Parenting Perspective 

The practice of gratitude is not only about thanking Allah; it also has the power to change the way family members treat one another. When parents actively model thankfulness within the home, their children learn from experience that a grateful attitude softens the heart, reduces tension, and strengthens the bonds of love. Teaching this connection helps a child to see that saying ‘Alhamdulillah’ is not just a phrase we use for blessings, but is also a way to make our relationships with each other more gentle and warm. 

Model Gratitude in Your Daily Interactions 

Make a conscious effort to say ‘thank you’ and ‘JazakAllahu khayran’ to your children, even for the smallest of acts, whether it is for bringing you a glass of water, helping with a chore, or sharing one of their toys. When you consistently model this kind of appreciation, they will see for themselves how an attitude of gratitude makes people’s hearts kinder. 

Connect Gratitude with a Feeling of Family Peace 

During calm and happy family moments, you can gently point out the connection between gratitude and peace. A simple comment like, ‘Do you see how lovely it feels when we are all saying Alhamdulillah together? Being thankful helps to keep our hearts soft and happy with each other,’ can be very effective. This helps your child to link the act of thankfulness with a feeling of emotional closeness. 

Show Gratitude for Effort, Not Just Results 

It is important to acknowledge a child’s attempts to help, not just their perfect results. Saying, ‘Alhamdulillah, you tried so hard to help me with that, thank you,’ shows your child that your gratitude is not conditional on perfection. It teaches them to see the value in one another’s sincere efforts. 

Pair Your Gratitude with Physical Affection 

Give a warm hug or a gentle smile when you are expressing your gratitude. When your children see the word ‘Alhamdulillah’ being consistently tied to a feeling of warmth and affection, they come to understand that gratitude is not just something to be spoken, but is something that is felt within the heart. 

Create Simple Family Rituals of Thanks 

At dinner or at bedtime, you could create a simple ritual where each person shares one thing they are grateful for about another member of the family, ending with ‘Alhamdulillah.’ This beautiful practice teaches children that expressing gratitude is a powerful way to strengthen your family’s bonds. 

With these habits, your children will learn that being thankful to Allah and to each other is what makes a home a place of softness rather than hardness, a place where love can grow freely. 

Spiritual Insight 

The Quran on How Gratitude Benefits the Self 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Luqman (31), Verses 12: 

‘And indeed, We (Allah Almighty) fortified (Prophet) Luqman (AS) with the wisdom that: “Gratitude is for Allah (Almighty); and whoever is (truly) grateful (to Allah Almighty) is in fact grateful for his (own benefit)…”.’ 

This verse reminds us that the primary beneficiary of gratitude is the person who practises it. Teaching this concept to your children helps them to understand that saying ‘Alhamdulillah’ is not just for Allah’s sake, but is an act that purifies and softens their own hearts. 

Prophetic Guidance on Thanking People 

It is recorded in Jami Tirmidhi, Hadith 1954, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘Whoever does not thank people has not thanked Allah.’ 

This hadith makes the vital link between divine gratitude and human kindness incredibly clear. By teaching our children to be thankful to both Allah and to one another, we show them that gratitude is a bridge that simultaneously softens the hearts within the family and strengthens their faith. Over time, this practice can help to nurture a home that is filled with mercy, tenderness, and mutual love.