On Acknowledging Favor

The Prophet of Islam said that one who is not thankful to man would not be thankful to God either. (Musnad Ahmad, Hadith No. 7504) Giving thanks means acknowledging a favor. If one has this quality, it will manifest itself in the affairs regarding both men as well as God. A person can’t be grateful to one while being ungrateful to another.

Acknowledging a favor is a noble human quality. This is called thanksgiving. God has bestowed upon man the greatest favors. Therefore, every human being should give thanks to God the most. The sign of this gratitude is shown in man’s acknowledgement of the favors of the people in his daily life. If this acknowledgment is lacking in a person, then it is a sign that he is not thankful even in the matter of God’s blessings. Gratitude in the case of God and ingratitude in the case of man cannot coexist in the heart of a person. There will be either gratitude for both God and human beings or no gratitude for either of them.