According to Islam one of our foremost duties is to be grateful to Allah for all His blessings. We describe three levels of thankfulness: To realize and appreciate all blessings by and within the heart, to say shukr/thanks with the tongue, to express gratitude by doing righteous deeds.

In other words the first level is basically the gratefulness and to appreciate everything that we feeling within our hearts, then we fortify that thankfulness through our speech and the third level is when we prove by our deeds that we are truly thankful to Allah.

As we open the Quran, the first chapter starts with “Alhamdulillah” which is generally translated as “All praise is to God” in reality, the word Alhamdulillah is a sign of gratitude in our everyday lives. Hence, when someone asks how we are, Muslims often respond with “Alhamdulillah.” Similarly, Islam teaches us to be thankful throughout the day: for waking up from sleep, after eating our meals, drinking water etc. In this way ones entire life revolves around gratitude towards Allah.

In chapter 55 of the Quran, titled in Surah Ar Rahmaan Allah  ask the same question thirty-one times “which of the favours of your Lord will you deny?” Allah has created us and then made this world for us. We are getting benefits from all of Allah’s creations such as the sun, moon, cloud’s, rain, air, grasslands, animals, plants, rivers, oceans and countless other bounties of the natural world! After realizing all this abundance, how can a sensible person be anything but thankful to Allah?

Allah loves us seventy more times than a mother loves her child, and according to tradition of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), Allah has also sent numerous prophets over the course of human history to guide us. Now it is up to us to be grateful and to have faith in Him- in our hearts, with our tongues, and through our actions.

Allah says, in the Holy Quran (which could be translated as): Remember me and I shall remember you, be grateful to Me and be not ungrateful

The Prophet (SAW) said: He who looks to one who is inferior to him regarding worldly affairs and looks to one who is superior to him in religious matters is recorded by Allah as a patient and grateful man.

If we not happy with what we have now what makes us think we will be happy if Allah grants us more?

Being grateful is not just saying Alhamdulillah – it’s an attitude, it’s a lifestyle it’s the way we should think and being grateful towards Allah for which he have granted us , he will grant and give us more.

For Allah says (which may be translated as): Be grateful and I will increase for you.

May we all open our eyes to see what Allah has granted us so that we can be grateful and thankful unto Him.

By Aieysha Boyes

Madina Institute Class of 2018