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The Pillars of Gratitude

By Shaykh Ṣāliḥ al-Fawzān (حفظه الله)

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Ash-Shukr (Gratitude), O slaves of Allāh, is not merely something expressed with the tongue. Gratitude has three pillars that must all be established. If one of these pillars is missing, then true gratitude has not been fulfilled.

There are three pillars of gratitude.

🪜 The first pillar is to speak about Allah’s favors and mention them in order to express gratitude for them. Allah said to His Prophet (ﷺ):

وَأَمَّا بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثْ
“And proclaim the favor of your Lord.” (Sūrat ad-Ḍuḥā 93:11)

After Allah enumerated His favors upon him, He said:

أَلَمْ يَجِدْكَ يَتِيمًا فَآوَىٰ ۝ وَوَجَدَكَ ضَآلًّۭا فَهَدَىٰ ۝ وَوَجَدَكَ عَآئِلًۭا فَأَغْنَىٰ
“Did He not find you (O Muḥammad) an orphan and give you refuge?
And He found you unaware (of the Qur’an, its laws, and Prophethood) and guided you.
And He found you poor and made you self-sufficient.” (93:6–8)

Then Allah says:

فَأَمَّا الْيَتِيمَ فَلَا تَقْهَرْ ۝ وَأَمَّا ٱلسَّآئِلَ فَلَا تَنْهَرْ ۝ وَأَمَّا بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثْ
“Therefore, do not oppress the orphan.
And do not repel the beggar.
And proclaim the favor of your Lord.” (93:9–11)

Mention the favor of Allah, as He said:

يَـٰبَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ ٱذْكُرُوا۟ نِعْمَتِىَ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ
“O Children of Israel! Remember My favor which I bestowed upon you.” (Sūrat al-Baqarah 2:40)

And do not attribute the favor to anyone other than Allah. Do not ascribe it to yourself, nor to anyone else. Rather, Allah alone is the One who caused the favor to reach you—so be grateful to Him.

The first pillar is to speak about His blessings, and not to say, “It is from so-and-so” or “I achieved it myself.” Instead, say: “This is from Allah.”

🪜 The second pillar is to acknowledge the blessing internally, within the heart. There are some who mention Allah’s favor and praise Him with their tongues, yet they do not truly recognize in their hearts that the blessing is from Allah. Instead, they think it comes from their own strength, ability, effort, skills, or work.

This is like the example of Qārūn, when his people reminded him of what Allah had given him of tremendous treasures and wealth:

وَآتَيْنَاهُ مِنَ الْكُنُوزِ مَا إِنَّ مَفَاتِحَهُ لَتَنُوءُ بِالْعُصْبَةِ أُولِي الْقُوَّةِ
“And We gave him of the treasures that whose keys would have been a burden to a group of strong men.” (Sūrat al-Qaṣaṣ 28:76)

A group of strong men could not even carry the keys to his treasures because of their great number!

Allah says:

إِذْ قَالَ لَهُۥ قَوْمُهُۥ لَا تَفْرَحْ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْفَرِحِينَنَ
“When his people said to him: ‘Do not exult in arrogance. Indeed, Allah does not like those who exult.’” (28:76)

They advised him:

وَٱبْتَغِ فِيمَآ ءَاتَىٰكَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلدَّارَ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةَ ۖ وَلَا تَنسَ نَصِيبَكَ مِنَ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَأَحْسِن كَمَآ أَحْسَنَ ٱللَّهُ إِلَيْكَ ۖ وَلَا تَبْغِ ٱلْفَسَادَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُفْسِدِينَ
“But seek, with that which Allah has given you, the Home of the Hereafter, and do not forget your share of lawful enjoyment in this world. And do good as Allah has been good to you, and do not seek corruption in the land. Indeed, Allah does not like the corrupters.” (28:77)

But what was the response of the Miskīn (Qārūn)?

Allah says:

قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أُوتِيتُهُۥ عَلَىٰ عِلْمٍ عِندِىٓ
“He said: ‘This has been given to me only because of knowledge I possess.’” (28:78)

Meaning: Allah had nothing to do with it.
“I attained this because of my skill, my hard work, my experience in manufacturing, my business knowledge—I deserve this!” He did not say it is from Allah.

