Connect to Allahﷻ with gratitude

بَدَأَ اللَّهُ كِتَابَهُ بِإِظْهَارِ كَيْفَ نَبْدَأُ كُلَّ أَيَّامِنَا، وكُلَّ لَيَالِينَا، وَكَيْفَ نُوَاجِهُ كُلَّ مَوْقِفٍ فِي حَيَاتِنَا، سَواءٌ كَانَ ذَلِكَ سَهْلََا أَوْ صَعْباََ. 

لَقَدْ عَلَّمْنا أَنْ نُرَكِّزَ عَلَيْهِ، وَأَنْ نَشْكُرَهُ عَلَى كُلِّ مَا أَعْطَانَا إِيَّاهُ وَأَنْ نَتَذَكَّرَ أَنَّ كُلَّ مَا نَعْرِفُهُ، بِمَا فِي ذَلِكَ أَنْفُسَنَا، يَنْتَمِي إِلَيْهِ.

إِعْتَادَ رَسولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنْ يَقُولَ مَا يَلِي عِنْدَمَا يَسْتَيْقِظُ عَلَى تَّهَجُّدٍ

 ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذَا قَامَ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ يَتَهَجَّدُ قَالَ ‏”‏ اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ الْحَمْدُ أَنْتَ قَيُّومُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَمَنْ فِيهِنَّ وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ، لَكَ مُلْكُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَمَنْ فِيهِنَّ وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ، أَنْتَ نُورُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ، أَنْتَ الْحَقُّ، وَوَعْدُكَ حَقُّ، وَلِقَاؤُكَ حَقٌّ، وَقَوْلُكَ حَقٌّ، وَالْجَنَّةُ حَقٌّ، وَالنَّارُ حَقٌّ، وَالنَّبِيُّونَ حَقٌّ، وَمُحَمَّدٌ صلى الله عليه وسلم حَقٌّ، وَالسَّاعَةُ حَقٌّ، اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ أَسْلَمْتُ، وَبِكَ آمَنْتُ وَعَلَيْكَ تَوَكَّلْتُ، وَإِلَيْكَ أَنَبْتُ، وَبِكَ خَاصَمْتُ، وَإِلَيْكَ حَاكَمْتُ، فَاغْفِرْ لِي مَا قَدَّمْتُ وَمَا أَخَّرْتُ، وَمَا أَسْرَرْتُ وَمَا أَعْلَنْتُ، أَنْتَ الْمُقَدِّمُ وَأَنْتَ الْمُؤَخِّرُ، لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ.‏”‏‏ (رواه بخاري)

Allahﷻ began His Book by showing us how to begin each day, each night, and how to face every situation in life, be it one of ease or difficulty. He taught us to focus on Him, to thank Him for all that He gave us and to remember that everything we know, including ourselves, belongs to Him. Rasoolullah used to say the following when he would awake for Tahajjud:

Ibn Abbas (RA) narrated that when Rasoolullah  used to awake for Tahajjud he would say: O Allah! All praise and all thanks for you, You are the Establisher of the Heavens and the Earth, And whatever is in them. All praises for You; You have the possession of the Heavens and the Earth And whatever is in them. All praises for You; You are the Light of the Heavens and the Earth. And all praises for You; You are the Truth. And Your Promise is the Truth, And the meeting with You is True. Your Word is the Truth, And Jannah is True, And the Fire is True. And all the Prophets (Peace be upon them) are True and Muhammad  is True. And the Day of Resurrection is True. O Allah! I surrender (my will) to You; I believe in You and depend on You. And repent to You, And with Your help I argue (with my opponents). And I take You as a judge (to judge between us). Please forgive my previous and future sins; And whatever I concealed or revealed. And you are the One who raises some people to stations of honor and lower others. There is none to be worshiped but You. [Bukhari]

Rasoolullah taught us to say this (4 times) when we awake every morning.

