The Power of Gratitude: Part1

Why We Thank Allah

In his magnificent, spacious palace, Harun al-Rasheed was sitting with Ibn al-Sammak, one of the most pious scholars of his time. Suddenly, Harun felt thirsty and asked one of his servants to bring him a cup of water. As Harun was about to drink, Ibn al-Sammak wanted to use this opportunity as a teaching moment. 

 “May I ask you a question?” Ibn al-Sammak interrupted Harun. 

“Definitely,” answered Harun. 

 “Imagine if you cannot find this water anywhere, how much money would you pay to get it?” asked Ibn al-Sammak.

“Half of my wealth,” answered Harun al-Rasheed. 

 “Drink it. May Allah make it healthy for you!” Ibn al-Sammak sincerely prayed.

 “May I ask one more question?” asked Ibn al-Sammak as Harun finished drinking. 

 “Definitely!” replied Harun. 

 “How much money would you pay if this water could not be released from your body?” asked Ibn al-Sammak. 

 “I would pay all my wealth!” answered Harun without any hesitation. 

 Upon this, Ibn al-Sammak took this incident as an opportunity to advise Harun: “Do not rejoice much for your kingdom that is not worth a cup of water!” 

       Some of us may not pay attention to the fact that we are blessed in many areas, and thus, we feel sorry for what we miss rather than feel grateful for what we have. This is why the Quran describes the grateful as “few.” The Quran reads: “And few among my servants are truly thankful” (Quran 34:13). One day, Umar heard a man praying: “My Lord, make me among the few.” “What do you mean?” asked Umar. The man replied: “O Commander of the Believers, Allah said [about Noah]: “None believed him except few” (Quran 11:40). And Allah said: “And few among my servants are truly thankful” (Quran 34:13). And Allah said: “Except for those who believe and do good deeds—and how few they are!” (Quran 38:24).

How does the Quran view gratitude?

         Did you know that Allah grouped people into two categories: the grateful and the ungrateful? “We showed man the right Way to be either grateful or ungrateful” (Quran 76:3). Did you know that we will be questioned about God’s blessings? Allah says: “Then you shall be questioned about the delights [you enjoyed in this life]” (Quran 102:8). Did you know that one of the reasons why Allah created day and night is for us to recognize His power and give thanks to Him? Allah said: “And it is He [Allah] who has made the day and night successive for whoever wants to remember [Allah’s power] and to be thankful [to Allah]” (Quran 25: 62). Did you know that giving thanks to Allah is one of the reasons why He created us? Allah highlights the value of gratitude as a demonstrating act of worship. “O ye who believe, eat from the good that Allah provided for you and give thanks to Him if you truly worship Him alone” (Quran 2:172). 

          Imam ibn al-Qayyim adds: “Allah, the Most Exalted, mentions that gratitude is the goal of Creation and Decree. Moreover, it is the task Allah created us for. Allah said: “And Allah has brought you forth from the bellies of your mothers [while] you knew nothing. And He made for you the [senses of] hearing, sight, and understanding, so that you may give thanks” (Quran 16:78). Furthermore, Allah mentions that “giving thanks” is the goal of sending the prophets. Allah says: “As we sent for you a messenger [Muhammad] from your selves, reciting our verses unto you, purifying you, teaching you the Book and Wisdom, and teaching you what you did not know before. So, remember me, and I shall remember you and be thankful to me and do not be ungrateful” (Quran 2:151-152). When Satan knew the importance of gratitude, he committed himself to turn people ungrateful. The Quran reveals Satan’s plan to spare no effort to mislead people into ungratefulness: “Then I shall come to them from before and from behind, from their right, and left, and you will not find the greater part of them thankful” (Quran 7:17). 

Why do we have to thank Allah regularly?

      The simple answer to this question is that we would not exist without Allah, and without Allah, we would not survive. In other words, we owe Allah both our existence and our sustenance. Even though they are countless, Allah’s blessings can be grouped under three main categories: the blessing of creation, the blessing of sustenance, and the blessing of faith. 

