Know—may God support you—that gratitude is praising God for what comes from Him in particular, for an attribute He possesses insofar as He is thanked. Among His names are the Most Thankful, al-Shakūr, and the Thankful, al-Shākir. He says, “If you give thanks, I shall increase you” [14:7]. This is an attribute requiring increase from the one thanked to the thanker. It is obligatory by agreement: rationally according to one group, and by revealed Law according to another. Gratitude to the benefactor is obligatory rationally and by revealed Law. God names Himself a thanker toward us only so that we may increase for Him the work that caused Him to thank us, just as He increases blessings for us when we thank Him for His blessings and bounties. Gratitude is sound only for blessings.
Attend to the attribution of gratitude to Him, exalted is He, in the intensive form concerning one who gives Him the works required of all his outward and inward members and faculties, in every state and time as befits each. The Real thanks him for all this through the name the Most Thankful. This belongs particularly to the elect of the people of God.
Ordinary people fall below this rank in works of state and time. When they bring work deficient in this way, the name the Thankful receives them, rather than the Most Thankful. They are thanked in every case.
But God, exalted is He, says, “Few of My servants are abundantly thankful” [34:13]. These are God's elect,
Notes
Translator’s note TN4120-1: The intensive al-Shakūr, the Most Thankful, is distinguished from al-Shākir, the Thankful. The former receives complete performance across faculties, states, and times; the latter receives the deficient performance described as ordinary.
