THE DAILY ISLAMIC REMINDERS. Yaum Al-Ithnayn, 19th day of Rajab, 1440, (Mon8, 25th March, 2019). ARE YOU ONE OF THOSE WHO ARE GRATEFUL TO ALLAH OR NOT?. BismilLaahir Rahmaanir Raheem. Gratitude (shukr) is about expressing thanks and appreciation to those who do any favor to us. Obviously, none can come close to our Creator, ALLAH, who gave us everything. As the Quran states: “Who CREATED you, fashioned you perfectly, and gave you due proportion” [Infitar 82:7]. As humans, ALLAH has bestowed on us the nature to be grateful and we should thus express that gratitude not just to ALLAH but to the people whom we deal with as well. In many places in the Quran, ALLAH divides people as being grateful and as ungrateful to motivate us to join the camp of those who are grateful. In one of such verses, ALLAH says, “. . . And whoever is grateful, truly, his gratitude is for (the good of) his own self, and whoever is ungrateful, (he is ungrateful only for the loss of his own self). Certainly! ALLAH is Rich (Free of all wants), Bountiful” [An-Naml: 40]. So from the above we know ALLAH has grouped believers who are grateful and those who are ungrateful and we must strive to be within the group who are grateful. Having a sense of gratitude is thus a great blessing and those of us who instill that sense within ourselves not only seek ALLAH'S pleasure but embody a sense of happiness, relieving us of the many pressures and anxieties. Although the blessings and benefits of gratitude are many, this post highlights certain important ones that you should recognize and use as a means to motivate that sense within ourselves. Gratitude is knowing that whatever we have is from ALLAH. Gratitude helps us focus our minds on ALLAH, something that has unfortunately become so difficult today on account of life’s distractions and attractions. Gratitude, therefore, corrects our perceptions by reminding us that everything that happens to us doesn’t happen because of its own volition and thus we shouldn’t take matters for “granted”. ALLAH says in the Quran: “And whatever of blessings and good things you have, it is from ALLAH ” [al-Nahl 16:53]. HE also says, “And He found you poor and made you rich (self sufficient with self contentment)” [al-Duha 93:8]. Let’s therefore constantly remind ourselves of ALLAH'S ’s bounties by expressing our gratitude to HIM in prayers and at other times. Gratitude helps in warding off punishment from ALLAH. Not recognizing ALLAH'S ’s blessings can prevent us from gaining HIS pleasure. We know that if ALLAH were to punish us for our negligence, HE would be justified for it. HE says in the Quran: “If ALLAH took mankind to task by that which they deserve, HE would not leave a living creature on the surface of the earth; but HE grants them reprieve unto an appointed term, and when their term comes – then verily ALLAH is Ever All-Seer of HIS slaves” [Fatir (35):45]. At the same time though, ALLAH provides us a way to escape that punishment by being thankful to HIM. HE says, “Why should ALLAH punish you if you have thanked (HIM) and have believed in HIM. And ALLAH is Ever All-Appreciative (of good), All-Knowing” [(An-Nisa, Verse #147)]. ALLAHU AKBAR AlhamdulilLah. May ALLAH keep guiding us all and protect us from any satanic influences. Aameen.