Living The Quran
From Issue: 619 [Read full issue]
Ingratitude
Ya-sin (Ya-sin) - Chapter 36: Verse 73
"They derive a variety of benefits and drinks from them (cattles). Will they, then not give thanks?"
Ingratitude consists in crediting someone other than the True Benefactor as the source of the bounty that one has received, or giving thanks for it to anyone other than Him, or expecting or seeking it from anyone other than Him. In like manner, using God's bounty in ways that do not please Him also amounts to ingratitude. Therefore, a polytheist, unbeliever, hypocrite or transgressor cannot be regarded as God's grateful servant merely because he verbally thanks God.
The Makkan unbelievers did not deny that God had created their cattle. They also did not content that any of their idols had a role in creating them. Yet they thanked their gods for the bounties conferred upon them by God, offering them sacrifices and invoking them for the bestowal of further bounties. This, therefore, make their verbal expression of gratitude to God meaningless. They were, therefore, branded as ungrateful.
Compiled From:
"Towards Understanding the Quran" - Sayyid Abul Ala Mawdudi, Vol. 9, p. 273