https://www.khutbah.info/virtues-of-gratitude/ Gratitude to Allah Exalted for his continuous blessings, His successive gifts and bountiful Hands is a lofty and highly virtuous matter. Allah , the Blessed and Exalted, commanded it in His Book. And prohibited its opposite. And He praised the grateful. And described His distinguished servants as grateful. And He made it the purpose of His creation and command. And He promised the grateful the best reward. And He made gratitude a cause for receiving more of His grace and bestowals. And a guard and preserver of His blessings and favors. And He the Almighty informed that the grateful are the ones who benefit from His signs. He the Almighty commanded gratitude in many places in the Noble Quran. An Nahl (16) 114: Then eat of what Allah has provided for you [which is] lawful and good. And be grateful for the favor of Allah, if it is [indeed] Him that you worship. And He – Glory be to Him – coupled it with faith, and informed that He, Glory be to Him, has no aim in tormenting His creation if they are grateful to Him and believe in Him. An Nisa (4) 147: What would Allah do with [i.e., gain from] your punishment if you are grateful and believe? And ever is Allah Appreciative and Knowing. That is, if you perform and fulfill what you were created for, and that is gratitude and Iman (faith) -what is the gain for your punishment? And Allah the Glorified informed that among His servants, the grateful are the ones who preserve His favors.
إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ ,نَحْمَدُهُ ,وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ , وَنَعُوذُ بِاللهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَمِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا ,مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ , وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ , وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ
Verily, all praise is for Allah. We praise Him, we seek His assistance and we ask for His forgiveness. And we seek refuge in Him from the evils of our selves. Whoever Allah guides, none can misguide. Whoever He misguides, none can guide. And I bear witness that there is no deity other than Allah and I bear witness that Mohammad is His slave and messenger.
يَا أَيُّهَا الّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ – آل عمران:102
Al Imran 102 : O you who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam.
Oh people:
Gratitude to Allah Exalted for his continuous blessings, His successive gifts and bountiful Hands is a lofty and highly virtuous matter. Allah , the Blessed and Exalted, commanded it in His Book. And prohibited its opposite. And He praised the grateful. And described His distinguished servants as grateful. And He made it the purpose of His creation and command. And He promised the grateful the best reward. And He made gratitude a cause for receiving more of His grace and bestowals. And a guard and preserver of His blessings and favors. And He the Almighty informed that the grateful are the ones who benefit from His signs.
He the Almighty commanded gratitude in many places in the Noble Quran.
Allah Almighty said:
وَاشْكُرُوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ إِيَّاهُ تَعْبُدُونَ-النحل: 114
An Nahl (16) 114: Then eat of what Allah has provided for you [which is] lawful and good. And be grateful for the favor of Allah, if it is [indeed] Him that you worship.
And He – Glory be to Him – coupled it with faith, and informed that He, Glory be to Him, has no aim in tormenting His creation if they are grateful to Him and believe in Him.
مَا يَفْعَلُ اللَّهُ بِعَذَابِكُمْ إِنْ شَكَرْتُمْ وَآمَنْتُمْ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ شَاكِراً عَلِيماً- النساء: 147
An Nisa (4) 147: What would Allah do with [i.e., gain from] your punishment if you are grateful and believe? And ever is Allah Appreciative and Knowing.
That is, if you perform and fulfill what you were created for, and that is gratitude and Iman (faith) -what is the gain for your punishment? And Allah the Glorified informed that among His servants, the grateful are the ones who preserve His favors.
Allah Almighty said:
وَكَذَلِكَ فَتَنَّا بَعْضَهُمْ بِبَعْضٍ لِيَقُولُوا أَهَؤُلاءِ مَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ بَيْنِنَا أَلَيْسَ اللَّهُ بِأَعْلَمَ بِالشَّاكِرِينَ-الأنعام: 53
Al Anam (4) 53: And thus We have tried some of them through others that they [i.e., the disbelievers] might say, “Is it these whom Allah has favored among us?” Is not Allah most knowing of those who are grateful?
And Allah the Glorified attached an increase to gratitude. And the increase from Him has no limit as being grateful to Him has no limit.
