In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

An Unmatched Authority That Made the Grateful Humble and Would Have Completely Blinded and Corrupted The Boastful, Opinionated and Ungrateful in Our Era

Allah, The Most High, said:

قَالَ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْمَلَؤُا۟ أَيُّكُمْ يَأْتِينِى بِعَرْشِهَا قَبْلَ أَن يَأْتُونِى مُسْلِمِينَ

قَالَ عِفْرِيتٌ مِّنَ ٱلْجِنِّ أَنَا۠ ءَاتِيكَ بِهِۦ قَبْلَ أَن تَقُومَ مِن مَّقَامِكَ وَإِنِّى عَلَيْهِ لَقَوِىٌّ أَمِينٌ

قَالَ ٱلَّذِى عِندَهُۥ عِلْمٌ مِّنَ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ أَنَا۠ ءَاتِيكَ بِهِۦ قَبْلَ أَن يَرْتَدَّ إِلَيْكَ طَرْفُكَ فَلَمَّا رَءَاهُ مُسْتَقِرًّا عِندَهُۥ قَالَ هَٰذَا مِن فَضْلِ رَبِّى لِيَبْلُوَنِىٓ ءَأَشْكُرُ أَمْ أَكْفُرُ وَمَن شَكَرَ فَإِنَّمَا يَشْكُرُ لِنَفْسِهِۦ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ رَبِّى غَنِىٌّ كَرِيمٌ

He (Sulayman) said: “O chiefs! Which of you can bring me her throne (Bilqees’s throne) before they come to me surrendering themselves in obedience?” An Ifrit (strong) from the jinns said: “I will bring it to you before you rise from your place (council). And verily, I am indeed strong, and trustworthy for such work.” One (a person) with whom was knowledge of the Scripture said: “I will bring it to you within the twinkling of an eye!” then when [Sulaiman (Solomon)] saw it placed before him, he said: “This is by the Grace of my Lord to test me whether I am grateful or ungrateful! And whoever is grateful, truly, his gratitude is for (the good of) his ownself, and whoever is ungrateful, (he is ungrateful only for the loss of his ownself). Certainly! My Lord is Ghaniyun Kareem [(a)] [An Naml 38-40]

Brothers and sisters, lets reflect upon what noble Prophet Sulayman, peace be upon him, said when he saw Bilqees’s throne, may Allah have mercy upon her, was placed before him within the twinkling of an eye?

Allah said and he said:

هَـٰذَا مِن فَضۡلِ رَبِّى لِيَبۡلُوَنِىٓ ءَأَشۡكُرُ أَمۡ أَكۡفُرُ‌ۖ

This is by the Grace of my Lord to test me whether I am grateful or ungrateful!

Imam As-Sadi, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: Meaning, “to test me through it”. He was not beguiled by his kingdom, authority and power as is the habit of the ignorant kings; rather he knew that this was a test from his Lord, this, he was afraid of not being thankful for these blessings. Then he clarified that being grateful to Allah does not benefit Allah; rather its benefits return to the grateful one, this, he said:

وَمَن شَكَرَ فَإِنَّمَا يَشۡكُرُ لِنَفۡسِهِۦ‌ۖ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ رَبِّى غَنِىٌّ۬ كَرِيمٌ۬

“And whoever is ungrateful, (he is ungrateful only for the loss of his ownself). Certainly! My Lord is Ghani [Rich – Free of all wants], Kareem [Bountiful]”

Meaning, Allah is not in need of a person’s deeds, and He is generous, bestows abundant good to both a grateful person and an ungrateful person, except that being grateful for the blessings He bestows leads to more blessings and being ungrateful leads to its decrease. [An Excerpt from Tafseer As-Sadi]

[(a)]: [Al-Ghani]: The Independent One Who is free of all need. The One Who has no need whatsoever of the creation. The One Who is free from anypoverty or need. The One in Whose Hand are the treasures of the heavens and the earth, and of this world and the hereafter. [Al-Kareem]: The Bountiful, The Generous One. Abundant in good. The One Who causes and makes easy every good. And Who bestows generously. The One so generous that He even bestows favors upon those who reject His favours, and use them as a means to disobey Him. [Source: The Names and Attributes of Allah by Shaikh Abu Talhah – Dawud Burbank (may Allah have mercy upon him and his wife)]