O Allah! As morning dawns upon me, I bear witness before You and before the angels who carry Your Throne and all Your angels and all of Your creation that truly, You are Allah, there is no God but You, The One and Only God without any partner, and that truly, Muhammad is Your slave and Your Prophetic Messenger.

وَلَقَدْ عَلَّمْنا رَسولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهُ وَسَلَّمَ أَنْ نَقولَ هَذَا (4 مَرَّاتٍ) عِنْدَمَا نَسْتَيْقِظُ كُلَّ صَباحٍ – قَالَ أنَسُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ أَنَّ رَسُول الله قال- مَنْ قَالَ حِينَ يُصْبِحُ أَوْ يُمْسِي: الَّلهُمَّ إِنِّي أَصْبَحْتُ أُشْهِدُكْ، وَأُشْهِدُ حَمَلَةَ عَرْشِكَ، وَمَلَائِكَتَكَ، وَجَمِيعَ خَلْقِكَ، أَنَّكَ أَنْتَ اللهُ، لَا إِلَه إِلَا أَنْتَ وَحْدَكَ لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ، وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُكَ وَرَسُولُكْ- وَمَنْ قَالَ ذَلِكَ أَرْبَعَ مَرَّاتٍ أَعْتَقَهُ اللهُ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى مِنَ النَّارْ 

لِأَنَّهُ سَيَأْتِي يَوْمٌ نَكُونُ فِيهِ نَائِمِينَ فِي قُبُورِنا فَيُوقِظُنَا المَلَكانِ فَيَسْأَلَانِ مِنْ رَبُّكَ – وَسَنُجِيبُ إن شاء الله وَنَقُولُ هَذَا الدُّعَاءَ- فَسيَقُولُ رَبُّنَا إِنَّ عَبْدِي يَقُولُ الحَقَّ وَأَنَا لَهُ شَاهِدٌ

Because that day will come when we will be sleeping in our graves and the two angels will awaken us and ask, ‘Who is your Rabb?’ And we will reply…. And our Rabb will say, “My slave speaks the truth, and I am his Witness.” Islam is all about knowing Allahﷻ, loving Allahﷻ and expressing our gratitude to Allahﷻ.

Allahﷻ began His Book Al-Qur’an with Surat Al-Fatihah, and began Surat Al-Fatihah with His name, then He said: Al-Fatihah 1:2   All Praise and thanks be to Allah, Rabb of the Worlds.The word Rabb is a word that defies the translator and is translated, inadequately, as “Lord.” Rabb really means He who creates, nurtures, nourishes, protects, provides every need, molds and trains, the thing from beginning to perfection. One word in the Arabic language includes and contains all of this and more.

 الإِسْلامُ هُوَ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ عَنْ مَعْرِفَةِ اللَّهِ وَحُبِّ اللَّهِ، والتَّعْبيرُ عَنِ امْتِنَانِنَا لِلهِ. بَدَأَ اللَّهُ كِتابَهُ القُرْآنَ بِسورَةِ الفاتِحَةِ وَبَدَأَ سُورَةَ الفَاتِحَةَ بِاسْمِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ: الحَمْدُ لِلهِ رَبِّ العَلَمِينْ، كَلِمَةُ رَبْ هِيَ كَلِمَةٌ تَتَحَدَّى المُتَرْجِمَ، وَتُتَرْجَمُ بِشَكْلٍ غَيْرِ كَافٍ، عَلَى أَنَّهَا ” Lord “. رَبٌّ يَعْنِي حَقًّا هُوَ اَلَّذِي يَخْلُقُ، يَرْعَى، يُغَذِّي، يَحْمِي، يوَفِّرُ كُلَّ حاجَةٍ، وَيَخْلُقُ كُلَّ شَّيْءِِ مِنْ البِدايَةِ إِلَى الكَمَالِ، كَلِمَةٌ واحِدَةٌ فِي اللُّغَةِ العَرَبيَّةِ تَشْمَلُ وَتَحْتَوِي عَلَى كُلِّ هَذَا وَأَكْثَرَ،

My Rabb is Allahﷻ. Allahﷻ is the Rabb of all of us. This is a statement of fact. Not faith. Whether we believe it or not, it is true. The Muslim is the one who acknowledges this fact and thanks Allahﷻ for that and says: I want to know my Rabb. A Muslim is one who gives thanks to Allahﷻ, not only with words, but by using everything that Allahﷻ gave us in the way He has prescribed. Remember that there is no thankfulness while using what Allahﷻ has given us to disobey Him and satisfy our base desires.

