الشَّكُورُ
One of the Most Beautiful Names of Allah
Ash-Shakoor
The Appreciative
Ash-Shakoor is the Grateful and the Appreciative, the One who gives a lot of reward for a little obedience. It is mentioned 4 times in the Quran. In 35:30 it closes a promise: wages paid in full, with more on top, out of His grace.
Key verse
﴿وَقَالُوا۟ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَذْهَبَ عَنَّا ٱلْحَزَنَ ۖ إِنَّ رَبَّنَا لَغَفُورٌ شَكُورٌ﴾And they will say, “Praise be to Allah, Who has kept away from us all ˹causes of˺ sorrow. Our Lord is indeed All-Forgiving, Most Appreciative.
The scholar's text
The Grateful, The Appreciative, The One who gives a lot of reward for a little obedience.
It is mentioned 4 times in the Holy Quran
الشكور، المقدِّر للعمل، الذي يعطي على القليل من الطاعة الكثير من الأجر.
ورد في القرآن الكريم 4 مرات.
Much Reward for a Little
﴿إِنَّ ٱلصَّفَا وَٱلْمَرْوَةَ مِن شَعَآئِرِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ فَمَنْ حَجَّ ٱلْبَيْتَ أَوِ ٱعْتَمَرَ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِ أَن يَطَّوَّفَ بِهِمَا ۚ وَمَن تَطَوَّعَ خَيْرًا فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَاكِرٌ عَلِيمٌ﴾Indeed, ˹the hills of˺ Ṣafa and Marwah are among the symbols of Allah. So whoever makes the major or minor pilgrimage to the ˹Sacred˺ House, let them walk between ˹the two hills˺. And whoever does good willingly, Allah is truly Appreciative, All-Knowing.
The last words of the definition, “a lot of reward for a little obedience”, are almost the words al-Sa'di uses on 2:158. That verse ends: whoever does good willingly, Allah is truly Appreciative, All-Knowing. Ash-Shakir and Ash-Shakoor are both Names of Allah, al-Sa'di says, the One who accepts a little from His servants and rewards it greatly. He gives examples. Leave something for Allah and He gives you better in its place; come a hand's span closer and He comes an arm's length. All-Knowing, the verse adds, and al-Sa'di reads that as a guarantee: no deed is lost, and each one is weighed by the intention He saw.
Arabic: فإن الله شاكر عليم
آخر كلمات التعريف، كثير الأجر على قليل الطاعة، تكاد تكون كلام السعدي في ختام آية البقرة: ﴿وَمَن تَطَوَّعَ خَيْرًا فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَاكِرٌ عَلِيمٌ﴾، قال: «الشاكر والشكور، من أسماء الله تعالى، الذي يقبل من عباده اليسير من العمل، ويجازيهم عليه، العظيم من الأجر». ثم ضرب الأمثلة: «ومن شكره لعبده، أن من ترك شيئا لله، أعاضه الله خيرا منه، ومن تقرب منه شبرا، تقرب منه ذراعا، ومن تقرب منه ذراعا، تقرب منه باعا». وفي «عليم» قال: «عليم بأعمال العباد، فلا يضيعها، بل يجدونها أوفر ما كانت، على حسب نياتهم التي اطلع عليها العليم الحكيم».
Paid in Full, With More
﴿لِيُوَفِّيَهُمْ أُجُورَهُمْ وَيَزِيدَهُم مِّن فَضْلِهِۦٓ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ غَفُورٌ شَكُورٌ﴾so that He will reward them in full and increase them out of His grace. He is truly All-Forgiving, Most Appreciative.
35:29 to 35:34 follow the people who recite the Book, pray and spend, from their hope to their homecoming. Their reward, 35:30 says, is paid in full and then increased out of His grace, for He is All-Forgiving, Most Appreciative. He forgave their bad deeds, al-Sa'di explains, and accepted the little good they did. Four verses later they are in Paradise, and the two Names are on their own lips: our Lord is indeed All-Forgiving, Most Appreciative. Al-Sa'di hears in Shakoor what they found there: He accepted their good deeds, multiplied them, and gave them what neither their deeds nor their hopes had reached.
