Belief in the Books

Due to the fact that they do contain some portions of revelation, God afforded them special status by mentioning them by name in the Qur’an and requiring Muslims to believe in their original versions.

Modern scriptural research which confirms that the Old and New Testaments have been modified also confirms that the Arabic Qur’an available today was that taught by Prophet Muhammad.

The main character built by belief in the divine scriptures is that of thankfulness.

The believers should have a thankful nature willingly showing gratitude to whomsoever does good for them. The Books represent a special gift granted by God to human beings. God gave every created soul a consciousness of good and evil and could have left them with that alone to guide them to righteousness. The scripture is a bonus given to humans to remind themselves of the correct way. God speaks to humans through His scriptures. Giving thanks to God is a fundamental part of worship.

Consequently, the Muslim five-times daily prayer begins with the phrase:

Al-hamdu lil-laahi rabbil-’aalameen [All praise and thanks belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds]. The believer gives thanks to Allah for all of the various favors and mercies in his or her life. Thankfulness to God creates a positive attitude towards God. The believers should not allow success to make them forget God. The Prophet’s companion, Suhayb ibn Sinaan, quoted him as saying, “The affair of the believer is amazing! The whole of his life is beneficial, and that is only in the case of the believer. When good times come to him, he is thankful and it is good for him, and when bad times befall him, he is patient and it is also good for him.” [1]

Furthermore, even in the worst of times, the believer is encouraged to give thanks to God by considering the state of others less fortunate. Prophet Muhammad advised his followers saying, “Look to those less fortunate than you, and do not look to those above you; it is better for you, in order that you not deny what Allah has blessed you with.” [2]Thankfulness helps to create a sense of balance in the believer’s life. It creates a sense of responsibility for others, since whatever good one has is from God. On the other hand, ingratitude ultimately leads to corruption and excesses. When people feel that whatever good they are favored with is their own to use as they wish, it very easy for them to squander their wealth.

God also encouraged the believers to be thankful saying: “If you are thankful, I will certainly increase [my favor on] you.” [3]

The quality of gratitude also extends to other human beings. The Prophet was reported to have said, “Whoever does not give thanks to people, does not give thanks to Allah.” It is true that whatever good people do is by the will of God, thus all good ultimately comes from God.

However, the intermediaries whom God chose to bring good also played an active role and, thus, gratitude should also be shown to them. Giving thanks to people encourages people to continue to do good. When people are helpful and their efforts go unthanked, scorned or unnoticed, they usually become discouraged and reluctant to do the same again.