Many people today speak the same way. They say: “These are our rights.” They do not say: “This is a favor from Allah.” They do not praise Him for it. They do not look at the poor and destitute around them and realize that Allah has favored them.

Instead, they attribute everything to their hard work, skill, job, experience, qualifications, and other worldly causes. No! It is from Allah ﷻ.

And to others, they boast: “I am more skilled and more knowledgeable than you.” But Allah tests a person with wealth and with favors. Therefore, be grateful to Allah for them!

🪜 The third pillar is to use Allah’s blessings in obedience to Him—the Bestower of Blessings. Do not use His favors in the prohibited or in excessiveness. Do not spend them on traveling to the lands of disbelief or in pursuing forbidden desires. Use them only in obedience to Allah ﷻ.

Do not use His favors to open places that produce evil—places of music, singing, immorality, and sin—places that bring nothing but corruption! Opening the doors of evil for the people, spreading it through your factories, shops, and businesses—this is ingratitude toward Allah’s favors, ingratitude through one’s actions.

Allah ﷻ said regarding His Prophet Sulaymān (Solomon) when He taught him and granted him his kingdom:

ٱعْمَلُوٓا۟ ءَالَ دَاوُۥدَ شُكْرًۭا ۚ وَقَلِيلٌۭ مِّنْ عِبَادِىَ ٱلشَّكُورُ
“Work, O family of Dāwūd, in thankfulness! But few of My slaves are grateful.” (Sūrat Saba’ 34:13)

And when Allah taught Dāwūd (David) عليه السلام how to make armor, He said:

وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا دَاوُۥدَ مِنَّا فَضْلًۭا ۖ يَـٰجِبَالُ أَوِّبِى مَعَهُۥ وَٱلطَّيْرَ ۖ وَأَلَنَّا لَهُ ٱلْحَدِيدَ
“And indeed We bestowed grace upon Dāwūd from Us, (saying): ‘O mountains! Glorify Allah with him, and you birds as well.’ And We softened iron for him.” (34:10)

أَنِ ٱعْمَلْ سَـٰبِغَـٰتٍۢ وَقَدِّرْ فِى ٱلسَّرْدِ ۖ وَٱعْمَلُوا۟ صَـٰلِحًا ۖ إِنِّى بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌۭ
“Saying: ‘Make full coats of mail, perfect the links, and work righteousness. Truly, I am All-Seer of what you do.’” (34:11)

And regarding Sulaymān, Allah says:

وَلِسُلَيْمَـٰنَ ٱلرِّيحَ غُدُوُّهَا شَهْرٌۭ وَرَوَاحُهَا شَهْرٌۭ ۖ وَأَسَلْنَا لَهُۥ عَيْنَ ٱلْقِطْرِ ۖ وَمِنَ ٱلْجِنِّ مَن يَعْمَلُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِۦ ۖ وَمَن يَزِغْ مِنْهُمْ عَنْ أَمْرِنَا نُذِقْهُ مِنْ عَذَابِ ٱلسَّعِيرِ
“And to Sulaymān We subjected the wind; its morning course was a month’s journey, and its evening course was a month’s journey. And We caused a spring of molten brass to flow for him. And there were jinn who worked before him by the permission of his Lord. And whoever among them deviated from Our command—We made him taste the punishment of the blazing Fire.” (34:12)

يَعْمَلُونَ لَهُۥ مَا يَشَآءُ مِن مَّحَـٰرِيبَ وَتَمَـٰثِيلَ وَجِفَانٍۢ كَٱلْجَوَابِ وَقُدُورٍۢ رَّاسِيَـٰتٍ ۚ ٱعْمَلُوٓا۟ ءَالَ دَاوُۥدَ شُكْرًۭا ۚ وَقَلِيلٌۭ مِّنْ عِبَادِىَ ٱلشَّكُورُ
“They made for him whatever he wished—palaces, statues, basins as large as reservoirs, and heavy cooking cauldrons fixed in their places. ‘Work, O family of Dāwūd, in thankfulness!’ But few of My slaves are grateful.” (34:13)

Righteous actions performed with pure wealth is regarded as gratitude to Allah ﷻ.

This shows that using wealth for evil—opening corrupt places, spending on sinful desires, traveling for prohibited purposes—is ingratitude toward Allah’s favors.

End quote.

May Allah ﷻ make us among His few thankful servants.

Aameen!