What Is Meant When Allah Says, “As for the Favors of Your Lord, Speak about Them.”?
Answered by Shaykh Anas al-Musa
Question
What is meant when Allah says, “As for the favors of your Lord, speak about them.”?
Answer
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
You have mentioned the last verse of Surat al-Duha. Quranic verses came before this verse that speak of some of the blessings of Allah (Most High) that were bestowed upon the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace). These blessings can be summarized as follows:
- “Did He not find you as an orphan then sheltered you?” [Quran, 93:6]
- “Did He not find you unguided then guided you?” [Quran, 93:7]
- “And did He not find you needy then satisfied your needs?” [Quran, 93:8]
After Allah (Most High) listed His Blessing upon His Messenger, He (Most High) commanded him to speak about them in gratitude for them, by His saying: “And proclaim the blessings of your Lord.” [Quran, 93:11]
This means just as you, O Muhammad, were poor; Allah enriched you. You were unaware of the laws of Allah (Most High); He educated you regarding them. You were an orphan without a father; Allah (Most High) granted you refuge. So speak about His blessings upon you. Speaking about the blessings of Allah (Most High) is also a means of showing your gratitude for them. [Qurtubi, Al-Jami‘ Li Ahkam al-Quran; Ibn Kathir, Tafsir Ibn Kathir; Alusi, Ruh al-Ma‘ani; Zuhayli, Al-Tafsir al-Munir]
Different ways of expressing gratitude for the blessings of Allah (Most High) include:
- Utilizing the blessings of Allah – obeying him as gratitude for a favor entails using it in its rightful place according to the principles of the religion.
- Showing the effects of blessings that Allah bestows upon you in your life.
- Speaking about blessings – displaying them through your clothes and belongings.
- Showing thanks for blessings: uttering gratitude with the tongue and through actions in the obedience of Allah.
- If you have come to a good state or done something good, speak about it with your trustworthy friends.
It is reported that Ayyub said,
“I entered upon Abu Raja’ al-‘Atadiri, and he said, ‘Allah provided good yesterday. I prayed such and such, did such and such tasbih’”. [Ibn ‘Arabi; Ahkam al-Quran, Tahir Ibn Ashur; Al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir]
Lastly, the blessings of Allah upon us cannot be enumerated. Speaking about blessings is one way of encouraging gratitude. Gratitude allows one to maintain blessings and attain higher levels of gratitude in the sight of Allah, who has promised the grateful that he will increase them when he said, “And remember when your Lord proclaimed, ‘If you are grateful, I will certainly give you more. But if you are ungrateful, surely My punishment is severe.’” [Quran, 14:7]
For a slave to speak of the blessings of Allah (Most High) is not only wholly permissible; it is recommended when the intention is to inspire others to do the same. However, if a person fears showing off or seeking praise, it is better not to speak about his blessings.
There are instances where concealing blessings may be preferable – especially if it brings about harm to the one speaking about the blessing. An example of this is the advice from Prophet Ya‘qub (Jacob) to his son Yusuf (Joseph) – blessings and peace be upon them. He said to him, “…O my dear son! Do not relate your vision to your brothers, or they will devise a plot against you. Surely Satan is a sworn enemy to humankind.” [Quran, 12:5]
May Allah (Most High) send blessings upon our master and prophet, Muhammad, and his family and companions. Ameen.
[Shaykh] Anas al-Musa
Shaykh Anas al-Musa, born in Hama, Syria, in 1974, is an erudite scholar of notable repute. He graduated from the Engineering Institute in Damascus, where he specialized in General Construction, and Al-Azhar University, Faculty of Usul al-Din, where he specialized in Hadith.
He studied under prominent scholars in Damascus, including Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri and Shaykh Adib al-Kallas, among others. Shaykh Anas has memorized the Quran and is proficient in the ten Mutawatir recitations, having studied under Shaykh Bakri al-Tarabishi and Shaykh Mowfaq ‘Ayun. He also graduated from the Iraqi Hadith School.
He has taught numerous Islamic subjects at Shari‘a institutes in Syria and Turkey. Shaykh Anas has served as an Imam and preacher for over 15 years and is a teacher of the Quran in its various readings and narrations.
Currently, he works as a teacher at SeekersGuidance and is responsible for academic guidance there. He has completed his Master’s degree in Hadith and is now pursuing his Ph.D. in the same field. Shaykh Anas al-Musa is married and resides in Istanbul.
