Hamd is one of the great cults in Islam that Allah and his prophet Mohammed urged Muslims to do.
Other than that, it’s our duty to thank god for his numerous gifts upon us: the sky, earth, health, family, and feeling gratitude fill our souls with inner peace and make us less prone to melancholy.
In this article, you’ll learn about the meaning of hamd in Islam, why we thank Allah, and how we do so? Keep reading.
What Does the Hamd Mean? Hamd in fiqh is a cult in the Islamic faith. It means praising all for all of his gifts and attributes. As a deed, it means saying alhamdulillah, the creator of all well-being. The word (حمد ) is a noun and verb interchangeably in Arabic.
During prayer, Muslims say alhamdulillah rabb al alamin when they stand up after bending. So, salah is considered as an act of thankfulness and expressing appreciation to Allah.
The Difference between Hamd and Shukar Another related word is Shukar which’s used interchangeably with Hamd. However, there is a slight difference between both terms. Muslim scholars say Hamd is a more inclusive world that means thanking in general as you can compliment someone for his good manners while shukar can’t be said except for someone who does you a favor or gives you something.
Abdallah b. ‘Amr reported God’s messenger as saying that “Praise be to God” is the beginning of thanksgiving, for the man who does not praise God has not thanked Him. ( Book 9, Hadith 81)
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Hamd in Quran In Quran, this word was mentioned multiple times in several surahs. See examples below:
(2 ،الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿الفاتحة
alhamdulillahi rabbil alamin ( Fatiha, 2)
(الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ ﴿ الأنعام، 1
All praise is for Allah Who created the heavens and the earth and made darkness and light.1 Yet the disbelievers set up equals to their Lord ˹in worship˺. (Al an’aam, 1)
وَقَالُوا۟ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِى هَدَىٰنَا لِهَـٰذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لِنَهْتَدِىَ لَوْلَآ أَنْ هَدَىٰنَا ٱللَّهُ ۖ لَقَدْ جَآءَتْ رُسُلُ رَبِّنَا بِٱلْحَقِّ (المائدة، 43)
And they will say, “Praise be to Allah for guiding us to this. We would have never been guided if Allah had not guided us (Al-Ma’idah, 43)
دَعْوَاهُمْ فِيهَا سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَتَحِيَّتُهُمْ فِيهَا سَلَامٌ ۚ وَآخِرُ دَعْوَاهُمْ أَنِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ (يونس، 10)
in which their prayer will be, “Glory be to You, O Allah!” and their greeting will be, “Peace!” and their closing prayer will be, “All praise is for Allah—Lord of all worlds!” (Younes, 10)
(الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي وَهَبَ لِي عَلَى الْكِبَرِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ ﴿ابراهيم، 39
All praise is for Allah who has blessed me with Ishmael and Isaac in my old age. My Lord is indeed the Hearer of ˹all˺ prayers. (Ibraheem, 39)
( هَلْ يَسْتَوُونَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿النحل ،75
Praise be to Allah. In fact, most of them do not know.
( وَقُلِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي لَمْ يَتَّخِذْ وَلَدًا وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ شَرِيكٌ فِي الْمُلْكِ ﴿الإسراء، 111
And say, “All praise is for Allah, Who has never had ˹any˺ offspring;1 nor does He have a partner in ˹governing˺ the kingdom.
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ عَلَىٰ عَبْدِهِ الْكِتَابَ وَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ لَهُ عِوَجًا (الكهف، 1)
All praise is for Allah Who has revealed the Book to His servant,1 allowing no crookedness in it
Why do we praise/ shukr Allah? One of the main reasons we praise and thank Allah is because He has given us so much.
He has given us life, health, food, water, shelter, and many other things.
We also praise Him because He is the One who created the universe and everything in it. He is the Most Powerful and the Wisest. We show our love and appreciation for all He has done for us by praising Him.
What Are the Benefits of Praising Allah? Praising Allah is one of the most important things a Muslim can do. It is a way of showing our love and respect for Allah. Also, it has many benefits for the Muslims
1. It’s Associated with Faith God Almighty has combined gratitude with faith in many places in the Noble Qur’an, such as His saying
Why should Allah punish you if you are grateful and faithful? Allah is ever Appreciative, All-Knowing. (An Nisa, 147).
