43 / Occasions on Which Praising Allah Is Especially Emphasized

We have already discussed the virtue of praising Allah and its immense reward, as demonstrated by the relevant texts in the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). These texts show that praising Allah is among the finest acts of obedience and the noblest deeds by which a servant draws near to Allah Most High.

A Muslim is called upon to praise Allah at all times, for the servant is continually enjoying Allah’s blessings. He—Glory be to Him—is the Creator and Provider of all creation. He has lavished upon them His blessings, both manifest and hidden, religious and worldly, and has warded off afflictions and adversities from them. The servants enjoy no blessing except that He has bestowed it upon them, and none but He can repel evil from them. He therefore deserves their praise and extolment at all times.

He—Glory be to Him—also deserves praise on account of the perfection of His attributes and because He possesses the Most Beautiful Names and sublime qualities, which befit none but Him. For every one of His names and every one of His attributes, He deserves the most perfect praise and extolment—so what, then, of all His Most Beautiful Names and sublime attributes together?

Although a Muslim is called upon to praise Allah at all times, there are particular times and circumstances in a servant’s life when doing so is even more strongly emphasized.

Among these times and circumstances are praising Allah during a sermon and at the commencement of important matters, in prayer, after eating, drinking, and dressing, upon sneezing, and on other occasions that the Sunnah specifically identifies as times when praise is especially emphasized. It may therefore be beneficial to examine some of the texts in the Prophet’s Sunnah (peace and blessings be upon him) that mention the times and occasions on which praising Allah is particularly emphasized.