Thanksgiving is a holiday which is set aside each year for giving thanks to God for blessings received during the year. On this day people give thanks with feasting and prayer. This holiday is celebrated in the United States and Canada. The first thanksgiving days in New England were harvest festivals, or days for thanking God for plentiful crops. For this reason, the holiday still takes place late in the fall after crops have been gathered.
By 1941, the fourth Thursday of November was declared to be a federal holiday in observance of Thanksgiving Day. It has now become a family day with joyous reunions and big feasts. It is also a day for religious thinking, church services, and prayer.
I am a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and I follow the religion of Islam. In Islam, there is no day set aside for giving thanks to God. It teaches its followers to give thanks every day. Muslims are constantly encouraged to reflect upon the blessings that have been bestowed upon them. According to Islamic teachings, in addition to showing gratitude verbally and in one’s heart, Muslims should show gratitude by their actions. They do this by following the teachings demonstrated to them by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) particularly by spending one’s wealth on the less fortunate. Islam teaches its followers that the best way to render thanks to God is to give to the needy. One of the five pillars of Islam is Zakaat (charity), which also means the purification of wealth. It is a kind of tax where Muslims are required to donate a certain percentage of their assets for the upkeep of the poor and those who have no earning capacity. Thus, the concept of giving thanks goes hand in hand with sacrifice. The God says in the Qur’an, “If you are grateful, I will surely bestow more favors on you” 14:8). The Qur’an also says, “And God will certainly reward the grateful” (3:145).
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Giving to the needy requires sacrifice from believers for the sake of God, and for the good of mankind. When we give from our wealth, we show gratitude for it. As an Ahmadi Muslim, I pray five times a day and am constantly grateful to God for what he has provided for me including my family, religion, health, and wealth. I don’t go through a day without being grateful to Him and follow His teachings to the best of my ability. This is what giving thanks means to me.
By Hinna Muzaffar