Wisdom of Gratitude
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May Almighty God bestow every kind of success and eminence on our esteemed President Fatḥ `Alī Ḥabīb and his angel-like Begum Guls̲h̲akar.
I say special salām of Yā `Alī Madad with my original soul and real "I" and with the same zeal of well-wishing, I pray with utmost humility for all my cazīzān of the east and the west. May it be accepted! May the Lord of the worlds be extremely merciful upon all mu'mins. Āmīn! O the Lord of the worlds!
Prior to leaving for Hunza, my wife cĀ'is̲h̲ah Begum Naṣīr repeatedly requested me to thank you, from the bottom of her and my hearts, all the devoted and angelic office bearers and members of K̲h̲ānah-yi Ḥikmat and Idārah-yi cĀrif. The sincerity and love with which they helped my family in every manner is unprecedented and unforgettable. It is true that my wife is extremely impressed by the filial cooperation of all cazīzān. She especially can never forget the repeated hospitality and the various favors by Guls̲h̲akar Fatḥ `Alī and Yasmin Muḥammad. She persistently mentioned all of the angelic attributes of these God-given, dear daughters.
I have informed respected cĀ'is̲h̲ah Begum in detail about where these cilmī letters and other cilmī articles are disseminated, and with what yearning and zeal they are read by our cazīzān, who are a victorious detachment of holy Mawlā's army of knowledge. She was greatly astonished by this and also the feelings of the expression of gratitude. She expressed that it was a great mercy of our true Lord that all of my very beloved students are always ready to attain knowledge and to render the sublime services of imparting knowledge to the beloved jamācat. She added that the way I had followed the path of patience during extremely harsh afflictions and distress, indeed became the cause of Mawlā's pleasure. Therefore, he has helped me magnificently through these purehearted earthly
angels. In saying so she was undoubtedly right. As a result of this realization of Divine bounties, we offered our gratitude to Him for His blessings and mercies.
An important point to remember is that in a mu'min's life, there are first occasions of patience and subsequently, opportunities to express gratitude. Gratefulness is one such cibādat which contains the possibility of experiencing and perceiving happiness and pleasures on the condition that this cibādat is in the light of knowledge and wisdom. Although, there is a miraculous soul of pleasure and happiness hidden in every cibādat, however, gratitude and appreciation are the cibādat of the people of paradise. Therefore, when the light of gratitude, filled with knowledge and recognition radiates on any bounty, it appears in the concept with all its intrinsic beauty, elegance and value of meaning. This is a brief answer for a seeker of knowledge who asks why so much pleasure and happiness are attained from the expression of true gratitude.
From Sūrah of Luqmān, verse (31:12) it is clear that the greatest Divine bounty is in the form of wisdom, rather it is the compendium of all sublime bounties. Secondly, we understand that wisdom is a light without which due gratitude and appreciation for intellectual, spiritual and physical bounties is not possible. Therefore, after bestowing wisdom to Ḥaz̤rat-i Luqmān, the Lord of the world says that its [wisdom] purpose is to be grateful to Him. Hence, whoever accomplishes the obligation of gratitude in the light of wisdom attains its benefit.
It is mentioned in Sūrah of Sabā', in verse (34:13): "O children of Dāwūd! Do good deeds in gratitude. Verily few of My servants are grateful." It is irrefutable from this sublime command that absolute gratitude is in practical form. That is, practical and real gratitude is to benefit others through whatever means: material, physical, intellectual and knowledge (cilmī) bounties available to one.
The purport of the children of Dāwūd is quite extensive, because this is similar to the Family of Ibrāhīm. The main reason for this is that Ḥaz̤rat-i Solomon was the entrusted Imām and the Lord
of the Throne of spirituality, a rank that continues in his progeny as well. Therefore, the chain of the Family of Dāwūd performed true gratitude of their great spiritual kingdom by helping the people of faith to advance from one destination to another in the light of guidance. This was their practical expression of gratitude. This is how the duty of gratitude is performed by the Prophets and the Imāms.
Wherever there are verses about gratitude in the wise Qur'ān, they all mention the extremely great bounties as it is mentioned in the verse (2:56): "Then We revived you after your death, so that you might be grateful." This does not pertain to physical revival after physical death; rather this is about the miracle of inᵐbicās̱ which you may have read about in an article.
In another verse is mentioned: "And He gave you ears, eyes and hearts that you may give thanks" (16:78). In this Divine farmān are mentioned the spiritual (bāṭin) ears, eyes and heart for which gratitude is intended.
Further, God says: "Then fear Allāh; that you may give thanks" (3:123). This alludes to being pious so that one may receive the supreme bounties of Almighty Allāh and thereby, ultimately be grateful. From this [discussion] it is evident that the stage of gratitude comes at the end.
The purport of Sūrah of Ibrāhīm, verse (14:5) is "And remind them of the days of God (i.e., the spirituality of the six great Prophets). Verily, in this are signs for every patient and grateful one." This demonstrates that first comes patience and then gratitude.
It is said in Sūrah of Zumar, verse (39:66) "Nay, but worship Allāh alone and be among the grateful." It is obvious from this that gratitude is a special worship (cibādat) which comes after the common worship (cibādat).
It is mentioned in Sūrah of Banī Isrā'īl, verse (17:3) "O you, the offspring of those whom We bore [in the ark] with Nūḥ; verily he
(Nūḥ) was a grateful servant." This alludes to and draws attention towards the spirituality of Ḥaz̤rat-i Nūḥ because Perfect Human Beings express gratitude at the place of spiritual and intellectual bounties.
The purport of the holy verse (7:58) is that the Lord of the worlds displays numerous verses to those who are grateful and appreciative, i.e., He explains by utilizing numerous such examples whose meaning (mams̱ ūl) is one.
That one meaning (mams̱ ūl) is the Imām of the time who has numerous examples and various names. Thus, it is he who is the living and luminous Supreme Name of Allāh, and he himself is the manifestation (maẓhar) of His holy light. Praise belongs to Allāh for His grace and favor.
Dust under the feet of mu'mins 11th June, 1984
Note: There is an allusion to the sublime bounties in the Qur'ānic subject of gratitude, and such bounties are specifically for the mu'mins.
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