According to Muhammad ibn Jarir at-Tabari, the meaning of ‘Alhamdulillah’ is “All thanks are due purely to Allah, alone, not any of the objects that are being worshipped instead of Him, nor any of His creation. These thanks are due to Allah for his innumerable favours and bounties whose number only He knows. Allah's bounties include the tools that help the creatures worship Him, the physical bodies with which they are able to implement His commands, the sustenance that He provides them in this life, and the comfortable life He has granted them, without anything or anyone compelling Him to do so. Allah also warned His creatures and alerted them about the means and methods with which they can earn eternal dwelling in the residence of everlasting happiness. All thanks and praises are due to Allah for these favours from beginning to end.”

The one who is most deserving of thanks and praise from people is Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, because of the great favours and blessings that He has bestowed upon His slaves in both spiritual and worldly terms. Allah has commanded us to give thanks to Him for those blessings, and not to deny them. He says:

Therefore remember Me (by praying, glorifying). I will remember you, and be grateful to Me (for My countless favours on you) and never be ungrateful to Me

Quran - 2:152

(interpretation of the meaning)

And there are many other blessings. We have only mentioned some of these blessings here; listing all of them is impossible, as Allah says:

And He gave you of all that you asked for, and if you count the blessings of Allah, never will you be able to count them. Verily, man is indeed an extreme wrongdoer, a disbeliever (an extreme ingrate who denies Allah’s blessings by disbelief, and by worshipping others besides Allah, and by disobeying Allah and His Prophet Muhammad)

Quran - 14:34

(interpretation of the meaning)

Then Allah blessed us and forgave us our shortcomings in giving thanks for these blessings. He says:

And if you would count the favours of Allah, never could you be able to count them. Truly, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Quran - 16:18

(interpretation of the meaning)

Gratitude for blessings is a cause of them being increased, as Allah says:

And (remember) when your Lord proclaimed: ‘If you give thanks (by accepting faith and worshipping none but Allah), I will give you more (of My blessings); but if you are thankless (i.e. disbelievers), verily, My punishment is indeed severe’.

Quran - 14:7

(interpretation of the meaning)

Anas ibn Malik said: the Messenger of Allah ﷺ (peace be upon him) said:

Allah is pleased with a person who eats some food and then praises Him for it, or who drinks some drink and then praises Him for it.

Sahih Muslim, 2734a

Source: islamweb.net · islamqa.info