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Monday, February 24, 2014

Tafseer: If You Give Thanks (then) I Will Give You More...

And (remember) when your Lord proclaimed: "If you give thanks (by accepting Faith and worshipping none but Allah), I will give you more (of My Blessings), but if you are thankless (i.e. disbelievers), verily! My Punishment is indeed severe."[Ibraheem 14:7]

Imaam Muhammad bin Ahmad al-Qurtubee [May Allaah have Mercy on him] said:

‘If you give thanks…’ meaning if you give thanks for the favours that I give from My Bounty. Hasan al-Basree [May Allaah have Mercy on him] said this means, ‘If you give thanks for My (Allaah) favours then I will increase you in the ability to increase in good deeds.’ Ibn ‘Abbaas [May Allaah have Mercy on him] said this means, ‘If you single me out in thanks and obedience than I will increase you in reward.’ And both of these explanations in reality mean the same thing, the overall meaning of the Aayah is that giving thanks is a cause for you to be increase in forms of goodness. We have already discussed in Surah al-Baqarah the meaning given by the scholars of word Shukr, a summary given by some of the scholars is that Shukr is ‘to have Taqwaa for all the favours and abstaining from disobeying Allaah.’ 

It is narrated from Dawood [Peace be Upon him] that he said, “Oh My Lord! How can give thanks to you? You give me reoccurring favours and benefits, so how can I sincerely thank you?” Allaah, the Most High, replied, “Oh Dawood! Now you have thanked Me!”

So the very essence of giving thanks is to appreciate and realise the favours that Allaah, the Most High, has given you and that you don’t attribute those favours to anyone else by obeying them.

‘…but if you are thankless (i.e. disbelievers), verily! My Punishment is indeed severe…’ meaning if you are ungrateful or don’t show Me the right I Deserve. Others said it refers to the Bounties of Allaah upon you, so if you do Kufr (in this context it means being ungrateful) then then My Punishment is severe. Just like Allaah, the Most High, Promises to Increase those who give thanks, then those who fail to do so will be faced with His Punishment.


[Tafseer al-Qurtubee (9/299-300)]

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