Gratitude Has Three Essential Pillars
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Gratitude, O servants of Allah, is not by the tongue alone.
Gratitude has three pillars, all must be fulfilled.
If one of them is missing, gratitude is not attained.
The three pillars. The first is speaking with the tongue.
Speaking of Allah's blessing with the tongue.
And mentioning the blessing so as to give thanks for it.
Allah ﷻ said to the Prophet: “And proclaim the grace of your Lord.”
When He listed His blessings to him.
“Did He not find you orphaned and shelter you?”
“And He found you lost and guided you.”
“And found you poor and enriched you.”
“So as for the orphan, do not oppress, nor rebuke the beggar.”
“And proclaim the grace of your Lord.”
Remember Allah's blessing, O Children of Israel.
“Remember My favor which I bestowed upon you.”
So do not attribute the blessing to anyone but Allah, nor to yourself.
Nor to anyone else. Allah ﷻ alone bestowed this blessing.
It reached you, so be grateful for it.
First: speak of it with your tongue, and mention it with your tongue.
Do not say, "This is from so-and-so or so-and-so." Say, "From Allah ﷻ."
The second pillar is to acknowledge it inwardly, in your heart.
For some people mention the blessing and praise Allah ﷻ with their tongues.
Yet he does not admit that it is from Allah ﷻ.
He thinks it came by his own power.
Through his effort, toil, work, and skill.
As Qarun said when his people admonished him.
Allah ﷻ had given Qarun.
He had given him treasures and wealth.
A tremendous thing, a tremendous thing.
"And We had given him of treasures whose keys burdened strong men."
A whole group carried the keys.
The keys to the treasuries, because there were so many.
"When his people told him,"
"Do not exult" means the joy of insolence, vanity, and pride.
"Indeed, Allah does not love the exultant."
"But seek, through what Allah has given you, the abode of the Hereafter."
"And do not forget your share of this world."
"And do good as Allah has done good to you."
"And do not seek corruption in the land."
"Indeed, Allah does not love the corrupters."
What was that poor man's reply?
"He said, 'I was only given it because of knowledge I had.'"
Allah had no favor in that. I attained it myself.
Through my toil and my earnings, and my expertise in crafts.
And my expertise in trade. He did not say, 'This is from Allah.'
Or he said, "I deserve it before Allah."
It was not a favor from Allah. I deserve this from Allah.
This is my right, as many people say.
These are our rights, and this is our due—that is what he says.
This is a favor from Allah ﷻ.
And since it is from Allah, he praises Allah for it.
And he looks at those around him, the poor and needy.
Rather, he attributes this to his toil, earnings, tricks, etc.
His job, experience, certificates, and the like.
No, this is from Allah ﷻ.
Otherwise, someone else may be more deserving and more expert than you.
But Allah has tested you and tried you with this wealth and this blessing.
So thank Allah for it.
The third matter is the third pillar of gratitude.
It is spending it in obedience to Allah ﷻ, obeying the Bestower.
Do not spend it on the unlawful, extravagance, or wastefulness.
or on trips to disbelieving lands for forbidden desires.
Spend it in obedience to Allah ﷻ.
Do not spend it on opening stores such as these.
Stores that produce evil.
They produce instruments and flutes.
They produce songs and sins.
And stores that produce nothing but evil.
They open a door of evil for people and spread evil.
Through your factories and stores.
This is ingratitude for the blessing in deed.
Allah ﷻ said to His prophet Solomon AS.
He taught him what He taught him and gave him the kingdom He gave him.
He said to him, “Work, O family of David, in gratitude.”
“Work, O family of David, in gratitude.”
“And few of My servants are grateful.”
Meaning, when Allah gave David AS what He gave him...
He taught him the craft of armor.
“And We certainly gave David bounty from Us.”
“O mountains, echo with him, and the birds; We softened iron for him.”
“Make full coats of mail,” that is, armor.”
"And measure well the links, and do righteous deeds."
Indeed, I know what you do.
And to Solomon, the wind: morning: a month; evening: a month.
We made a spring of molten copper flow for him.
"And some of the jinn worked for him by his Lord's leave."
Whoever among them strayed from Our command, We made him taste torment.
They made for him what he wished.
"They made for him what he willed: chambers, statues, bowls like pools."
"Work, O family of David, in gratitude."
"And few of My servants are grateful."
So he called good use of wealth righteous action.
He called it gratitude to Allah ﷻ.
And this shows that bad use of wealth is opening corrupt businesses.
Immoral products and forbidden travel.
Forbidden desires on which money is spent.
That is utter ingratitude for the blessing of Allah ﷻ.