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Reflections on Surah Saba Ayah 13
يعملون له ما يشاء من محاريب وتماثيل وجفان كالجواب وقدور راسيات اعملوا ال داوود شكرا وقليل من عبادي الشكور ١٣
يَعْمَلُونَ لَهُۥ مَا يَشَآءُ مِن مَّحَـٰرِيبَ وَتَمَـٰثِيلَ وَجِفَانٍۢ كَٱلْجَوَابِ وَقُدُورٍۢ رَّاسِيَـٰتٍ ۚ ٱعْمَلُوٓا۟ ءَالَ دَاوُۥدَ شُكْرًۭا ۚ وَقَلِيلٌۭ مِّنْ عِبَادِىَ ٱلشَّكُورُ ١٣
يَعۡمَلُونَﲱ
لَهُۥﲲ
مَاﲳ
يَشَآءُﲴ
مِنﲵ
مَّحَٰرِيبَﲶ
وَتَمَٰثِيلَﲷ
وَجِفَانٖﲸ
كَٱلۡجَوَابِﲹ
وَقُدُورٖﲺ
رَّاسِيَٰتٍۚﲻﲼ
ٱعۡمَلُوٓاْﲽ
ءَالَﲾ
دَاوُۥدَﲿ
شُكۡرٗاۚﳀﳁ
وَقَلِيلٞﳂ
مِّنۡﳃ
عِبَادِيَﳄ
ٱلشَّكُورُﳅ
١٣ﳆ
They made for him whatever he desired of sanctuaries, statues,1 basins as large as reservoirs, and cooking pots fixed ˹into the ground˺. ˹We ordered:˺ “Work gratefully, O family of David!” ˹Only˺ a few of My servants are ˹truly˺ grateful.
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Reflections are personal perspectives (reviewed for quality) and should not be taken as authoritative.
last year · Referencing Ayah 14:7, 34:13
'... Work gratefully, O family of Dawud! Only a few of My servants are truly grateful.' (34:13)
That verse has an important and a powerful message for all of us. But, here, I will just briefly touch on three reflections that came to my mind in relation to that verse:
1- Our work and other routine activities aren't necessarily acts of worship such as prayer and fasting, of course. However, I think that they can become so (or at least we can ge...
That verse has an important and a powerful message for all of us. But, here, I will just briefly touch on three reflections that came to my mind in relation to that verse:
1- Our work and other routine activities aren't necessarily acts of worship such as prayer and fasting, of course. However, I think that they can become so (or at least we can ge...
last year · Referencing Ayah 34:13
I was feeling restless today. I tried finding relief in the mundane—house chores, painting—but nothing settled my heart. Something was missing. That’s when I turned to the Quran, and this verse spoke directly to my soul.
Just one part of it stood out:
'Work… in gratitude.'
And it made me pause.
How is my attitude when I’m working?
Yes, I am grateful…
But do I still complain sometimes?
Yes, that happens too.
Do I give my work my full attention...
Just one part of it stood out:
'Work… in gratitude.'
And it made me pause.
How is my attitude when I’m working?
Yes, I am grateful…
But do I still complain sometimes?
Yes, that happens too.
Do I give my work my full attention...
last year · Referencing Ayah 34:13, 51:55, 92:5-7
My grandma took pictures often,
Usually on a disposable camera. The kind you had to buy film for and take to Walgreens (a convenience store, for my international friends) to get developed and printed.
Some pictures turned out blurry. Some were blank.
Others were just… bad.
But they got printed anyway.
Because back then, we didn’t edit our memories.
We let them be.
Even the imperfect ones told the story of that day. So we kept them.
I want to ...
Usually on a disposable camera. The kind you had to buy film for and take to Walgreens (a convenience store, for my international friends) to get developed and printed.
Some pictures turned out blurry. Some were blank.
Others were just… bad.
But they got printed anyway.
Because back then, we didn’t edit our memories.
We let them be.
Even the imperfect ones told the story of that day. So we kept them.
I want to ...
2 years ago · Referencing Ayah 34:13
Saying 'Alhamdulillah' is easy.
But how do you show it?
Showing is better than telling.
We often think of gratitude as a feeling—something we experience when good things happen.
But I like to think of it as a verb because in Islam, shukr is more than a verbal acknowledgement of blessings.
It’s an action, a state of being, a way of life.
A form of worship.
Many people keep a gratitude log, and while there’s nothing wrong with writing down ...
But how do you show it?
