The Du’ā of Gratitude

There is something so beautiful about the way Sulaymān عليه السلام looked at his blessings.

He had been given extraordinary things.

Power.

Wealth.

Knowledge.

Authority.

A kingdom unlike anything most people could imagine.

Yet when he witnessed something as small as an ant, his response was not arrogance.

It was gratitude.

And that makes me wonder:

How do we respond to the small blessings Allah places in our lives?

The cup of tea that comforts you at the end of a long day.

The friend who checks on you.

The ability to pray.

A safe home.

A body that carries you through your day.

The ability to laugh again after a difficult season.

A door that opened unexpectedly.

A door that closed and protected you.

A Qur’an that you can return to whenever your heart needs somewhere to rest.

We can become so focused on what we are waiting for that we forget to notice what Allah has already given us.

We say:

“When will my life change?”

“When will I get married, have children?”

“When will my finances improve?”

“When will I finally heal?”

“When will I receive what I have been making du’ā for?”

And sometimes, while waiting for the next blessing, we overlook the blessings already sitting quietly in our hands.

But look at the du’ā of Sulaymān عليه السلام.

He did not simply ask Allah for more.

He asked Allah to help him recognise and appreciate what he already had.

That is a completely different way of looking at life.

And then he asked for something even more beautiful.

He asked Allah to help him do good deeds that please Him.

Because blessings are not only things we enjoy.

They are also things we are responsible for.

If Allah gives you knowledge, how can you use it to benefit someone?

If He gives you wealth, who can you help?

If He gives you a platform, what are you using your voice for?

If He gives you emotional strength after a difficult season, who might need the encouragement you once needed?

If He gives you the ability to comfort people, whose heart can you make lighter?

And then Sulaymān عليه السلام asks Allah to rectify his offspring.

This is particularly beautiful for women who think about the impact they have on the generations after them.

Perhaps your legacy will not be something enormous that the world sees.

Perhaps it will be the way you taught someone to make du’ā.

The way you showed your daughter how to speak kindly.

The way you taught your son to respect women.

The way you made your home a place where Allah was remembered.

The way your nieces, nephews, students or younger sisters watched you turn to Allah during difficult moments.

We sometimes think a blessed life means having everything we want.

But perhaps a truly blessed life is one where Allah gives us the ability to recognise His blessings, be grateful for them and use them in ways that please Him.

So today, before asking Allah for the next thing, pause.

Look around you.

What has Allah already given you?

What have you survived?

What have you learnt?

Who has He placed in your life?

What abilities has He entrusted to you?

What blessings have become so familiar that you no longer notice them?

Then make this du’ā.

Ask Allah not only to bless your life, but to give you the heart to recognise the blessing.

Because sometimes the blessing is already there.

We simply need Allah to open our eyes to it.

May Allah make us women who notice His blessings, speak about them with gratitude, use them with responsibility and never allow abundance to make us forget the One who gave it to us. Ameen 🤍