Don’t forget to say ‘Alhamdulillah’

Alhamdulillah, is a word we all are familiar with. It stands as a simple utterance but is fixed in deep meaning and divine dedication. Literally, it means ‘praise to Allah’. As Muslims, we all grew up using the word Alhamdulillah in our daily lives, but do we really understand the meaning of that word?

This is the first phase of the first verse of Surah Fatiha, the first Surah of the Holy Quran. We recite Alhamdulillah in Surah Fatiha, and therefore in all Rakaah of our Salah. We tend to pronounce words automatically, but we sometimes forget the deep meaning behind those words.

Saying Alhamdulillah is a form of praise for Allah and is loved by Allah. Alhamdulillah is the highest to the most benevolent Allah who has blessed us with the endless blessings that He continues to give us. It is a sign of praise and absolute gratitude. Showing gratitude is one of the main qualities of Islam and an integral part of being a good believer.

وَإِن تَعُدُّوا۟ نِعْمَةَ ٱللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَآ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

Meaning: And if you count the blessings of Allah, you will never be able to count them. Really Allah is All-Forgiving and Most Merciful. Surah An-Nahl: 18

Remember to be grateful to Allah

It must be remembered that without Allah we have nothing and will be lost. As a Muslim, you need to consciously habituate to saying Alhamdulillah at every stage of your life. The real test of the believer is that Allah has bestowed him or her, and despite his or her difficult circumstances, the believer remains stable and says Alhamdulillah, surrendering himself or herself to the perfect will of Allah.

As reported by Suhaib, the Holy Prophet said, “Strange are the ways of a believer because there is good in all his dealings and no one else except in the case of a believer because if he has a chance to feel delighted, he gives thanks to Allah, so it’s good for him there, and if he gets into trouble and shows resignation (and patiently endures it), that's fine for him.” Muslims, 2999

Allah turns His servants to ask Him whatever they want. Allah is waiting for His slaves to call Him to satisfy their desires. But Allah only asks in return to thank Him for the blessings His servants have given. As humans, when we want something, we ask Allah to give it to us day and night. But in the midst of our happiness, we forget Allah. We need to consciously thank Allah from the core of our hearts. We should always say Alhamdulillah and praise Him. When we find out that we are saved from disasters and difficulties in life, it is the mercy of Allah, not our own doing. Allah loves those who praise him and turns to Him and Allah gives them more.

وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ ۖ وَلَئِن كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِى لَشَدِيدٌ

Meaning: And remember when your Lord was proclaimed, but if you really deny, my punishment will be severe. Surah Ibrahim: 7

Think about the blessings of Allah and see people who are not as lucky as you. It helps us to look at things and see how merciful and kind Allah was to us, and how gracious we are. Say Alhamdulillah. Because it is an excellent expression of sincere praise to the Almighty. Spending praise and gratitude all day, every day is not enough.

Alhamdulillah teaches believers to be grateful, good or bad, at every turn and phase of life. Gratitude is the foundation of a satisfying and happy life. If you thank Allah, He will increase the blessings and rewards and give you more than you ask, it is the beauty of our Lord.

ARR