رَبِّي هُوَ اللَّهُ، اللَّهُ رَبُّنَا جَمِيعًا. هَذَا بَيانٌ لِلْحَقِيقَةِ، لَيْسَ الْإِيمَانُ، سَواءٌ صَدَّقْنَا ذَلِكَ أَمْ لَا، فَهَذَا صَحيحٌ. اَلْمُسْلِمُ هوَ اَلَّذِي يَعْتَرِفُ بِهَذِهِ الحَقيقَةِ وَيَشْكُرُ اللَّهَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ وَيَقُولُ: أُريدُ أَنْ أَعْرِفَ رَبِّي، اَلْمُسْلِمُ هوَ اَلَّذِي يَشْكُرُ اللَّهَ، لَيْسَ فَقَطْ بِالْكَلِمَاتِ، وَلَكِنْ بِالطَّرِيقَةِ الوَحيدَةِ لِشُكْرِهِ، بِاسْتِخْدَامِ كُلِّ مَا أَعْطَانَا بِالطَّرِيقَةِ اَلَّتِي وَصَفَهَا لَنَا. تَذَكَّرْ أَنَّهُ لَا يُوجَدُ شُكْرٌ أَثْناءَ اسْتِخْدامِ مَا أَعْطَانَا اللَّهُ لِعِصْيانِهِ وَإِرْضاءِ رَغَباتِنَا السلبية.

A Muslim is someone who relishes and takes pleasure in the fact that he is not alone, or abandoned, without support or protection, but that he has a protector, an owner, who loves him enough to show him the best way to live a life of dignity, comfort, and honor, driven by compassion for others and responsibility for the trust Allahﷻ has chosen to place in him.

اَلْمُسْلِمُ هُوَ الشَّخْصُ اَلَّذِي يَسْتَمْتِعُ وَيَسْعَدُ بِحَقِيقَةِ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ وَحْدَهُ مَهْجورًا، بِدُونِ دَعْمٍ أَوْ حِمَايَةٍ، وَلَكِنْ لَدَيْهِ رَبٌ مالِكٌ، يُحِبُّهُ بِمَا يَكْفِي ليُظْهِرَ لَهُ أَفْضَلَ طَريقَةٍ لِيَعِيشَ حَياةً كَريمَةً وَراحَةً وَشَرَفاََ، مَدْفوعَةً بِالرَّحْمَةِ لِلْآخَرِينَ، واسْتِحْضَارُ المَسْؤُولِيَّةِ وَ اَلثِّقَةِ اَلَّتِي اخْتَارَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَضَعَها فِينَا،

Who is Allahﷻ? Al-Fatihah 1:3 Al-Rahman, Al-Rahim. Both of these names express His mercy in different ways. Rahman means the peak of mercy, Most Merciful. Al-Rahim means the one whose mercy is always supreme and continues without decrease. Allahﷻ called himself, the Most Merciful, the Most Beneficent. By combining supremacy and continuity, Allahﷻ tells us that His mercy is eternally supreme. His mercy never diminishes, never decreases, and never ends.

