SHUKR:THANKFULNESS TO ALLAH
OBJECTIVES;
- (Introduction) concept of Shukr in Islam
- Allah is the source of All Favors and Blessings
- Dua's to thank Allah
- Surat-ul-Nahl (1-18)
- Humans must be grateful to their creator
- The Prophets were thankful
- Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) teaches Muslims the gratitude to Allah
- 3 interreleted types of thankfulness
- Sujood-ush-shukr
- conclusion
- Dua at the end of Salah.
INTRODUCTION
Shukr (شكر ),or gratitude,is a very important principle in Islam.It is a quality of the believers and it is a source of all goodness. Shukr is used in Qur'an sometimes as equivalent to faith.The faithful are thankful people to Allah and then to those who are kind to them.While the unfaithful are ungrateful to Allah and to the kind people around them.
The Qur'anic word for thanks and gratitude is shukr. It is mentioned in the Qur'an many times.It is the quality of human beings and it is also the quality of Allah.According to scholars, shukr means to recognize the favors of others.A faithful person thus is the one who acknowledges and recognize the endless favors of Allah.
ALLAH IS THE SOURCE OF ALL FAVORS AND BLESSINGS
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- Allah is the sole Creator of man and the whole universe. He made every single thing in the natural world and enabled us to utilize it for our own good. Allah says in surat-ul-Mulk,
"Say : He is the One who brought you into being and made for you the ears and the eyes and the hearts: little is it that you give thanks."{67:23}
"He is the One Who made the earth smooth for you,therefore go about in the spacious sides thereof,and eat of His sustenance,and to Him is the return after death."{Surat Tabarak 67:15}
- Every نعمه ni'mah ,or gift, we have in this world is from Allah.Allah says in Surat-un-Nahl,
"And whatever favor is (bestowed) on you it is from Allah; then whenever harm bothers you, you call upon Him and cry for aid."{16:53}
- And the gifts of Allah cannot be counted, for He is giving us all things we need.Allah says in surat-Ibraheem,
"And He gives you of all that you ask Him; and if you count Allah's favors,you will not be able to number them;most surely man is very unjust,very ungrateful."{14:34}
DUA'S TO THANK ALLAH
- Du'a upon finishing a meal:whoever says this supplication after finishing a meal, his/her preceding sins shall be forgiven.
الْحَمْدُ لِلهِ الَّذِي أَطْعَمَنِي هَذَا الطَّعَامَ وَرَزَقَنِيهِ مِنْ غَيْرِ حَوْلٍ مِنِّي وَلَا قُوَّةٍ
"All praise is for Allah who fed me this food and provided it for me.without any might nor power from myself."
- Du'a for the one who does you a favour : if someone does you a favour and you say,
جَزَاكَ اللهُ خَيْرًا
"May Allah reward you with goodness."
- Du'a when waking up:
الحَمْدُ لِلهِ الَّذِي أَحْيَانَا بَعْدَ مَا أَمَاتَنَا وَإِلَيْهِ النُّشُورُ
"All praise is for Allah who gave us life after causing us to die,and unto Him is the resurrection."
- Dua upon receiving good news: when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah always be upon Him) used to recive any pleasent news, He (peace and blessings of Allah always be upon Him) would say..
الْحَمْدُ لِلهِ الَّذِي بِنِعْمَتِهِ تَتِمُّ الصَّالِحَاتُ
"All praise is for Allah by whose favor good works are accomplished."
- DUA WHEN WEARING CLOTH :
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي كَسَانِي مَا أُوَارِي بِهِ عَوْرَتِي وَأَتَجَمَّلُ بِهِ فِي حَيَاتِي
"All praise belongs to Allah who adorned me with clothing by which
I cover (hide) my private areas and by which i obtain beauty
in my life"
note: While removing clothes recite "BISMILLAH' as saitan does
not look at the private parts due to this.
(Hisnul Hasin)
- DUA AT THE TIME OF DRINKING WATER:
When drinking water,
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Recite:
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اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِيهِ وَزِدْنَا مِنْهُ
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"O Allah grant us blessings in it"
(TIRMIDHI).
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Surat An-Naĥl ,1-18 (The Bee) -
سورة النحل
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Sahih International
The command of Allah is coming, so be not impatient for it. Exalted is He and high above what they associate with Him.
Sahih International
He sends down the angels, with the inspiration of His command, upon whom He wills of His servants, [telling them], "Warn that there is no deity except Me; so fear Me."
Sahih International
He created the heavens and earth in truth. High is He above what they associate with Him.
Sahih International
He created man from a sperm-drop; then at once, he is a clear adversary.
Sahih International
And the grazing livestock He has created for you; in them is warmth and [numerous] benefits, and from them you eat.
Sahih International
And for you in them is [the enjoyment of] beauty when you bring them in [for the evening] and when you send them out [to pasture].
Sahih International
And they carry your loads to a land you could not have reached except with difficulty to yourselves. Indeed, your Lord is Kind and Merciful.
