Being grateful and showing appreciation to others

Being grateful is one of the most noble traits of a believer. As you know the Arabic word is shukr. The word shukr relates to a visible increase of something, so the udder of the animal which becomes full of milk is referred to as having done shukr شَكِرَ الضَّرْعُ : اِمْتَلأَ بِاللَّبَنِ The relationship between this definition and gratitude in general, is that gratitude means to acknowledge and express our blessings, firstly to our Creator and secondly to others. As for showing appreciation to Allah SWT, the Quran reminds us time after time of the countless blessings which He has given us, He has provided us with clean water, cattle and produce and a whole host of blessings which cannot be counted. All these have been designed to support and promote our well-being and existence. Any blessings we have, is not a coincidence, it has been ordained and delivered to you with a precise degree of deliberation. Allah says: Whatever good things you possess come from God (16:53) Linguistically the preposition here 'from/ من للإبتداء ' demonstrates that our blessings have been decreed and initiated by Allah and we are the target recipients of any blessings we get to enjoy.

Often we forget the significance of these blessings. To reinstate the value of these blessings we are encouraged to for instance, fast, as this increases the appreciation of the food we eat. The abandoned salad or vegetable suddenly becomes appealing at the iftar table in Ramadan when we become hungry! Our sense of gratitude is sometimes tainted by comparing ourselves to those who have more than us. We are told to consider those who have not been afforded the same level of blessings as us, in order to see value in our blessings. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Look at those who are below you, and do not look at those who are above you, for that is more likely to hold you back from belittling the blessings that Allah has bestowed upon you.' (Bukhari/Muslim) I had a friend who studied at law school with me. He reminisced that the biggest turning point of success in his life was when he received his first pair of shoes, whilst living In a village in Pakistan. I asked him how this was a big success for him. He said that before he had the shoes, he was unable to go to school which was an 8km walk from his home. It was only when he finally got a pair of shoes that he was able to walk to school to get an education! Let’s put ourselves in his shoes, since when did we last have to worry about our livelihood, education or career being at jeopardy due to a pair of shoes? Similarly, we have so many modern amenities which have all popped out of nowhere in the last few decades. Let’s see for instance the mobile phone you and I own. It’s affordable, practical and has amazing features. Compare this to 30 years ago, a mobile phone would cost the equivalent of £9,500 ($11,700) if bought today. Basically, it was just dial the number and make the call. There was no messaging, no camera. Thirty minutes of talk-time, 10 hours to charge the battery, about 12 hours of stand-by time and a 6in (15cm) antenna on the top. It also weighed 790g (1.7lb) - nearly four times the weight of the iPhone 14, at 172g! We are encouraged to also announce the blessing so we make others aware of these without bragging. The Prophet PBUH also reminds us about showing gratitude to each other, that whoever is not grateful to his fellow human has not been grateful to Allah. Everyone likes to be appreciated for their efforts. It is part of the good qualities of a believer to show appreciation and give thanks for people’s efforts. Allah says the one who is most worthy of your gratitude are your parents.

Be grateful to Me and to your parents; to Me is the [final] destination. Similarly, Yusuf AS is grateful to Azeez for letting him lodge at his home. He mentions this when Zulaykha attempts to lure him, and he exclaims that his master has been kind to him in giving him a settlement, so how can he violate this trust and blessing? Allah also tells us that one of His qualities is ‘shakur’ one who appreciates – that Allah appreciates our small efforts. That even if someone fails to acknowledge the good that you have done, Allah is Grateful and He is All-knowing of your efforts. How amazing would it feel to be appreciated by Allah for our smallest of efforts on the last day!

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