Regarding the first category, the Quran reminds us: “Has there not been for man a long period, when he was nothing – (not even) mentioned?” (Quran 76:1). As we remember the beginning of our life through the biological process we know, one must demonstrate humility before God. The Quran records one’s rebellion against God as something unexpected, especially when one considers the creation process: “He [God] created man from a sperm-drop; then suddenly, he is a clear adversary” (Quran 16:4). Instead of surrendering to God and worshipping Him humbly, some rebel, and others go further to deny Him! Thinking about the first moments and years of life is enough to motivate us to recognize our essential needs and weaknesses. When Allah perfects our senses as we age, we should be more grateful as a deeply felt inner truth, not be ungrateful due to unjustified arrogance or heedlessness. 

Reflecting on how God supports our survival leads us to the second category of the divine blessings on us. Try to rethink the following examples of basic divine blessings. Did you know that the average adult at rest inhales and exhales 11,000 liters of air a day which requires 550 liters of pure oxygen per day? What about the eyes? Bakr ibn Abdullah said: “If you want to know how much Allah blessed you, close your eyes.” Now I am not asking you to close your eyes for a day or an hour. Do it for one minute, and you will realize how great this blessing is.  Have you ever considered the water you drink? Have you ever considered the blessing of the day and night? These are quranic questions. 

Have you considered the water which you drink?

Is it you that sends it down from the clouds, or are We the senders?

If We pleased, We would have made it salty; why do you not then give thanks? (Quran 56-68:70).

Say, “Have you considered: if Allah should make for you the night continuous until the Day of Resurrection, what deity other than Allah could bring you light? Then will you Say, “Have you considered: if Allah should make for you the day continuous until the Day of Resurrection, what deity other than Allah could bring you a night in which you may rest? Then will you not see?” And out of His mercy, He made for you the night and the day that you may rest therein and [by day] seek from His bounty and [that] perhaps you will be grateful (Quran 28:71-73).

        Considering these fundamental blessings, why would many people turn ungrateful or forget to thank God regularly even though they will not trade God’s blessings, such as sight, for anything? One of the answers Imam al-Ghazali provides is that people think that countless people enjoy such divine benefits, and thereby they do not feel special! To counter this sign of heedlessness, we need to recognize that every blessing we enjoy is unique for each of us. Do not wait till you lose the blessing and then wish to gain it back and feel grateful. 

           The blessings of Allah reach their climax with the blessing of faith and guidance. This is the only way of making sense of life itself. Humans are not machines, as atheists argue. Since we can think and recognize immaterial values like love, beauty, truth—we must have something beyond the material. To believe that we are only a material product is self-contradictory, simply because if we can think, then we must have something immaterial as thinking is an intangible activity. 

          Through faith, believers lead a balanced, meaningful life as they meet their souls’ needs by communicating with God and receive answers to the essential questions on life: from where, why, and to where? How would any person lead a stable life without knowing the answers to these questions? To us, the Quran answers the three questions in one short verse: “And why should I not worship He who created me and to whom you will be returned? (Quran 36:22).

the quran counts islam as a divine favor: “this day i have perfected for you your religion and completed my favor upon you and have approved for you islam as religion” (quran 5:3). imam ibn al-qayyim notes: “lay-people thank god for the blessings of food, drinks, and health; yet, the special people extend their gratitude to focus on the blessings of monotheism, faith and food of the heart!” 

Such were a few examples of blessings without which our life would be impossible, challenging, and meaningless. Imagine if you helped someone survive for a month or two; yet, instead of giving you credit for their survival, they are ungrateful. Would that be normal or expected? Accordingly, it is human to thank anyone for whatever good they do for us. God is beyond all comparison, but since we owe Him our existence and our survival, we express our gratitude to Him in the form of worship. 

Imagine there was no afterlife taught by the prophets, And that the burning coals were not inflamed, Would it not be a solemn duty For the servants to praise the Bestower?

هب البعث لم تأتنا رسله … وجاحمة النار لم تضرم  أليس من الواجب المستحق … ثناء العباد على المنعم

 

WE ASK ALLAH TO MAKE OUR HEARTS FULL OF GRATITUDE AND HOPE. AMEEN.

 

By Sheikh Ahmed Arafat