Recognition of Gratitude
بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ The following was originally translated by Dr. Alan A. Godlas. Imam ‘Ali ibn Thahir as-Sulami ( q.s. ) commented, in Haqa’iq at-Tafsir , on gratitude in the following verse: سُوۡرَةُ لقمَان وَلَقَدۡ ءَاتَيۡنَا لُقۡمَـٰنَ ٱلۡحِكۡمَةَ أَنِ ٱشۡكُرۡ لِلَّهِۚ وَمَن يَشۡڪُرۡ فَإِنَّمَا يَشۡكُرُ لِنَفۡسِهِۦۖ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَنِىٌّ حَمِيدٌ۬ (١٢) We Bestowed (in the past), wisdom on Luqman: “Show (your) Gratitude to Allah.” Any who is (so) grateful does so to the profit of his own soul: but if any is ungrateful verily Allah is Free of all wants, Worthy of all praise. (Surah Luqman:12) Shaykh Abu ‘Utsman Isma’il ibn ‘Abd ar-Rahman as-Sabuni ( q.s. ), in his kitab to Shaykh Muhammad ibn al-Fadhl ( q.s. ) wrote, “Gratitude consists of the maʿrifah of one’s incapacity to be grateful truly, because of one’s awareness of the Grandeur of God and out of the humble acknowledgment of His Awesomenes...