I begin by calling on Allah, Who is Ar-Raḥmān, the Merciful, and Ar-Raḥīm, the Compassionate. These last two names of Allah are derived from the Arabic word raḥmah, which means mercy: proving the greatness and vastness of His Mercy and that His Mercy surrounds everything, and embraces all living beings. Every blessing is due to His mercy, and the believers receive the greatest mercy.
Cette formule signifie que c’est au nom d’Allah que je débute la lecture du Coran, en implorant Son aide et en recherchant la bénédiction attachée à la mention de Son nom. La basmalah( ) renferme en son sein, trois des Plus Beaux Noms d’Allah, à savoir:
- `Allâhu, La Divinité par excellence, Celui qui est adoré à bon droit. Ce nom appartient exclusivement à Allah et ne désigne aucun autre être que Lui, exalté soit-Il. - `Ar-Raħmânu, Celui dont la miséricorde est étendue. Il est donc Le Tout-Miséricordieux. - `Ar-Raħîmu, Celui dont la miséricorde est continue. Il est donc Celui qui enveloppe de Sa miséricorde les créatures de Son choix, plus précisément Ses serviteurs croyants.
1- Rahmân ve Rahîm Allah’ın adı ile.
2, 3, 4- Hamd, âlemlerin Rabbi, Rahmân, Rahîm ve karşılık gününün mâliki, Allah’ındır.
5- Yalnız sana ibadet ederiz ve yalnız senden yardım dileriz.
6- Hidayet eyle bizi dosdoğru yola;
7- Kendilerine nimet verdiğin kimselerin yoluna… Gazaba uğrayanların ve sapıtanlarınkine değil.
(Mekke’de inmiştir, 7 ayettir)
1. “Allah’ın adı ile” yani Yüce Allah’a ait bütün isimleri anarak başlıyorum. Çünkü buradaki “isim” kelimesi müfred/tekil ve muzâf (tamlanan) olarak geçmektedir. Böylece, Yüce Allah’ın bütün güzel isimlerini kapsamına alır.
“Allah”O, ma’bud/ibadet edilen ve me’luh/ilah edinilendir. Tek başına ibadete müstahak olandır. Çünkü ilahlığın gerektirdiği bütün sıfatlara -ki onlar kemal sıfatlarıdır- sahiptir.“Rahmân, Rahîm”; Yüce Allah’ın her şeyi kapsayan, her canlıyı kuşatan büyük ve geniş rahmet sahibi olduğuna delâlet eden iki isimdir. Allah o rahmetini nebi ve rasûllerine tâbi olan takvâ sahiplerine yazmıştır. İşte mutlak rahmet onlar içindir. Onların dışındakiler ise rahmetten sadece bir pay alırlar.
Şunu bilmek gerekir ki, ümmetin selefinin ve imamlarının ittifakla kabul ettiği kaidelerden birisi, Allah’ın isimlerine, sıfatlarına ve bu sıfatların hükümlerine iman etmenin zorunluluğudur. Buna göre mü’minler, mesela Yüce Allah’ın Rahman ve Rahîm olduğuna, O’nun sahibi olduğu ve kendisine rahmet olunanlar ile ilgili olan rahmet sıfatının sahibi olduğuna inanırlar. Bütün nimetler de onun rahmetinin bir tecellisidir. İşte diğer isimler de böyledir. Mesela “Alîm” ismi ile ilgili olarak şöyle denir: O, Alim’dir, ilim sahibidir, bu sıfatı ile her şeyi bilir. Yine O, Kadirdir, kudret sahibidir ve her şeye kadirdir, güç yetirir.
2. “Hamd... Allah’ındır.”Bu, Yüce Allah’a, her türlü kemal sıfatlara sahip oluşu ve ihsan ile adalet dairesinde cereyan eden fiilleri dolayısıyla övgüde bulunmak demektir. Bütün yönleriyle eksiksiz hamd/övgü, yalnız O’nundur.“Âlemlerin Rabbi” Rab; bütün âlemlerin -ki âlem Allah’ın dışındaki her şeydir- mürebbisi/terbiye edicisidir. O, onları yaratmış, birtakım aletler ile donatmış ve onlara kaybedecek olurlarsa varlıklarının devamına imkân bulamayacakları büyük nimetler bağışlamıştır. Ne kadar nimete sahip iseler hepsi O yüce zatın vergisidir.
Yüce Allah’ın yarattıklarını (Rab olarak) terbiye etmesi, genel ve özel olmak üzere iki türlüdür:
Genel terbiye O’nun bütün mahlûkatı yaratmış olması, onlara rızık ihsan etmesi ve onlara dünyada kalmalarını sağlayan maslahat ve menfaatlerinin yolunu göstermesidir.
Özel terbiye ise dostlarına yönelik terbiyedir. Onları iman ile terbiye eder, imana muvaffak kılar ve imanlaırnı kemâle erdirir. Kendileri ile imanları arasında engel teşkil eden çeşitli hususları önlerinden kaldırıp bertaraf eder.
