Gratitude turns blessings into purposeful action
“Gratitude is that feeling you have when you've been given something by someone else and you want to give back.”
True submission to Allah is expressed through gratitude, which produces humility, contentment, and purposeful action, while entitlement produces arrogance, dissatisfaction, and wasted opportunities.
The khutbah in 6 steps
- Defines gratitude and entitlement as opposite responses to blessings.
- Contrasts Dawud and Sulaiman’s gratitude for wealth with Qarun’s self-crediting.
- Explains how gratitude reflects humility while entitlement reflects arrogance, using Surah al-Hujurat.
- Shows gratitude creates contentment while entitlement creates dissatisfaction through the example of Banu Israel rejecting manna and salwa.
- Explains that gratitude motivates worship and wise use of time, while entitlement wastes opportunities.
- Concludes with a prayer to become grateful people who give back to Allah and others.
In the khateeb's words
“Gratitude is that feeling you have when you've been given something by someone else and you want to give back.”
“Gratitude comes from the mindset of humility, humbleness. Because you feel like you have been given something by someone, so now you feel indebted to the person.”
“Look at people who are less fortunate than you in life. In other words, focus on the blessings you have for a second, and look at the people who are deprived of these blessings.”
“Shall I not be a grateful slave to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.”
For the dinner table
Today’s khutbah reminded us that being Muslim means more than receiving blessings; it means responding to them with gratitude. Gratitude makes us humble, content, and ready to give back, while entitlement makes us think we deserve everything and leaves us dissatisfied. The speaker used Qur’anic examples such as Dawud and Sulaiman, Qarun, and Banu Israel to show these two attitudes in action. We can practice gratitude by noticing our blessings, using our time well in worship, and thanking Allah and the people around us.
- What is one blessing you can thank Allah for today?
- How can you give something back when someone helps you?
- What opportunity could you use more wisely this week?
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