Alhamdulilah – “Praises and thanks be to only Allah” is a phrase that all Muslims of all ages are familiar with. It is our way of showing gratitude to Allah (ta’ala). Some of us respond with this phrase when someone thanks us, to show that all thanks indeed belong to our Creator and not us.

Alhamdulillah is a phrase of gratitude to Allah (ta’ala), and the people of Alhamdulillah are the people who thank Allah (ta’ala) in every season and every condition of their lives.

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The Importance of Gratitude

There is no creation of Allah (ta’ala) that should give gratitude to anything more than they give to their Creator. He is the disposer of our affairs and the purpose of our existence is to worship Him.

Look around you at all you have, all you’ve ever had, and all the privileges you have enjoyed in life. Even if you feel like you’ve had a tough life, think of whatever good that has come your way. All of these are by the mercy of Allah (ta’ala) and we owe it to Him to show gratitude for everything.

“So remember Me; I will remember you. And be grateful to Me and do not deny Me.” (Quran 2:152)

Every single thing about a Muslim is a cause for saying Alhamdulillah. The good, the bad, and all the things we take for granted. And as a duty in return for everything He has given us, we thank Him.

Traits of the People of Alhamdulillah

We don’t just say Alhamdulillah whenever something good happens to us, or when someone thanks us. For me, the people of Alhamdulillah are the people whose lives revolve around showing gratitude to Allah (ta’ala).

They are the people who show gratitude in the following ways:

Gratitude During Ease

1. The people of alhamdulillah recognize the mercies of Allah (ta’ala) in their lives, and they show gratitude by acknowledging these mercies and thanking Him verbally. In a hadith narrated by Abu Bakrah, “When anything came to the Prophet (ﷺ) which caused pleasure (or, by which he was made glad), he prostrated himself in gratitude to Allah.” (Sunan Abi Dawud) That is an acknowledgment of His mercies and showing gratitude to Him.
2. The people of alhamdulillah show gratitude by doing good to others. We can say that they pay it forward, or they try to share from what Allah (ta’ala) has blessed them with. Someone who got paid at their job at the end of the month and gave sadaqah out of that money is showing gratitude for the provision that they have received, by helping someone else.
3. The people of alhamdulillah do not misuse their blessings. They do not receive the mercies of Allah (ta’ala) only to use it to disobey Him. Grateful Muslims use the blessings of Allah (ta’ala) to further worship Him.
4. The people of alhamdulillah are contented with the favors they have been granted. Yes, you wanted a son, but Allah (ta’ala) blessed you with a daughter. A grateful Muslim is thankful for this and contented with what they have been given. When we want something in particular but He gives us something else, the people of alhamdulillah are full of gratitude and contentment.
5. The people of alhamdulillah worship Allah (ta’ala) as a form of gratitude. They perform their obligatory acts of worship and they follow it up with extra ibadah. These people see their worship of Allah (ta’ala) as a mercy from Him and they show gratitude by worshipping Him the more. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would stand all night in prayer, to the awe of his companions. When they asked him why he continued to pray so much even though he has been forgiven his past and present sins, he responded with “Should I not prove myself to be a grateful servant (of Allah)?” (Muslim)

These are some of the things that grateful people do in times of ease, in times of happiness, comfort, and at times when life may be going well for them. But how are they when everything seems to be going wrong?

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Gratitude During Trials

It is easy to be grateful when you have everything going well for you. But when bad times come upon us, it is human to feel sad, anxious, or even angry. For the people of alhamdulillah, whenever they are experiencing these rough times, they strive to do the following:

1. The people of alhamdulillah show patience in the face of calamities. They remember that every hardship is a test for a Muslim and that they will be rewarded for their patience. The people of alhamdulillah do not ascribe their trials to a bad omen, or to anything created by Allah (ta’ala).
2. The people of alhamdulillah seek solace in their Creator alone. They don’t take their worries to a religious figure to save them and they put their reliance solely on Allah (ta’ala).
3. The people of alhamdulillah first seeks the help of Allah (ta’ala) when they are faced with trials, before seeking the assistance of anyone. They know and believe that if the whole world were to come together to help you, without Allah (ta’ala)’s help, their help will be futile. So before they ask people for help, they ask the one who has the power to help us all.
4. The people of alhamdulillah continue to do good deeds despite whatever may have befallen them. Sometimes, you hear the stories of people who are poor but still giving sadaqah. Or refugees sharing their food with others. Or sick people performing salah. These people are going through various tremendous trials, but that does not stop them from doing good deeds. Because for the people of alhamdulillah, there is no condition that should make you stop worshipping Allah (ta’ala) and doing good deeds.

The people of alhamdulillah are people of gratitude. They are people that thank Allah (ta’ala) in good times and bad, in happiness and sadness, in luxury and poverty. They are the people whose default response to anything is alhamdulillah – praise and thanks to only Allah (ta’ala).

May Allah (ta’ala) make us of the people of alhamdulillah and grant us the Iman to give thanks in every season of our lives. Ameen.

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