Sahih International
And [He created] the horses, mules and donkeys for you to ride and [as] adornment. And He creates that which you do not know.
Sahih International
And upon Allah is the direction of the [right] way, and among the various paths are those deviating. And if He willed, He could have guided you all.
Sahih International
It is He who sends down rain from the sky; from it is drink and from it is foliage in which you pasture [animals].
Sahih International
He causes to grow for you thereby the crops, olives, palm trees, grapevines, and from all the fruits. Indeed in that is a sign for a people who give thought.
Sahih International
And He has subjected for you the night and day and the sun and moon, and the stars are subjected by His command. Indeed in that are signs for a people who reason.
Sahih International
And [He has subjected] whatever He multiplied for you on the earth of varying colors. Indeed in that is a sign for a people who remember.
Sahih International
And it is He who subjected the sea for you to eat from it tender meat and to extract from it ornaments which you wear. And you see the ships plowing through it, and [He subjected it] that you may seek of His bounty; and perhaps you will be grateful.
Sahih International
And He has cast into the earth firmly set mountains, lest it shift with you, and [made] rivers and roads, that you may be guided,
Sahih International
Then is He who creates like one who does not create? So will you not be reminded?
Sahih International
And if you should count the favors of Allah , you could not enumerate them. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.
ARE YOU THANKFUL TO ALLAH?
HUMANS MUST BE GRATEFUL TO THEIR CREATOR
The Qur'an teaches that human beings were created by God for the purpose of being grateful to him. "It is he who brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers when you knew nothing, and he gave you hearing and sight and intelligence and affection so that you may give thanks (to God)" {Surat-unNahl 16:78}.
The Qur'an also explains that one of Satan's main aims is to keep people from being grateful. After God sent him out of the garden for his arrogance and disobedience, Satan vowed in response: "I will lie in wait for them (human beings) on your straight way.Then I will assault them from in front of them and behind them, from their right and their left. Nor will you find ,in most of them, gratitude (for your mercies)." {Surat-ul-Ara f 7:16-17}
Most faiths emphasize being grateful to God as a means of worship.At the essence of Islam is the teaching that those seeking inner peace must develop patience and trust in God such that they are thankful to him in every situation.
According to Islamic belief, one reason God allows people to undergo difficulty and trials during their lives is to test who will remain grateful to him. People who remain thankful,even in the face of great hardship,enter into a state of intimacy with their Lord. They attain an inner peace that protects them from the storms of the outside world.
Most of us can easily list many blessings for which we are thankful. We also tend to find it easy to list the difficulties in our lives. We often think that if God would just fix our problems for us, then we would be completely content. Our challenge is to learn to always be thankful for and content with God's bounties, even in adversity.
Gratitude to God does not arise from the removal of external stressors; rather, it is an internal state of the heart. This state is consciously achieved by continuous struggle and effort as we reflect on the blessings and mercy of God and strive to block out the whispers of negativism and discontent that keep our souls in a state of ingratitude.
THE PROPHETS WERE THANKFUL
Allah has described His Prophets and Messengers among those who were thankful people.
- Prophet Noah was a grateful servant of Allah (Nuh; surely he was a grateful servant 17:3).
- Prophet Abraham used to thank Allah for His many blessings (surely Ibraheem was an exemplar,obedient to Allah, upright, and he was not of the polytheists. Grateful for His favors; He chose him and guided him on the right path.16:121).
- Prophet David and his family were told to be grateful to Allah (give thanks, O family of Dawood ! and very few of My servants are grateful. 34:13).
Allah told His Prophet Muhammad(P.B.U.H): (Nay, but worship Allah, and be of those who give thanks ) {Surat-us-Zumar 39:66}.
PROPHET MUHAMMAD TEACHES MUSLIMS THE GRATITUDE TO ALLAH
Prophet Muhammad obeyed Allah and was a role model in showing his faithful gratitude to Allah day and night. When he woke up, he would say, "Thanks be to Allah Who brought us to life after He made us to die, and to Him is the resurrection". And when the Prophet went to be, he would say, " In Your name I die and I live." (Al-Bukhari).
When the Prophet ate or drank, he would say, "Thanks be to Allah Who gave us food and drink and made us Muslims ." ( At-Tirmithi).
Whenever the Prophet put on any new garment, he woul say, "O Allah, thanks be to you; You gave me this to wear. I ask You to give me the good of this dress and the good for which it is made and I ask You to protect me from the evil of this dress and from the evil of that for which it is made." (At-Tirmidhi).
When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) mounted his camel to go on a journey, he would say "Allah u Akbar" (Allah is the Greatest) three times and then he would say, "Glory to Him Who has subjected these to our (use), for we could never have accomplished this (by ourselves). And to our Lord, surely , must we turn back! {14:13}. O A Allah we ask You on this journey righteousness and piety and the deeds that are pleasing to You.O Allah, make this journey easy for us and shorten its distance. O Allah, You are the Companion in journey and You are the Guardian for the family (left behind). O Allah, we ask You to protect us from the exhaustion of journey, from bad scenes, and from bad return to our property and our family." When he returned he would say, "Returning,repenting,worshiping, and praising our Lord." (Muslim).
