Abdul Rahman Chao - Gratitude

Verily all praise and thanks belong to Allah. We praise Allah, we seek His assistance and we seek His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil that resides within our souls and from the evil that results from our sins. Whomsoever Allah guides, none shall misguide.

And whomsoever Allah allows to be led astray, then none shall guide them back to the straight path. I bear witness that there is no God worthy of worship except Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, is his final messenger and servant. Allah tells us in the Qur'an, O you who believe, fear Allah, be God-conscious, and do not die except as Muslims.

O mankind, fear your Lord who has created you from one soul, and from it, its mate, and from both many men and many women. So fear Allah through whom you ask one another of the rights and by the wombs that bore you. Verily, Allah is ever watchful over you.

O you who believe, speak the truth. Fear Allah and speak the truth. He will render your deeds righteous, and He will forgive your sins, and whoever obeys Allah and His messenger has achieved a great victory.

Verily, the best speech is the speech of Allah, and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad ﷺ. And the worst of all affairs is that of religious innovation, for all of that is misguidance, and all of that leads to hellfire. The Prophet ﷺ tells us of a story that comes from a time before him. Specifically, it came from, this story takes place among the children of Israel.

The Story of Three Men

And there were three people who were afflicted with some sort of physical pain and ailment. One of them was a leper. He had leprosy.

And you have to understand thousands of years ago, leprosy was an incurable disease. Now we know in today's world, it's a bacterial infection that requires penicillin, and then you're on your way, alhamdulillah, by the will of Allah. But back in the day, they didn't know that.

So if you had leprosy, it was practically a death sentence. And one of them, it says that he is bald, but if you look in the hadith, it actually is closer to the meaning of having alopecia, someone who has no body hair. Because he says in this hadith that the people would run away from him.

And being bald doesn't make people run away from him. And the third one was someone who was visually impaired, he was blind. So Allah sent an angel to the first person, the leper.

And he said to him, what do you want? He said, لَوْنٌ حَسَنٌ وَجِلْدٌ حَسَنٌ Nice color and good skin. And I want Allah to cure me of this ailment that is causing people to shun me and push me away. So the angel passed his hand over him, and by the will of Allah, he was cured.

Then he said to the leper, what do you want? What kind of wealth would you like? He said, I would like to have a pregnant she-camel, a female camel, very large, and so it was given to him. So he went to the second person. This angel went to the second person and said to him the same thing.

What would you like? He said, I would like Allah to cure me of my alopecia, my hair loss. And he asked him, and so he was cured by the will of Allah. And he asked him, what would you like? He said, I would like to have a large, I would like to have a female or a cow.

And I would like to have one that is pregnant. And so it was given to him. And the third person who was blind, same conversation happened.

I would like Allah to cure me of my blindness. And he was given a pregnant sheep. After time had passed, and they had now settled into their new life, Allah wanted to test them.

The Test of Gratitude

And he sent them an angel that came to them in the form that these people used to suffer in. So the first angel came to the first person in the form of a leper. And he said to him, I have been traveling, I have lost my way, I am at my wit's end, I have nothing else.

And I ask you by Allah, the one who gave you nice skin, that you give me one of your camels so that I might be on my way. So this person, what did he say? الْحُقُوقُ كَثِيرَةٌ. I have a lot of responsibilities.

And you should know that these three people, they had a valley full of livestock. So one of them had a valley full of camels, another one had a valley full of cows, cattle, and another one had a valley full of sheep. He just had to give one.

He says الْحُقُوقُ كَثِيرَةٌ. I have a lot of responsibilities. And so the angel now says to him, and he's in the shape, in the form of a leper, he says, weren't you the one that Allah cured you of leprosy? And he gave you all this wealth? And look at the arrogance, the gall, the brazenness that he says.

What does he reply? He says, إِنَّمَا وَرِثْتُ هَذَا كَابِرًا عَنْ كَابِرٍ This is old money. This is money that I inherited from the previous generations. So the angel says, إِنْ كُنْتَ كَاذِبًا فَصَيَّرَكَ اللَّهُ إِلَى مَا كُنْتَ If you are lying, then may Allah turn you back to what you were.

