12 reasons for Shukr (thankfulness) to Allah

12 reasons for Shukr (thankfulness) to Allah

1. We can never count Allah's Blessings:
Be ever grateful to Allah for everything that you possess including your wealth, health, status, intellectual abilities and life. Allah says:
"Is, then, He Who creates comparable to any that cannot create? Will you not, then, take heed? For should you try to count Allah'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 Allah 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 (Allah) 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, Allah compares the terms shukr and kufr. "Then remember Me; I will remember you. Be grateful to Me, and do not reject Me" (Al-Baqarah 2:152).
Iman (belief) implies shukr or gratefulness as opposed to kufr or ungratefulness. A kafiror 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.
4- We thank Allah for our own benefit:
If you are ungrateful, Allah 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 Allah as we benefit from His grace" (Tirmidhi).
Allah reminds us: " And whoever is grateful, he is only grateful for the benefit of his own self" (Luqman 31:12). "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 Allah:
Allah 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 Ibadah (worship and obedience). "... and be grateful to All?h, if it is Him you worship" (Al-Baqarah 2:172).
6- Shukr leads to Allah's pleasure:
Allah has told us that His pleasure may be attained through gratitude. " If you are grateful, He is pleased with you..." (Az-Zumar 39:7).

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Allah is pleased with His servant if, when he eats something, he thanks Allah for it, and when he drinks something, he thanks Allah 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 Allah)"(An-Nahl, 16:78).
8- Shukr is a quality of success in this life and in the Hereafter:
Ibn Abbas narrated that the Prophet 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 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 Allah. 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 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).
10- Allah'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 2: 243).
11- Most people subconsciously thank God:
Reflect upon your own life and you will find innumerable occasions when Allah'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 Allah's favors:
If you appreciate Allah's favors, He has promised increased Rahma or mercy for you. Allah's reward for your gratitude is unlimited and unconditional. "If you are grateful, I will surely give you more and more" (Ibrahim 14:7).
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 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.

Being Thankful to Allah

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF BEING THANKFUL TO ALLAH?
Thanks or gratitude means reciprocating kindness and giving praise to the one who has done good and kind things. The one who is most deserving of thanks and praise from people is Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, because of the great favours and blessings that He has bestowed upon His slaves in both spiritual and worldly terms. Allah has commanded us to give thanks to Him for those blessings, and not to deny them. He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Therefore remember Me (by praying, glorifying). I will remember you, and be grateful to Me (for My countless favours on you) and never be ungrateful to Me” [Quran 2:152]

THE PROPHETS AND MESSENGERS
The greatest ones who obeyed this command, and gave thanks to their Lord until they deserved to be described as shaakir and shakoor (thankful) are the Prophets and Messengers (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).

Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily, Ibrahim was an Ummah (a leader having all the good righteous qualities), or a nation, obedient to Allah, Haneef (i.e. to worship none but Allah), and he was not one of those who were Al‑Mushrikoon (polytheists, idolaters, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah, and those who joined partners with Allah).

(He was) thankful for His (Allah’s) favours. He (Allah) chose him (as an intimate friend) and guided him to a Straight Path (Islamic Monotheism — neither Judaism nor Christianity)” [Quran 16:120, 121]

“O offspring of those whom We carried (in the ship) with Nûh (Noah)! Verily, he was a grateful slave” [Quran 17:3]

SOME OF THE BLESSINGS THAT ALLAH HAS BESTOWED UPON HIS SLAVES
Allah has mentioned some of the blessings that He has bestowed upon His slaves, and has commanded them to be grateful for them, and has told us that few of His slaves give thanks to Him:

Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
1.“O you who believe (in the Oneness of Allah — Islamic Monotheism)! Eat of the lawful things that We have provided you with, and be grateful to Allah, if it is indeed He Whom you worship” [Quran 2:172]

2. “And surely, We gave you authority on the earth and appointed for you therein provisions (for your life). Little thanks do you give”[Quran 7:10]

3. “And among His Signs is this, that He sends the winds as glad tidings, giving you a taste of His Mercy (i.e. rain), and that the ships may sail at His Command, and that you may seek of His Bounty, in order that you may be thankful” [Quran 31:46]

4. Among spiritual blessings, He mentions (interpretation of the meaning):
“O you who believe! When you intend to offer As-Salah (the prayer), wash your faces and your hands (forearms) up to the elbows, rub (by passing wet hands over) your heads, and (wash) your feet up to the ankles. If you are in a state of Janaba (i.e. after a sexual discharge), purify yourselves (bathe your whole body). But if you are ill or on a journey, or any of you comes after answering the call of nature, or you have been in contact with women (i.e. sexual intercourse), and you find no water, then perform Tayammum (dry ablution) with clean earth and rub therewith your faces and hands. Allah does not want to place you in difficulty, but He wants to purify you, and to complete His favour to you that you may be thankful” [Quran 5:6]

There are many other blessings. We have only mentioned some of these blessings here; listing all of them is impossible, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And He gave you of all that you asked for, and if you count the blessings of Allah, never will you be able to count them. Verily, man is indeed an extreme wrong-doer, a disbeliever (an extreme ingrate who denies Allah’s blessings by disbelief, and by worshipping others besides Allah, and by disobeying Allah and His Prophet Muhammad” [Quran 14:34]

Then Allah blessed us and forgave us our shortcomings in giving thanks for these blessings. He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And if you would count the favours of Allah, never could you be able to count them. Truly, Allah is Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful” [Quran 16:18]

The Muslim is always asking his Lord to help him to give thanks to Him, because were it not for Allah’s helping His slave, he would not be able to give thanks. Hence it is prescribed in the saheeh Sunnah (authentic prophetic teachings) to ask for help from Allah to give thanks to Him.

It was narrated from Mu’aadh ibn Jabal that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) took his hand and said: “O Mu’aadh, by Allah I love you, by Allah I love you.” Then he said, “I advise you, O Mu’aadh, do not fail following every prayer to say: O Allah help me to remember You, thank You and worship You properly.” Narrated by Abu Dawood and al-Nasaa’i .

Gratitude for blessings is a cause of them being increased, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And (remember) when your Lord proclaimed: ‘If you give thanks (by accepting Faith and worshipping none but Allah), I will give you more (of My blessings); but if you are thankless (i.e. disbelievers), verily, My punishment is indeed severe’” [14:7]

May Allah SWT make as amongst His grateful servants.