Practicing gratitude (Shukr) when you are in the middle of a “blockage” or hardship is one of the highest levels of faith in Islam. It is often referred to as Sabrun Jameel (A Beautiful Patience).
It feels counterintuitive—how can you be grateful for a loss or a struggle? In Islamic spirituality, you aren’t necessarily grateful for the pain, but for the Creator of the situation and the hidden benefits within it.
- The Divine Promise: “Increase”
The most famous verse regarding gratitude is a literal “formula” for changing your circumstances:
“And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed, ‘If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]…'” (Quran 14:7)Notice that Allah does not say He will increase you if you have a lot. He says if you are grateful, He will increase you. Being grateful during a hardship is essentially telling Allah, “I trust Your plan more than I trust my current sight,” which triggers the Divine promise of increase.
- Perspectives that Help Cultivate Gratitude
When sustenance is blocked, use these three perspectives to find gratitude:
- Gratitude for what was not taken: If you lose money, be grateful you didn’t lose your health. If you lose a job, be grateful you didn’t lose your faith. There is always a “worse” version of every hardship that Allah spared you from.
- Gratitude for the “Spiritual Cleaning”: Hardship burns away sins and arrogance. Many people find their way back to prayer only when they are in need. Being grateful for the “wake-up call” can change your heart.
- The “Hiding” Blessing: A door might be blocked because there was a “fire” behind it you couldn’t see. Gratitude here is for Allah’s protection from an outcome you weren’t aware of.
- Practical Steps to Practice Shukr in HardshipMethodHow to apply itThe “But” TechniqueEvery time you think of a problem, add a “but” followed by a blessing. “I am struggling to pay rent, but I have a roof over my head tonight.”Sujud al-ShukrPerform a prostration of gratitude specifically for a small win. This humbles the ego and defies Satan, who wants you to stay miserable.Verbalizing “Alhamdulillah”The Prophet ﷺ said: “Alhamdulillah fills the scale.” Even if you don’t feel it yet, saying it aloud trains your brain to look for the good.Helping OthersSometimes the best way to feel grateful is to help someone who has even less. It breaks the “poverty mindset” Satan tries to trap you in.The Prophet’s ExampleThe Prophet Muhammad ﷺ used to say a specific prayer when things were difficult:”Alhamdulillah ‘ala kulli hal”(All praise is due to Allah in every condition.)By saying this, you are declaring that Allah’s perfection and wisdom are not dependent on whether your day is “good” or “bad.” You are praising the Source, not the Circumstance.Would you like to see a few short, powerful stories of the Sahaba (companions) who practiced this “gratitude in hardship” and saw their lives change overnight?