And so he returned back to that state. Lost everything. Second man, the person who was suffering from baldness and alopecia, same thing happened to him.

Made an excuse about what kind of responsibilities he had. Trying to deny his responsibility to acknowledge the blessings of Allah that were given to him. And so he was changed back to his former self.

And so he went to the third person. The person who used to be blind. The angel explained to him his situation.

He said, I am blind and I need your help. Please give me one of your sheep so that I may be on my way. So the man said, take.

Take whatever you need. And he says, أَمْسِكْ Hold on to your wealth for you have passed the test whereas your two friends have failed the test. Brothers and sisters, this hadith is a sahih hadith.

(Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim)

It is an authentic narration. And we see that three people were tested by Allah. They had physical ailments, and they were also very poor.

So Allah not only restored their health, but He gave them new wealth. And after they had enjoyed these blessings, they were asked to acknowledge and perform the civic duty of giving back on which both accounts, they obfuscated. They completely denied and tried to get out of it.

Ramadan and Gratitude

Brothers and sisters, we know that the main goal of Ramadan is to attain taqwa.

We know about that. But more often than not, a lot of people will say to their co-workers, they will say well you know Ramadan also teaches us to be grateful.

And this is found in the Qur'an as well. Allah tells us in the Qur'an,

So basically to summarize, this verse is saying, the month of Ramadan is the month of the Qur'an, in which the Qur'an was revealed, guidance and clear proofs. And so whoever witnesses this month, then let them fast it.

And whoever is ill or traveling, then let him make up the days at another time. يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ Allah wants for you ease, and Allah does not want difficulty for you, so that you may complete these days, and that you praise Allah, and that you become grateful. The scholars of the past differed as to, what is this gratitude referring to? Is this the fact that Allah gave you a license, Allah gave people the opportunity to make up the fast if they're traveling and ill? For sure, that we should be grateful for.

But the ulema also said, in general, the fact that Allah has given all of you here sitting right now, that you are alive right now witnessing Ramadan and fasting, may Allah accept. That is a blessing that cannot be denied. How many people have left us this year, only to live a few days before Ramadan, and they were called back to Allah.

The Nature of Gratitude

Brothers and sisters, gratitude is the bedrock of what motivates us to worship. And the reason being, is that if you really understood the countless blessings that Allah gives you, that should propel you to gratitude, to devotion and worship. It is the way of the prophets of the past, that they had this noble characteristic of having gratitude.

Allah says in the Quran,

Allah tells Muhammad ﷺ, we have revealed to you, and we have revealed just like we revealed to the previous prophets, that if you were to commit shirk, worship other than Allah, all your good deeds would be pulverized and destroyed, nullified. And that you would be among the losers. بَلِ اللَّهَ فَاعْبُدْ وَكُنْ مِنَ الشَّاكِرِينَ But indeed, worship Allah and be among those who are grateful.

Allah describes Ibrahim,

Verily, Ibrahim was a nation unto himself, a comprehensive leader, devout in his worship to Allah, turning towards Allah, and he was not among the mushrikeen, among the polytheists. شَاكِرًا لِأَنْعُمِهِ He was thankful of the blessings that came to him from Allah.

Brothers and sisters, gratitude is, the root in Arabic is shakara, to thank. And that's why you know, you hear people saying shukran, or in Urdu shukria, it's from the same word, to be thankful. And the opposite of thankfulness is ingratitude. But the Arabic word is most interesting, because this word is the root of kafara, of disbelief.

And why is that so? Because when you are given a blessing, and you deny the blessing, it is a form of disbelief, it is a form of ingratitude. And so the greatest form of ingratitude towards Allah, is by disbelieving in Allah, the one who has given you everything.

Allah says in the Qur'an, remember me and I shall remember you. And be thankful to me, and do not be like those who are ungrateful. Do not be ungrateful to Allah.

