By Tavis Adibudeen, Staff Writer

And Solomon was David's heir. He said: "O people! We have been taught the speech of birds, and on us has been bestowed (a little) of all things: this is indeed Grace manifest (from God.)"

And before Solomon were marshaled his hosts,- of Jinns and men and birds, and they were all kept in order and ranks.  At length, when they came to a (lowly) valley of ants, one of the ants said: "O ants, get into your habitations, lest Solomon and his hosts crush you unknowingly."

So he smiled, amused at her speech; and he said: "O my Lord! (Awzi'ni) Grant me that I may be grateful for Your favors, which You have bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I may work the righteousness that will please You: And admit me, by Your Grace, to the ranks of Your righteous Servants." 1

Prophet Solomon, may God bless him and grant him peace, was given a special power by God, Glorified and Exalted: the ability to hear and understand the communications of human beings, jinn, and animals.  His kingdom was magnificent, and his army was formidable.  Even one foot from one of his soldiers would have been enough to crush an entire colony of helpless ants, but Solomon heard the plea of those ants and was reminded of the favor that God had given him.

God says in the Qur'an:

Then do you remember Me; I will remember you. Be thankful to Me, and do not be ungrateful. 2

When Solomon remembered God, he became mindful for the bounties that God had given him, and thanked God.  Furthermore, he wished to remain thankful and to not forget where his gifts originated, through pride and arrogance.  He prayed that God would render all of his deeds as thanks to Him and not for any other purpose.

Thankfulness (shukr) is a quality of a true believer in God and of a follower of the tradition (Sunnah) of the last prophet and Messenger of God, Muhammad, God bless him and grant him peace.  For our purposes, thankfulness can be divided into two categories:

1.  Thankfulness to God, for all that we have, including our own lives, originates with God.

2.  Thankfulness to other human beings for manifesting the divine qualities of generosity and kindness.

Although the two are distinct in their direct forms, both ultimately point to God, for all power (quwa) and sustenance (rizq) comes only from God.  That which is part of creation are only manifestations of the divine attributes in this temporal world.

Thankfulness can be defined as returning good with good.  Whatever good befalls someone is recompensed to the giver.  One who is thankful for the wealth given to him by God, for example, shows that gratitude not only through emotions and words, but through the action of giving some of that wealth in charity and spending it on lawful things.  

It is reported that the Messenger of God said,

"A man from among my nation (ummah) goes to a market (suq) and buys a long shirt (qamis) for a half or a third of a dinar, and praises God whenever he wears it.  His sins are forgiven before this shirt reaches down to his knees." 3 

The recompense that God grants to those who are thankful to Him is tremendous.  Because of this, He is known by the divine attribute of Al-Shakur.  

As a Grace (ni'mah) from Us: thus do We reward those who give thanks. 4

God is not in need of the gratitude from His servants, nor of any type of repayment for the sustenance He provides.  Therefore, any repayment or gratitude to God is demonstrated through acts of worship ('ibadat) in this life and good service ('amal) towards other human beings.  Returning thanks for a righteous deed from another human being is a believer's duty to God, as the beloved Prophet has mentioned:

"He who is not thankful to people will not be able to be thankful to God."5

It has been related that Imam al-Sadiq, upon whom be peace, said of thankfulness:

"With every breath you take, a thanksgiving is incumbent upon you, indeed, a thousands thanks or more.  The lowest level of gratitude is to see that the blessing comes from God irrespective of the cause for it, and without the heart being attached to that cause.  It consists of being satisfied with what is given; it means not disobeying Him with regard to His blessing, or opposing Him in any of His commands and prohibitions because of His blessing."6

The request of Prophet Solomon was that all of his thoughts, actions, feelings, words, and commands be solely for the purpose of being thankful to God.  As a result, God showered him with immeasurable bounties in this life and, more significantly, in the life after death.  Furthermore, by recognizing that all comes from God and that God constantly deserves all thanks and praise, a seeker can transcend beyond the realm of material gain and loss.  Such a believer can even find comfort in pain and death, because he recognizes the permanent Truth, that all returns to God.  Someone who reaches this stage cannot even imagine transgressing against God, yet in his humility, his actions are still like those who are in need of abundant mercy and forgiveness.

The Mother of the Believers and wife of the Prophet, A'ishah, once asked the Prophet:

"O Messenger of Allah, why do you exhaust yourself when God has forgiven you your former and latter sins?"

