Our mother ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her.
“O ‘A’ishah, should I not be a grateful servant?”
It is important in matters of upbringing and education
to correct misconceptions that are widespread among people,
or specifically held by the educator.
Likewise, it is important to clarify the correct understanding of religious matters,
which people might otherwise limit to only one of their meanings.
Among these matters
is showing gratitude to Allah for His blessings and favor.
For it is common among people
that gratitude is expressed only with the tongue.
This is indeed a correct meaning,
but it is only one form of showing gratitude to Allah for His blessings and favor.
There are other forms linked to the nature of the blessing itself.
For instance, gratitude for the blessing of wealth
may be expressed by spending in the way of Allah.
Gratitude for the blessing of health
may be expressed by using one’s body in the obedience of Allah.
Thus, the matter is not limited to praising Allah with the tongue alone,
even though that is required.
Allah, the Almighty and Exalted,
has shown us that gratitude is expressed through action,
just as it is expressed by praising Allah with the tongue.
He, the Exalted, said:
“Work, O family of Dawud, in gratitude.”
“And few of My servants are grateful.”
Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him, said in his Tafsir of this verse:
“It contains evidence that gratitude is expressed through action,
just as it is expressed through speech and intention.”
And Al-Sa‘di, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
“Gratitude is the heart’s acknowledgment of Allah’s favor,
receiving it with a sense of need for Him,
directing it toward the obedience of Allah,
and guarding it against being spent in disobedience.”
Among the teachings of the Prophet, peace be upon him,
and his upbringing of ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her,
was that he clarified to her the meaning of gratitude to Allah
for His blessings through both word and deed.
‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said:
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
when he prayed,
would stand until his feet became swollen.
‘A’ishah said,
“O Messenger of Allah,
do you do this,
when your past and future sins have been forgiven?”
He replied,
“O ‘A’ishah,
should I not be a grateful servant?”
‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, had thought
that the Prophet’s knowledge
that Allah had forgiven him
his past and future sins
would lead him to moderate his worship
and not burden himself.
So the Prophet, peace be upon him, corrected her understanding
of this concept,
showing that knowledge of this forgiveness
necessitates an increase in gratitude.
Ibn Battal, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
“In this is a point of fiqh:
that the righteous person is required to have the same level of piety and fear
as is required of the repentant sinner.
The righteous person should not feel secure because of his righteousness,
nor should the sinner despair or lose hope because of his sin.
Rather, everyone should be both fearful and hopeful.”
In this is a profound lesson for us.
For if the Prophet, peace be upon him,
despite his knowledge of Allah’s forgiveness for his sins,
both past and future,
would exert such effort in worship,
then what of those who do not know
whether they deserve the Fire or have been saved from it?
Among the things that help one to show practical gratitude for Allah’s blessings
is to keep in mind the magnitude of these blessings
that Allah has bestowed upon him.
Ibn Battal, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
“Whoever has received great blessings from Allah
is obligated to receive them with great gratitude.”
And in the Prophet’s reply, peace be upon him,
to ‘A’ishah, saying:
“O ‘A’ishah,
should I not be a grateful servant?”
is a teaching for her that gratitude is expressed through deeds,
just as it is expressed through words.
He named the worship he performed
as gratitude to Allah.
Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
“He called these deeds gratitude,
and informed us that his gratitude was his performing them
and his consistency in them.”
The reality of gratitude
is praising the Bestower,
loving Him, and acting in obedience to Him.
The Muslims who have reached Ramadan
this year
are in a state of great blessing
that requires gratitude.
Among the ways to show gratitude for this blessing
is to maintain the night prayers until the month ends,
to increase one’s efforts during the last ten nights,
and to perform many types of righteous deeds.
O Allah, make us among the grateful.
We shall continue in a future meeting, if Allah wills.
And praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
Our mother ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her.