Arabic: ليوفيهم أجورهم ويزيدهم من فضله
تتبع آيات فاطر الذين يتلون كتاب الله ويقيمون الصلاة وينفقون، من رجائهم إلى منتهاهم: ﴿لِيُوَفِّيَهُمْ أُجُورَهُمْ وَيَزِيدَهُم مِّن فَضْلِهِۦٓ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ غَفُورٌ شَكُورٌ﴾، قال السعدي: «غفر لهم السيئات، وقبل منهم القليل من الحسنات». وبعد أربع آيات هم في الجنة يقولون: ﴿إِنَّ رَبَّنَا لَغَفُورٌ شَكُورٌ﴾، قال في «شكور»: «حيث قبل منا الحسنات وضاعفها، وأعطانا من فضله ما لم تبلغه أعمالنا ولا أمانينا».
A Good Deed Made to Grow
﴿ذَٰلِكَ ٱلَّذِى يُبَشِّرُ ٱللَّهُ عِبَادَهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ ۗ قُل لَّآ أَسْـَٔلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا إِلَّا ٱلْمَوَدَّةَ فِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ ۗ وَمَن يَقْتَرِفْ حَسَنَةً نَّزِدْ لَهُۥ فِيهَا حُسْنًا ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ شَكُورٌ﴾That ˹reward˺ is the good news which Allah gives to His servants who believe and do good. Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “I do not ask you for a reward for this ˹message˺: only honour for ˹our˺ kinship.” Whoever earns a good deed, We will increase it in goodness for them. Surely Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Appreciative.
In 42:23 the Name follows a promise: whoever earns a good deed, We will increase it in goodness for them. Al-Sa'di lists what that increase is in this life: an open heart, an easier path, a first good deed that opens the way to a second, a higher standing with Allah and with people, and reward now and later. Then the two Names: He forgives sins however great when a person repents, he says, and He repays a small deed with a large reward.
Arabic: ومن يقترف حسنة نزد له فيها حسنا
في آية الشورى يأتي الاسم بعد وعد: ﴿وَمَن يَقْتَرِفْ حَسَنَةً نَّزِدْ لَهُۥ فِيهَا حُسْنًا ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ شَكُورٌ﴾، قال السعدي في الزيادة: «بأن يشرح الله صدره، وييسر أمره، وتكون سببا للتوفيق لعمل آخر، ويزداد بها عمل المؤمن، ويرتفع عند الله وعند خلقه، ويحصل له الثواب العاجل والآجل». وقال في الاسمين إنه يغفر الذنوب العظيمة عند التوبة منها، «ويشكر على العمل القليل بالأجر الكثير».
Why Would He Punish You?
﴿مَّا يَفْعَلُ ٱللَّهُ بِعَذَابِكُمْ إِن شَكَرْتُمْ وَءَامَنتُمْ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ شَاكِرًا عَلِيمًا﴾Why should Allah punish you if you are grateful and faithful? Allah is ever Appreciative, All-Knowing.
4:147 asks a question that answers itself: why should Allah punish you if you are grateful and faithful? Allah is ever Appreciative, All-Knowing. His punishment gives Him nothing, al-Sa'di says, and brings Him no relief. The one who disobeys harms only himself, just as the one who obeys works for himself. 64:17 adds a loan to the picture: lend to Allah a good loan and He will multiply it and forgive you, for He is Most Appreciative, Most Forbearing. Al-Sa'di's note on Shakoor there reads like the definition above: He accepts a little and repays much, and whoever leaves something for Him is given better.
Arabic: ما يفعل الله بعذابكم إن شكرتم وآمنتم
تسأل آية النساء سؤالا جوابه فيه: ﴿مَّا يَفْعَلُ ٱللَّهُ بِعَذَابِكُمْ إِن شَكَرْتُمْ وَءَامَنتُمْ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ شَاكِرًا عَلِيمًا﴾، قال السعدي: «فإنه لا يتشفى بعذابكم، ولا ينتفع بعقابكم، بل العاصي لا يضر إلا نفسه، كما أن عمل المطيع لنفسه». وتضيف آية التغابن القرض: ﴿إِن تُقْرِضُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا يُضَـٰعِفْهُ لَكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ شَكُورٌ حَلِيمٌ﴾، وقال السعدي في «شكور» كلاما يشبه التعريف السابق: «والله تعالى شكور يقبل من عباده اليسير من العمل، ويجازيهم عليه الكثير من الأجر، ويشكر تعالى لمن تحمل من أجله المشاق والأثقال، وناء بالتكاليف الثقال، ومن ترك شيئًا لله، عوضه الله خيرًا منه».
