The Three Pillars of Thanking Allah

Question:
May Allah reward you. The questioner who sent his question asks: How is the gratitude for blessings expressed, and how is gratitude realized?

Answer:
Gratitude for blessings is obligatory. Gratitude has three pillars: speaking of them outwardly, and acknowledging them inwardly in the heart by believing that they are from Allah, not by His power or strength. Gratitude by the tongue alone is not sufficient. The third pillar is to spend them in the obedience of Allah; that is, to spend the blessing in the obedience of Allah, in permissible matters, and in its permissible benefits, and not to spend it in the disobedience of Allah, in extravagance and waste, or in playing with money. If he does that, then he is not grateful for the blessing of Allah. Yes.