Why God Hates "Ingratitude"

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful...the Best Knower.


What is “ingratitude”?

INGRATITUDE -- in Essence -- is the failure or refusal to acknowledge favors bestowed on oneself by another, especially when one could not have attained said favors on one’s own.

One of the manifestations of ingratitude is seen in the one who thinks he deserved the favor he received. Such a one might carry an air of arrogance about him/her, which might cause him/her to think he or she is entitled to some "privileged" status.

Another manifestation of ingratitude is seen in the one who thinks he deserves more, or better, than what was bestowed upon him. This can also be expressed in the form of complaints about what one “doesn’t have”, as opposed to being thankful for what one does have.

Yet another manifestation of ingratitude is seen in one’s abuse, neglect or ignoring of favors bestowed upon him.

In all of these cases, the receiver of the favors suffers from a basic misunderstanding of the relationship between himself and the Giver, and thus cannot fully appreciate the value of the favor bestowed upon him (or her). He tends to think more of himself than he should, and think less of the Giver than he should; and therefore cannot appreciate the favor as he should.
(How can you be truly grateful for something you don’t understand the value of?)

Allah (God) is the Supreme Giver and the Great Bestower of Favors upon His Creatures! The Greatest Gift He has Given us is the Gift of Life, Itself.
Have we been grateful for such a Gift?
Have we done with our Lives what God Intended we do?

Next to Life, Itself, Allah’s Greatest Gift or Favor to us is that of Divine Guidance!

Why does Man need Divine Guidance? It is because we live in a world that is in total rebellion against the Will and Purpose of God; and, from the cradle, our minds are shaped and fashioned after the darkness of this world.

So now, humanity is literally lost in the darkness of ignorance and the suffering that comes with it, and we can’t seem – no matter how hard we try – to find our way out of this “intense darkness”. So we continue in error, constantly violating the nature and purpose of our existence, thus making our own lives a living hell!

Crime, poverty, drug abuse, self-hatred, failed relationships, depression, suicide, prostitution, homosexuality, slavery, war, etc...

Who can deny that we are in desperate need of Divine Guidance?
Who can deny that we are in need of a Divine Guide to teach us how to live that Guidance?

If God were to Give us such Guidance... If God were to Give us such a Guide...
Would we be “grateful”?
Would we demonstrate “gratitude” or “ingratitude”?

Remember, “gratitude” is more than just saying “thank you”!

“Gratitude” requires more than just “feeling good” about a Gift that was given to you, and about the One who Gave it to you.

“Gratitude” is best demonstrated in the proper use of the Gift that is Given to you, or in the proper response to the Purpose for which the Gift was Given!

Why do we need to know this?

How do YOU feel when you give someone a gift or bestow on them a favor that they fail to show appreciation or gratitude for? How does that make YOU feel, as the “giver”?

“Ingratitude” makes the Giver want to take back the gift that he gave, and sometimes he will give it to someone else who will demonstrate more gratitude for the Gift (or Favor).

Likewise, “Gratitude” inspires the Giver to want to give more!
(“I am come that they might have Life, and have it more abundantly.” –Jesus)

Why does God Give us Life?
It is to carry on His Great Work.

Why does God Give us Guidance?
It is to deliver us from our ignorance and suffering, that we may carry on His Great Work.

Are we demonstrating “gratitude” for these Precious Gifts from God...or “ingratitude”?

“Ingratitude” is actually an injustice, because it takes man away from the Universal Order and Will of God; and it takes man away from his own nature. So a man who is ungrateful is a man who is unjust to himself. He is destroying his own peace...just by being “ungrateful”.

Allah says, in the Holy Qur’an, that He “...gives you of all you ask of Him. And if you count Allah's favours, you will not be able to number them. Surely man is very unjust, very ungrateful.”

In another place, Allah says that “when distress afflicts you in the sea, away go those whom you call on except He; but when He brings you safe to the land, you turn away. And man is ever ungrateful.”

Therefore, it is not a question of whether or not we have been ungrateful to God, or unjust to ourselves...because we all have. We all have been born into a world of wickedness and rebellion against God, and all of us have been poisoned by the wickedness of this world. The Bible teaches us that “all have sinned, and fallen short of the Glory of God.” So all of us have demonstrated some degree of ingratitude to our Creator, and all of us have been unjust to ourselves and others. So Allah makes us to bear witness, in our prayers, “I have been greatly unjust to myself, and I confess my faults,” ...and in our Nature, we know when we are being unjust to ourselves. So we don’t have to ask “have I been unjust to myself”...or “have I been ungrateful to Allah (God)”. We all can bear witness that we have been.

It’s more about the question, “Who is willing to come back to God and make a Change?” “Who is willing to humble himself, and pray, and seek God’s Face, and turn from the wicked ways of this world?”

It’s about, “Who has had enough of the suffering caused by our ignorance and ingratitude, and is ready now to strive to live the life that God intended, so that He might Bless us with His Favors...and save us from His Chastisement?”

Have we had enough? Are we tired of being “ungrateful”? Are we tired of being “unjust” to ourselves?

Are we ready for a change?

If we are, then we must know that as Allah – out of His Beneficence and Mercy – has already Given us the Gift of Life and the Gift of Divine Guidance, He also has given to US a Divine Guide from Himself – a Man who not only has been prepared by God to “show” us the Way, but who IS The Way...IS The Truth...IS The Life; and that man – that Precious Gift that Allah has Given to US – is the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan.

The Question is...

“Will we be grateful?...or ungrateful?”

The choice is yours. Let us choose wisely.

As-Salaam Alaikum.

RM