His eminence Sheikh Saleh ibn Abdullah Ibn Humaid – may Allah protect him– delivered last Friday’s Khutbah titled “Thankfulness and the Merit of the Thankful” in which he talked about the merits of thankfulness and said that it belongs to the heart, and therefore every Muslim has to thank Allah for better and for worse. He mentioned the ways of thanking Allah and the manifestations thereof and cited some examples of thankful prophets and messengers, may Allah’s Salat and Blessing be upon them all.
Praise be to Allah! Praise be to Allah, the Protector, the One Worthy of all Praise, Owner of the Throne, the Glorious, Doer of whatsoever He wills. Exalted be His Name! I thank Him; He promised the thankful more of His bounties, and I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah with no associate –a testimony of faithfulness and Tawhid (oneness of Allah). I bear witness that our Master and Prophet Muhammad, the Servant and Messenger of Allah, is the best of prophets and most honourable servant of Allah. May Allah send His bounteous Salat, (Grace, Honour, Mercy) Peace and Blessing upon him, his honourable immaculate family, pious and righteous Companions who were blessed with sound judgment and a guided way of life, the tabi’in (the contemporaries of the Companions after the death of the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) and those who followed them in righteousness until the Day of wa’id (Account/Judgement Day).
Now then, I urge you –people– and myself to observe fear of Allah. Observe fear of Allah –may Allah have mercy upon you! It is piety that you should count on. You should follow the example of your righteous predecessors, the early leaders. Take the initiative to obtain Allah’s forgiveness and satisfaction; answer the one who calls to the way of Allah (Ta'ala), to His reward and to His Paradise.
We thank You, Lord, for blessing us with Islam; we thank You for offering us the Qur’?n; we thank You for offering us family, wealth and health, O Lord! You have kept our enemy at bay; You have granted us sustenance and security; You have unified us after fragmentation, granted us sound health and answered our prayers.
For all this, we owe You infinite thanks as You have bestowed on us infinite graces. Praise be to You for every grace You have bestowed on us now or then, in public or in private, collectively or individually, to the living or the dead amongst us, and to those present or absent!
We extend our infinite praise to You until You are satisfied. Praise be to You if You are satisfied. Praise be to You, and to Your eternal praiseworthy Face! Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds!
O Muslims!
There is a great personal trait and a graceful act of worship that Allah (Ta'ala) has commanded and warned against ignoring. He praised those who observe it and made it an attribute of the elite of His creatures. He made it the purpose of creation and commandment, and promised those who observe it great rewards. He made it a reason for obtaining more of His graces, a guard of His blessings and a protector of His bounties.
People of thankfulness are the beneficiaries of His marvels. He has granted them one of His own names. They are the chosen few of His servants. Suffice it to achieve such grace, honour, and sublimity. It is –servants of Allah– the rank of thankfulness and the merit of the thankful.
He (Ta'ala) also says, "…and be grateful to Me (for My countless Favours on you) and never be ungrateful to Me." [Al-Baqarah: 152]
Again, He (Ta'ala) says, "And (remember) when your Lord proclaimed: "If you give thanks (by accepting Faith and worshipping none but Allâh), I will give you more (of My Blessings); but if you are thankless (i.e. disbelievers), verily My punishment is indeed severe." [Ibrahim: 7]
Servants of Allah!
Thankfulness is an established principle in the worshippers’ behaviour and a deeply-rooted rule in the souls of the righteous. Not only does it show in their behaviour, but it also fills their hearts and keeps their tongues preoccupied.
