Fiqh al-Adiyah wa-al-Adhkar - Abd al-Razzaq ibn Abd al-Muhsin al-Badr - (1/269)

Fiqh al-Adiyah wa-al-AdhkarAbd al-Razzaq ibn Abd al-Muhsin al-Badr

49/ The Excellence of Gratitude

There can be no doubt about the immense merit of gratitude and its lofty status: gratitude to Allah for His successive blessings, continual gifts, and abundant favors. Allah has commanded it in His Book and forbidden its opposite. He has praised those who practice it, characterized the elect among His creation by it, made it the purpose of creation and of His command, and promised those who practice it the finest reward. He has made it a cause for an increase in His bounty and gifts, and a safeguard and protector of His blessings. He has also informed us that those who practice it are the ones who benefit from His signs1. Glorified is He, He has pointed to gratitude and encouraged it in many different ways.

Thus, He—glorified is He—commands gratitude in many places in the Noble Quran. Allah Most High says: “Give thanks for Allah’s blessing, if it is truly Him that you worship.” 2 He also says: “Give thanks to Me and do not be ungrateful to Me.” 3 And He says: “So seek your provision from Allah, worship Him, and give thanks to Him. To Him you will be returned.” 4

He—glorified is He—coupled gratitude with faith and declared that He has no purpose in punishing His creatures if they give thanks to Him and believe in Him. He says: “Why should Allah punish you if you are grateful and believe? Allah is ever Appreciative, All-Knowing.” 5 That is: if you fully carry out and fulfill the purpose for which you were created—namely, gratitude and faith—then what need would I have to punish you?

1. See Ibn al-Qayyim, *Madārij al-Sālikīn* (2/242). 2. Surah al-Nahl, verse 114. 3. Surah al-Baqara, verse 152. 4. Surah al-ʿAnkabūt, verse 17. 5. Surah al-Nisā’, verse 147.

٤٩/ فضل الشكر لا ريب في عِظَم فضلِ الشُّكرِ ورِفعة شأنِه، شُكرِ الله على نعمه المتوالية وعطاياه المتتالية وأياديه السابغة، وقد أمر الله به في كتابه ونهى عن ضدِّه، وأثنى على أهله، ووصف به خواصَّ خلقِه، وجعله غاية خلقه وأمره، ووعد أهله بأحسن جزائه، وجعله سبباً للمزيد من فضله وعطائه، وحارساً وحافظاً لنعمته، وأخبر أنَّ أهلَه هم المنتفعون بآياته١، ونوّع سبحانه الدلالة إليه والحثَّ عليه. فأمر به سبحانه في غير موطن من القرآن الكريم، قال الله تعالى: ﴿وَاشْكُرُوا نِعْمَةَ اللهِ إِن كُنتُمْ إِيَّاهُ تَعْبُدُونَ﴾ ٢، وقال تعالى: ﴿وَاشْكُرُوا لِي وَلاَ تَكْفُرُونِ﴾ ٣، وقال تعالى: ﴿فَابْتَغُوا عِندَ اللهِ الرِّزْقَ وَاعْبُدُوهُ وَاشْكُرُوا لَهُ إِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ﴾ ٤. وقرنه سبحانه بالإيمان وأخبر أنَّه لا غرض له سبحانه في عذاب خلقه إن شكروه وآمنوا به فقال سبحانه: ﴿مَا يَفْعَلُ اللهُ بِعَذَابِكُمْ إِن شَكَرْتُمْ وَآمَنتُمْ وَكَانَ اللهُ شَاكِرًا عَلِيمًا﴾ ٥، أي إن أدّيتم ووفّيتم ما خُلقتم له وهو الشكرُ والإيمان فما أصنعُ بعذابكم.

١ انظر: مدارج السالكين لابن القيِّم (٢/٢٤٢) . ٢ سورة النحل، الآية (١١٤) . ٣ سورة البقرة، الآية (١٥٢) . ٤ سورة العنكبوت، الآية (١٧) . ٥ سورة النساء، الآية (١٤٧) .