Gratitude for Blessings
It is imperative for a Muslim to consistently express gratitude to Allah for the blessings He has bestowed upon them. This gratitude should stem from the heart, characterized by humility and submission, along with verbal acknowledgment. Ibn Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) stated that Allah commands His servants to be grateful and praises those who exhibit gratitude, promising them substantial rewards and further blessings. As mentioned in the Holy Qur’an: (And be grateful for the favor of Allah, if it is Him that you worship). Gratitude is built on five essential foundations: the servant’s humility in acknowledging Allah, love for Him, recognition of His blessings, praise for those blessings, and refraining from using Allah’s favours in ways that are disapproved by Him.
Supplications of Gratitude
Numerous supplications exist that a servant can recite in gratitude for Allah’s blessings, including the following:
- (O Allah, we praise You, seek Your assistance, seek Your guidance, ask for Your forgiveness, and turn to You in repentance. We declare Your praises in all goodness, express our gratitude, and forsake those who abandon You. O Allah, You alone do we worship, to You do we offer prayers and prostration. To You we strive and praise. We hope for Your mercy and fear Your punishment. Truly, Your punishment is severe against the disbelievers. O Allah, to You belongs all praise, to You belongs all gratitude, and to You returns every matter, both openly and secretly. You are indeed worthy of praise, deserving of worship, and You have power over everything. O Allah, we will praise You until You are pleased, and we will praise You when You are pleased, and we will praise You even after You are pleased. Yours is the praise of those who speak better than we do, Yours is the praise of what You claim, and Yours is the praise in every situation. O Allah, all praise belongs to You, You are the Light of the heavens and the earth, and You are All-Knowing of everything.)
- (Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, to Whom the sun and shooting stars glorify, and with whom the trees, wild animals, livestock, and birds in their nests have conversations, all of them returning to Him. Glory be to You, O the One to Whom we return.)
- (My Lord, accept my repentance, wash away my sins, answer my supplication, affirm my evidence, guide my heart, direct my tongue, and relieve the bitterness of my heart.)
- (All praise is for Allah, whose majesty and glory complete the righteous acts. O Lord, we praise You as it is befitting Your glorious face and Your magnificent authority. O Allah, forgive us, have mercy on us, be pleased with us, accept our deeds, admit us to Paradise, and save us from the Fire. Rectify all our affairs, grant us a good ending in all matters, and protect us from the humiliation of this world and the punishment of the Hereafter. O Allah, You who reveal beauty and conceal shame, You who do not punish for sins nor expose faults, O the Great Forgiver and Bestower of Grace.)
- (Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, to Whom the sun and shooting stars glorify, alongside the trees, wild animals, livestock, and birds, all of them turning back to Him. Glory be to You, O the One to Whom we return.)
- (All praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, who loves those who call upon Him quietly, responds to those who call upon Him privately, increases those who are shy before Him, honors those who are loyal to Him, and guides those who are truthful in their promises.)
- (All praise is for Allah, the Lord of the worlds, who has counted everything precisely, established a time for everything, does not share His judgment with anyone, and created the jinn and made them into distinct paths.)
Ways to Express Gratitude to Allah
The following are significant practices that help Muslims effectively express gratitude to Allah:
- Supplication; as highlighted by the Prophet (peace be upon him) when he advised Mu’adh, saying: (O Mu’adh, by Allah, I truly love you. I advise you not to miss saying at the end of each prayer: O Allah, assist me in remembering You, thanking You, and worshiping You in the best manner).
- Feeling the power, mercy, forbearance, and grace of Allah upon His servants, as stated in the Qur’an: (And whoever is grateful, he is only grateful for his own soul; and whoever is ungrateful, then indeed Allah is Free of need, Worthy of Praise).
- Contemplating a believer’s inability to worship Allah as He deserves, and the limitation in realizing all the blessings He has granted them.
- Reflecting on the significant rewards for the grateful in the Hereafter and the worldly blessings compared to the punishment faced by those who deny blessings.
- Acknowledging the state of the poor and the underprivileged and recognizing the immense blessings granted by Allah.
- Considering the moment of standing before Allah to express gratitude for the favours bestowed upon the servant.