The Heart of Gratitude

Brothers and sisters, gratitude is not just about a nod, a smile, a thank you, and moving along. It is something that is deeply rooted in your heart. That whatever blessing that comes to you, acknowledge that this blessing came to you without any effort from your part. That if Allah didn't bless you with that opportunity, you would have no chance of getting it.

Yes, you might have worked hard and studied hard, but who is the one that preserved your memory so that you could pass the test? You worked hard at your job, but who is the one that brings you your rizq in the form of your paycheck? Allah tells us to be thankful because He Himself also appreciates what we do. Even though Allah doesn't benefit from what we do, He doesn't increase Him in might and power. One of His name is Ash-Shakur.

How is Allah shakur to the creation? Allah is appreciative of every good deed that you do. Allah doesn't say, Oh, it's something very small, okay, whatever.

And whoever does one ounce of good, then he shall see it. In other words, Allah will reward you. The Prophet ﷺ tells us of a hadith of a man who was walking by a well, and he saw a thirsty dog, so he descended into the well, and he procured water and put it in his shoe, and he gave the water to the dog, and the dog drank it. What did the Prophet ﷺ say?

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 2466)

Allah thanked him for that act. Allah acknowledged that deed, that small deed that he did, and what did he do? He forgave all of his sins, and rewarded him.

All of the blessings that come, it's from Allah. Umar bin Abdulaziz used to say, تَذَاكَرُوا النِّعَمِ فَإِنَّ ذِكْرَهَا شُكْرٌ Remember the blessings of Allah, think, ponder, think back to those times that you were asking Allah for something, and Allah gave it to you.

Remember that, because in its remembrance is gratitude. Brothers and sisters, how do we acknowledge? How do we acknowledge these blessings that Allah gives you, and how does it transfer to your action? Science has proven, research has shown, that when a person is grateful to Allah, they end up learning and developing empathy in their heart. So when you look at those who are less fortunate, unlike the atmosphere that we are living in right now, where some people espouse the view that helping those who are in need, whether it is through government assistance or not, it is, they're mooching off of the system, they're leeches on the system.

When you are grateful, you do not have that kind of arrogant attitude. Looking at poor people with arrogance and disdain, as if they were all lazy, and you're the only one that's working hard over here. And if you look in this hadith, the angel came in the exact form.

He came in the medical condition that this person used to suffer in, to what? To bring about some empathy, because he experienced it, and that's what empathy is. And yet, what did that person say? What did those two people say? الْحُقُوقُ كَثِيرَةٌ I have a lot of responsibilities. And when they're asked to acknowledge, they can't.

They say, this is old money, I inherited this. And so brothers and sisters, the Prophet ﷺ, he used to make a dua. And I think it's very important that we learn this dua, memorize it, and teach it to our kids.

The Prophet ﷺ used to say, Oh Allah, I ask you to give me the blessing of performing good deeds and to abandon evil deeds, to abandon sin وَحُبَّ الْمَسَاكِينِ and the love of those who are less fortunate.

I say these words and I seek Allah's forgiveness.

Practical Gratitude

Brothers and sisters, after talking about the importance of acknowledging the blessings of Allah, and that acknowledgement of blessings of Allah comes from the heart, that it's supposed to be something that you do and you remind yourself of, how do we make this characteristic in light of the month of Ramadan, something that is practical knowledge, practical that you can do right now.

Aisha رضي الله تعالى عنها She said, she saw the Prophet ﷺ praying long prayers at night, not the Isha prayer, the Qiyam al-Layl, and not specifically Ramadan, outside the Ramadan, until his feet would swell, until his feet would crack.

And she would say, Messenger of Allah, why are you doing all of this when Allah has forgiven you your past, and whatever that is to come. He said, what? أَفَلَا أَكُونُ عَبْدًا شَكُورًا Shall I not be a grateful servant?

So brothers and sisters, gratitude is tested in the way how you show it to Allah. And the first thing you can do is by thanking Allah on your tongue, and meaning it in your heart.