The Prophet replied, "O A'ishah, shouldn't I be a grateful servant?"7

A'ishah's question was in relation to the verse:

Verily, We have given you a manifest victory that God may forgive you your former and your latter sins. 8

This is not an indication that the Prophet ever committed sins but rather an indication of his willingness to show gratitude to Allah for the blessings that Allah had bestowed upon him and his community of followers (ummah).  Had he committed a sin, however, Allah would surely have forgiven it because his heart was pure and his intentions were always to please Him.

Allah gave a similar message to Moses (peace and blessings be upon him):

"...O Moses! I have chosen you above (other) men, by the mission I (have given you) and the words I (have spoken to you): take then the (revelation) which I give you, and be of those who give thanks." 9

"We sent Moses with Our signs (and the command). "Bring out your people from the depths of darkness into light, and teach them to remember the Days of Allah." Verily in this there are Signs for such as are firmly patient and constant,- grateful and appreciative. " 10

Those who appreciate Allah's grace and bounties are also given deeper insight into the mysteries of creation and the purpose of life.  Imagine that you are given a crystal jewel, like none you had ever seen, but you did not know who gave it to you or how it originated.  Now imagine that someone came to you and taught you the truth of that crystal, who had given it to you and the science behind its creation.  That crystal might have taken centuries to take form, and Allah had only to say to it "Be".  Its entire existence started with one word.  All of the other joys and miracles of this life were also brought to us by Allah.  We were nothing, and He created us.  We were lost, and He guided us.  We were divided and selfish, and He united us.

And hold fast, all together, by the rope which Allah (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves; and remember with gratitude Allah's favor on you; for you were enemies and He joined your hearts in love, so that by His Grace, you became brethren; and you were on the brink of the pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus does Allah make His Signs clear to you: That you may be guided.11

Divine guidance is achieved through recognizing the signs (ayat) of Allah, humbling ourselves, and then becoming thankful.  This is a monumental achievement for the servant of God.  In doing so, one moves beyond simple fear of punishment or hope for reward and enters into the realm of love.  Once love is achieved, everything becomes easy, for it is God who empowers our thoughts, words, and actions.

Shaddad b. Aws related:

The Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "The confirmation of faith by asserting 'there is no god but Allah' fills half of the scale, and when one expresses praise and gratitude to Allah, the scale is fully supplemented."12

The above hadith shows two points:  1) that the importance of praise and thanks to God is second only to declaring His oneness, and 2) that Allah gives ceaseless rewards through his own appreciation (shukr), being the One who is most appreciative (Al-Shakur).

This was further confirmed when the Prophet said:

"Whoever has four virtues, Allah shall write his name among the people of Paradise: One who saves oneself by testifying that there is no god but Allah and that I, Muhammad am His Messenger; and one who says: Praise be to Allah, when blessed with any bounty from Him; and one who says: I seek forgiveness from Allah, for the sin committed; and one when afflicted by any calamity, says: To Him we belong, and unto Him shall we return."13

And God says:

For He will pay them their meed, nay, He will give them (even) more out of His Bounty: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Ready to appreciate (shakur). 14

Masma bin Abdul Malik relates that Imam Ja'far b. Muhammad al-Sadiq was at Mina (in Makkah) when a beggar approached him.  The Imam ordered that a bunch of grapes be given to him.

The beggar said, "I do not need these, if possible give me money."

The Imam did not give him anything but said, "May Allah make you self-sufficient."

After this another beggar approached. Imam Al-Sadiq picked up three grapes from the bunch and offered them to him. The beggar picked them up and said, "All Praise is for Allah (only) who has given me sustenance."

The Imam said, "Wait", and he placed as many grapes as his hands could hold.  Twice again he gave him the same quantity. The beggar thanked Allah again.  Imam Al-Sadiq again stopped him and asked his servant how much money he had.  The servant replied, "Twenty dirhams."

Imam Al-Sadiq ordered him to give these to the beggar. The beggar took the money and said, "All praise is for Allah alone. O Allah You are the Sustainer, You are One, there is no partner for You." 

Imam Al-Sadiq again stopped him. Then the Imam removed his shirt and gave it to the beggar and said, "Wear it."

The beggar put the shirt on and thanked Allah who had bestowed him with the dress and made him happy. At this stage the beggar turned towards the Imam and said, "O slave of Allah may Allah reward you for this." After this he went his way. The narrator says that if the beggar had not addressed the Imam as such, Imam Al-Sadiq would have continued to give him gifts for his thankfulness to Allah. 15

Ungratefulness

There are, unfortunately, many among mankind who are ungrateful and even spiteful towards God.

