27.19 Supplication of one who wishes to thank Allah better
There is not and cannot be anything accidental in the Book of Allah. In each of its ayahs lies wisdom, and a deep meaning has been placed in every word of the Quran. And the supplications, of which there are so many in the Book of Allah, are no exception. They not only strengthen our faith, awaken fear of God in our hearts and teach us the best words with which we can turn to our Merciful Lord. They clearly show us what a believer should ask of the Almighty Creator and what the cherished wishes should be of one in whose heart faith has settled and become firm. These supplications also help us to learn more about the people who called upon the Lord, clothing their plea in such wonderful words. And, of course, these supplications are a treasure trove of very important and very valuable lessons for every believer. In this way they have the most blessed influence on the life of a believer, shading it with their light and helping him to walk confidently along the path that leads to the pleasure of the Lord and His Paradise.
This beautiful Quranic supplication is a wonderful example of the supplications with which the best of people, His noble prophets and messengers (peace and blessings of Allah be upon them all), turned to their Almighty Lord.
One of His great prophets, the prophet Sulayman, son of the prophet Dawud (peace be upon them both), turned to the Lord of the worlds with this supplication.
Allah the Almighty generously blessed Sulayman (peace be upon him) with His favours. He not only chose him to carry out a prophetic mission, so that he might call his people to the worship of the One God and preach His religion, but also gave him a kingdom, with its power and wealth. And that is not all. Sulayman (peace be upon him) was endowed with a wonderful ability that set him apart from other people: he could understand the language of animals. Being a prophet, and thus chosen by God and among the best of His creatures, Sulayman acknowledged these great favours, valued them as they deserved and gave thanks for them, and he also turned to the Lord with sincere supplications, like His other prophets.
“My Lord!” he said, acknowledging in Him the Creator, Benefactor and Master of all that exists. Help me to thank You for Your countless favours and move me to do so. For man is weak, often distracted from what is most important, and forgets what matters, including the need to thank constantly the Creator who pours out His favours on the descendants of Adam in an endless blessed rain. Sulayman (peace be upon him) also mentioned the favours with which the Almighty blessed his parents, for the blessings granted to ancestors benefit their descendants too, and vice versa.
“And to do good deeds that please You.” A person can thank the Almighty Creator with the heart, with the tongue, and by using the organs of the body to do deeds approved by religion and pleasing to Him. Thus the connection between gratitude to Allah and doing good deeds is obvious. It is important, moreover, that a deed be pleasing to the Lord, because however good an action may seem outwardly, doing it for show, ascribing partners to Allah and non-conformity with the Sharia can rob it of all value, make it futile and bring the efforts of the one who does it to nothing.
To receive the Almighty’s help in doing many worthy deeds pleasing to Him, in the striving to earn His pleasure, is the cherished dream of every believer. And, of course, this noble and righteous prophet of God was no exception to this rule.
“Admit me, by Your mercy, into ˹the company of˺ Your righteous servants.” An immense meaning has been placed in these few words, for to ask for this is to ask for firm faith, piety, help in doing good deeds and in refraining from sins, and for all those beautiful moral qualities that distinguish the righteous servants of the Almighty.
This supplication teaches us to ask the Almighty for help in thanking Him for blessings both worldly and religious, as well as in doing good deeds, for gratitude to the Lord and diligence in doing good deeds in this world lead to salvation and success in the eternal world. It also teaches us to care for the correctness of our deeds, including the sincerity of our intentions and the conformity of our deeds with the Quran and the Sunnah. This supplication also teaches us to ask Allah that we may be among His righteous servants, for to be among them means to attain happiness in both worlds, to earn the pleasure of the Almighty and to gain eternal bliss in Paradise.