in a paradigm based in Providence.
Keep a small jar or box in your home and before leaving each morning, put a little money, even some loose change, and say, “Alhamdulillah.”
5. Reflection/Contemplation Daily
Spend even just a few minutes to reflection each and every day, for reflection teaches you to be more present, particularly with your breath, with being, and thus with Allah. As awareness and presence increases through a reflection, one’s sense of gratitude naturally develops and becomes a dominant trait of your character and perspective.
Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Contemplation for an hour is better than standing the night in worship."
6. Practice Dhikr Daily
Tasbih, one of the forms of dhikr, is a powerful spiritual exercise to strengthen one’s mind and soul on Haq, Truth.
Gratitude Will Heal Your Life.
Cultivate an attitude of gratitude, be grateful always so that the words “Alhamdulillah” (and thank you) naturally and continuously flow from your lips and are felt in your heart, and your life will increasingly become a shining example of true Islam, a path to peace, prosperity and abundance.
Be grateful even for calamities and misfortunes, for nothing happens except to ultimately serve a Divine purpose. And the fastest way to move beyond undesirable circumstances is to stop resisting them, to simply let them be, be grateful and thus surrender and accept what is, and so allow them to flow out of your life.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said:
"How wonderful is the case of a Believer! There is good for him in whatever happens to him -and none, apart from him, enjoys this blessing. If he receives some bounty, he is grateful to Allah and this bounty brings good to him. And if some adversity befalls him, he is patient, and this affliction, too, brings good to him" (Muslim).
Be aware that shaytan's primary mission is to make human beings ungrateful. From the very beginning of the human being's creation, the issue of gratefulness and thankfulness to Allah has been debated. After refusing to bow to Adam, shaytan said,
ثُمَّ لَءَاتِيَنَّهُم مِّنۢ بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ وَعَنْ أَيْمَـٰنِهِمْ وَعَن شَمَآئِلِهِمْ ۖ وَلَا تَجِدُ أَكْثَرَهُمْ شَـٰكِرِينَ ﴿١٧
Then I will come to them from before them and from behind them and on their right and on their left, and You will not find most of them grateful [to You]." (17) [Qur'an, Al-Araf 7:17]
Allah shows and gives mercy to all, even those who continue to be ungrateful and rebellious towards Him.
أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ خَرَجُوا۟ مِن دِيَـٰرِهِمْ وَهُمْ أُلُوفٌ حَذَرَ ٱلْمَوْتِ فَقَالَ لَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ مُوتُوا۟ ثُمَّ أَحْيَـٰهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَشْكُرُونَ ﴿٢٤٣
Have you not considered those who left their homes in many thousands, fearing death? Allah said to them, "Die"; then He restored them to life. And Allah is full of bounty to the people, but most of the people do not show gratitude. (243) [Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:243]
ٱعْمَلُوٓا۟ ءَالَ دَاوُۥدَ شُكْرًۭا ۚ وَقَلِيلٌ مِّنْ عِبَادِىَ ٱلشَّكُورُ ﴿١٣ ...
...[We said], "Work, O family of David, in gratitude." And few of My servants are grateful. (13) [Qur'an, Saba 34:13]
Don't be ungrateful. Show your gratitude to the One who created you.
Reflect upon your own life and you will find innumerable occasions when Allah's `hand' has been holding you and helping you.
May Allah hold our hands and help us be grateful to Him and make us among those who are grateful. Ameen.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
And Allah knows best and He alone grant success.
Wassalaam
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