Showing is better than telling.
We often think of gratitude as a feeling—something we experience when good things happen.
But I like to think of it as a verb because in Islam, shukr is more than a verbal acknowledgement of blessings.
It’s an action, a state of being, a way of life.
A form of worship.
Many people keep a gratitude log, and while there’s nothing wrong with writing down ...
6 years ago · Referencing Ayah 34:13
Work gratefully
Allah said, Only˺ a few of My servants are ˹truly˺ grateful.
We are not grateful at work because of our love for worldly better, if I have a bicycle, I want a car, if I have a car, I want a Mercedes car, if I have a Mercedes , I want my personal jet………
Allah said, 'and they are truly extreme in their love of ˹worldly˺ gains.'100:8. 'Hubbil khairi la shaded'…
Gratitude at work is the act of focusing your attention and your energ...
Allah said, Only˺ a few of My servants are ˹truly˺ grateful.
We are not grateful at work because of our love for worldly better, if I have a bicycle, I want a car, if I have a car, I want a Mercedes car, if I have a Mercedes , I want my personal jet………
Allah said, 'and they are truly extreme in their love of ˹worldly˺ gains.'100:8. 'Hubbil khairi la shaded'…
Gratitude at work is the act of focusing your attention and your energ...
6 years ago · Referencing Ayah 34:13
This Reflection is nothing but a Reminder to all of us to be Thankful to Allah SWT for all the Blessings and Gifts he has bestowed upon us, even a trial that he may inflict upon us for our benefit. Sometimes we look at bad events as wrong but what if it made your life better even say for example a rich man who is enjoying the Dunya meets a Car Crash, he gets saved and later becomes a more Practicing Muslim, this is a very simple example.
One th...
One th...
6 years ago · Referencing Ayah 34:13
Very important to stop here at the wording of this beautiful verse 'only’ a few of My 'servants' not, few of people are truly grateful, it’s few of Allah’s very own servants are truly grateful, may Allah make us among those who are exceptional few of the very own special Allah’s servants.
8 years ago · Referencing Ayah 14:7, 34:13, 39:66, 4:147
A secular (but is it?) take on the benefits of #Gratitude: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/17/opinion/sunday/thanksgiving-gratitude-thanks.html
The author (a friend of a friend) makes some interesting points:
- Gratitude challenges our negativity bias.
- There are numerous health benefits to gratitude
He also includes strategies for staying grateful (how can we islamicize them?):
1. Thank the obscure: remember the hidden hands that contribute...
The author (a friend of a friend) makes some interesting points:
- Gratitude challenges our negativity bias.
- There are numerous health benefits to gratitude
He also includes strategies for staying grateful (how can we islamicize them?):
1. Thank the obscure: remember the hidden hands that contribute...
2 weeks ago · Referencing Ayah 34:10-14
SEVEN OVERLOOKED FEATURES IN THE STORY OF DAWUD عليه السلام AND SULAIMAN عليه السلام
We know about the softened iron, the wind and the jinn. But seven easily missed scenes in Surah Saba’ (34:10–14) reveal a deeper lesson about work as an act of ibadah.
1. REMEMBRANCE — Before Dawud عليه السلام touches the iron, we hear his voice. The passage opens with the mountains and birds called to join him in praise: (يَا جِبَالُ أَوِّبِي مَعَهُ وَالطَّيْ...
We know about the softened iron, the wind and the jinn. But seven easily missed scenes in Surah Saba’ (34:10–14) reveal a deeper lesson about work as an act of ibadah.
1. REMEMBRANCE — Before Dawud عليه السلام touches the iron, we hear his voice. The passage opens with the mountains and birds called to join him in praise: (يَا جِبَالُ أَوِّبِي مَعَهُ وَالطَّيْ...
5 years ago · Referencing Ayah 34:10-13
Do you have a task to do at work that you are dreading? A chore that you find very boring? An errand that you don't want to run? A team that is not easy to manage?
When I read these ayat, I was thinking about how we learn about the resources and skills that Allah blessed David (a) and Solomon (a) with and then we read that Allah ordered them to 'Work gratefully, O family of David!'
I asked myself, 'Am I working gratefully?' And I realized that ...
When I read these ayat, I was thinking about how we learn about the resources and skills that Allah blessed David (a) and Solomon (a) with and then we read that Allah ordered them to 'Work gratefully, O family of David!'
I asked myself, 'Am I working gratefully?' And I realized that ...