Allah described N?h , His first prophet (AS) as "Verily, he was a grateful slave." [Al-Isra’: 3]
Similarly, describing Ibrahim , khaleel Allah (Allah’s intimate friend) and the owner of the Hanifi (true) religion, Allah (Ta'ala) says, "(He was) thankful for His (Allâh’s) Favours. He (Allâh) chose him (as an intimate friend) and guided him to a Straight Path (Islâmic Monotheism – neither Judaism nor Christianity." [An-Na?l: 121]
Thanking Allah (Ta'ala) for the graces He has bestowed on him and for making the animals respond to his command, Suleiman (AS) said, "My Lord! Grant me the power and ability that I may be grateful for Your Favors which You have bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I may do righteous good deeds that will please You, and admit me by Your Mercy among Your righteous slaves." [An-Naml: 19]
Suleiman also said, "This is by the Grace of my Lord – to test me whether I am grateful or ungrateful! And whoever is grateful, truly, his gratitude is for (the good of) his ownself; and whoever is ungrateful, (he is ungrateful only for the loss of his ownself). Certainly my Lord is Rich (Free of all needs), Bountiful." [An-Naml: 40]
The messengers of Allah –may Allah’s peace and blessing be upon them– were keen on reminding their peoples of this great worship. Hud (AS), for example, told his people, "And remember that He made you successors after the people of Nûh (Noah) and increased you amply in stature. So remember the graces (bestowed upon you) from Allâh so that you may be successful." [Al-A’raf: 69]
S?leh (AS), informing his people of the graces Allah had bestowed on them, said, "And remember when He made you successors after ‘Âd (people) and gave you habitations in the land, you build for yourselves palaces in plains, and carve out homes in the mountains. So remember the graces (bestowed upon you) from Allâh, and do not go about making mischief on the earth." [Al-A’raf: 74]
Although Allah (Ta'ala) has forgiven him all his sins, Our Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) used to observe worship by night until his feet bled. He used to say, “Won’t I be a thankful servant?”
Brothers and sisters in Islam!
Thankfulness is the way Allah’s servants acknowledge the favours of their Lord and His graces in this world and the hereafter whether in their selves, family, property, business or all their matters.
Thankfulness is evidence that the servant is pleased with his Lord. It constitutes the heart’s life and vivacity, preserving extant graces and searching for the missing ones.
Thankfulness is evidence of purity of the soul, sincerity of intention, and soundness of reason. Nay! Allah (Ta'ala) created mankind for no other purpose than to thank Him. Allah Almighty says, "And Allâh has brought you out from the wombs of your mothers while you know nothing. And He gave you hearing, sight, and hearts that you might give thanks (to Allâh)." [An-Na?l: 78]
Thankfulness is the first commandment Allah (Ta'ala) enjoined mankind; He says, "And We have enjoined on man (to be dutiful and good) to his parents. His mother bore him in weakness and hardship upon weakness and hardship, and his weaning is in two years – give thanks to Me and to your parents. Unto Me is the final destination." [Luqman: 14]
Allah (Ta'ala) told mankind that His satisfaction is couched in the act of thanking Him. He says, "And if you are grateful (by being believers), He is pleased therewith for you" [Al-Zumar: 7]
Thankfulness has three pillars:
- Acknowledging Allah’s blessings implicitly with love for the Benefactor,
- Speaking of blessings openly with praise to Allah,
- Employing blessings in obedience to Allah, in seeking His pleasure and eschewing sinful acts.
- There are three primary blessings:
- The first and foremost blessing of Islam without which no other blessing may be obtained,
- The blessing of health without which life may not move on,
- The blessing of satisfaction without which good living may not be attained.
Al-Hassan Al-Basri –May Allah have mercy on his soul– said, “The evil-free benevolence is sound health coupled with thankfulness; how many a thankful is in distress, and how many a blessed person is unthankful! If you were to ask Allah for something, ask Him the disposition for thankfulness along with sound health.”
O you fasting and praying people! Thanking Allah (Ta'ala) is mandatory in all cases: in health and in sickness, in youth and in old age, for richer, for poorer, in leisure and in pre-occupation, for better and for worse, in wakefulness and in slumber, in travel and sojourn, in solitude and in company, while standing, sitting or reclining.
