The Difference Between Speaking of Blessings and Self-Purification

Question:
Honorable Shaykh, what is the difference between speaking of blessings and self-purification?

Answer:
Speaking of blessings this falls under the category of gratitude. As for self-purification, this falls under the category of boasting and self-admiration. The key lies in the intention and purpose. If his purpose in doing so is to thank Allah the Exalted by speaking of His blessings upon him so that he may be conscious of gratitude, then that is good. But if he praises himself for the sake of self-purification, boasting, and self-admiration, then that is not permissible.
Allah, Exalted and Majestic, prohibited self-purification. He said: In another verse, He praised self-purification, saying: meaning his own self. Self-purification in the sense of obliging it to obey Allah is good. But self-purification in the sense of praising it and admiring it is not permissible. This is the distinction between the two types of purification. He said: meaning the purification of souls through obedience to Allah and steadfastness upon His religion. Purification of souls means obliging them to obey Allah and keeping them away from sins and transgressions. But self-purification in the sense of praising oneself and admiring oneself is forbidden and not permissible.
This falls under the category of gratitude. Gratitude has three pillars. The first pillar is speaking of it with the tongue openly. The second pillar is acknowledging it in the heart and believing that it is from Allah, Blessed and Exalted. The third pillar is directing it toward the obedience of Allah. Directing it toward the obedience of Allah. These are the pillars of gratitude; when they are all present, gratitude is complete, and if any of them is lacking, the gratitude is deficient. Yes.