Friday Sermon Stresses Importance of Gratitude for Allah's Blessings

In today's Friday sermon delivered in mosques across the Maldives, it was said that the continuation and loss of the blessings bestowed by Almighty Allah are based on gratitude for those blessings. The sermon was focused on the topic "The Importance of Gratitude for Blessings." The sermon noted that one of the most important qualities taught by Islam, for maintaining the unity and love of society, is gratitude for blessings. As stated in the sermon, the blessings of Almighty Allah upon mankind are countless and beyond number. The sermon said that gratitude for the blessings of Almighty Allah is to acknowledge His grace and to use those blessings in the manner He is pleased with, and that this is a noble act of worship that brings goodness to the servant's faith and worldly life and earns the love and pleasure of Almighty Allah. It was also reminded that if mankind is grateful, it is known from the verses of the Holy Quran that He is pleased with that. Noting that gratitude is a noble quality of the Prophets, the sermon noted that Ibrahim (peace be upon him) was a person who was grateful for the blessings bestowed by Almighty Allah, and therefore He chose him and guided him to the straight path. Along with that, it was also reminded in the sermon of his saying, when the throne of Bilqis was brought before Sulaiman (peace be upon him), that he said it was a matter Allah had ordained to test whether he would be grateful or ungrateful, and that Musa (peace be upon him) was instructed, regarding the matters bestowed upon him, to hold fast to them and be among those who are grateful. The sermon said that, in addition to being grateful to Almighty Allah, expressing gratitude for the good done by people is also an act of worship given great importance in Islamic upbringing. In this regard, it was noted that Almighty Allah has commanded gratitude to parents. It was also stated that the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) has said in hadith that one who is not grateful to people will not be grateful to Almighty Allah, and that it is known from the hadiths that if a person says "Jazakallahu Khairan" for a good deed done to him, he has reached the highest level of gratitude. Highlighting examples of gratitude seen in the life of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), the sermon stated how he always remembered and was grateful for the good qualities of Ummul Mu'mineen Khadija (may Allah be pleased with her). It also brought up the words the Prophet spoke regarding the release of the prisoners of the Battle of Badr, in appreciation of the protection given by Mut'im bin Adiyy for his journey to Taif and his subsequent return to Makkah. Such examples indicate that appreciating and being grateful to a person who has done a good deed is among perfect Islamic morals. The sermon said that scholars state that remembering the blessings bestowed by Almighty Allah, and remembering His abundance when one is in difficulty and speaking of such matters, is a way of being grateful for blessings. And it reminded that Almighty Allah has revealed that He will increase blessings for those who are grateful, and that those who are ungrateful for blessings will receive a severe punishment, and the sermon called for always being grateful for all blessings.