Do I have to thank people, or is thanking Allah alone enough?

Both are required, and one leads to the other: the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Whoever does not thank people has not thanked Allah" (Sunan Abi Dawud 4811, declared authentic by al-Albani). Allah commands gratitude to Him and, in the same breath, gratitude to parents: "Be grateful to Me and to your parents" (Quran 31:14), showing that recognising the favour of a creature does not compete with recognising the favour of the Creator — it is part of it, because the human being who helped you was himself a means Allah sent. Ingratitude toward people is a defect of character that makes a person dismissive of the kindness done to him, whereas the believer acknowledges it, praises the one who did it, prays for him — which is why Muslims say jazāk Allāhu khayran to one who does them a favour — and repays it in kind where he is able.

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