So we can say, faith and thankfulness can rescure Muslims from fire
2. For Increasing Provision Allah promised Muslims that he’d surround them with blessings and increase their provisions if they thanked him, and there is no limit to such an increase. H said in surah Ibraheem, verse 7:
“your Lord caused to be declared (publicly): “If ye are grateful, I will add more (favors) unto you; But if ye show ingratitude, truly My punishment is terrible indeed.
Also, god warns us from ingratitude because it leads to paganism.
If you disbelieve, then ˹know that˺ Allah is truly not in need of you, nor does He approve of disbelief from His servants. But if you become grateful ˹through faith˺, He will appreciate that from you ( Az zamr, 7)
3. By Thanking God, We Avoid the Devil The goal of the devel is to repel humans from doing good things and prohibit them from worshipping God and thanking him. Thus, When we thank, we don’t follow the devil’s order.
Then I will come to them from before them, behind them, on their right, and on their left, and You will not find most of them grateful [to You].” (Al A’araf, 17)
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How can we praise Allah? There are many ways bywhich we can feel grateful to Allah
Repeat saying “Praise be to God” during the day and night; Prostrating to Allah immediately upon receiving the good news, receiving a blessing, or surviving calamity (this is a prostration without prayer, and it does not require ablution, facing the direction of prayer, or purification) Harness the blessings gifted by Allah in his obedience by seeking justice and good deeds and avoiding sins and disobedience. Speaking about the blessings is a form of showing gratitude to Allah without exaggerating or hurting others’ feelings. Thanking the people who did you a favor or helped you. It’s said whoever cannot thank people then is unable to thank God. Paying alms to the poor and needy, seeking Allah’s pleasure as he’s who has granted such blessings. Thanking God after eating and drinking by saying: Praise be to God who fed us and gave us drink without our power or strength, and saying: Praise be to God after winning any blessing. What Are the Different Types of Hamd? There are three types by which we can thank our god.
By Heart
Deeply sensing that you are blessed and knowing your god’s grace and favor upon you. Hence, it is your duty towards his Lord; through thanking, you worship him.
By Tounge
It’s the oral act of saying alhamdulillah, and this saying emphasizes what you genuinely feel in your heart.
By senses
Harnessing your senses to do things that please your lord. for example, when you give someone needy money, you harness your hand, you thank Allah that he gives you money, and you help someone with it
Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned in Madarij al-Salikeen that thanking God – the Highest – comes in three levels that vary between people, and the levels of gratitude are detailed as follows:
A group of people thank God – the Highest – for blessings they love A group of people thanks God – the Highest – for calamities and tribulations. A group of people does not see the blessings; instead, they see the one who is blessed – Glory be to Him – in their lives, which is the highest level of gratitude a believer can reach. What Does the Research Say About Thankfulness? According to research, thankfulness has several benefits. For example, it can improve our physical, mental, and relationships. Additionally, it can help us cope with stress and increase our happiness.
The American Quartz website stated that the culture of thanksgiving and gratitude motivates giving, and expressing feelings of appreciation significantly impacts psychological and mental health.
It has mentioned a scientific study that concluded that gratitude has positive effects on health, and that gratitude leaves a feeling of psychological comfort on the other side and enhances the spirit of initiative.
And people who are accustomed to receiving expressions of thanks and appreciation are less procrastinating in carrying out the tasks assigned to them. They also have superior abilities to find innovative solutions to their problems. Also, those who are used to receiving praise from others know how to set priorities correctly.
How Does Gratitude Ease Off Depression? There are many ways to ease off depression, and one of them is by practicing gratitude.
Gratitude means counting your blessings and being thankful for what you have, even when things are tough.
When you’re feeling down, list things you’re grateful for.
It could be your health, family and friends, home, pet, or anything else that brings you joy. Focusing on the positive can help shift your mindset and ease off depression.
Conclusion Hamd has a profound meaning in Islam. It’s a cult only people can grasp and perform.
It goes beyond the words we say by our tongue and extend to feelings we sense in our heart toward our creator… By thanking Allah, we return all the gifts and blessings toward him and keep ourselves from vanity and attachment to possession.
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