Islam teaches Muslims the importance of being thankful to God for any provisions of favors that He bestowed upon them. As an Ahmadi Muslim, I strive to be grateful for what I have by remembering my blessings and learning ways to instill gratitude into my life. For charity week, I donated $100 because I realized how important it is for me to remember families and children who don’t have enough to eat or are suffering from civil wars.
Recently, members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Women’s Association of Queens Chapter, including myself, arranged a food drive at our local mosque where we distributed food to families in need. These examples demonstrate acts of kindness that instill gratitude and encourage us to do good for others out of appreciation for the favors that were bestowed upon us. The Holy Quran states,“Give thanks to Me and to thy parents” (31:15). This Quranic verse shows that God commands Muslims to thank Him and their parents. Interestingly, parents play a major role in upbringing of their children and deserve our gratitude. Hence, God desires that Muslims should be kind towards their parents and be grateful that they nurtured us. Additionally, Muslims are encouraged to be grateful so that God can provide them with more purpose or meaning in life that can further refine their gratitude. A verse of the Holy Quran states, “If you are grateful, I will, surely, bestow more favors on you” (14:08).
Overall, Islam emphasizes on gratitude as an essential asset to constructing one’s faith and adherence towards obeying God.
