On Shukr (Gratitude)

[ummtaalib]

Allah, The Most Exalted, says:

‘If you are thankful, I will surely increase you (in favor); but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe’.” (Qur’an 14:7)

 

 

The Noble Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is reported to have said:

 

“He who does not thank people, does not thank Allah”. (Hadith-Tirmidhi)

 

“If the recipient of a kindness says to his benefactor Jazakallahu Khair (May Allah reward you with goodness), indeed he has fully praised and been thankful.” (Hadith-Tirmidhi)

 

Note:  Indeed one who does not thank those who were kind to him, is not thankful to Allah Ta’ala. We should endeavour to show favour and kindness to those who have benefitted us in whatever way. To pray in these words “Jazakallahu Khair” expresses that I am unable to recompense, so I invoke Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala that He may give you a better reward for this. Thus, these words carry praise and benefit for the benefactor.

EISLAM

[ummtaalib]

SHUKR

 

Allah Ta’ala says: “Be grateful unto Me.”

Rasulullah  said: “If happiness reaches him (the believer), he is grateful.”

 

THE NATURE OF SHUKR

Accepting that all benefit is from the True Benefactor (Mun’im Haqeeqi), the effect of which is to be happy with the Benefactor and be ever ready to render obedience to Him, is the meaning of Shukr.

 

The meaning of Shukr envisages:

Acceptance of the fact that all benefit is from Allah, the True Benefactor (Mun’im Haqeeqi). This acceptance induces:

 

1. Happiness with the Benefactor.

2. Eagerness to execute the commands of the Benefactor and to abstain from his prohibitions. Oneshould consider all benefit, goodness and pleasant conditions as the bounties of Allah and regard these to be in greater measure than what one really deserves. Praise is to be offered to Allah and His bounties should not be employed in evil and sin. His favours should be used in obtaining His Pleasure. This is the true meaning of Shukr. This conception of Shukr will be comprehended only when one has realized the purpose underlying creation and the functions of the various aspects of creation. For instance, the eye is a ni’mat of Allah Ta’ala. Its shukr is to employ it correctly – to employ it in only lawful avenues, e.g. making tilaawat of the Qur’aan Majeed, acquiring knowledge, studying the wonderful creation of Allah so as to gain lesson and realize the greatness and splendour of Allah Ta’ala, etc. The shukr of the eye further demands that it be restrained from glancing at and viewing objects which Allah Ta’ala has prohibited.

 

Similarly, the ear is a ni’mat. Its shukr is to employ It correctly, e.g. in listening to the thikr of Allah, to such talks which remind one of the Aakhirat, and to prevent it from listening to evil, nonsensical and futile talk. The tongue is a ni’mat. Its shukr is to employ it in thikr, in expressing hamd, thanaa and shukr of Allah, and to restrain it from complaining in adversity and from all evil generally. It is highly inappropriate and sinful for such a worthless slave as man to complain about any condition which Allah Ta’ala, the True King, has imposed on him. A word of shukr emanating from the tongue is recorded as an act of obedience.Mere expression of shukr with the tongue unaccompanied by the true state of shukr of the heart is only lip-service. It is essential that along with verbal expression of shukr, the heart should value and honour the ni’mat of The Benefactor. Mere verbal shukr will be like the outer-casing, like the outer-covering which is its external form. The rooh (soul and essence) of shukr is that the honour and appreciation of the Mun’im (Benefactor) and the ni’mat (the bounty) are ingrained in the heart. The initial stage of shukr is at the intellectual level. In other words, it is the correct understanding of the true meaning of shukr and the realization of the honour of the Benefactor. The final stage of shukr is the manifestation of its effect on one’s body, movements and all states. In short, all the beliefs, acts of worship, mundane acts, moral and social life of the shaakir (the one who is truly grateful to Allah) will be in conformity with the Shariat.

 

ACQUIRING SHUKR

Shukr is acquired by contemplating the bounties of Allah Ta’ala. Every ni’mat is to be related to Him. By degrees such meditation will imbue the Love of Allah in the heart, the result of which will be the attainment of the perfect stage of Shukr

[ummtaalib]

 

“Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?” (Al Qur’an 55: 13)

[ummtaalib]

More Here....

[ummtaalib]

The Outcome of Ingratitude

Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (rahmatullahi ‘alaih) once mentioned:

So long as a person regards himself unworthy of the favours he enjoys and recognizes the favours to be a sheer grace and bounty from the side of Allah Ta’ala upon him, he will continue to receive from the favours of Allah Ta’ala and he will not be deprived of the Divine Grace. However, as soon as he regards himself to be deserving of the favours of Allah Ta’ala, then this will be regarded as ingratitude and ungratefulness. When one falls into ingratitude, the favours that he is enjoying will be snatched away from him. The outcome of ingratitude is extremely serious. (Malfoozaat Hakeemul Ummat 5/332)

Ihyaauddeen.co.za

[Bint e Aisha]

SHUKR (THANKFULNESS) TO ALLAH

read time: 3 min

BY TAHA GHAYYUR idealmuslimah.com

1. We can never count Allaah’s Blessings: Be ever grateful to Allaah for everything that you possess including your wealth, health, status, intellectual abilities and life.

