In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.
A Reminder Regarding The Pillars of Gratitude
Allah [The Most High] says:
لِتَسْتَوُوا عَلَىٰ ظُهُورِهِ ثُمَّ تَذْكُرُوا نِعْمَةَ رَبِّكُمْ إِذَا اسْتَوَيْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ وَتَقُولُوا سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي سَخَّرَ لَنَا هَٰذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لَهُ مُقْرِنِينَ
وَإِنَّا إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا لَمُنقَلِبُونَ
So that you may mount on their backs, and then may remember the Favour of your Lord when you mount thereon, and say: “Glory to Him Who has subjected this to us, and we could never have it (by our efforts). And verily, to Our Lord, we indeed are to return!” [Surah Az-Zukhruf. Ayaat 13-14]
Imam As-Sadi [may Allah have mercy upon him] said: The Ayah highlights the three pillars of gratitude, which encompass the acknowledgement of Allah’s blessings, openly expressing gratitude for them, and utilising these blessings to engage in acts of worship solely for the sake of Allah.
Regarding Allah’s saying: [ثُمَّ تَذْكُرُوا نِعْمَةَ رَبِّكُمْ إِذَا اسْتَوَيْتُمْ – And then may remember the favour of your Lord when you mount thereon], this specific mention is intended to draw attention to the time when a person enjoys those favours because blessings intoxicate many people, leading them to heedlessness, evil, and ungratefulness. Therefore, this situation where Allah commanded (us to remember Him) is a remedy for this destructive ailment. When a person remembers that they are surrounded by Allah’s blessings and that everything comes from Allah and not from oneself, but rather blessings are facilitated by Allah and its means are from Him, one then submits to Allah, humbles himself, thanks and praises Allah, and he is bestowed continuous blessings.
Regarding the statement of Allah: [وَإِنَّا إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا لَمُنقَلِبُونَ – And verily, to Our Lord, we indeed are to return], this serves as an acknowledgement of recompense (in the Afterlife) and preparing for because the objective behind these favours is to assist a servant of Allah in carrying out the obligations commanded by Allah. [(1)]
First and foremost, it is incumbent upon all of us to ask Allah to enable us to seek His guidance to embrace gratitude in every aspect of our lives and continuously self-reflect and seek His forgiveness. Furthermore, we pray for Allah’s blessings and success upon all those who have contributed their wealth towards this project. Similarly, we extend our supplications to everyone who will dedicate their time to the bookstore. We kindly request everyone, for the sake of Allah, to not hesitate in offering us advice as we are only human and will make mistakes. If you notice anything concerning the bookstore that goes against the Salafi Manhaj, please do not hesitate to share your feedback with us directly or through someone who can reach us, particularly our respected Mashaayikh.
The bookstore has been established as a Limited by Guarantee company, following the standard practice for not-for-profit organizations. Members do not have any rights to profits, and most of them will be individuals other than the Masjid Committee. Their names will be revealed once the bookstore opens, InShaaAllah. The ultimate goal is for the bookstore to become a permanent physical location in south Manchester to support Dawah efforts, including the Da’wah stall and masjid activities. Once the bookstore becomes self-sufficient and covers its expenses, any additional funds will be reinvested in Dawah activities.
The present Masjid Committee bears witness to this statement, namely:
Our elder – Abu Khalid (Dawud Stonehouse) Al-Britani
Our elder – Abul Faarooq (Kamaal Al-Libi)
Abu Aa’isha (Amjad Khan) Al-Baakistani
Abu Eesa (Faizal) At-Turki
Abu Mu’aawiyah (Abdullah Jallow) Al-Fulani Al-Gambi
[1] An Excerpt from “Fataawa As-Sa’diyyah” page. 61
