Gratitude Over Arrogance in Islam: The Hidden Cure of the Qur’an

When Gratitude Becomes the Cure for Arrogance

Allah Most High reveals a subtle truth about the story of Iblīs. When he refused to bow to Adam عليه السلام, his downfall was not simply disobedience but a deeper disease moving beneath it, the cancer the Qur’an names as kibr, arrogance. You might expect that Iblīs would set out to prove the arrogance of humanity. Instead, the Qur’an shows us his actual vow: to expose our ingratitude.

His goal is not only to make us slip. We were created with weakness and will always err. His real victory comes when the believer’s heart grows blind to Allah’s generosity, when blessings become background noise, when the sweetness of shukr fades into forgetfulness. In this light, the true opposite of arrogance in the Qur’an is not only humility. It is gratitude.

Where shukr is alive, arrogance cannot remain.

The early scholars noted that arrogance grows where the gaze fixates on the self. Gratitude grows where the gaze returns to Allah. And modern psychology echoes this. Studies on neuroplasticity show that gratitude strengthens neural pathways associated with emotional regulation, empathy, and resilience, reducing the brain’s tendency toward self-centred thinking. The Qur’anic worldview and neuroscience quietly shake hands here: gratitude reshapes both heart and mind.

The Three Dimensions of Shukr

1. Gratitude to Allah
The Qur’an reminds us, “If you are grateful, I will surely increase you.” (Qur’an 14:7)

Our work is to move from vague alhamdulillāh to specific remembrance.
Alhamdulillāh for this prayer.
Alhamdulillāh for this moment of clarity.
Alhamdulillāh for the friend who reminded us.
Alhamdulillāh for the awareness that something needs to change.

In neuroscience, specificity increases emotional impact. A precise moment of gratitude activates deeper memory circuits, making the feeling more transformative.

2. Gratitude Toward People
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Whoever does not thank people has not truly thanked Allah.” (Sunan al-Tirmidhi 1954)

Every person who lifted you, taught you, forgave you, or simply made space for you is a sign from Allah. When we thank them, we are tracing the favour back to the One who sent it. Gratitude toward creation becomes gratitude toward the Creator.

This aligns with research showing that expressing thanks strengthens relationships, reduces anxiety, and builds resilience.

3. Gratitude for Your Abilities Without Worshipping Them
Your gifts are not proofs of superiority. They are proofs of trust.

Health, intelligence, charisma, opportunity, creativity, these are deposits placed in your hands. They say nothing about your inherent worth. They reveal what Allah entrusted you to steward. Gratitude reframes ability as responsibility, not entitlement.

When we see our abilities this way, humility arrives naturally. It is not something we manufacture. It grows as a byproduct of seeing reality clearly.

Shukr as a Lens That Uncovers the Unseen

Real gratitude reveals how many invisible hands carry us. How many subtle protections surround us. How many quiet connections had to align for us to flourish even a little. The more clearly we see those threads, the less room there is for self-importance.

In spiritual psychology, shukr becomes a lens that returns every blessing to its Source.

The Qur’an calls us to recognize both effects and Causes:
the visible blessing and the Invisible Giver,
the means and the One who created the means.

Every path of gratitude eventually leads back to Allah, the Origin of every cause and every effect.

Applying This Teaching to Our Personal Lives

1. Daily Specific Alhamdulillāh
Say one gratitude that is exact and present.
“Alhamdulillah for the breath I noticed right now.”
Spiritual benefit: Roots the heart in presence.
Scientific benefit: Activates parasympathetic calm and rewires neural pathways.

2. Thank One Person a Day
Following the hadith above, thank someone for anything they have done for you.
Benefit: Strengthens bonds and reduces ego attachment.

3. Use Abilities as Acts of Worship
When you cook, solve a problem, lead a team, or show kindness, say:
“O Allah, this ability is Your trust.”
Benefit: Transforms self-esteem into amanah, not arrogance.

4. Sujūd of Shukr
Perform sujūd when a blessing arrives or a difficulty lifts.
Hadith: The Prophet ﷺ made prostration of gratitude in moments of good news (Sunan Abī Dāwūd 2774)
Benefit: Humility through embodiment.

5. Gratitude Journaling Before Sleep
Write three blessings.
Benefit: Research shows this improves sleep and emotional regulation within weeks.

FAQ

1. Why is ingratitude such a major spiritual disease in Islam?
Because the Qur’an identifies it as the root weakness Iblīs exploits. Ingratitude blinds us to Allah’s mercy.

2. How does gratitude protect the heart from arrogance?
Gratitude shifts focus from self-achievement to Divine generosity. Arrogance dissolves when we see blessings as gifts.

3. What if I struggle to feel grateful during hardship?
Islam teaches shukr as recognition, not forced positivity. Gratitude can be for growth, clarity, or support even within difficulty.

4. Is thanking people really an act of worship?
Yes. The Prophet ﷺ directly tied thanking people to thanking Allah. Appreciation becomes a spiritual act.

5. How does science support Islamic teachings on gratitude?
Neuroscience shows that gratitude strengthens emotional regulation, increases resilience, and lowers cortisol, supporting shukr as a healing practice.

Footnotes

1. Davidson, R. et al., “Neuroplasticity and Emotional Regulation,” Journal of Neuroscience.

2. Emmons, R., “The Science of Gratitude,” UC Davis Psychology.

3. Algoe, S., “Gratitude and Social Bonds,” Emotion Journal.

4. Porges, S., “Polyvagal Theory and Parasympathetic Activation.”

5. Journal of Positive Psychology, “Gratitude and Sleep Quality.”