Allaah says:

“Is, then, He Who creates comparable to any that cannot create? Will you not, then, take heed? For should you try to count Allaah’s blessings, you could never compute them…” (An-Nahl 16:17-19).

2. 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 Allaah has been debated. After refusing to bow to Adam, Satan said:

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

3. The opposite of Shukr (gratitude) is Kufr (disbelief): In many places in the Quran, Allaah compares the terms Shukr and Kufr. “Then remember Me; I will remember you. Be grateful to Me, and do not reject Me” (Al-Baqarah, [002]:152).

Imaan (belief) implies Shukr or gratefulness as opposed to Kufr or ungratefulness. A kafir or disbeliever is ungrateful to the Being Who has given him everything, whereas a Believer is one who is ever thankful for all that Allaah has given him.

4. We thank Allaah for our own benefit: If you are ungrateful, Allaah is unaffected. If you become grateful, then you have taken the first step towards becoming a true Believer. It is for this reason that the Prophet exhorted us to “Love Allaah as we benefit from His grace” (Tirmidhi).

Allaah reminds us: “And whoever is grateful, he is only grateful for the benefit of his own self” (Luqmaan, [031]: 012). “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).

5. True worship means sincere thankfulness to Allaah: Allaah 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 ‘Ibaadah (worship and obedience). “… and be grateful to Allaah, if it is Him you worship” (Al-Baqarah, [002]:172).

6. Shukr leads to Allaah’s pleasure: Allaah has told us that His pleasure may be attained through gratitude. “…If you are grateful, He is pleased with you…” (Az-Zumar, [039]: 007).

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Allaah is pleased with His servant if, when he eats something, he thanks Allaah for it, and when he drinks something, he thanks Allaah for it” (Muslim).

7. Gratitude is a purpose of our creation: “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 Allaah)” (An-Nahl, [016]: 78).

8. Shukr is a quality of success in this life and in the Hereafter: Ibn ‘Abbaas [r] narrated that the Prophet [p] 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 Allaah), a remembering tongue (that mentions Allaah often), an enduring body (to persevere through the trials), and a faithful wife.”

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

The Prophet 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 Allaah and this bounty brings good to him. And if some adversity befalls him, he is patient, and this affliction, too, brings good to him.” (Saheeh Muslim)

10. Allaah’s Mercy is for all, but most people will remain ungrateful: He shows and gives mercy to all, even those who continue to be ungrateful and rebellious towards Him: “Indeed God is the possessor of bounty for all people but most people do not give thanks.” (Al-Baqarah, [002]: 243).

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

12. Shukr leads to abundance in Allaah’s favors: If you appreciate Allaah’s favors, He has promised increased Rahmah or Mercy for you. Allaah’s reward for your gratitude is unlimited and unconditional. “If you are grateful, I will surely give you more and more.” (Ibraaheem, [014]: 007)

13. Three ways to express Shukr: 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 Allaah’s creation.

 

– Shukr of the tongue (Lisaan), which involves celebrating the praises of Allaah, such as utterance of “Alhamdulillah”, and expressing gratefulness to Allaah with our tongue.

– Shukr of the limbs (Jawaarih), which is fulfilled by using our external senses to do good. Every time Allaah gives us a blessing, we must use it in a way that benefits humanity and that pleases Allaah.

[ummtaalib]

Shukr- The Right of Allah Ta‘ala

 

Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (rahmatullahi ‘alaih) once mentioned the following:

Expressing gratitude over a favour and being pleased with it, considering it to be purely the grace and mercy of Allah Ta‘ala, is the right which the one enjoying the favour owes to the One who bestowed him with the favour – Allah Ta‘ala. It is in reference to this that Allah Ta‘ala says in the Qur’aan Majeed:

قُل بِفَضلِ اللّٰهِ وَبِرَحمَتِه فَبِذٰلِکَ فَلیَفْرَحُوا

Say, “In the bounty of Allah and in His mercy – in that let them rejoice.” (Surah Yunus v. 58)

This form of happiness and joy is actually a form of shukr to Allah Ta‘ala and hence it is praiseworthy and desirable in deen.

However, contrary to this, there is another form of happiness that equates to pride. This is where a person becomes boastful and happy over the bounty, attributing it to his own effort and achievement, and not to Allah Ta‘ala, and this is ingratitude to the One who bestowed the favour. The root cause of this ingratitude is that a person forgets and loses sight of the fact that this bounty and favour can be taken away from him at any moment. It is in reference to this boastful attitude that Allah Ta‘ala mentions in the Qur’aan Majeed:

اِذْ قَالَ لَهُ قَوْمُهُ لَا تَفْرَحْ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَا یُحِبُّ الفَرِحِینَ

When his people (the people of Qaaroon) said to him, “Do not be filled with boastfulness (in your happiness), indeed Allah does not like those who are filled with boastfulness (in their happiness).” (Surah Qasas v. 76)

In the case of Qaaroon, he was happy over the wealth itself (not the bounty of Allah Ta‘ala), so look at what an evil end and outcome he met!

When one receives the bounty and blessing, and then reflects that it belongs to Allah Ta‘ala and He may take it away at any time, then the feeling of gratitude that he experiences in his heart at that time is regarded as shukr to Allah Ta‘ala.

(Malfoozaat Hakeemul Ummat 22/176)

Ihyauddeen.co.za