الحَمْدُ لِلهِ. مِنْ هوَ اللَّهُ؟ قَالَ اللَّهُ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ، الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ – كِلَاهما تَعْبيرٌ عَنْ رَحْمَتِهِ بِطُرُقٍ مُخْتَلِفَة الرَّحْمَنُ يَعْنِي مُتَفَوِّقٌ بِالرَّحْمَةِ دائما. الرَّحِيمُ يَعْنِي اَلَّذِي رَحْمَتَهُ دَائِمًا عَلَى مُسْتَوَىََ عَالِِ مُسْتَمِرٍّ بِدُونِ زَوَالِِ – مِنْ خِلالِ الجَمْعِ بَيْنَ التَّفْضيلِ والِاسْتِمْراريَّةِ، يُخْبِرُنا اللَّهُ أَنَّ رَحْمَتَهُ فِي المُسْتَوَى الفائِقِ إِلَى الأَبَدِ. أَنَّ رَحْمَتَهُ لَا تَتَراجَعُ أَبَدًا، وَلَا تَنْقُصُ أَبَدًا، وَلَا تَنْتَهي أَبَدًا

Why is it important to know? Because of what he said after declaring himself as our Rabb, whose mercy is always at its peak and never decreases. He said: Al-Fatihah 1:4مَـٰلِكِ يَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ  The Owner – The King of the Day of JudgmentImagine the day when we will be alone, without any helpers or friends. Where even our parents will refuse to recognize us – Allahﷻ described all this in detail – the day when we will feel the horror of facing Allahﷻ who we disobeyed all our lives. He tells us before telling us about this day that He is the Most Merciful and the Most Beneficent, and that only He is in control on that day. So, in effect, He is telling us, “You who have believed in me and worshiped me and asked me to pardon all that you have done, fear not, for I will not fail you. Today I am the only one with authority and I am your Rabb. How can we thank Allahﷻ for guiding us to Himself?”

لِمَاذَا مِنْ المُهِمِّ أَنْ نَعْرِفَ؟ بِسَبَبِ مَا قَالَهُ بَعْدَ أَنْ أَعْلَنَ نَفْسُهُ حَاخَامَنَا يَعْنِي رَبَّنَا، اَلَّذِي تَكَوُّنُ رَحْمَتُهُ دَائِمًا فِي ذُرْوَتِها اَلَّتِي لَا َتَراجَعُ أَبَدًا. وقال مَـٰلِكِ يَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ – تَخَيَّلِ اليَوْمَ اَلَّذِي سَنَكُونُ فِيه وَحْدَنَا، دُونَ أَيِّ مُساعِدينَ أَوْ أَصْدِقاءَ. حَيْثُ حَتَّى آبَائُنَا سَيَرْفُضُونَ التَّعَرُّفَ عَلَيْنَا – وَصَفَ اللَّهُ لَنَا كُلَّ هَذَا بِالتَّفْصِيلِ – إِنَّهُ اليَوْمُ اَلَّذِي سَنَشْعُرُ فِيه بِالرُّعْبِ مِنْ مُوَاجَهَةِ اللَّهِ اَلَّذِي عَصَيْنَاهُ طِوَالَ حَيَاتِنَا. أَخْبَرَنَا رَبُّنَا عَنْ هَذَا اليَوْمِ أَنَّهُ الرَّحْمَنُ وَهُوَ الرَّحيمُ وَهُوَ المُسَيْطِرُ فِي ذَلِكَ اليَوْمِ، لِذَلِكَ، فِي الوَاقِعِ، رَبُّنَا يَقُولُ لَنَا، ” يَا مَنْ آمَنْتَ بِي وَسَجَدْتَ لِي وَطَلَبْتَ مِنِّيَ العَفْوَ عَنْ كُلِّ مَا فَعَلْتَهُ، لَا تَخَفْ، لِأَنَّنِي لَنْ أَخْذُلَكَ، اليَوْمَ أَنَا الوَحيدُ اَلَّذِي لَهُ سُلْطَةٌ وَأَنَا رَبُّكْ. كَيْفَ نَشْكُرُ اللَّهَ عَلَى إِرْشَادِنَا إِلَيْهِ؟

– عَنْ أَبي هُرَيْرَةَ (رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ): قَالَ رَسولُ الله: من لَا يَشْكُرُ النّاسَ لاَ يَشْكُرِ اللَّهَ. (سنن أبي داود)