Even if it is as simple as saying, الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَالشُّكْرُ لِلَّهِ All praise and thanks is due to Allah. The Prophet ﷺ even tells us in a narration, that verily Allah loves for His servant, that if he is to eat one morsel, أَنْ يَأْكُلَ أَكْلَةً That if he is to eat one bite of food, that he thanks Allah for it. Like with every bite he eats, he says, الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ And with every drink that he takes, with every sip of water that he takes, that he thanks Allah for it.

Using Blessings Correctly

Brothers and sisters, thanking Allah also requires that you take the blessing that Allah has given to you, and to use it in the right way. Imagine if you gave someone $1,000, but instead of using that $1,000 to do something that is beneficial, they went and they gambled, they gambled it all away. They went and, I don't know, bought a hundred boxes of little Debbie's cakes or whatever.

What is this? Why did you spend all this money doing that for? And so what about if a person uses the blessing of Allah for sin? May Allah protect us. Brothers and sisters, in this month of Ramadan, we witness great acts of devotion, of prayer, of fasting. But if we look at the way of the Prophet ﷺ, he was described as one of the most generous people.

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 1902)

He was one of the most generous people. وَكَانَ أَجْوَدَ مَا يَكُونُ فِي رَمَضَانَ And he was more generous in the month of Ramadan.

The Prophet ﷺ understood the great blessing of Ramadan. And so every night he used to be visited by Jibril, and angel Gabriel would review the Qur'an with him every night. So you would think, what does that have to do with anything? It's the fact that when you take these opportunities and you seize upon these opportunities, you show your thankfulness to Allah by what the Prophet ﷺ is doing. And that is, he was so generous in Ramadan that he is described as what? A beneficial cloud that comes and brings good.

It's a metaphor. That the Prophet ﷺ brings so much good. Like that rain cloud that brings rain to the crops.

Brothers and sisters, the Prophet ﷺ also narrated in a sahih narration in which he says,

(Authenticated by Al-Albani)

Allah is generous and He loves generosity. And Allah is magnanimous. And when you say الجود in Arabic, it's not just giving in wealth, it means to be generous in every sense.

وَيُحِبُّ مَعَالِيَ الْأَخْلَاقِ And He loves noble character and He dislikes bad character. وَيَكْرَهُ سَفْسَافَهَا And He dislikes bad character.

The Story of the Prophet's Cloak

Brothers and sisters, I want to end off with a story of the Prophet ﷺ. Of a woman that came to the Prophet ﷺ and she gifted the Prophet ﷺ with a cloak, a mantle, a burda.

And this burda was very very nice. It had nice stitching to it. It had nice tassels on it.

The Prophet ﷺ accepted this gift from this woman and he was in need of this cloak. And so he put it on. So one of the companions saw the Prophet ﷺ and he said, يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا أَحْسَنَ هَذِهِ O Messenger of Allah, how beautiful this is, this cloak is.

فَاكْسُونِيهَا Let me wear it. The Prophet ﷺ didn't say, it's mine. Excuse me, it's a gift given to me.

He said نعم, yes. He took it off and he put it on this companion. Even though he needed it.

And so after the Prophet ﷺ departed, the companion said, why did you put the Prophet ﷺ in such a difficult position? You know he needs it and you know that he would never turn away anyone that asks for anything. He said, I saw the Prophet ﷺ put it on, so I wanted some of that barakah and I hope to be cloaked in it.

Brothers and sisters, this hadith really teaches us about the true meaning of giving. And that is, we should give to our institutions. And we support da'wah efforts, not just simply by coming and giving the things that you don't want. And unfortunately, not all masajid, a lot of the masajid have become dumping grounds.

You have all these used clothes and old fridge that barely even works, bring it to the masjid. That's not what donation is. Allah says,

You will not achieve goodness, righteousness until you give what you love. And in this example, the Prophet ﷺ loved it, and he needed this robe, this cloak, yet he gave it and without any reservation.

Conclusion

We ask Allah to make us among those who are generous. We ask Allah to make us among those who are grateful. We ask Allah to make us among those who acknowledge all of His blessings. We ask Allah to make us among those who use His blessings in the right way. We ask Allah for all the money that we are blessed with, that we use it in the halal method that Allah and His Messenger have prescribed.