Greenwaymasjid

Delivered by Imam Didmar Faja

(Based on the book of Imam Al Ghazzali “Minhajul Abideen”)
March 28, 2008, AAIC

All praise is due to Allah, and Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon His Final Messenger, his family, his noble Companions, and all those who follow them with righteousness until the Day of Judgment.
 
Dear Muslims, among the acts of worship is praising and thanking God the Almighty. He said in the Holy Quran,
 
فَٱذۡكُرُونِىٓ أَذۡكُرۡكُمۡ وَٱشۡڪُرُواْ لِى وَلَا تَكۡفُرُونِ
 
Therefore remember Me, I will remember you. Give thanks to Me, and reject not Me. (2:152)
 
 
Defining Shukr (Gratitude)
 
When it comes to the meaning of Shukr, Muslim scholars have given some definitions: Ibn Abbas said that Gratitude means to obey the Creator of the universe, Allah, internally and externally with all the limbs of the body. Others have said that gratitude is that one should exalt and glorify Allah so much that one should become safe from being ungrateful and disloyal to Him.  
 
No human can praise him better than the way He praised Himself. Each one must praise and thank Him in the way He taught us in the Quran. He doesn’t need our praises and gratitude. It is us who need to better ourselves by connecting our hearts to Dhikrullah and benefiting from expressing the gratitude towards our Lord.
 
Showing gratitude to your Lord removes punishments. Almighty God said in the Quran,
مَّا يَفۡعَلُ ٱللَّهُ بِعَذَابِڪُمۡ إِن شَكَرۡتُمۡ وَءَامَنتُمۡ‌ۚ
 
“What has Allah to do with your punishment, if you are thankful (for His bounties) and believe (in Him)?” (4:147)
 
 
Receiving blessings through Shukr
 
In order to receive, preserve and increase the blessings from Almighty God, one must show gratitude to Him. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said in a Hadith; “The blessings perish just as a wild beast runs away, so arrest it with the chain of gratitude.” Imam Gazzali explains that there are two types of blessings:
 
Blessings of the world. These blessings are divided in two categories:
 
a)     Lucrative blessings are profitable for you and serve your needs and interests.  They include the necessaries as well as the comforts and luxuries of life.
b)     Preventive blessings are those whereby harmful things and diseases are removed from you.  These include internal disorders and external forces of harm like losses, opponents and enemies.
     
Blessings of Deen. These blessings are also two types:
 
a)     Blessings of the divine assistance are the blessings of Iman and Islam and that of the right school of thought of the Ahli As-Sunnah wa Al-Jama’ah along with the blessings of worship and devotion.
b)     The blessings of protection from disbelief, polytheism, wrong beliefs, acts of vices and sins.
 
None knows the full details of these blessings except Almighty Allah. He said:
 
 
وَإِن تَعُدُّواْ نِعۡمَتَ ٱللَّهِ لَا تُحۡصُوهَآ‌ۗ
 
“…and if ye would count the bounty of Allah ye cannot reckon it…” (14:34)
 
Places and times of gratitude
 
Gratitude must be shown to Allah all the time. There is a different opinion on whether one must show gratitude during the times of hardship and calamities. Some have said that only patience must be practiced during those occasions, others have said that one must show gratitude even during the times of hardships and calamities. They say that every hard situation conceals some good for the situation and the reward of that in the hereafter can not be compared to the suffering in this world, that’s why showing gratitude becomes due during these occasions.
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, “All praise belongs to Allah who displeases and pleases.
Ibn Omar (r.a.) said, “Whenever I suffered from some distress, I found four bounties therein from exalted Allah. 1. The distress did not affect my faith. 2. A distress greater than that did not fall on me. 3. I did not fail to remain pleased with Allah’s will. 4. I hope to receive reward on that distress. 
 
Performing gratitude
The best gratitude is the one who is shown through actions. The best example is that of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) who used to wake up at night at pray until his feet started bleeding from standing. When he was asked why doing that? Allah forgave your past and future sins. He said, “Shouldn’t I be a thankful servant.
Among the Duas he used to recite was,     
“Allahumma a’inni ‘ala dhikrika wa shukrika wa husni `ibadatika,”“O Allah, help me to remember You, to thank You, and to worship You in the best way.”