الِامْتِنَانُ هوَ حالَةٌ ذِهْنيَّةٌ وَهُوَ يَتَعَلَّقُ بِكَ، وَلَيْسَ عَنِ الشَّخْصِ اَلَّذِي تُعَبِّرُ عَنْهُ أَنْتْ، عِنْدَمَا تَشْكُرُ أُولَئِكَ اَلَّذِينَ كَانُوا جَيِّدينَ مَعَكَ، فَأَنْتَ تَقولُ شَيْئًا عَنْ نَوْعِ الشَّخْصِ اَلَّذِي أَنْتَ عَلَيْهِ، عِنْدَمَا تَأْخُذُ النّاسَ وَمَا يَفْعَلُونَهُ كَأَمْرٍ مُسَلَّمٍ بِهِ وَلَا تُكَلِّفُ نَفْسَكَ عَناءَ شُكْرِ الآخَرِينَ، فَأَنْتَ تُخْبِرُهُمْ عَنْ نَوْعِ الشَّخْصِ اَلَّذِي أَنْتَ عَلَيْهِ.

Abu Hurairah (R) reported that Rasoolullah said, ‘The one who has not thanked the people has not thanked Allahﷻ.’ (Sunan Abi Dawood)Gratitude is a state of mind, and it is about you, not about the person who you thank. When you thank those who were good to you, you say something about the kind of person you are and when you take people and what they do for granted and don’t bother to thank others, you are telling them about the kind of person you are.

كَنَتِيجَةٍ لِهَذِهِ الخُطْبَةِ، اسْمَحوا لِي أَنْ أَطْلُبَ عِنْدَمَا نَنْتَهي هُنَا، أَنْ أَتَشْكُرَ هَؤُلَاءِ الأَشْخَاصِ فِي حَيَاتِكَ، اَلَّذِينَ فَعَلُوا كُلَّ الأَشْياءِ الجَمِيلَةِ مِنْ أَجَلِكَ، وَلَكِنَّكَ لَمْ تَشْكُرْهُمْ مُنْذُ فَتْرَةٍ طَويلَةٍ، أَوْ رُبَّمَا لَمْ تُشْكَرْهُمْ أَبَدًا، إِفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ وَاجْعَلْ هَذِهِ عادَةً لِلْمُضِيِّ قُدُمًا وَشاهِدْ كَيْفَ سَتَتَغَيَّرُ حَياتُكَ، شُكْرًا، تُبْرِزُ أَفْضَلَ مَا فِي الآخَرِينَ وَسَوْفَ يَمْشُونَ فِي وَهَجِ شُكْرِكَ فِي تِلْكَ اللَّحَظاتِ المُظْلِمَةِ اَلَّتِي تَأْتِي فِي كُلِّ حَياتِنا عِنْدَمَا نَحْتَاجُ إِلَى القَليلِ مِنْ الضَّوْءِ والدِّفْءِ. كُنْ هَذَا النُّورَ والدِّفْءَ لِلْآخَرِينَ وَسَتَكُونُ مَحْميًّا مِنْ البَرْدِ والظَّلامِ عِنْدَمَا تَكونُ فِي أَمْسِ الحاجَةِ إِلَيْهِ. أُشْكُرُوا اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ مَا أَنْعَمَ عَلَيْنَا بِهِ وَأَسْأَلُوهُ رَحْمَتَهُ

As a result of this Khutba, let me request that when we finish here, thank those people in your life who have done all kinds of things for you but who you have not thanked for a long time, or maybe never. Do that and make that a habit going forward and see how your life will change. Thanks, brings out the best in others and they will walk in the glow of your thanks in those dark moments that come in all our lives when we need a little light and warmth. Be that light and warmth for others and you will be protected from the cold and darkness when you need it the most. I thank Allahﷻ for all that He has blessed us with and ask Him for his Mercy.