Abu Al-Dard?’ said, “He who believes that food and drink are the only blessings Allah (Ta'ala) has bestowed on him is lacking in knowledge” because Allah’s blessings are endless and his graces are perpetual. Allah says, "And He gave you of all that you asked for, and if you count the Blessings of Allâh, never will you be able to count them. Verily, man is indeed an extreme wrong-doer, a disbeliever (an extreme ingrate who denies Allâh’s Blessings by disbelief, and by worshipping others besides Allâh, and by disobeying Allâh and His Prophet Muhammad." [Ibrahim: 34]
He (Ta'ala) also says, "See you not (O men) that Allâh has subjected for you whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth, and has completed and perfected His Graces upon you, (both) apparent (i.e. Islâmic Monotheism, and the lawful pleasures of this world, including health, good looks, etc.) and hidden." [Luqman: 20]
Be informed –May Allah grant you success– that thankfulness has countless means and infinite domains. Thank your Lord for the graces He has bestowed on you and for what He has concealed of your blemishes.
A man asked Abu Tamima, “How are you doing?” He answered, “I am cherishing two graces I do not know which is better for me.” “Sins concealed by Allah (Ta'ala) so nobody can taunt me with them, and a love that Allah has implanted in the hearts of people that my actions do not merit,” he continued.
Thanking Allah can be fulfilled by offering prayers. The Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) used to offer night prayers until his feet bled and he used to say, “Won’t I be a thankful servant?”
Thankfulness might take the form of a prostration in gratitude to Allah which a believer performs upon receiving something good or a blessing from his Lord and Master (Allah). Our Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) prostrated himself when (archangel) Jibreel (AS) told him that Allah says: "Whoever makes one Salat on you, Allah will make ten (Salats) on him".
Abu Bakr (RA) also prostrated himself when he heard that Musailimah, the Liar was killed. Ali (RA) also prostrated himself when he heard that Ibn Al-Thadiyah, a kharijite , was killed. Kaab Ibn Malik (who stayed behind and did not join the Tabuk military expedition with the Prophet) also prostrated himself when Allah accepted his repentance.
AbdulRahman Assulami says: "Prayer is thankfulness, fast is thankfulness, and everything good done for the sake of Allah (Ta'ala) is thankfulness, and the best kind of thankfulness is praising Allah."
Counting the blessings (of Allah) as well as speaking about them are forms of thankfulness, and whoever pays people compliments is thankful. Contentment is also thankfulness; therefore, be content and you will be the most thankful of people. When someone does you a favour, he enslaves you. However, when you reward him, you free yourself; and whoever falls short of rewarding people, then let him pay them compliments and thank them, for whoever does not thank for that which is little will not thank for that which is much.
Another form of thankfulness is the continuous praise of Allah, and whoever offers, in the morning and in the evening, (the following supplication): "O Allah! Whatever blessing bestowed upon me or upon any of Your creatures is from You alone without partner, so for You is all praise and unto You are all thanks", would have offered his day's thanks.
Now then, O Muslims, may Allah have mercy on you! It is indeed an act of favour, mercy, and kindness from Allah (Ta'ala) that He thanks his servants; He is the Forgiving, the Thankful. Allah thanked and forgave the one who offered water to a (thirsty) dog let alone the one who does good to the Muslims, visits the needy, gives charity to the poor, and has mercy on the oppressed and the wretched!
Allah also thanked and forgave the one who removed a thorny branch from the road, let alone the one who does his best to facilitate the matters of people, dispel their grief, and ease their hardships.
An aspect of the Kindness of Allah (Ta'ala) is that He has made the act of thanking people as an act of thanking Him: "whosoever does not thank people will not thank Allah". Another aspect of His kindness is that He turned His servants’ acts of thanking to their own advantage.
I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Satan: "And a sign for them is the dead land. We give it life, and We bring forth from it grains, so that they eat thereof (33). And We have made therein gardens of date-palms and grapes, and We have caused springs of water to gush forth therein (34) So that they may eat of the fruit thereof – and their hands made it not. Will they not, then, give thanks? (35). Glory be to Him Who has created all the pairs of that which the earth produces, as well as of their own (human) kind (male and female), and of that which they know not." [Ya-Sin: 33-36]
May Allah (Ta'ala) benefit me and you with the great Qur’?n and with the guidance of Prophet Mohammed (Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam)! I say this and ask Allah’s forgiveness for you and me and for all the Muslims! So ask for His forgiveness; He is the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful!
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