• Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
    • Access to private conversations with other members.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

Why should we thank God?

InvestigateTruth

Well-Known Member
Thanking God is a part of behavior of a believing person, and in Abrahamic Religions we are supposed to thank God at all times. In Bahai Faith there are specific prayers for thanking God.


If you are ill, have difficulty in life, and generally are not happy or satisfied in life. You did not get what you needed. And you kept asking God to give you health, or solve your basic needs, and He never did any of that, why are we supposed to thank God? Thank Him for what?
 

InvestigateTruth

Well-Known Member
A Bahai Thanksgiving prayer by Bahaullah:



He is God, exalted is He, the Lord of might and grandeur! O God, my God! I yield Thee thanks at all times and render Thee praise under all conditions.

In prosperity, all praise is Thine, O Lord of the Worlds, and in its absence, all gratitude is Thine, O Desire of them that have recognized Thee!

In adversity, all honour is Thine, O Adored One of all who are in heaven and on earth, and in affliction, all glory is Thine, O Enchanter of the hearts of those who yearn after Thee!

In hardship, all praise is Thine, O Thou the Goal of them that seek after Thee, and in comfort, all thanksgiving is Thine, O Thou whose remembrance is treasured in the hearts of those who are nigh unto Thee!

In wealth, all splendour is Thine, O Lord of them that are devoted to Thee, and in poverty, all command is Thine, O Thou the Hope of them that acknowledge Thy unity!

In joy, all glory is Thine, O Thou besides Whom there is none other God, and in sorrow, all beauty is Thine, O Thou besides Whom there is none other God!

In hunger, all justice is Thine, O Thou besides Whom there is none other God, and in satiety, all grace is Thine, O Thou besides Whom there is none other God!

In my homeland, all bounty is Thine, O Thou besides Whom there is none other God, and in exile, all decree is Thine, O Thou besides Whom there is none other God!

Under the sword, all munificence is Thine, O Thou besides Whom there is none other God, and in the safety of home, all perfection is Thine, O Thou besides Whom there is none other God!

In the lofty mansion, all generosity is Thine, O Thou besides Whom there is none other God, and upon the lowly dust, all favour is Thine, O Thou besides Whom there is none other God!

In prison, all fidelity is Thine, O Thou the Bestower of gifts, and in confinement, all eternity is Thine, O Thou Who art the ever-abiding King!

All bounty is Thine, O Thou Who art the Lord of bounty, and the Sovereign of bounty, and the King of bounty! I bear witness that Thou art to be praised in Thy doings, O Thou Source of bounty, and to be obeyed in Thy behests, O Thou Ocean of bounty, He from Whom all bounty doth proceed, He to Whom all bounty doth return!

Bahá’u’lláh, Translated from the Arabic at the Bahá’í World Centre, 5 May 2014
 

Trailblazer

Veteran Member
If you are ill, have difficulty in life, and generally are not happy or satisfied in life. You did not get what you needed. And you kept asking God to give you health, or solve your basic needs, and He never did any of that, why are we supposed to thank God? Thank Him for what?
You got me. :confused: Please tell me why we should thank God for all the bad things that happen to us that we do not even cause, and while you are at it please explain why we should bless the name of the Lord that takes away.

Job 1:21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.

I just don't get it, I must be missing something. Obviously I have a lot of work to do. ;)
I guess this has something to do with faith, but why should we have faith?
 

InvestigateTruth

Well-Known Member
You got me. :confused: Please tell me why we should thank God for all the bad things that happen to us that we do not even cause, and while you are at it please explain why we should bless the name of the Lord that takes away.

Job 1:21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.

I just don't get it, I must be missing something. Obviously I have a lot of work to do. ;)
I guess this has something to do with faith, but why should we have faith?
Maybe thanking God is for ceating us and providing for us to live, and sending to us spiritual guidance. Seems to me it is More importantly the spiritual guidance that we should be thankful, and the difficulties are supposed to be part of this spiritual development of human.



Although, I think sometimes difficulties and lack of basic needs, cause people to do sin. For example, a poor man, could be tempted to steal.
An ill person can act in an unkind manner and hurt others.
A person who cannot find the right spouse may be tempted to do fornication to satisfy sexual needs.... etc..etc.

So, this lack of having basic needs, could possibly have a negative affect on spirituality in some situations. So, then why thanking God in such situations?
 

