1049 - فَضلُ الشّاكِرِ

1049. THE THANKFUL ONE

(بَلِ اللَّهَ فاعبُدْ وَكُنْ مِنَ الشَّاكِرِينَ).¹

“Rather, worship Allah, and be among the thankful ones.”²

3323.مصباح الشريعة : لَو كانَ عندَ اللَّهِ عِبادَةٌ تَعَبَّدُ بها عِبادَةُ المُخلِصينَ أفضَلَ مِن الشُّكرِ على‏ كُلِّ حالٍ لَأطلَقَ لَفظَهُ فيهِم مِن جَميعِ الخَلقِ بها ، فَلمّا لَم يَكُن أفضَلُ مِنها خَصَّها
مِن بَينِ العِباداتِ وخَصَّ أربابَها ، فقالَ : (وقَليلٌ مِنْ عِبادِيَ الشَّكُورُ) .³

3323. It is narrated in Misbah al-Sharia, ‘If there was to be an act of worship for Allah’s sincere servants to carry out better in the sight of Allah than thanksgiving to Him in every situation, He would have definitely singled out these worshippers for a mention from amongst the rest of creation for their carrying out this special act of worship. And for the very fact that there is no better act of worship than it [i.e. thanksgiving], He has distinguished it from all other acts of worship and has distinguished those who practice it, saying, “And very few of My servants are truly thankful.”⁴

3324.الإمامُ الهاديُّ عليه السلام : الشاكِرُ أسعَدُ بالشُّكرِ مِنهُ بِالنِّعمَةِ التي أوجَبَتِ الشُّكرَ ؛ لأنَّ النِّعَمَ مَتاعٌ ، والشُّكرَ نِعَمٌ وعُقبى‏ .⁵

3324.Imam al-Hadi (AS) said, ‘The thankful person prospers more as a result of his thanks than as a result of the bounty which incited the thanks, because bounties are sources of delight [in this world] whereas to thank brings bounties in this world and the hereafter.’⁶

3325.الإمامُ العسكريُّ عليه السلام : لا يَعرِفُ النِّعمَةَ إلّا الشاكِرُ ، ولا يَشكُرُ النِّعمَةَ إلّا العارِفُ .⁷

3325.Imam al-Askari (AS) said, ‘None but the thankful one knows the true worth of a bounty, and none but the one with inner knowledge [or gnostic] is truly thankful for a bounty.’⁸