Islam does not only teaches us to thank Allah, but we are also told to thank our parents,our spouses,our friends,our neighbours,and all those who do any good to us. The Prophet (P.B.U.H)
said, "those who do not thank people, they do not thank Allah." (At-Tirmidhi).
TYPES OF THANKFULNESS
To become a thankful servant to Allah,one should show his/her gratefulness to Allah through his/her
- heart
- tongue and,
- all physical powers.
THREE INTERRELATED TYPES OF THANKFULNESS
- Shukr-ul-Qalb, or thankfulness felt in heart:
2. Shukr-ul-Lisan, or thankfulness experienced by the tongue:
A thankfulness person often expresses his/her gratefulness to his Creator for all His favors. Allah says in Surat-ud-Du ha,
"And [acknowledge] and announce the favor of your Lord.
"
A thankful Muslim always praises Allah and expresses his gratefulness to Allah during his prayers, du'aa', and verbal communications with others. It is important to remember that the first ayah in the Qur'an , after the Basmalah,
"All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds." [surat-ulfatihah 1:2]
3. Shukr-ul-jawarih,or Thankfulness expresses by the body and the limbs:
This is the characteristic of the true beliver.He/She always demonstrates his/her gratefulness through worship, loyalty and readiness to serve Allah and His faith. Thankfulness to God can take many forms including, but not limited to:
a. prayer,fasting,charity,Hajj,Omrah, and other types of Ibadah, or worship:-
These rituals are physical expressions of offering gratitude to Allah. Rasoolullah used to stand up long nights in Qiyam-ul-layl every night to the extent his feet swelled. A'isha (ra) asked him, "Why you do this when Allah has already forgiven you everything before and everything after? " He said: Then shall I not be a grateful 'servant' ? "
b. Sujood-ush-shukr, or the Prostration of Thankfulness:-
This is a special Islamic ritual of showing gratitude to Allah . when the servant receives a blessin from Allah, or when Allah saves him from a disaster, he should simply fall in prostration thanking Allah for His favors. Rasoolullah used to prostrate to Allah whenever he received a pleasant thing or was told a good news. This prostration, which is called Sujood-ush-shukr, is conducted for the sole purpose of giving thanks to Allah, the Granter of favors and blessings that the servant received.
Abdur-Rah-man ibn 'Au f (R) narrated that Rasoolullah went out once and he followed him until he entered a grove of palm trees where he prostrated. His prostration was so long that 'Abdur-Rah-man feared that Allah had taken his soul.'Abdur-Rah-man came to look at him and he raised his head and said: " What is wrong, Abdur-Rah-man'?"
The Prophet said: "Gibreel came to me and said: 'Shall I not give you good news? Allah says to you, 'Whoever prays upon you, I pray upon him. Whoever salutes you, I salute him'. Therefore, I prostrated to Allah in thanks." [Reported by Ahmad and A l-Haakim]
HOW TO PRAY SUJOOD-USH-SHUKR ?
- Say "Allahu Akbar" while standing then make sujood on the floor.
- During Sujood say" Subhana Rabiyal-A'la" three times and then praise Allah and thank Him for His favor.
- Say "Allahu Akbar," and raise your back to a sitting position.
NOTE:There is no need to make salam to right and left like in regular prayer.
c. Helping other people :-
Helping those in need of our help is an important good deed and way to thank Allah for His favors. Allah likes the people who are helpful to His servants, thus H e will continue to shower them with His blessings. Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) Said,
"As the grants from Allah to a servant increase, so will the people's needs. If the servant ignores their needs, it will cause Allah's grants to him to be removed."[Reported by Ibn Hibban ].
The Prophet (P.B.U.H) also said, "If anyone strokes an orphan's head, doing so only for Allah's sake, he will have blessings for every hair over which his hand passes; and if anyone treats well an orphan girl/boy under his care,he and I shall be like these two in Paradise," putting two of his fingers together." [Reported by At-Tirmidhi].
CONCLUSION
Thanks giving is not only a particular religious act or service; it is the whole life. The whole life should be lived in obedience to our Ultimate Benefactor, Allah.
He created us and He has been good to us.
Therefore, in our thankfulness we should always acknowledge His great favors,express our gratefulness to Him,and worship and serve Him.
DU'AA'
اللهم إني على ذكرك و شكرك و حسن عبادتك
Mu'ath Ibn Jabal narrated that Rasoolullah once said to me "O Mu'ath, I love you. Let me teach you something...(the duah at end of salah)
"Allahumma a'innee ala thikrika, wa shukruka, wa hussni ibadatik...
( O Allah help me to remember You, to show gratefulness to You, and to worship You well. )
[Reported by Abu Dawood and An-Nasa'ee].
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