and expressing gratitude for them are dearer to generous and open-handed people than their wealth, which they give away seeking praise. Allah—exalted be He—is the most munificent and generous of all. He bestows His blessings upon His servants and asks them to praise Him for them, recount them, and give thanks for them. He is pleased to accept this as gratitude for His blessings, even though all of it comes from His grace towards them. He has no need of their gratitude, but He loves it from His servants, for therein lie their righteousness, success, and perfection. Part of His grace is that He credits them with praise and gratitude, although these are among His greatest blessings upon them. Similarly, He grants them wealth, then asks them to lend Him some of it and praises them for giving it, though it all belongs to Him and comes from His grace. Such, however, is what His generosity entails” (1).

This, then, is the substance and content of the fatwa. Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) presented this very same conclusion in another of his books, ʿUddat al-Sābirīn (Provision for the Patient) (2), reaching there, with great brevity, the same conclusion he reached here in the fatwa.

A Reflection on the Fatwa:

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) is known for his detailed and exhaustive treatment of subjects, owing to his extensive learning, powerful memory, and ready flow of thought. Thus, he seldom errs in his answers.

The first thing we read in the introduction to his fatwa on the question of praise is that he lays the groundwork by denying the existence of a chain of transmission for this wording: at most, it is a report transmitted from Adam (peace be upon him),