International Shia News Agency

Three levels of thanksgiving

SHAFAQNA – A believer should know that there are 3 levels to giving thanks (Shokr); to know the blessing, to accept the blessing and to give thanks for the blessing. Khawajeh Abdullah Ansari has mentioned 3 levels for thanksgiving. The first level is the thanks given for the blessing that the thanks giver is interest in.

The second level is giving thanks for unwanted and unpleasant (events and happenings). At this level if the thanks giver has reached a balanced state (good and bad of life, wealth or poverty, life or death become equal to him/her) his/her thanksgiving is the expression of consent. And if has not reached that state, his/her thanksgiving is to suppress anger and stop complaining to others.

The third level is giving thanks to the beneficent and no one else. At this position, the thanks giver is focused on the beneficent and not the blessing. If the thanks giver looks with the intention of servitude of the beneficent, the blessings from beneficent will look grand to him/her and if looks with love and kindness, misfortunes and tragedies will become tolerable [1].

[1] Translated from Farsi version of Maqamaat-e-Ma’anawi by Mohsen Bina, Vol. 2, page 52.

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