“So remember Me; I will remember you. And be grateful to Me and do not deny Me.” (2:152)

Being thankful to Allah is an essential for every Muslim. It builds comfort and confidence in one’s life. The key to success is, according to experts, contentment with whatever you are blessed with.

Allah is most deserving of our gratitude, because of the numerous favours and blessings He has conferred upon us. The greatest blessing we have, which we should constantly be grateful for, is the fact that we are Muslims. For those of us, who were born into Islam, it is a ni’mah we didn’t ask for. For those of us who are ‘reverts’ it’s a blessing beyond our imagination.

A simple test from Allah, in this life, should not make us so ungrateful that we disregard all the blessing He (swt) had given us. Allah says, “Do the people think they will be left to say, ‘We believe,’ and will not be tested?” Indeed Allah will test us with trial upon trial, but it is only those that are grateful for His favours that will remain sincere to Him, and will continue to thank Him.

Allah has blessed us with countless blessings. Should we not be thankful slaves to Him? Those who show gratitude to Allah, are mentioned highly of in the Quraan. Allah rewards them in this life by making them praise worthy people. Take the example of Nuh (a.s), he has left a legacy of unshakable devotion. He was tested and tried in his da’wah for 950 years, yet bore patience and remained appreciative, thus Allah describes him in the Quraan as, “a grateful slave.” (17:3) Allah has also prepared a great reward in the hereafter for those who are grateful as He (azza wa jal) says, “Indeed Allah rewards those who are thankful, and grateful.” (3:145)

Now the question arises, how can we be thankful to Allah? Ibn Al-Qayyim says in his book ‘Madaarij as-Salikeen,’ “Gratitude may be in the heart, in submission and humility; on the tongue in praise and acknowledgement; and in the physical faculties, by means of obedience and submission.” This means that our hearts should show gratefulness to Allah by acknowledging that He alone is to be worshipped, because He alone is the Provider, Sustainer and Nourisher. Our hearts should attribute the blessings of Allah, only to Allah. Only by doing this can a person attain full Tawheed. To attribute the blessing of Allah, to other than Allah is to deny His blessing, and Shaykh Abdur-Rahman As-Sa’di said, “Whoever denies the blessing of Allah in his heart or with his tongue is a kafir and has nothing to do with Islam.”  The tongue verbally acknowledges Allah’s blessing and continually praises Allah and thanks Him for His blessings. The physical faculties demonstrate gratitude to Allah by being obedient and abstaining from disobedience and that which Allah has forbidden.

The Prophet Muhammad (Saw) gave us a formula to help us to be grateful in the following hadith; Abu Hurairah (RA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Look at those who are lower than you, do not look at those who are higher than you, lest you belittle the favors Allah conferred upon you.” Agreed upon (Bulugh ul Maram)

It is our duty to be grateful slaves of Allah, to attain His pleasure and reward. Especially in these days of Ramadaan, we should be celebrating the praises of our Lord, standing, sitting and lying down on our sides, so that we may be forgiven, saved from the fire and admitted to paradise.

The Prophet (Saw) taught us a du’aa to ask Allah to make us grateful and thankful to Him. Mu’adh (bin Jabal) (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) held my hand and said, “O Mu’adh, By Allah, I love you, and advise you not to miss supplicating after every Salaah (prayer) saying: ‘Allahumma a’inni ‘ala dhikrika wa shukrika, wa husni ‘ibadatika,’ (O Allah, help me remember You, express gratitude to You and worship You in the best manner).” [Abu Dawud and An- Nasa’i].

We have to worship Allah with our heart, tongues and limbs, because He alone is deserving of our worship. By worshiping Him we express our gratitude at the multiple blessings He has bestowed upon us. We should look at those lower than us, so that we can understand the greatness of the favours Allah has showered us with. The biggest blessing and favour we have is the fact that we are muslims. We ask Allah to let us live and die upon the shahadah, and to make us among His grateful servants.

Maliha Rahmat,