Page 256
wa-ʾidh taʾadhdhana rabbukum la-ʾin shakartum la-ʾazīdannakum wa-la-ʾin kafartum ʾinna ʿadhābī la-shadīdun
And when your Lord proclaimed, “If you are grateful, I will surely enhance you [in blessing], but if you are ungrateful, My punishment is indeed severe.” ’
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah ‘Ibrahim – Verse 7
7. “And (remember) when your Lord declared: ‘If you be thankful I will certainly increase you (your blessings) and if you be ungrateful, verily My chastisement is indeed severe’.”
Allah announces that if you are grateful for My favours, I shall augment your favors and if you deny them, My punishment covers all those who are ungrateful and deny them. It says:
“And (remember) when your Lord declared: ‘If you be thankful I will certainly increase you (your blessings) and if you be ungrateful, verily My chastisement is indeed severe’.”
Imam Sadiq (as) has remarked:
“Whoever was given a favor and by his heart made confessions as to having that and thanked Allah with his speech, praising Him, no later would he have finished uttering his words than Allah would have commanded that his blessings be augmented.”
This verse is the most important and the most explicit verse of the Qur’an in regard to thankfulness due to divine blessings or being ingratitude to them, which has been discussed after the verse concerning the blessings of freedom and the formation of the Divine government under the leadership of Hadrat-i-Mūsa. This is the secret as to the fact that the Divine government and the godly leaders are the supreme blessings for mankind, and if thanksgiving is not performed for them, Allah will inflict a severe punishment on those who are not grateful.
There are various stages for thanksgiving: A- Cordial thankfulness, in which case, man regards all the blessings from Allah. B- Verbal thankfulness consists of uttering the words such as: “(All) praise belongs to Allah.” C- Practical gratitude, which comes about as a result of performing religious rituals and spending one’s time along side gaining Allah’s satisfaction and in the service of people. Imam Sadiq (as) says:
“Avoiding sins is (a knid of) being grateful for the favours.”
And he also said:
“Thanking for Allah’s blessing is done once a person regards all blessings as originated from the part of Allah (and not from his own intelligence, wisdom, reasoning and one’s own struggle or that of other people’s), and that he is content with what Allah has given him, and does not use Allah’s blessings as a means of committing sins, he is really thankful to Allah. Real gratitude consists of the utilization Allah’s blessings for Allah’s ends.” 1
Thankfulness for the Divine blessings is very tiny and unmentionable. Some Islamic traditions indicate that Allah revealed to Moses:
“Thank Me as it is My due!”
Moses answered:
“It is an impossible act, for each word of thanks requires another word of thanks.”
The revelation came:
“Your confession as to the fact that you are aware that whatever exists has its origin in Me, is the best way of thanking Me.” 2
Incidentally, if we use Allah’s blessings in ways other than the path of Allah, we have practiced the act of ingratitude and paved the ground for disbelief and deserve chastisement. The verse says:
“…and if you be ungrateful, verily My chastisement is indeed severe’.”
Several Traditions Concerning Gratitude
1- Amir-ul-Mu’mineen Ali (as) once said: “Continue (the act of) thanksgiving so as your favour becomes continuous.” 3 2- Imam Sadiq (as) said:
“There are three things with which provide no harm: praying when one is in difficulty, asking for forgiveness when one is sinning, and showing gratitude when one is affluent.” 4
3- Imam Sadiq (as) also said:
“The gratitude for the blessings is avoiding the prohibitions, and the totality of thankfulness is that one says: ‘(All) praise is (only) Allah’s, the Lord of the Worlds’.” 5
4- Amir-ul-Mu’mineen Ali (as) said:
“Thanking for the blessing causes it to be preserved from alteration and guarantees its sustenance.” 6
5- Amir-ul-Mu’mineen Ali (as) said:
“The result of showing gratitude is the multiplication of the favours.” 7
6- Amir-ul-Mu’mineen Ali (as) said:
“Any blessing for which gratitude is expressed does not terminate; and when ingratitude is shown, it will not last long.” 8
7- The holy Prophet (S) remarked:
“The quickest punishment for the sins is (that of) ingratitude of a blessing.” 9
Footnotes