Trailblazer

Veteran Member
Maybe thanking God is for ceating us and providing for us to live, and sending to us spiritual guidance. Seems to me it is More importantly the spiritual guidance that we should be thankful, and the difficulties are supposed to be part of this spiritual development of human.
If I look at what I do have versus what I have suffered then I have something to be thankful for, but I have generalized anxiety and PTSD so it is difficult to not think of the past sufferings and worry about what is to come.

But one thing I will always have to be grateful for is that I have recognized Baha'u'llah and that is certainly no small thing. I also have my health and financial security for life, so most people would wonder what I have to complain about. It is all the psychological stuff that they do not understand because they have not walked a mile in my moccasins. ;):(
 

metis

aged ecumenical anthropologist
Thanking God is a part of behavior of a believing person, and in Abrahamic Religions we are supposed to thank God at all times. In Bahai Faith there are specific prayers for thanking God.


If you are ill, have difficulty in life, and generally are not happy or satisfied in life. You did not get what you needed. And you kept asking God to give you health, or solve your basic needs, and He never did any of that, why are we supposed to thank God? Thank Him for what?
"I felt sorry for myself because I didn't have any shoes until I ran across a person who had no feet."

IOW, life is too short to worry about what we don't have.
 

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
Thanking God is a part of behavior of a believing person, and in Abrahamic Religions we are supposed to thank God at all times. In Bahai Faith there are specific prayers for thanking God.


If you are ill, have difficulty in life, and generally are not happy or satisfied in life. You did not get what you needed. And you kept asking God to give you health, or solve your basic needs, and He never did any of that, why are we supposed to thank God? Thank Him for what?
I thank Allah for all the lessons i have learned about my own being and my shortcomming that i need to work on. And i say thank you to Allah for giving me the wisdom so i can solve my trouble through human life.
 

halbhh

The wonder and awe of "all things".
If you are ill, have difficulty in life, and generally are not happy or satisfied in life. You did not get what you needed.
Sometimes suffering can be exactly what would best help someone reach a deeper truth (or even the most key thing!), for their soul: ...as we see why in the Parable of the Prodigal Son (or "Lost Son"):

The 3rd parable here: Luke 15 NIV

So, while suffering can help us better love others, or better appreciate what is good, the most ultimate benefit is that it can bring us back to our lost connection with the fullness of God, which almost everyone loses at some point, and has to find a way back, if they can. Many cannot without suffering it seems. Suffering brings us down to what's really important, and removes the noisy distracting but empty pursuits of materialism and such.

Some may not repent until they are staring death in the face, as their body declines. Because the real question is eternal life, it's good that this temporary mortal life only lasts a short time.
 

Link

Veteran Member
Premium Member
Thanking God is a part of behavior of a believing person, and in Abrahamic Religions we are supposed to thank God at all times. In Bahai Faith there are specific prayers for thanking God.


If you are ill, have difficulty in life, and generally are not happy or satisfied in life. You did not get what you needed. And you kept asking God to give you health, or solve your basic needs, and He never did any of that, why are we supposed to thank God? Thank Him for what?

Salam

Same reason why we should thank for trials of wealth, the following is from Imam Jaffar (a):

Affliction is an adornment for the believer and a mark of honour for the man of intellect, because facing it directly needs steadfastness and firm-footedness, both of which confirm belief. The Holy Prophet said, 'We, the company of the prophets, are the people who have the hardest trials, then after us come the believers, then the others like them.'

Whoever tastes the food of affliction while under Allah's protection enjoys it more than he enjoys Allah's blessing. He yearns for it when it is not there, because the lights of blessing lie under the balance of affliction and trial, and the balance of affliction and trial lies under the lights of blessing. Many are delivered from affliction and then destroyed in blessing. Allah praised none of His bondsmen, from Adam up to Muhammad, until He had tested him and seen how he fulfilled the duty of worship while in affliction. Allah's marks of honour come, in fact, at the last stage, but the afflictions themselves come in the beginning.

Whoever leaves the path of affliction is ignoring the lamp of the believers, the beacon of those near to Allah, and the guide for those on the right path. There is no good in a slave who complains of a single trial preceded by thousands of blessings and followed by thousands of comforts. Whoever does not show the patience required in affliction is deprived of thankfulness in the blessings he receives. Similarly, whoever does not give the thankfulness owed for blessings is denied the patience owed in affliction. Whoever is denied both of them is an outcast.

Ayyub said in his supplication, 'O Allah, verily seventy comforts and ease did not come to me until You sent me seventy afflictions.'

