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Gratitude to Allah : The heart’s path to peace

In a world filled with uncertainty and complexity, many possess material wealth and health yet lack the peace of mind and heart that brings true contentment. The Glorious Qur’an teaches that “Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find peace” [Surah Al-Ra’d, Ayah 28], pointing us toward a deeper, lasting tranquility. Among the many paths to this peace, gratitude to Allah سبحانه و تعالى stands out as a transformative practice. By recognizing and appreciating His countless blessings, we shift our perspective from emptiness to fulfillment, anchoring our hearts in a state of serenity that endures life’s trials.

The Essence of Gratitude in Islam

Being thankful and showing gratitude means reciprocating kindness, being humble and sincere, and giving praise to the one who has done good and kind things. Everything we have and everything we get is from our Provider and our Sustainer, Allah سبحانه و تعالى . This is the reality of our existence, a fact that we cannot deny after entering into the fold of Islam. Allah سبحانه و تعالى has bestowed us with countless blessings, both big and small. It is only right that we be grateful to Allah سبحانه و تعالى for all that He has done for us. And being grateful does not mean that we keep on saying meaningless ‘thank you’, but rather it’s an attitude that we need to develop, it’s a lifestyle and a way of thinking.

Human Ingratitude: A Qur’anic Reflection

Every moment of our lives is part of an ongoing chain of Allah’s سبحانه و تعالى countless gifts. Many of us due to our outlook on life or our circumstances, fail to see that we are receiving unimaginable and uncountable bounties and blessings from our Creator. We fail to realize that for even the tiniest of the affairs we depend on Allah سبحانه و تعالى at all times. Allah سبحانه و تعالى has made it clear that we will never be able to count all of His blessings upon us, since they are innumerable. But we as human race are truly unfair, totally ungrateful and forgetful creatures. The only time we call upon or remember Allah سبحانه و تعالى is the time when we are in a serious problem or when we are unable to find solutions for our problems. We often fall short in giving this right to Allah سبحانه و تعالى which He truly and solely deserves. At times, when we are enjoying the blessings of Allah سبحانه و تعالى we tend to forget Him but when a small problem befalls upon us, we start calling upon him with everything we have. This statement is found in the Glorious Qur’an, emphasizing humanity’s ungratefulness and heedlessness of Allah’s سبحانه و تعالى blessings. Allah سبحانه و تعالى says in the Glorious Qur’an:
وَءَاتَىٰكُم مِّن كُلِّ مَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُ ۚ وَإِن تَعُدُّوا۟ نِعْمَتَ ٱللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَآ ۗ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ لَظَلُومٌۭ كَفَّارٌۭ

And He has granted you all that you asked Him for. If you tried to count Allah’s blessings, you would never be able to number them. Indeed, mankind is [generally] most unjust and ungrateful.

(Surah Ibrahim, Ayah 34)

Allah سبحانه و تعالى says in the Surah Yunus
وَإِذَا مَسَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ ٱلضُّرُّ دَعَانَا لِجَنۢبِهِۦٓ أَوْ قَاعِدًا أَوْ قَآئِمًۭا فَلَمَّا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُ ضُرَّهُۥ مَرَّ كَأَن لَّمْ يَدْعُنَآ إِلَىٰ ضُرٍّۢ مَّسَّهُۥ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِلْمُسْرِفِينَ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ ١٢

Whenever someone is touched by hardship, they cry out to Us, whether lying on their side, sitting, or standing. But when We relieve their hardship, they return to their old ways as if they had never cried to Us to remove any hardship! This is how the misdeeds of the transgressors have been made appealing to them.

(Surah Yunus, Ayah 12)

Furthermore, Allah سبحانه و تعالى says
وَمَا بِكُمۡ مِّنۡ نّـِعۡمَةٍ فَمِنَ اللّٰهِ​ ثُمَّ اِذَا مَسَّكُمُ الضُّرُّ فَاِلَيۡهِ تَجْئَرُوۡنَ​ۚ ٥٣
ثُمَّ اِذَا كَشَفَ الضُّرَّ عَنۡكُمۡ اِذَا فَرِيۡقٌ مِّنۡكُمۡ بِرَبِّهِمۡ يُشۡرِكُوۡنَۙ ٥٤
لِيَكۡفُرُوۡا بِمَاۤ اٰتَيۡنٰهُمۡ​ؕ فَتَمَتَّعُوۡا ​فَسَوۡفَ تَعۡلَمُوۡنَ

And whatever you have of favor – it is from Allah. Then when adversity touches you, to Him you cry for help. Then when He removes the adversity from you, at once a party of you associates others with their Lord. So they will deny what We have given them. Then enjoy yourselves, for you are going to know.