But verily your Lord is full of grace to mankind: Yet most of them are ungrateful. 16

Despite all of God's mercy (rahmah) towards humanity, many people do not appreciate what they have been given.  This ingratitude, in its most complex form, is referred to as kufr (which ultimately leads to disbelief).  To disbelieve in God out of ignorance is minor in contrast to the rejection in God due to ingratitude.

Being ungrateful to God is caused by one of the diseases of the soul: conceit ('ujb).  This sickness causes one to imagine that he is powerful all alone, without the assistance of anyone else and, moreover, without any need of God.  Such a person has completely forgotten his beginnings, as a simple-celled organism in the womb of his mother, as a helpless infant, and as a heedless child.  

Woe to man!  How ungrateful he is!  Of what did He create him?  Of a sperm drop. He created him, and molded him in due proportions, then He makes the path smooth for him, then causes him to die, and buries him; then, when He wills, He raises him.17

A human being is nothing without God's creation of him, and he would cease to exist, if God did not sustain him and raise him again after he has died.  In relation to the phrase "he molded him in due proportions", it has been said by the scholars of exegesis:

"Allah is He Who fulfilled all the above proportions for the worthless life-germ in the form of a sperm-drop. The life-germ is so small that if we gathered, together, as many of them as the number of human beings, which exists today, they would not amount to a thimbleful. Yes, He designed so many colorful characteristics and embellishments on and in such a slight, tiny particle, and from this created a creature such as Man.

"The term taqdir has been defined as: 'to make ready' by some commentators. It is also probable that the meaning of taqdir is 'to make the unworthy life-germ powerful'. How great is the Creator Who makes this feeble substance so powerful; Who puts the sky, the earth, and the seas at his disposal, and enables him to conquer all the forces of his surroundings."18

One can conclude from this that it is not simply forgetfulness that causes someone to be ungrateful.  When conceit ('ujb) fills an individual, even if he is a devout servant of God, he becomes oblivious even to the most obvious mercy and gifts from God.  This is clear from the verse:

"Nay, but man transgresses all bounds; in that he thinks of himself as self-sufficient."19

The remedy for this sickness is for an individual to know God, to know himself, and to understand his relationship with God.  Man is truly nothing compared to God.  Even the greatest of prophets and saints are nothing in relation to their Creator.  He should also remember God often, as the earlier quoted verse mentioned, "Then do you remember Me; I will remember you. Be thankful to Me, and do not be ungrateful."  The more one remembers God, the more conscious he will become of his duty towards God and the ultimate gratitude that he owes to Him.

Thankfulness towards God should take the form of remembrance (thikr), praise and worship, and deeds.  The true believer should be the embodiment of thankfulness, constantly remembering and thanking God, displaying thankfulness, appreciation, and gratitude to his parents, family, and fellow human beings for the bounties that God provides him through their deeds, and ultimately living his life for the purpose of serving God, to Whom he owes his very life.

________________________________________________

1 Qur'an 27:16-19

2 Qur'an 2:152

3 Tabarsi, Hassan b. Fazl b. Hassan.  Mishkat al-Anwar fi Ghurar al-Akhbar.  No. 98.

4 Qur'an 54:35

5 Qummi, Abbas b. Muhammad Reza Abul-Qasim.  Safinat al-Bihar wa Madinat al-Hikam wa al-Asar.

6 al-Sadiq, Abu 'Abdullah Ja'far b. Muhammad.  Misbah al-Shari'ah wa Miftah al-Haqiqah.

7 Al-Kulayni, Muhammad b. Ya'qub.  Al-Kafi. Kitab al-iman wa al-kufr bab al-shukr, No. 2.

8 Qur'an 48:1-2

9 Qur'an 7:144

10 Qur'an 14:5

11 Qur'an 3:103

12  al-Mufid, Muhammad b. Muhammad b. Nu'man.  Al-Amaali.  Twenty-ninth Assembly.

13  Ibid. Ninth Assembly.

14 Qur'an 35:30

15  Al-Kulayni.

16 Qur'an 27:73

17 Qur'an 80:17-22

18  Imani, Sayyid Kamal Faghih.  An Enlightening Commentary into the Light of the Holy Qur'an. 80:11-23.

19 Qur'an 96:6-7

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