And Wahb ibn Munabbih said, 'Affliction to a believer is like a bit to a horse and a halter to a camel.' Ali said, 'Steadfastness in relation to belief is like the head to the body. The head of steadfastness is afflictions but only those who act righteously understand that.'
 

Link

Veteran Member
Premium Member
By the way "others like them" show there are good humans who are not believers, and they face afflictions too and are patient. They are those without access to truth to believe or reject it, but are good human beings and honorably patient.

God says in Quran "give news to the patient".
 

Trailblazer

Veteran Member
Affliction is an adornment for the believer and a mark of honour for the man of intellect, because facing it directly needs steadfastness and firm-footedness, both of which confirm belief. The Holy Prophet said, 'We, the company of the prophets, are the people who have the hardest trials, then after us come the believers, then the others like them.'
So do you think that people are better off if they are under constant affliction, one trial after another, just so they can show their steadfastness and firm-footedness to God? What do you think happens to people whose life is easy, people for whom everything goes their way, people who have no real tests? There are many people like this, more of them than those who have much adversity.
Whoever tastes the food of affliction while under Allah's protection enjoys it more than he enjoys Allah's blessing. He yearns for it when it is not there, because the lights of blessing lie under the balance of affliction and trial, and the balance of affliction and trial lies under the lights of blessing. Many are delivered from affliction and then destroyed in blessing. Allah praised none of His bondsmen, from Adam up to Muhammad, until He had tested him and seen how he fulfilled the duty of worship while in affliction. Allah's marks of honour come, in fact, at the last stage, but the afflictions themselves come in the beginning.
I do not have to yearn for affliction when it is not there because it is always there, and for the short time it is not there it is just around the corner. Only those closest to me know about my suffering, because I do a good job of hiding it. I never lost my faith in God, but I never really loved God because I associated the tests with punishment and cruelty. Only now am I starting to see it differently but I still struggle to try to understand why a loving God would allow so much suffering in the world, certainly not just my own suffering.

Baha'u'llah wrote that God has always tested, and will continue to test, His servants, so that light may be distinguished from darkness, truth from falsehood, right from wrong.

“And now, consider and reflect a moment upon the waywardness of this people. What could have been the reason for such denial and avoidance on their part? What could have induced them to refuse to put off the garment of denial, and to adorn themselves with the robe of acceptance? Moreover, what could have caused the nonfulfilment of the divine promise which led the seekers to reject that which they had accepted? Meditate profoundly, that the secret of things unseen may be revealed unto you, that you may inhale the sweetness of a spiritual and imperishable fragrance, and that you may acknowledge the truth that from time immemorial even unto eternity the Almighty hath tried, and will continue to try, His servants, so that light may be distinguished from darkness, truth from falsehood, right from wrong, guidance from error, happiness from misery, and roses from thorns. Even as He hath revealed: “Do men think when they say ‘We believe’ they shall be let alone and not be put to proof?” 5
The Kitáb-i-Íqán, pp. 8-9

Bahá’u’lláh urges the people of the Bayán to do likewise, counselling them to adorn their beings with the mantle of resignation, to be steadfast in the Cause of God, and never to be dismayed or disheartened by adversity. And He reminds them that, whereas God rewards every good deed in accordance with its merit, in the case of patience and long-suffering, as attested in the Qur’án, the recompense is limitless.[^1] [1]: 'Those who patiently persevere will truly receive a reward without measure.' (Qur’án xxxix. 10.Translated by ‘Abdu’lláh Yusuf ‘Alí.)

Adib Taherzadeh, "The Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh vol. 1"
 

Link

Veteran Member
Premium Member
Salam

If you help the poor and strive against oppressors and help God's cause and not waste your time in disbelief, waste of life, and turning to love of dunya, then wealth can be blessings and a life of ease is not bad, because you use it to get closer to God and strive in his way.

In fact, if you are a believer, wealth in God's way is rewarded in both worlds.

Majority, it's the case, luxury and ease harden their hearts, blind them spiritually, morally, and even politically into blindness beyond repair.

And it's not the first time believers over all are less wealth then the disbelievers, it's been a norm, in the past, destroyed nations of the past, it was always believers from poor and oppressed, and disbelievers from rich and living in ease. This is recorded in many verses in Quran as a warning for the future.

The oppressors are tried by who they oppress, and if they don't take a stance against their leaders (those lead by oppressors), there are consequences in this world and the next.

"Do you think we help them by children and wealth? Nay they don't perceive" - Quran (forget the chapter).
 
Top