Allah Almighty said:
وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِنْ شَكَرْتُمْ لأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ وَلَئِنْ كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِي لَشَدِيدٌ-إبراهيم: 7
Ibrahim (14) 7: And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed, ‘If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]; but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe.’
Allah Almighty has divided people in the Quran into two groups: The grateful and the ungrateful. So the most hateful matter to Allah is ungratefulness. And the most beloved matter to Allah is gratefulness.
Allah Almighty said in explaining the condition of mankind:
إِنَّا هَدَيْنَاهُ السَّبِيلَ إِمَّا شَاكِراً وَإِمَّا كَفُوراً-الإنسان: 3
Al Insan (76) 3: Indeed, We guided him to the way, be he grateful or be he ungrateful.
And He the Gloried informed that shaytan made his purpose striving to cut people off from gratitude. And that is because he knew the greatness of the station of gratitude. And that it is among the greatest and highest stations.
Allah Almighty said in explaining shaytan’s case:
ثُمَّ لآتِيَنَّهُمْ مِنْ بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ وَعَنْ أَيْمَانِهِمْ وَعَنْ شَمَائِلِهِمْ وَلا تَجِدُ أَكْثَرَهُمْ شَاكِرِينَ-الأعراف: 17
Al Araf (7) 17: Then I will come to them from before them and from behind them and on their right and on their left, and You will not find most of them grateful [to You].”
Allah Almighty informed that the grateful among His servants are few. Allah Almighty said:
وَقَلِيلٌ مِنْ عِبَادِي الشَّكُورُ-سبأ: 13
Saba (34) 13: And few of My servants are grateful.
Allah Almighty informed that gratitude is the aim for His creating the creation and His varying of the blessings. Allah Almighty said:
وَاللَّهُ أَخْرَجَكُمْ مِنْ بُطُونِ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ لا تَعْلَمُونَ شَيْئاً وَجَعَلَ لَكُمْ السَّمْعَ وَالأَبْصَارَ وَالأَفْئِدَةَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ-النحل: 78
Nahl (16) 78: And Allah has brought you out from the wombs of your mothers not knowing a thing, and He made for you hearing and vision and hearts [i.e., intellect] that perhaps you would be grateful.
Gratitude is the way of Allah’s messengers and prophets. The most distinguished creation of Allah and the closest to Him (peace upon them all). Allah Almighty has praised the first messenger on the earth for being grateful.
Allah Almighty said:
ذُرِّيَّةَ مَنْ حَمَلْنَا مَعَ نُوحٍ إِنَّهُ كَانَ عَبْداً شَكُوراً-الإسراء: 3
Al Isra (17) 3: O descendants of those We carried [in the ship] with Noah. Indeed, he was a grateful servant.
And Allah Almighty praised Ibrahim for being grateful for His favors. Allah Almighty said:
إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ كَانَ أُمَّةً قَانِتاً لِلَّهِ حَنِيفاً وَلَمْ يَكُنْ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ * شَاكِراً لأَنْعُمِهِ اجْتَبَاهُ وَهَدَاهُ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ-النحل: 120–121
Al Nahl (16) 120-121: (120) Indeed, Abraham was a [comprehensive] leader, devoutly obedient to Allah, inclining toward truth, and he was not of those who associate others with Allah. (121) [He was] grateful for His favors. He [i.e., Allah] chose him and guided him to a straight path.
Allah described Ibrahim as a comprehensive leader. That he is a role model to be followed in goodness. And described him as devoutly obedient and that he was haneef that is turning to Allah alone and turning away from all aside of Him. Then Allah sealed these qualities by describing Ibrahim as grateful for Allah’s favors. Making gratitude the ultimate aim of Ibrahim.
And He the Almighty commanded His servant Musa (peace be upon him) to receive what He gave him of prophethood and His messages and words with being grateful to Allah:
Allah Almighty said:
يَا مُوسَى إِنِّي اصْطَفَيْتُكَ عَلَى النَّاسِ بِرِسَالاتِي وَبِكَلامِي فَخُذْ مَا آتَيْتُكَ وَكُنْ مِنْ الشَّاكِرِينَ-الأعراف: 144
Al Araf (7) 144: [Allah] said, “O Moses, I have chosen you over the people with My messages and My words [to you]. So take what I have given you and be among the grateful.”
