Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyya—may Allah have mercy on him—was asked about praise and gratitude: What is their true nature? Do they have the same meaning, or are they distinct? For what is praise given, and for what is gratitude shown?

He—may Allah have mercy on him—replied: “Praise comprises commending and extolling the one praised by mentioning his virtues, whether or not he has shown kindness to the one praising him. Gratitude, however, is expressed only for kindness shown by the one thanked to the one giving thanks. In this respect, praise is broader than gratitude, for it is given both for virtues and for acts of kindness. Allah is praised for His Most Beautiful Names, His loftiest attributes, and all that He has created in this world and the Hereafter. Thus, the Most High says: ‘All praise is due to Allah, who created the heavens and the earth and made darkness and light.’ 1 He also says: ‘All praise is due to Allah, to whom belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth; and to Him belongs all praise in the Hereafter.’ 2 And He says: ‘All praise is due to Allah, Creator of the heavens and the earth, who made the angels messengers with wings—two, three, or four. He increases creation as He wills.’ 3

“Gratitude, by contrast, is expressed only for blessings bestowed. In this respect, it is therefore narrower than praise. Yet gratitude is expressed through the heart, the hand, and the tongue, as the poet said:

Your gracious favors have won three things from me:
My hand, my tongue, and the heart concealed within.

“Thus, the Most High says: ‘Work, O family of David, in gratitude.’ 4 Praise, however, is expressed only through the heart and the tongue. In this respect, gratitude is broader in terms of the forms it takes, whereas praise