الشكور
al-Shakūr
Topic
A name of God: the Appreciative, ever worthy of thanks, who rewards even a little good generously.
What it means
Al-Shakūr is one of the beautiful names of God. It comes from the root sh-k-r, which means both to thank and to reward. Faruqi glosses it as the One who is always worthy of being thanked. Commentators add that God recognises the smallest good deed and rewards it many times over. The Quran uses it in the words of the people of Paradise: “Praise be to God who has removed all sorrow from us; our Lord is Forgiving and Appreciative” (35:34). It also says that God multiplies what is given and forgives (64:17). The name teaches the believer to be thankful in return, because the One who is thanked is also the One who gives.
Often misunderstood as
Taking the name as a plain “Thankful” gives the odd picture of God thanking creatures, when it describes His generous acceptance and reward of the good that they do.
What the sources say
Scholars also relate the name to the human word shākir, a person who gives thanks. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) prayed at night until his feet swelled, and when Aisha asked why, he said, “Should I not be a thankful servant?” (Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim).
Term and Arabic as listed in Ismail al Faruqi, Toward Islamic English (International Institute of Islamic Thought, 1995), p. 37, listed as AL SHAKŪR. The definition is restated here.