On Gratitude, Thanksgiving, and Islam

This Yaqeen Institute article entitled “Does Thanksgiving Make a Mockery of Gratitude?” gives us a brilliant and insightful discussion, with examples, of what gratitude is and is not, notably showing the distinct difference between how the Islamic empire grew and how European-style settler-colonial empires or projects grew. His examples include the horrors in Palestine now as well with America’s dubious relationship with the many indigenous peoples (actually nations but not organized as “modern nation-states”) whose lands the European settlers violently usurped. But he also helps us find the way forward.

We can easily see how true this is! Everything Israel accuses Hamas of doing is what Israel actually does and is continuously doing.

An article well-worth reading with historical background and some startling facts! This Smithsonian article also gives more on the more disturbing and accurate history of Thanksgiving.

Du’as for Giving Thanks

Showing appreciation to Allah Who gave us life, sustenance, enjoyment, and beauty surrounding us on earth and in the sky at day and night, is important way beyond what most people think or consider. In the Quran, the word kufr, often translated “disbelief,” really means denial and literally “covering up” – the root word means literally “to cover,” as you can even hear in the pronunciation of kufr like cover. The Quran frequently juxtaposes kufr in opposition to grateful or appreciative. With kufr as the primal sin from which other sins or wrongdoing are derived, this shows us that thankfulness is of monumental importance. The word “denial” encompasses the same two meanings: rejection of Allah the Exalted and His guidance, and denial that anything good is from Allah/God. In the current era, this denial is expressed as “self-sufficiency,” and randomness, that things just “happen” but there’s no meaning to anything other than “facts” devoid of significance except as empirical statistics. The Quran, on the other hand, shows us everything has profound meaning, purpose, and value which is freely given to all. By offering du’as of thanks and praise to Allah, we enhance this attitude and understanding – even science finds that the most balanced, beloved, and joyful people are the most grateful.  

Thankfulness in the Quran

Bird of Paradise flower (photo by author)

Last Ramadan, this post discussed the importance of gratitude, highlighting it as the primal attitude leading to faith and trust in Allah, the Giver of all we have to be thankful for. We would do well to be reminded of it today.

What Is Thikr Allah and Why Is It Greater than Salat?

When non-Muslims pray or use the word “prayer,” usually what they mean is du’a or supplication. This is different from Salat or salah (both transliterations are used), the Islamic prayer which involves the body language of bowing and prostration and the physical perimeters of time (daily prayer times) and space (direction to pray towards Mecca), required of all Muslims. Thikr Allah — translated “remembering” or “mentioning” Allah and sometimes transliterated dhikr — is not specified as obligatory, although the Quran emphasizes it. But salat is required to be established on a daily basis. So why then do we read in Surat Al-Ankabut 29:45 (below) that thikr Allah is greater than salat?

اتْلُ مَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ ۖ إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ تَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ ۗ وَلَذِكْرُ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ
Recite, [O Muhammad], what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish salat. Indeed, salat prohibits immorality and wrongdoing, and thikr Allah (the remembrance of Allah) is greater. And Allah knows that which you do.

For Ramadan: the Huge Importance of Gratitude

The word Kafir, most frequently translated “disbeliever/ unbeliever,” also means “ungrateful” as specified here:

Quran Surat Al-Insan (The Human) 76:3

إِنَّا هَدَيْنَاهُ السَّبِيلَ إِمَّا شَاكِرًا وَإِمَّا كَفُورًا

Indeed, We guided him to the way, be he grateful or be he ungrateful.

The Arabic uses the word shakiran which exclusively means “thankful/ grateful” and juxtaposes it with kafura (derived from the same root as kafir and used the same way), thereby showing here the same word commonly understood as “disbelieving” clearly means “ungrateful.” This shows us that disbelief, more accurately translated “denial”, is at heart a lack of thankfulness. When we think of the original Arabic root word as kufr, which means “denial,” and comes from “to cover (up)” where you can hear the similarity between cover and kufr (like cof-er; Arabic has no “v” sound), then we can understand the relationship between ungratefulness and disbelief: both are forms of denial.