Glossary of Sufism. 7. Shukr

"Gratitude, is the happiness that the heart feels when the goodness (al-ni'ma) follows it; it implies the consecration of all organs (al-jawaarih) to obey the Good Giver, as well as the acknowledge (i'tiraf) of the goodness due to the Almighty, in all humility (khuduu).

It comprises three modalities: gratitude through the tongue, which is the fact of humbly acknowledging that we have received some goodness and we then express it; the physical gratitude (bi'l-badan) which can be translated by the eagerness to serve (khadma); the gratitude from the heart, which consists in seeing the Almighty in the Goodness.

These three modalities are mentioned in the words by Junayd: "Be not the Almighty be disobeyed from the Almighty's own goodness." (because of, due to).


The gratitude in the vulgar is the thankfulness through the tongue. The gratitude in the elite is the given service through the respect of the fundamental or basic prescriptions (arkaan).
The gratitude in the chosen ones is the immersion in the vision of the All Goodness Giver (al-Manmaan).


Translated from Glossaire du Soufisme, by Iban Agibah, edited by A. Saleh Hamdan.