111 – Abū al-Sāʾib narrated to us; Wakiʿ related; from Yūsuf al-Ṣabbāgh; from al-Hasan, who said: “No servant is favored by Allah with a blessing and then says, ‘al-ḥamdu lillāh’ except that what Allah gives is greater than what He takes.”

It reached me that Sufyān ibn ʿUyaynah was asked about this and replied, “That is a mistake; the deed of a servant can never surpass the deed of Allah.” Some scholars explained: “Its meaning is that when Allah bestows a blessing upon a man who loves to praise Him, He makes the man aware of what He has done for him, so he thanks Allah as he ought. Thus the worshipful gratitude due for the blessing goes to Allah, while the expression of praise remains an extra favor for that servant.”