Allah Thanked Him
The Prophet ﷺ told of a deed small enough to forget: “While a man was on the way, he found a thorny branch of a tree there on the way and removed it. Allah thanked him for that deed and forgave him” (Sahih al-Bukhari 2472). And he showed the servant's side of it. He would stand in prayer until his feet or legs swelled, Al-Mughira said, and when asked why, he answered: “Should I not be a thankful slave?” (Sahih al-Bukhari 1130). Such servants are few, 34:13 says: only a few of My servants are truly grateful. Al-Sa'di defines it: the heart acknowledges that the blessing is from Allah and receives it as one in need of it, then uses it to obey Him and guards it from being spent on sin.
Arabic: فشكر الله له
حدث النبي ﷺ عن عمل صغير قد ينسى: «بَيْنَمَا رَجُلٌ يَمْشِي بِطَرِيقٍ، وَجَدَ غُصْنَ شَوْكٍ فَأَخَذَهُ، فَشَكَرَ اللَّهُ لَهُ، فَغَفَرَ لَهُ» (صحيح البخاري 2472). وبين جانب العبد، قال المغيرة: «إِنْ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم لَيَقُومُ لِيُصَلِّيَ حَتَّى تَرِمُ قَدَمَاهُ أَوْ سَاقَاهُ، فَيُقَالُ لَهُ فَيَقُولُ أَفَلاَ أَكُونُ عَبْدًا شَكُورًا» (صحيح البخاري 1130). وهؤلاء قليل: ﴿وَقَلِيلٌ مِّنْ عِبَادِىَ ٱلشَّكُورُ﴾، قال السعدي: «والشكر: اعتراف القلب بمنة اللّه تعالى، وتلقيها افتقارا إليها، وصرفها في طاعة اللّه تعالى، وصونها عن صرفها في المعصية».
From the Sunnah
While a man was on the way, he found a thorny branch of a tree there on the way and removed it. Allah thanked him for that deed and forgave him
بَيْنَمَا رَجُلٌ يَمْشِي بِطَرِيقٍ، وَجَدَ غُصْنَ شَوْكٍ فَأَخَذَهُ، فَشَكَرَ اللَّهُ لَهُ، فَغَفَرَ لَهُ
The Prophet (ﷺ) used to stand (in the prayer) or pray till both his feet or legs swelled. He was asked why (he offered such an unbearable prayer) and he said, "Should I not be a thankful slave?
إِنْ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم لَيَقُومُ لِيُصَلِّيَ حَتَّى تَرِمُ قَدَمَاهُ أَوْ سَاقَاهُ، فَيُقَالُ لَهُ فَيَقُولُ أَفَلاَ أَكُونُ عَبْدًا شَكُورًا
A du'a with this Name
رَبِّ اجْعَلْنِي لَكَ شَكَّارًا لَكَ ذَكَّارًا لَكَ رَهَّابًا لَكَ مِطْوَاعًا لَكَ مُخْبِتًا إِلَيْكَ أَوَّاهًا مُنِيبًا
My Lord, make me ever-grateful to You, ever-remembering of You, ever-fearful of You, ever-obedient to You, ever-humble to You, oft-turning and returning to You.
Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3551, graded sahih by al-Albani: from a du'a of the Prophet ﷺ, as Ibn Abbas reported; ever-grateful is shakkar
Related Names
Questions about Ash-Shakoor
What does Ash-Shakoor mean?
Ash-Shakoor is the Grateful and Appreciative: much reward given for a little obedience.
How many times is Ash-Shakoor in the Quran?
Ash-Shakoor is mentioned 4 times in the Quran. In 35:30 the Name closes the verse: He is truly All-Forgiving, Most Appreciative.
Is Ash-Shakir also a Name of Allah?
Yes. Al-Sa'di names Ash-Shakir and Ash-Shakoor together on 2:158, and the Quran calls Allah Appreciative, Shakir, in 2:158 and 4:147.
What is gratitude to Allah?
Al-Sa'di on 34:13: the heart acknowledges that the blessing comes from Allah, receives it as one in need, uses it to obey Him and keeps it from sin.