Shukr Gratitude

Shukr means showing gratitude or thankfulness for blessings bestowed upon us by our Bestower, Allah (Subhanahu wa ta'ala; May He be glorified and exalted). Allah (ﷻ; The Possessor of Complete Glory and Majesty) reminds us: “If you are grateful, I will give you more.” [Surah Ibrahim 14:7].

We all have ups and downs in life and often when things are going great, we don’t thank Allah (Subhanahu wa ta'ala; May He be glorified and exalted) enough for the blessings that we have. We get so busy in our daily routines often in autopilot, that we don’t simply pause, take a step back and just be grateful for all that we have been blessed with.

Sometimes, we only truly value the blessings when we fall into hardship, or we lose a particular blessing from Allah (Subhanahu wa ta'ala; May He be glorified and exalted). The above aayah reminds us that if we show gratitude to Allah (ﷻ; The Possessor of Complete Glory and Majesty) for our blessings, however big or small, then Allah will only bless us with more.

Many of us say “Alhamdulillah” with our tongues, but we need to deeply reflect within ourselves and ensure we are sincerely grateful to Allah (Subhanahu wa ta'ala; May He be glorified and exalted). Furthermore, our gratitude should be reflected outwardly in our actions whereby we are conscious to be righteous and aware not to displease Him.

Just like calamities often help us connect with Allah (Subhanahu wa ta'ala; May He be glorified and exalted), making Shukr also ensures we constantly build and improve our relationship with Allah (ﷻ; The Possessor of Complete Glory and Majesty). There is only goodness to be gained from making Shukr at all times and this is reiterated in the following hadith: Prophet (ﷺ; peace be upon him) 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]

May Allah make us amongst those who show gratitude to Him in our actions as well as within our hearts – Ameen.

Dua of Prophet Musa ('alayhis salaam; upon him be peace) which was made at a time when he was hungry, thirsty and alone in a foreign land: