The Realities and Signs of Being Grateful for Blessings

By Shaykh bin Baaz1

All praise is for Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds. The end result is for those who are
pious. May the peace and blessings of Allaah be upon the truthful and trustworthy
one (Muhammad) and upon his family and all his companions.

To proceed:

It is well known that Allaah, the Exalted and Glorified, has bestowed upon us many
blessings and continues to bestow them upon his servants. He deserves to be
thanked for all of His blessings. Gratefulness is linked to blessings. If a person is
grateful, the favours or blessings (ni‟am) increase and Allaah places blessings
(barakah) in them and increases their benefits. On the other hand, when a person is
ungrateful, the blessings are taken away and he may experience punishments in this
Life before the Next one.

There are different types of blessings: the blessing of physical good health, hearing,
seeing, intelligence and the blessing of having all of your limbs. Greater than this is
the biggest blessing: the blessing of the Religion, having firmness upon it, taking
care of it and understanding it.

Allaah () said,

             
This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and
have chosen for you Islâm as your religion. [Maa‟idah 5:3]

So the greatest blessing or favour is that of the Religion. Allaah sent Messengers
and revealed Books in order to clarify and explain His exalted Religion to His
servants. Then, O Muslims, He granted you success and guided you until you
became one of its people. This is the great blessing which we should be grateful to
Allaah for as much as we can.

The extent and greatness of it can be known by looking at the state of the world.
Look at the types of disbelief (kufr), associating partners (shirk) and misguidance
(dalaal) that exist. Look at the types of evil (fasaad), deviancies (inhiraaf), love for
this world and indifference to the Next Life that have appeared in the world. Look at
what has spread from the harms of Communism, Secularism and the ideology of
their proponents. It is well known that their ideas consist of disbelief in Allaah and in
all Religions, Messages, and Heavenly revealed Books. Along the same lines, look
at what many people have been tested with regarding the worship of the people in
the graves, images and idols and how the sole right of Allaah is directed to others.
Likewise, look at what many people have been tested with regarding innovations,
superstitions and types of misguidance and sins.
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1
Majmoo‟ al Fataawaa wa Maqaalaat ibn Baaz (5/166:177).
Translated by Umm „Abdir Rahmaan Tara bint Hashim. 1427/2006.

Shukr an Ni’am “Being Grateful for Blessings” by Shaykh Bin Baaz

So the greatness of blessings and what those who possess them have of goodness
is known by looking at its opposite with the abundance of evil and what those who
possess it have of evil punishments.

The end result of the blessing of Islaam is Paradise, honour and achieving the home
of blessings near to the Honourable Lord in a place where blessings do not end,
where youth does not turn into old age for its inhabitants and where their health does
not deteriorate, neither does the security diminish. Rather, they experience
continuous good health and security and their youth does not fade neither does the
goodness come to an end and they will be near to their Honourable Lord as Allaah
() says,

               

             

                 
Verily the pious, will be in a place of security (Paradise). Among gardens and
springs; dressed in fine silk and (also) in thick silk, facing each other, so (it will be),
and we shall marry them to Houris (female fair ones) with wide, lovely eyes. They will
call therein for every kind of fruit in peace and security; they will never taste death
therein except the first death (of this world), and He will save them from the torment
of the blazing Fire, as a bounty from your Lord! That will be the supreme success!
[Dukhaan 44:51-57]

And there are many verses with similar meanings.

As for the people of disbelief and misguidance, their end result is the place of
disgrace, to severe punishment, hell fire and a tree with very bitter fruit (zaqoom) in
an eternal home where punishment does not end neither do the inhabitants of it die.
As Allaah () said,

                 

 
But those who disbelieve, (in the Oneness of Allâh - Islâmic Monotheism) for them
will be the Fire of Hell. Neither it will have a complete killing effect on them so that
they die, nor shall its torment be lightened for them. Thus do we requite every
disbeliever! [Faatir 35:36]

Whoever reflects on this matter and recognises Allaah‟s blessings upon him should
be grateful for this blessing by remaining firm and constant upon it. He should ask
Allaah () to grant him success in continuing upon it until death. He should preserve
it by obeying Allaah and avoid disobeying Him. He should seek refuge in Allaah from
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the causes of misguidance, trials and from the blessings being taken away.
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Shukr an Ni’am “Being Grateful for Blessings” by Shaykh Bin Baaz

He should be grateful for other blessings too apart from the blessing of Islaam:
blessings that a servant experiences regarding health, well being and many other
blessings from Allaah such as the security of a country, family and wealth.

These blessings may come to you, O servant, because of your Islaam and your faith
in Allaah or they may be a trial and a test because of your disbelief and misguidance.
You could be tested by being in a secure place, having good health and well being
and an abundance of wealth. With all of this you may have deviated from Allaah and
from His obedience. So this is a trial and a test for you; it will establish the proof
against you and increase your punishment on the Day of Resurrection if you die in
this evil state.

The reality of being grateful is that you repay Allaah‟s blessings with faith in Him, His
Messengers and that you love Him. You should recognize His blessings and be
grateful for them by righteous speech, good praise and love for the One who
bestowed them on you. You should have fear and hope of Him and long to meet
Him. You should call to His Path and establish His right.

From faith in Allaah and His Messengers, is faith in the best of them and their leader,
our Prophet Muhammad () along with holding onto his sharee‟ah legislation. Being
grateful to Allaah is to believe in Allaah, the true God and the One to be worshipped;
and that He is the Creator, the Provider, the All Knowing and that He deserves to be
worshipped alone. It is to believe that He is the Lord of the worlds and that there is
none worthy of worship except Him and that no-one deserves to be worshipped
alongside Him. It is to believe in His Names and Attributes and that He is perfect in
His Self, His Names and His Attributes and that He has no partner, and no-one is
comparable to Him. He is not to be measured by His creation. As He () said,

        

There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer. [Ash Shooraa
42:11]

And He () said,

                  
Say (O Muhammad (Sal-Allaahu 'alayhe Wa Sallam)): "He is Allâh, (the) One.
"Allâh-us-Samad (the Self-Sufficient master, whom All creatures need, He neither
eats nor drinks).
"He begets not, nor was He begotten; "And there is none co-equal or comparable
unto him."
[Ikhlaas 112:1-4]

Faith in Allaah consists of belief that He is the One who deserves to be worshipped
as mentioned previously.
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Shukr an Ni’am “Being Grateful for Blessings” by Shaykh Bin Baaz

As He () said,

       

And Your Lord has decreed that you Worship none but Him. [al Israa‟ 17:23]

And He () said,

    

You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything).
[al Faatihah 1:5]

He () said,

        

So, call you (O Muhammad Sal-Allaahu 'alayhe Wa Sallam and the believers) upon
(or invoke) Allâh making (your) worship pure for Him (Alone) (by worshipping none
but Him and by doing religious deeds sincerely for Allâh's sake only and not to show-
off and not to set up rivals with Him in worship) however much the disbelievers (in
the Oneness of Allâh) may hate (it). [Ghaafir 40:14]

And He () said,

           
O mankind! Worship Your Lord (Allâh), who created you and those who were before
you so that you may become Al-Muttaqûn (the pious). [Al Baqarah 2:21]

And He () said,

      

And I (Allâh) created not the jinns and humans except that they should worship Me
(Alone).
[Adh Dhaariyaat 51:56]

And He () said,

 ...         
And they were commanded not, but that they should worship Allâh, and worship
none but Him alone (abstaining from ascribing partners to him), ... [al Bayyinah 98:5]

So Allaah is the One who deserves to be worshipped alone through our supplication
(du‟aa), hope (rajaa‟), fear, prayers, oaths, sacrifices and through other types of
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worship.
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Shukr an Ni’am “Being Grateful for Blessings” by Shaykh Bin Baaz

With this a person knows that what the ignorant people do at the graves, such as
make du‟aa, have hope and fear, sacrifice and make oaths to the people in the
graves is major shirk and that it nullifies the saying of laa ilaaha illAllaah, none has
the right to be worshipped in truth except Allaah. You should also know that whoever
denies the Last Day, Resurrection, the Gathering, heaven and hell, is the most
disbelieving of Allaah‟s creation and he does not believe in Allaah. Rather he is a
disbeliever in Allaah and His religion.

The atheist Communists display many types of disbelief and misguidance just as
those who worship other than Allaah such as those who take partners from other
than Allaah alongside Allaah such as the grave worshippers, idol worshippers,
worshippers of the Prophets and the righteous people, worshippers of images,
planets, the sun and the moon etc.

As Allaah () said,

               

                  

 
O mankind! Worship your Lord (Allâh), who created you and those who were before
you so that you may become Al-Muttaqûn (the pious), the One who has made the
earth a resting place for you, and the sky as a canopy, and sent down water (rain)
from the sky and brought forth therewith fruits as a provision for you. Then do not set
up rivals unto Allâh (in worship) while you know (that He alone has the right to be
worshipped).
[Al Baqarah 2:21-22]

Allaah () said,

                

                

               

           
Indeed your Lord is Allâh, who created the heavens and the earth in six days, and
then He Istawâ (rose over) the Throne (in a manner that suits his Majesty). He brings
the night as a cover over the day, seeking it rapidly, and (He created) the sun, the
moon, the stars subjected to his Command. Surely, His is the creation and
Commandment. Blessed be Allâh, the Lord of the 'Alamîn (mankind, jinns and All
that exists)! Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret. He likes not the aggressors.
And do not do mischief on the earth, after it has been set in order, and invoke Him
5

with fear and hope; surely, Allâh's Mercy is (ever) near unto the good-doers.
Page

[Al „Araaf 7:54-56]

Shukr an Ni’am “Being Grateful for Blessings” by Shaykh Bin Baaz

Whoever directs worship to other than Allaah such as the Jinn, the angels, Badawee,
Hussain, or others from the creation, has made partners with Allaah and has
worshipped others alongside Allaah. Through this he has nullified his saying, „None
has the right to be worshipped except Allaah.‟ He has been ungrateful for the
blessings which Allaah has bestowed upon him consisting of good health, well being,
the Messengers and our Messenger Muhammad (). This is the worst of being
ungrateful for blessings.

                


That is because Allâh, He is the Truth (the only true God of all that exists, who has
no partners or rivals with him), and what they (the polytheists) invoke besides him, it
is Bâtil (falsehood) and verily, Allâh He is the Most High, the Most Great. [Hajj 22:62]

This correct creed is the one that the Messengers brought and the one that the most
complete of them, the leader of them, the best of them and our share of them
Muhammad () brought. He came to call the people to the oneness of Allaah and to
be sincere to Him.

Allaah sent His Messengers to the tribes and likewise to the towns to call to the
tawheed of Allaah (singling out Allaah alone for worship). Just as, „Alee, Mu‟adh and
Aboo Moosaa al Ash‟aree () were sent to Yemen. The Messenger () stayed in
Makkah for thirteen years calling to the tawheed of Allaah and he stayed in
Madeenah for ten years calling to the tawheed of Allaah and the following of His
Sharee‟ah legislation. He started by calling to tawheed because that is the
foundation. It is the foundation of faith, religion and the basis for being grateful to
Allaah, the Bestower of blessings. All the Messengers started with this as Allaah ()
said,

            
And verily, we have sent among every Ummah (community, nation) a Messenger
(proclaiming): "Worship Allâh (Alone), and avoid (or keep away from) Tâghût (all
false deities, etc. i.e. do not worship Tâghût besides Allâh)." [An Nahl 16:36]

If a person does not have tawheed or sincerity of worship, all his deeds are invalid
and will not benefit him at all. As Allaah () said,

        

But if they had joined in worship others with Allâh, all that they used to do would
have been of no benefit to them. [Al An‟aam 6:88]
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Shukr an Ni’am “Being Grateful for Blessings” by Shaykh Bin Baaz

And He () said,

              
And indeed it has been revealed to you (O Muhammad Sal-Allaahu 'alayhe Wa
Sallam), as it was to those (Allâh's Messengers) before you: "If you join others in
worship with Allâh, (Then) surely (all) your deeds will be in vain, and you will
certainly be among the losers." [az Zumar 39:65]

Being grateful to Allaah for the blessings of tawheed among other blessings is one of
the greatest duties and best forms of nearness to Allaah. It can be achieved through
your heart loving and exalting Allaah and loving and having allegiance for Allaah,
longing to meet Him and to gain His paradise.

He () is above His creation, above His Throne in a manner that suits His Majesty
and Greatness. (Istawaa) „He rose‟, does not mean (istawlaa) „conquered‟ as the
people of innovation from among the Jahmiyyah and others claim. Rather it means
„He rose (irtafa‟a) over His Throne‟ as the Pious Predecessors, may Allaah have
mercy upon them used to say. He is above His heavens above His Throne separate
from His creation. He knows everything and nothing is hidden from Him ().

There is a famous saying about this from Imaam Maalik (may Allaah have mercy
upon him) when he was asked about Allaah‟s saying

    

The Most Beneficent (Allâh) Istawâ (rose over) the (Mighty) Throne (in a manner that
suits his Majesty). [Taha 20:5]
„How did He rise over?‟

He replied by saying,

“The rising over (al istiwaa‟) is known, „how‟ is unknown, faith in it is obligatory and
asking about it is an innovation.”

Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaa‟ah, may Allaah have mercy upon them, use this saying.
His saying, “Asking about it is an innovation” is referring to „how‟ because only Allaah
() knows about it. As for the word „istawaa‟ it is known. It means „highness‟ and
„being raised‟. This meaning was narrated by Umm Salamah ( ) and from
Rabee‟ah ibn Abee „Abdur Rahmaan, Imaam Maalik‟s Shaykh (may Allaah have
mercy upon them).

Gratefulness to Allaah with the heart also comprises of loving the believers and the
Messengers and believing in what they came with, especially our Prophet
Muhammad (). Believing that they conveyed the Message and fulfilled their trust as
Allaah () said,
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Shukr an Ni’am “Being Grateful for Blessings” by Shaykh Bin Baaz

             
And verily, we have sent among every Ummah (community, nation) a Messenger
(proclaiming): "Worship Allâh (Alone), and avoid (or keep away from) Tâghût (all
false deities, etc. i.e. do not worship Tâghût besides Allâh)." [An Nahl 16:36]

Gratefulness to Allaah with the heart also consists of firmly believing that worship is
Allaah‟s right alone and that no-one else deserves it.

Gratefulness to Allaah with the heart consists of fearing, hoping and loving Allaah. A
love which leads you to perform His rights, to leave disobedience to Him and which
calls you to His Path and makes you upright upon it. And from this is sincerity to Him
and an increase in saying subhaanAllaah, alhamdulillaah and Allaahu akbar.2

Gratefulness also takes the form of praise on the tongue, constantly mentioning
Allaah‟s blessings and speaking about them: praising Allaah, ordering the good and
forbidding evil. Gratefulness is manifested through the tongue, the heart and actions.

These are the forms of gratefulness which Allaah has legislated regarding the
speech of the tongue.

There is a third form which is gratefulness through actions: actions of the limbs and
the heart. Actions of the limbs include performing the obligatory acts and preserving
them, such as the salah (the 5 daily prayers), sawm (fasting), zakah (obligatory
charity), Hajj (pilgrimage) to Allaah‟s sacred House, and jihaad (striving to make
Allaah‟s word uppermost) for the sake of Allaah with your person and your wealth.
Allaah said,

         
March forth, whether you are light (being healthy, young and wealthy) or heavy
(being ill, old and poor), strive hard with your wealth and your lives in the Cause of
Allâh. [Tawbah 9:41]

Being grateful with your heart as previously mentioned, includes sincerity to Allaah,
loving Him, fearing Him and hoping in Him. Being grateful to Allaah is a cause for an
increase in blessings as Allaah () said,

       

And (remember) when your Lord proclaimed: "If you give thanks (by accepting faith
and worshipping none but Allâh), I will give you more (of My blessings)." [Ibraaheem
14:7]

The meaning of ( ) is that His servants are taught and informed that if they are
grateful, they will be given more but if they are ungrateful, Allaah‟s punishment is
8
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2
I declare Allaah free from every imperfection, all praise is for Allaah and Allaah is greater than everything.

Shukr an Ni’am “Being Grateful for Blessings” by Shaykh Bin Baaz

severe. One of the punishments may be that Allaah removes the blessing and brings
forward His punishment. So after having health a person becomes sick or after
fertility a person becomes barren and after security there is fear and after Islaam
there is disbelief in Allaah and after obedience there is disobedience.

Being grateful to Allaah consists of being upright regarding His commands and
continuing with gratefulness so that He will increase you in His blessings. If you
refuse and are ungrateful for His blessings and disobey His commands you will
expose yourself to His punishment and His anger. There are different types of
punishment with some occurring in the world and others in the Hereafter.

A punishment that can occur in the world is the removal of the blessing as Allaah ()
said,

       

So when they turned away (from the Path of Allâh), Allâh turned their hearts away
(from the Right Path). [as Saff 61:5]

Enemies gaining authority over you and punishment in the Next life is worse and
greater, as Allaah () said,

      

Therefore remember Me (by praying, glorifying, etc.). I will remember you, and be
grateful to Me (for My countless favours on you) and never be ungrateful to Me.
[Baqarah 2:152]

And He () said,

          

"Work you, O family of Dâwud (David), with thanks!" but few of My slaves are
grateful. [Saba‟ 34:13]

Allaah informs us that those people who are grateful are few in number and the
majority of people are ungrateful.

Most people enjoy the blessings of Allaah and live a life of ease but they do not show
gratefulness for the blessings. Rather they are heedless, oblivious and negligent as
Allaah () said,

           
While those who disbelieve enjoy themselves and eat as cattle eat, and the Fire will
be their abode.
[Muhammad 47:12]
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Shukr an Ni’am “Being Grateful for Blessings” by Shaykh Bin Baaz

Gratefulness is not complete until it is done by the tongue, hand and heart together.
This meaning was expressed by a poet,

“You have ransomed blessings from me in three ways: my hand, my tongue and the
concealed heart.”

From a believer‟s affair is that he is patient and grateful as Allaah () said,

        

Truly, therein are evidences, proofs and signs for every patient, thankful (person)."
[Ibraaheem 14:5]

A believer is patient during hardships and grateful for blessings. He is patient whilst
taking and pursuing the steps, for patience does not prevent a person from taking
steps. He does not become worried about illness, and there is no objection for a
person to seek a cure. A person does not worry about a low yield in crops or what
might befall them. Instead he treats the field with what may take away the disease.
Patience is a must and it is obligatory, however, it does not stop a person from
seeking a cure or taking the necessary steps.

A believer is patient upon what befalls him. He knows that it is by Allaah‟s pre-decree
and that there is a profound wisdom in it. He knows that the evil of sins is great and
that they have evil consequences. So he hurries to make repentance from sins and
bad deeds.

So O Muslim! You should repent to Allaah so that you can make amends for what is
corrupt and return what was missing in you.

In an authentic hadeeth of the Messenger of Allaah () he said, “Indeed a servant is

prevented from provision because of a sin he committed.” A person committing sins
prevents him from many blessings. Allaah () said,

          
And whatever of misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have
earned. And He pardons much. [Shooraa 42:30]

And He () said,

              
Whatever of good reaches you, it is from Allâh, but whatever of evil befalls you, it is
from yourself.
[an Nisaa 4:79]
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Shukr an Ni’am “Being Grateful for Blessings” by Shaykh Bin Baaz

And He () said,

               
Evil (sins and disobedience to Allâh, etc.) has appeared on land and sea because of
what the hands of men have earned (by oppression and evil deeds, etc.), that Allâh
may make them taste a part of that which they have done, in order that they may
return (by repenting to Allâh, and begging his Pardon). [ar Room 30:41]

Hardships are a call to return to Allaah and as a reminder for people so that maybe
they will return back to Him.

The true cure for sins is repentance to Allaah, leaving sins and being truthful in that.
Generally the cure is what Allaah has legislated from the physical cure. It is
obedience to Allaah.

As the Prophet () said,

“Servants of Allaah, seek a cure but do not seek a cure from the (haraam) prohibited
things.”

A believer is patient at times of hardships regarding himself, his family and his
children. He is grateful for blessings by establishing Allaah‟s rights and repenting to
Him as the Prophet () said,

“How wonderful is the affair of a believer. All of his affairs are good, unlike anybody
else‟s. When he experiences happy occasions, he is grateful. And if he suffers
misfortune and endures it patiently, then it will also be good for him. 3

Being grateful to Allaah consists of sticking to the sunnah and warning against
innovations. Many people have been tested by innovations out of blind following and
imitating others. The reason for this is ignorance.
Innovation is a type of being ungrateful for blessings and a lack of being grateful to
Allaah.

An example of this is what numerous people do in many countries when they

celebrate the birth of the Prophet () in the Islamic month of Rabee‟ al Awwal. They
believe that this is something recommended, out of ignorance and blind following of
others. It is wrong and there is no basis for it in the pure legislation. Rather it is an
innovation which Allaah has not sent down any authority for. In this celebration evil
acts are committed such as drinking alcohol and women mixing with men. Even
poetry containing major shirk is read aloud such as Boosayree‟s „al Burdah‟. For
example, his saying:

“O most honourable one of the creation!

I have no one to resort to besides you (i.e. the Prophet),
when overwhelming disasters strike;
11

For indeed the whole world and its treasures are from your generosity
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3
Collected in Saheeh Muslim from a hadeeth by Suhaib bin Sinaan (). Book of Zuhd. Ch: The Believer’s Affair is all Good. No. 2999

Shukr an Ni’am “Being Grateful for Blessings” by Shaykh Bin Baaz

And from your knowledge are the knowledge of the (Preserved) Tablet and the Pen;”

Another example is the poetry of al Bur‟ee al Yemanee and what it contains of major
shirk regarding making du‟aa to the Prophet ().

Celebrating birthdays whether it is the birth of the Prophet () or the birth of others
such as al Badawee, ibn Ulwaan, Hussain or „Alee are all evil innovations that
people have invented. They did not exist at the time of the Prophet () nor during
the time of his Companions nor at the time of the Quroon al Mufaddalah, the three
best generations after that. The first people to invent them were the Baatiniyyah
Shee‟ah, Banu „Ubayd al Qaddaah. They were more well known as the Fatimids who
governed Egypt and Morocco in the 5th and 6th Centuries. They invented many
celebrations for birthdays such as the birth of the Prophet (), Hussain and others.
Then others followed them after that. It is imitation of the celebrations of the Jews
and Christians as well as giving life to societies in which there is a lot of sins and
shirk. Even if many people do it, the truth is not known by the people, the truth is
known from the legislated proofs in the Qur‟aan and Sunnah. Many scholars have
pointed this out including Ibn Taymiyyah and ash Shaatibee among others, may
Allaah have mercy upon them. Whoever makes it fair-seeming from among those
who ascribe themselves to knowledge have clearly made a big mistake. It is not
allowed to follow them in it. Exalting the Messenger () and making his virtues and
his status apparent is not achieved through innovation. Rather it comes from
following his legislation, respecting his orders and prohibitions. It comes from calling
to his sunnah and teaching it to the people in the masaajid, schools and universities.
It does not come from holding parties of innovation in the name of his birthday which
are given precedence over the legislated proofs. They may fall into extremes and
commit many evils such as men and women mixing together and drinking alcohol.
Even more than this, they may fall into major shirk as has been previously
mentioned.

People imitate these people and celebrate their children‟s birthdays or their wedding
anniversaries. This is also from the many evils along with imitating the disbelievers.

We only have two celebrations: „Eid al Fitr and „Eid an Nahr, the three days after it,
„Arafah and the day of Jumu‟ah. So whoever invents a new day of celebration has
imitated the Christians and the Jews.

The Prophet () said, “Whoever does an action which is not from our affair, will have
it rejected.”4

He () said, “Whoever invents something not from our affair will have it rejected.”5

He () said, “Beware of invented matters for every invented matter is an innovation
and every innovation is a going astray/misguidance.”6
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4
Muslim. Book of Judgements. No. 1718.
5
Bukhaaree. No. 2697.
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6
Narrated by al Irbaad bin Saariyah (). Collected in Aboo Daawood no. 4607; Tirmidhee no. 2676; Ibn Maajah nos. 42-44; Ahmad 4/126;
etc.

Shukr an Ni’am “Being Grateful for Blessings” by Shaykh Bin Baaz

There are many ahaadeeth with similar meanings to these. It is obligatory upon the
adherants of Islaam to take the path of the Prophet () and his Companions () and
those who followed them from the Pious Predecessors (Salaf as Saalih). They
should leave the newly invented innovations that came after them.

I ask Allaah to grant us all success in seeking beneficial knowledge and performing
righteous deeds. May He make it possible for us to act and remain steadfast upon
the sunnah. May He grant us success in being grateful for His blessings in our
speech, action and belief and make us firm upon the truth.

We ask Allaah to make all the leaders of the Muslims righteous and that He grants
them success in everything good, and provides them with righteous advisors. May
Allaah help them to establish Allaah‟s Commands on Allaah‟s earth and to establish
the prescribed punishments upon Allaah‟s servants and that He grants the best
Muslims authority over all the affairs of the Muslims and that He saves them from
trials that lead to misguidance. Indeed He is All-Hearing, Near (to all by His
knowledge).

May the peace and blessings of Allaah be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family
and Companions.

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Shukr an Ni’am “Being Grateful for Blessings” by Shaykh Bin Baaz