And remember! Your Lord caused to be declared (publicly): "If ye are grateful, I will add more (favors) unto you; but if ye show ingratitude, truly My punishment is terrible indeed." (Quran 14:7)
We bestowed Wisdom on Luqman: "Show (thy) gratitude to Allah." Any who is (so) grateful does so to the profit of his own soul; but if any is ungrateful, verily Allah is free of all wants, worthy of all praise. (Quran 31:12)
When we eat, he told us that we should say: When the Prophet
used to eat or drink, he used to say, "Thanks be to Allah Who gave us food and drink and made us Muslims." (Al-Tirmidhi 3379) 
Tomorrow marks the annual Thanksgiving holiday and some Muslims may be asking if celebrating popular American holidays such as this or personal milestones such as birthdays are things Muslims should be doing. Are the American holidays (that aren't obvious Pagan or Religious celebrations) HALAL to participate in and/or celebrate??
Let's consider the following pieces:
- Dr. Sherman Jackson, "Thanksgiving: Before and After Islam"
- Imam Zaid Shakir, "For Lincoln, Also A Day Of Penitence"
Well, before we indulge into this topic, its important to note and acknowledge the pioneers who lifted the American flag while still not compromising their own Muslim identity and beliefs. Imam W. D. Mohammed (may Allah have mercy on him) embraced an American Identity far before any of the popular American Muslim scholars that we see today. We thank Allah for these pioneers.
With that said, let's further look at this holiday of Thanksgiving. In principle, Giving-Thanks is part of Islamic Adaab (etiquette). As Muslims, we celebrate our own thanksgiving days twice a year. Our own holidays: Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha. One following the month of fasting, and one following the pilgrimage rites in Mecca. Both involve congregational prayers, celebration, thanksgiving, and charitable contributions to the poor.
But if your like me, you are drawn to at least one more official day of Giving-Thanks. For as long as I can remember I have been sharing Thanksgiving with my non-Muslim and Muslim family. If you see wrong or something un-Islamic in embracing Thanksgiving Day, take the good from this American holiday and apply it to your own life. If your not going to have a Thanksgiving dinner with your family and friends at least follow the example of the Prophet (saw) and GIVE your THANKS throughout your daily life. This day, however, is ment to remind us of this duty and what better way to share in the Mercy and Blessings of Allah than with family.
I think Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi, (vice chair of the Fiqh Council of North America and member of ISNA Shura Council) said it best,
"The National Day of Thanksgiving in America is a beautiful holiday. It contains a good spirit and noble message. It is not a holiday of any particular religion. It is not a Christian or Jewish holiday but it has many deeply religious and spiritual meanings. America at thanksgiving is America at its best. It is unfortunate that like many other moral and spiritual things this holiday is also turned nowadays into too much indulgence and commercialism. It is important that we remember and remind others about the spirit of thanksgiving."
