Gratitude begins with what Allah saved us from
“The first step of gratitude is to remember what Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala saved us from.”
Allah promises that gratitude, especially gratitude in hardship for what He saved us from, not just for present blessings, is the condition for His certain increase in every area of our lives.
The khutbah in 8 steps
- Opening: one third of the Quran is stories, and they are real history Allah uses to teach lessons
- Backstory of Banu Israel under Fir'aun: enslavement, torture, and the alternating-year massacre of their newborn sons
- The exodus: the sea splits into twelve paths, Fir'aun's army drowns, and Banu Israel flee with nothing into the desert
- Musa's unexpected sermon: instead of telling them to be patient, he reminds them of the blessing of being saved, which they overlooked
- The key verse: 'If you are grateful, I will surely increase you', grammatical analysis of the unqualified promise as a 'blank check'
- Gratitude in hardship vs. the easy gratitude of good times; the storm-and-tree parable of closed doors opening many more
- The flip side: ingratitude (kufran al-ni'ma) and why Allah commands gratitude for our benefit, not His, He is al-Ghani
- Closing dua for the ability to be grateful for blessings, protections, and unseen rescues
In the khateeb's words
“Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala left a blank check.”
“And so my dear brothers and sisters, the first step of gratitude is to remember what Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala saved us from.”
“But we don't see that there was a blessing in that storm.”
“Being thankful to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala doesn't do anything to Allah except it benefits us only.”
For the dinner table
Today the khateeb reminded us that one-third of the Qur'an is stories, and he told the story of Banu Israel being saved from Pharaoh. Even after Allah rescued them from terrible suffering, they found themselves in the hot desert with nothing, and they struggled to see the blessing. The khateeb explained that the first step of gratitude is remembering what Allah has saved us from, not just counting the good things we have. He called Allah's promise "If you are grateful, I will surely increase you" a blank check, meaning Allah knows what each of us needs and will increase it. The talk ended by reminding us that gratitude is really for our own benefit: it protects our hearts, opens closed doors, and helps us trust Allah even when life is hard.
- What is one hard thing that turned out to be a blessing in disguise?
- What does saying "Alhamdulillah" mean to you when things aren't going your way?
- Can you think of something Allah might have protected you from that you didn't even notice?
More on Gratitude
ICI · Irving, TX · Oct 24, 2026Thank Allah in ease and hardship“Even in moments of difficulty, when it feels like there's nothing going your way, there is always something to be grateful for.”
Either we're receiving a blessing, which calls for shukr, or we're going through a hardship, which calls for sabr.13:29Al-Ittehad · Vista, CA · Sep 19, 2026Gratitude and patience carry believers through life
Real gratitude is not a feeling.16:14London Muslim Mosque · London, ON · Sep 11, 2026Gratitude means using blessings well