Gratitude Is A Gift From Allah
One of the most overlooked blessings in our lives is the very ability to be grateful. We often thank Allah for what we can see and touch, for health, family, provision, safety, comfort and answered du’ās. But how often do we thank Allah for allowing us to feel gratitude itself? For placing shukr in our hearts? For making us conscious of Him in every blessing?
Gratitude is not something we generate on our own. It is something Allah places within the hearts of those He chooses. He tells us in the Qur’an that “Very few of My servants are truly grateful.” That means gratitude is rare. It is special. It is a divine selection. So when you find your heart inclined to say Alhamdulillah, know that Allah has guided your tongue and softened your heart to remember Him.
There are people who receive endless blessings yet never once turn to Allah in thanks. They praise themselves, their hard work, their knowledge, their effort. They believe they earned everything by their own hands. But when Allah allows you to see beyond the gift and recognise the Giver of the gift, that is a sign that He has favoured you with something far greater than worldly success. He has favoured you with Imān. With awareness. With shukr.
That is why the scholars say, if you are truly grateful, then you must also be grateful for your gratitude. Because the moment you think, “I am a grateful person”, without realising that Allah placed that gratitude in you, you risk slipping into pride. True gratitude is never self-attributed. A believer says, “Alhamdulillah, it is Allah who allowed my heart to see His blessings.”
Think about how many times you have whispered Alhamdulillah after hardship passed. Or when a trial felt lighter than it should have. Or when your heart felt calm even though life around you was loud. That peace was not from you. It was Allah giving you the ability to be content. It was Allah placing light in your chest when others might have drowned in bitterness.
Even remembering to make du’ā, to reflect, to journal, to cry to Allah in sujood, to see meaning in pain and thank Him through tears… none of this is possible without His permission. This is why we must never forget that gratitude is a gift. Not everyone has it. Not everyone sees the world with eyes of Alhamdulillah.
So when you sit with your thoughts and write what you are grateful for, pause and add this one line: “Ya Allah, thank You for allowing me to be among those who recognise Your favours.”
Gratitude is not only in words, it is in perspective. It changes how you see everything. It teaches you that Allah has never stopped giving. Even the ability to thank Him is another gift you must thank Him for. Every time you say Alhamdulillah, Allah gives you more reasons to say it again.
May Allah keep our hearts alive with shukr. May He never let us be from those who see blessings yet fail to see Him. And may He accept our gratitude and make it a means of drawing nearer to Him.
Alhamdulillah for every breath, and Alhamdulillah for the ability to say Alhamdulillah.