The difference between hamd (praise) and shukr (thanks)

Praise
be to Allah

The scholars
differ as to whether there is a difference between hamd and shukr; there are
two views:

The first
view is that hamd and shukr mean the same thing, and that there is no
difference between them. This view was favoured by Ibn Jareer at-Tabari and
others.

At-Tabari
(may Allah have mercy on him) said: What is meant by the phrase al-hamdu
Lillah (praise be to Allah) is: thanks be to Allah, may He be glorified and
exalted, alone to the exclusion of everything that is worshipped besides
Him… Then after that, he (may Allah have mercy on him) said: There is no
difference of opinion among the scholars of the Arabic language concerning
the ruling on the words of one who says “al-hamdu Lillahi shukran” [as
opposed to the more usual “al-hamdu Lillahi hamdan”] as still being valid,
because that is sound according to all of them, because when praising Allah
one may say hamd (praise) instead of shukr (thanks) and vice versa. If that
were not the case, it would not be possible to say “al-hamdu Lillahi shukran”.

End quote
from Tafseer at-Tabari (1/138).

The second
view is that hamd and shukr are not the same; rather there are differences
between them, including the following:

1.    
Hamd can only be expressed verbally, unlike shukr, which may be
expressed verbally, in the heart or by one’s physical actions.

2.    
Hamd may or may not be in return for a favour or blessing, unlike
shukr, which can only be in return for a favour or blessing.

Ibn Katheer
(may Allah have mercy on him) said, in the context of refuting the view of
Ibn Jareer mentioned above (1/32): There are some reservations about what
Ibn Jareer claimed, because it is well-known among many later scholars that
hamd refers to praising in words the One Who has praiseworthy attributes,
whether intrinsic (having no direct impact on others) or transitive (having
a direct impact on others), whereas shukr refers to praising Him for an
attribute that has a direct impact on others; shukr may be a feeling in the
heart, words expressed on the lips, or gratitude expressed in physical
actions.

But they
differed as to which of them – hamd or shukr – is more comprehensive than
the other, and there are two views. In fact, however, each of them is more
comprehensive than the other in different ways.

Hamd is more
comprehensive than shukr in the sense that hamd is applicable to both types
of attributes, intrinsic and transitive. So you may say: “Hamadtuhu li
furoosiyyatihi (I praised him for his horsemanship), or you may say, “Hamadtuhu
li karamihi (I praised him for his generosity).” But hamd is narrower in
meaning than shukr in the sense that it can only be expressed verbally.
Shukr is more comprehensive in the sense that it may take different forms;
it may be expressed verbally or in physical actions, or it may be something
that is felt in the heart, as mentioned above. But shukr is narrower in
meaning in the sense that it can only be for transitive attributes; one
would not say “Shakartuhu li furoosiyyatihi (I thanked him for his
horsemanship)”, but one would say, “Shakartuhu ‘ala karamihi wa ihsaanihi
ilayya (I thanked him for his generosity and kindness to me).’ This is
the summary of the view of some of the later scholars. And Allah knows best.
End quote.

Based on
that, Abu Hilaal al-‘Askari differentiated between the two. He (may Allah
have mercy on him) said:

The
difference between hamd and shukr is that hamd is verbal praise for a
favour, whether it has to do with virtues such as knowledge or favours such
as kindness.

Shukr is an
action that expresses veneration of the Bestower of the blessing for the
blessing, whether it is expressed verbally, and in the form of belief and
love in the heart, or in the form of physical action or service.

Hamd may be
used in a more general sense, because it refers to blessings, favours and
other things, but it is limited in the way in which it is expressed, because
it can only be verbal. Shukr is the opposite; it has to do with blessings
and favours only, but there are more ways of expressing it, verbal and
otherwise.

So both
terms may be general in some ways and limited in others; they may both be
expressed verbally for a favour. But they differ in that only hamd may
express praise for an attribute such as knowledge, for example, whereas the
sincerity of shukr is limited to love in the heart for some favour or
kindness. End quote.

Al-Furooq
al-Lughawiyyah
(201-202).

Ibn al-Qayyim
(may Allah have mercy on him) said in Madaarij as-Saalikeen (2/246):
The difference between them is that shukr is more comprehensive with regard
to types and causes, but it is more limited with regard to what is connected
to it (transitive attributes). Hamd is more general with regard to what is
connected to it (both transitive and intrinsic attributes), but it is more
limited with regard to its causes.

What this
means is that shukr may be expressed in the heart in feelings of humility
and submission, may be expressed on the lips in words of praise and
acknowledgement, and may be expressed in physical actions by obeying and
following commands.

Shukr is
connected to favours but not intrinsic attributes. So it cannot be said “we
thank (shukr) Allah for being Ever-Living, All-Hearing, All-Seeing,
All-Knowing”, but He is to be praised (hamd) for these attributes, just as
He is to be praised for His kindness and justice.

Shukr may be
for kindness and favours. Everything to which shukr is connected, hamd may
also be connected, but the converse is not true. Everything that may be a
cause for hamd may be a cause for shukr, but the converse is not true, for
shukr may be manifested in physical actions, whereas hamd is in the heart
and on the lips (beliefs and words). End quote.

And Allah
knows best.