(Surah An-Nahl, Ayah 53-55)

The Infinite Blessings of Allah

Consider our body for an instance. It’s made up of one hundred trillion cells. Each cell is a blessing from Allah سبحانه و تعالى But this does not mean that there are only one hundred trillion blessings in the human body. There are far more in number, since Allah’s سبحانه و تعالى blessings manifest themselves within each one of those cells in innumerable ways. Moreover, each cell is exposed to an incalculable number of potential threats, from viruses to cancer to a variety of malfunctions, and Allah سبحانه و تعالى through His Mercy, protects the cells from all of these. Therefore, we can never get down to enumerate the blessings that Allah سبحانه و تعالى bestows upon us at every moment.
Even if we entertain the thought and the idea that the blessings that Allah سبحانه و تعالى bestows upon any one of us is some finite number, that number would not take into account all of the misfortunes that Allah سبحانه و تعالى withholds from us, though He certainly tries some of His servants with those misfortunes. Then there are all the blessings that Allah سبحانه و تعالى has bestowed upon our predecessors, our contemporaries, and our descendants and on the incalculable aspects of creation upon which our lives depend.
Allah سبحانه و تعالى reminds us and says:
وَمَا بِكُم مِّن نِّعْمَةٍۢ فَمِنَ ٱللَّهِ ۖ ثُمَّ إِذَا مَسَّكُمُ ٱلضُّرُّ فَإِلَيْهِ تَجْـَٔرُونَ ٥٣

And whatever you have of favor – it is from Allah. Then when adversity touches you, to Him you cry for help.

(Surah An-Nahl, Ayah 53)

Gratitude as an Act of Worship

We should look at ourselves and the way we behave towards Allah’s سبحانه و تعالى blessings. Do we use them in obedience to His commands? Do we realize that Allah سبحانه و تعالى has a right over us in everything that He gives us? If we are blessed with wealth, the poor have a right in it. If we are blessed with health and strength, the weak and the infirm have a right in it. If we are blessed with knowledge, then those who are in want of knowledge have a right in it. Every ability we are blessed with carries a right for those who are unable.
We must thank Allah سبحانه و تعالى for enabling us to do what others cannot. An essential part of our gratitude to Him is to give from what He has blessed us with to those who are unable to support themselves. We should remember that every blessing we enjoy will inevitably come to an end. Either we will lose the blessing some day in our lives or we will depart this life and leave that blessing behind. But we must remember as well that Allah سبحانه و تعالى will surely increase the blessings for us if we are thankful to Him.
Allah سبحانه و تعالى says:
وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ ۖ وَلَئِن كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِى لَشَدِيدٌۭ

And (remember) when your Lord proclaimed, “If you are grateful, I will certainly give you more. But if you are ungrateful, surely My punishment is severe.</p

(Surah Ibraheem, Ayah 7)

Over and above, a part of our gratitude to Allah سبحانه و تعالى is to serve Him with what He gives us and to use what we have in ways that are lawful and pleasing to Him. We should not be like Qaaroon. Some wise people advised him by saying:
۞ إِنَّ قَـٰرُونَ كَانَ مِن قَوْمِ مُوسَىٰ فَبَغَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ ۖ وَءَاتَيْنَـٰهُ مِنَ ٱلْكُنُوزِ مَآ إِنَّ مَفَاتِحَهُۥ لَتَنُوٓأُ بِٱلْعُصْبَةِ أُو۟لِى ٱلْقُوَّةِ إِذْ قَالَ لَهُۥ قَوْمُهُۥ لَا تَفْرَحْ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْفَرِحِينَ ٧٦

Indeed, Qaaroon was from the people of Moosa, but he behaved arrogantly towards them. We had granted him such treasures that even their keys would burden a group of strong men. Some of his people advised him, “Do not be prideful! Surely Allah does not like the prideful.

(Surah Al-Qasas, Ayah 76)

Qaaroon replied to them and said:
قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أُوتِيتُهُۥ عَلَىٰ عِلْمٍ عِندِىٓ ۚ أَوَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَدْ أَهْلَكَ مِن قَبْلِهِۦ مِنَ ٱلْقُرُونِ مَنْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُ قُوَّةًۭ وَأَكْثَرُ جَمْعًۭا ۚ وَلَا يُسْـَٔلُ عَن ذُنُوبِهِمُ ٱلْمُجْرِمُونَ ٧٨

He said: “This has been given to me only because of the knowledge I possess.” Did he not know that Allah had destroyed before him generations, men who were stronger than him in might and greater in the amount (of riches) they had collected? But the Mujrimoon (criminals, disbelievers, polytheists, sinners) will not be questioned of their sins (because Allah knows them well, so they will be punished without being called to account).

(Surah Al-Qasas, Ayah 78)

We often do not notice or even consider a blessing that we have until we lose that blessing or are threatened with its loss. How many blessings, benefits and bounties do we take in for granted? How many blessings surround us in our families, our friends, our work, the status we enjoy, the connections we have, even our hopes and our dreams? Even this planet in which we live is a blessing, how it possesses everything needed for life to thrive.