And there any many other verses showing the gratitude of the prophets (peace be upon them). And indeed that is their way and path.
As for the gratitude of the seal of the Prophets and the leader of all the sons of Adam, Mohammad ﷺ , it is a wide expanse and vast sea. For he is the most knowledgeable among creation about Allah. And the most conscious of Allah. And the most grateful for Allah’s favors. And has the highest station with Allah.
Al-Mughirah bin Shu’bah (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
قام النبي -صلى الله عليه وسلم- حتى تورمت قدماه, فقيل له: غفر الله لك ما تقدم من ذنبك وما تأخر ! قال: “أفلا أكون عبدًا شكورًا
The Prophet ﷺ stood (in prayer at night) until his feet swelled up, and it was said to him: Allah has forgiven your past and future sins. He said: “Should I not be a thankful servant? [Bukhari 1130, Muslim 2819a]
And it is related in Sahih Al Bukhari that the Prophet ﷺ said:
إن أتقاكم وأعلمكم بالله أنا
I am the most Allah conscious of you and the most knowledgeable of you about Allah [Bukhari 20]
As for the root and reality of gratitude, it is acknowledging the bounties of the Benefactor with submission, humility and love. So whoever does not acknowledge the favor, rather is ignorant of it, is not grateful for it. And whoever acknowledges the favor but does not know it’s Giver, is not grateful for it. The root of gratitude is submission of the grateful to Allah, his love for Allah, acknowledging Allah’s favors, praising Allah for it, and not using the favor for what Allah dislikes.
And gratitude is through the heart, tongue and limbs. It is through the heart by having submission, humility and love of Allah. And through the tongue by praising Allah and acknowledging His favor. And through the limbs by obedience and compliance.
Ibn Abee Dunya said in his book called Gratitude: As for the one who is grateful with only his tongue and is not grateful with the rest of his body, it is like the man who has a garment and only uses an edge of it and does not wear it. So it does not protect him from the heat, cold, rain or snow.
Indeed being grateful to Allah for His favors is obligatory for every Muslim. And it is the way for retaining the favor and its continuity. Just as lack of gratitude is the reason for its removal and disappearance.
It has been said: Gratitude, even if little, is the premium for every bestowal no matter how great.
For if a person is not grateful, the blessing may vanish. And it was also said: Gratitude is the anchor for existing blessings. And the snare for missing blessings. And it was also said: Denying blessings is ruin and is the means for their fleeing.
And gratitude has been called the keeper because it preserves the existing blessings. And it has been called the bringer because it brings the missing blessings.
أَقُولُ مَا تَسْمَعُونَ وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ لِي وَلَكُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ ذَنْبٍ فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
I say what you have heard and I seek forgiveness from Allah for me and you from every sin. So seek forgives from Him, Verily He is Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.
Second Khutbah
الحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ, وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ , وَ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَاْ إِلَهَ إِلَّاْ اَللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَاْشَرِيْكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدَاً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُوْلُهُ
All praise is to Allah, and peace and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah, and I bear witness that there is no deity other than Allah and I bear witness that Mohammad is His slave and messenger.
Oh Muslims:
Be conscious of Allah and know, may Allah have mercy upon you, that gratitude to one’s Lord revolves around three important pillars. A person is not considered grateful without all three of them.
One of the them is acknowledging Allah’s blessing upon him in the depths of his heart. In acknowledging that this blessing came to him from Allah out of the Almighty’s favor and kindness. Second, is openly speaking about this blessing. So he extols, praises and thanks Allah. And he does not attribute the blessing to other than Him the Exalted. So that they are not like the ones that Allah spoke about:
يَعْرِفُونَ نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُنكِرُونَهَا-النحل: 83
An Nahl (16) 83: They recognize the favor of Allah; then they deny it. And most of them are disbelievers.
Third, is to use the favors for seeking the pleasure of Allah. So he uses them for the obedience of Allah. If he uses the favors for the disobedience of Allah, then he has denied Allah’s favor upon him. So the one who uses his strong body, good health, car, and his wealth for the disobedience of Allah, has denied Allah’s favor upon him.
