Praising Allah, in fact, is a duty that a Muslim should offer as an express of gratitude to Him, Most High, for His countless favors and bounties. Moreover, gratefulness brings more Divine favors as Allah says, “And when your Lord proclaimed: If ye give thanks, I will give you more; but if ye are thankless, lo! my punishment is dire.” (Ibrahim: 7). Showing gratitude to Allah takes various forms such as praising him, giving charity, doing good deeds, etc.
Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and an Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states: “Charity is undoubtedly a great thing; it is considered a good way of showing gratitude to Allah for His favours. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Charity averts/prevents calamities/tragedies.”
However, we should know that it is one thing to say that something is optional or rewarding, yet it is quite another to say it is obligatory. We cannot make anything obligatory unless Allah and His Messenger have done so.
We should express gratitude to Allah for all of His favors, and we should also be spontaneous in expressing such feelings whenever things like these happen to us. Such accidents can very well serve as reminders for us not to take Allah’s favors for granted, to be more careful as well as to be better aware and conscious of our true priorities in life. Gratitude can be expressed in many ways such as offering a Prayer of Shukr (thankfulness), or giving charity, or even simply resolving oneself to lead a more conscious and religiously fulfilling life.”