Allah’s Call to Thankfulness

Allah سبحانه و تعالى has mentioned some of the blessings that He has bestowed upon His slaves, and has commanded them to be grateful for what He has bestowed upon them, and has informed us that only a handful of them give thanks to Him. Allah says in the Glorious Qur’an:

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُلُوا۟ مِن طَيِّبَـٰتِ مَا رَزَقْنَـٰكُمْ وَٱشْكُرُوا۟ لِلَّهِ إِن كُنتُمْ إِيَّاهُ تَعْبُدُونَ

O you who have believed, eat from the good [i.e., lawful] things which We have provided for you and be grateful to Allah if it is [indeed] Him that you worship.

(Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayah 172)

وَلَقَدْ مَكَّنَّـٰكُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَجَعَلْنَا لَكُمْ فِيهَا مَعَـٰيِشَ ۗ قَلِيلًۭا مَّا تَشْكُرُونَ

And surely, We gave you authority on the earth and appointed for you therein provisions (for your life). Little thanks do you give.

(Surah Al- A’raf, Ayah 10)

وَمِنْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦٓ أَن يُرْسِلَ ٱلرِّيَاحَ مُبَشِّرَٰتٍۢ وَلِيُذِيقَكُم مِّن رَّحْمَتِهِۦ وَلِتَجْرِىَ ٱلْفُلْكُ بِأَمْرِهِۦ وَلِتَبْتَغُوا۟ مِن فَضْلِهِۦ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ٤٦

And among His Signs is this, that He sends the winds as glad tidings, giving you a taste of His Mercy (i.e. rain), and that the ships may sail at His Command, and that you may seek of His Bounty, in order that you may be thankful.

(Surah Ar-Room, Ayah 46)

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ فَٱغْسِلُوا۟ وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْمَرَافِقِ وَٱمْسَحُوا۟ بِرُءُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى ٱلْكَعْبَيْنِ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُمْ جُنُبًۭا فَٱطَّهَّرُوا۟ ۚ وَإِن كُنتُم مَّرْضَىٰٓ أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ أَوْ جَآءَ أَحَدٌۭ مِّنكُم مِّنَ ٱلْغَآئِطِ أَوْ لَـٰمَسْتُمُ ٱلنِّسَآءَ فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا۟ مَآءًۭ فَتَيَمَّمُوا۟ صَعِيدًۭا طَيِّبًۭا فَٱمْسَحُوا۟ بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُم مِّنْهُ ۚ مَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنْ حَرَجٍۢ وَلَـٰكِن يُرِيدُ لِيُطَهِّرَكُمْ وَلِيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُۥ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

O believers! When you rise up for prayer, wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows, wipe your heads, and wash your feet to the ankles. And if you are in a state of (full) impurity, then take a full bath. But if you are ill, on a journey, or have relieved yourselves, or have been intimate with your wives and cannot find water, then purify yourselves with clean earth by wiping your faces and hands. It is not Allah’s Will to burden you, but to purify you and complete His favors upon you, so perhaps you will be grateful.

(Surah Al-Ma’idah, Ayah 6)

The Mercy of Allah for the Grateful

Therefore, the One who is most deserving of thanks and praise from people is Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) because of the great favors and blessings that He has bestowed upon His slaves in both spiritual and worldly matters. Everything that Allah سبحانه و تعالى has given us demands us to present our thanks and gratitude towards Him and be grateful for all the blessings that He has given us. If we tried to count Allah’s blessings upon us, we would never be able to enumerate them. He has blessed us and will forgive us of our shortcomings in showing gratitude for these blessings.
Allah سبحانه و تعالى says in the Glorious Qur’an:
وَإِن تَعُدُّوا۟ نِعْمَةَ ٱللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَآ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَغَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ

And if you would count the favours of Allah, never could you be able to count them. Truly! Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

(Surah An-Nahl, Ayah 18)

Allah has commanded us to give thanks to Him for those blessings, and not to deny them or to be ungrateful.
Allah says in the Glorious Qur’an:
فَٱذْكُرُونِىٓ أَذْكُرْكُمْ وَٱشْكُرُوا۟ لِى وَلَا تَكْفُرُونِ ١٥٢

Remember Me; I will remember you. And thank Me, and never be ungrateful.

(Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayah 152)

Finding Peace Through a Grateful Heart

Gratitude to Allah سبحانه و تعالى transforms our perspective, turning every moment into a reminder of His boundless mercy and generosity. By cultivating a lifestyle of thankfulness, we not only fulfill our duty to our Creator but also find the peace that eludes us amidst worldly abundance, knowing that every blessing is a gift from Him alone. Let us thank Him always, for in gratitude lies the key to a contented heart.
May Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) make us among those who are truly grateful, who use His blessings to please Him and who find tranquility in recognizing His infinite favours.

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