So be conscious of Allah and be grateful for Allah’s favor upon you. Remember Allah’s countless blessings… a sound mind, a healthy body, varied means of transportation, ample provisions, sufficient food, clothing and housing, wellbeing and security. And above all of that and the most precious is that He guided you to Islam. So be grateful to Him and do not deny His favors.
And remember Him the Exalted and do not forget Him. And obey Him and do not disobey Him. And do not be like those who exchanged the favor of Allah for disbelief. They met Allah’s blessing with denial instead of gratitude which lead them to ruin.
Oh Allah make us among those who are grateful for your favors. And help us to remember You, thank You, and worship You in the best manner. Indeed Allah is All Hearing, All Knowing, Answering.
هَذَا وَصَلُّوا وَسَلِّمُوا عَلَى نَبِيِّكُم كَمَا أَمَرَكُمْ بِذلِكَ رَبُّكُمْ , فَقَالَ
I conclude with this and send prayers of blessings and peace upon your Prophet as your Lord commanded:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ۚ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا
Al Ahzaab (33) 56: Indeed, Allah confers blessing upon the Prophet, and His angels [ask Him to do so]. O you who have believed, ask [ Allah to confer] blessing upon him and ask [ Allah to grant him] peace.
اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنا فِيمَنْ هَدَيْتَ وَعَافِنا فِيمَنْ عَافَيْتَ وَتَوَلَّنا فِيمَنْ تَوَلَّيْتَ وَبَارِكْ لنا فِيمَا أَعْطَيْتَ وَقِنا شَرَّ مَا قَضَيْتَ إِنَّكَ تَقْضِي وَلاَ يُقْضَى عَلَيْكَ وَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَذِلُّ مَنْ وَالَيْتَ تَبَارَكْتَ رَبَّنَا وَتَعَالَيْتَ
O Allah, guide us with those whom You have guided, grant us well-being among those You have granted well-being, be an ally to us along with those whom You are an ally to, and bless what You have bestowed upon us, and save us from the evil of what You have decreed. For verily You decree and none can decree over You. He whom You support can never be humiliated. Glory is to You, our Lord, You are Blessed and Exalted.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ كُلِّهِ عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ مَا عَلِمْنا مِنْهُ وَمَا لَمْ نَعْلَمْ وَنَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الشَّرِّ كُلِّهِ عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ مَا عَلِمْنا مِنْهُ وَمَا لَمْ نَعْلَمْ اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ خَيْرِ مَا سَأَلَكَ عَبْدُكَ وَنَبِيُّكَ وَنَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا عَاذَ بِهِ عَبْدُكَ وَنَبِيُّكَ اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَا قَرَّبَ إِلَيْهَا مِنْ قَوْلٍ أَوْ عَمَلٍ وَنَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ النَّارِ وَمَا قَرَّبَ إِلَيْهَا مِنْ قَوْلٍ أَوْ عَمَلٍ وَنَسْأَلُكَ أَنْ تَجْعَلَ كُلَّ قَضَاءٍ قَضَيْتَهُ لَنا خَيْرًا
O Allah, We ask You for all that is good, in this world and in the Hereafter, what we know and what we do not know. O Allah, we seek refuge with You from all evil, in this world and in the Hereafter, what we know and what we do not know. O Allah, we ask You for the good that Your servant and Prophet has asked You for, and we seek refuge with You from the evil from which Your servant and Prophet sought refuge. O Allah, we ask You for Paradise and for that which brings one closer to it, in word and deed, and we seek refuge in You from Hell and from that which brings one closer to it, in word and deed. And we ask You to make every decree that You decree concerning us good
عِبَادَ اللّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ
Servants of Allah. Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded.
اُذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ الْعَظِيمَ يَذْكُرْكُمْ واشْكُرُوهُ يَزِدْكُمْ واسْتَغْفِرُوهُ يَغْفِرْ لكُمْ واتّقُوهُ يَجْعَلْ لَكُمْ مِنْ أَمْرِكُمْ مَخْرَجًا وَأَقِمِ الصّلَاة
Remember Allah, the Great – He will remember you. Thank Him for His favors – He will increase you therein. And seek forgiveness from Him – He will forgive you. And be conscious of Him – He will provide you a way out of difficult matters. And, establish the prayer.
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