Terbiyenin gerçek mahiyeti, her türlü hayra ulaşabilme başarısını ihsan etmek ve her türlü şerden korumaktır. Herhalde peygamberlerin Yüce Allah’a çoğunlukla “Rab” adını anarak dua etmelerinin sırrı da bu olsa gerektir. Çünkü onların bütün istekleri, Yüce Allah’ın “Özel Rububiyet”inin kapsamı içerisindedir. Buna göre Yüce Allah’ın; “Âlemlerin Rabbi” buyruğu; yaratıcının, idare edicinin, nimet ihsan edenin ve başka hiçbir varlığa muhtaç olmayanın sadece O olduğunu; buna karşılık bütün âlemlerin her yönden tamamen O’na muhtaç olduklarını ifade etmektedir.
4. “Karşılık gününün mâliki”. Mâlik; mülk (yöneticilik, egemenlik ve sahiplik) sıfatına sahip olan kimse demektir. Bunun sonucu olarak O, hem emir verir, hem yasak koyar, hem mükâfatlandırır, hem cezalandırır ve mülkiyeti/egemenliği altında olanlar üzerinde her türlü tasarrufta bulunur. Burada Allah, mülk sıfatını kıyamet günü demek olan karşılık gününe izafe etmiştir. “Karşılık günü” insanların hayrıyla, şerriyle amellerinin karşılığını görecekleri gün demektir. Çünkü bu günde Yüce Allah’ın mülkü/egemenliği, adâleti, hikmeti ve bütün mahlûkatın malikiyetliklerinin sona erdiği gerçeği, tam anlamıyla ortaya çıkacaktır. Öyle ki o günde hükümdarlarla yönetilenler, kölelerle hürler eşit olurlar. Hepsi Allah’ın azametine zilletle boyun eğerler, izzeti önünde alçalırlar. O’nun amellere vereceği karşılığı beklerler. Sevabını umar, cezasından korkarlar. İşte özellikle bu günün söz konusu edilmesi bundan dolayıdır. Yoksa O, din gününün de diğer bütün günlerin de mutlak mâlikidir.
5. “Yalnız Sana ibadet ederiz ve yalnız Senden yardım dileriz.” Yani ibadeti yalnız Sana tahsis eder, yalnız ve yalnız Senden yardım isteriz. Çünkü ma’mul olan “إياك : Sana” kelimesinin öne gelmesi “hasr” ifade eder. “Hasr” da hükmün sözü geçen kişi hakkında sabit kılınması, onun dışında kalanların ise bu hükmün dışında tutulması demektir. Sanki ifade şöyledir:Biz Sana ibadet ederiz, senden başkasına ibadet etmeyiz; Senden yardım dileriz, Senden başkasından yardım dilemeyiz. Burada ibadetin yardım dilemekten önce söz konusu edilmesi, hem umum ifade eden sözün husus ifade edenden önce zikredilmesi kabilindendir, hem de Yüce Allah’ın hakkının kulunun hakkından öne geçirilmesine gösterilen ihtimamdandır.“İbadet”; Yüce Allah’ın sevdiği ve razı olduğu, zâhir ve bâtın bütün amelleri ve sözleri içine alan kapsamlı bir isimdir.
“İstiane/yardım dilemek”ise fayda elde etmek ve zararları önlemek hususunda sadece Allah’a dayanmak ve bunları gerçekleştirme hususunda yalnızca O’na güvenmektir. Yüce Allah’a ibadet etmek ve O’ndan yardım dilemek, ebedi mutluluğun ve her türlü kötülükten kurtulmanın yegane yoludur. Bunları yerine getirmeden kurtulmaya imkân yoktur. İbadetin ibadet olabilmesi için Allah rızası gözetilerek işlenmesi ve Rasûlullah sallallahu aleyhi ve sellem’in yaptıklarından ve söylediklerinden alınması şarttır. İbadet, ancak bu iki özelliği ile ibadet olur.“Yardım dileme”nin, “ibadet” kapsamına girmekle birlikte daha sonra ayrıca zikredilmesinin sebebi kulun bütün ibadetlerinde Yüce Allah’tan yardım dilemeye muhtaç oluşundan dolayıdır. Çünkü Allah kuluna yardım etmeyecek olursa, kul emirleri yerine getirme ve yasaklardan kaçınma isteğini gerçekleştiremez.
6. Daha sonra Yüce Allah:“Hidayet eyle bizi dosdoğru yola” diye buyurmaktadır. Yani Sen bize dosdoğru yolu göster ve onu izleme başarısını bağışla. “Sırat-ı müstakim=dosdoğru yol”, Yüce Allah’a ve O’nun Cennet’ine ulaştıran açık seçik yoldur. Bu da hakkı bilmek ve hakka uygun amelde bulunmaktır. O bakımdan ey Rabb’imiz, Sen hem bizi bu yola ilet, hem de bu yol üzerinde bize sebat ver.
Bu yola iletilmek İslâm dinine bağlanmak ve onun dışında kalan bütün dinleri terk etmek demektir.
Bu yolda hidayet üzere sebat etmek ise hem ilmî bakımdan, hem amelî olarak dinin bütün tafsilî hükümlerinde hidâyet üzere olmayı kapsar.
Öyleyse bu dua, hem en kapsamlı hem de kul için en faydalı dualardan birisidir. Bundan dolayı insanın namazının her bir rekâtında Yüce Allah’a bu duayı yapması ona olan ihtiyacına binâen vacib kılınmıştır.
7. “Kendilerine nimet verdiğin kimselerin” yani peygamberlerin, sıddıkların, şehidlerin ve salihlerin “yoluna”. “Gazaba uğrayanların” yani yahudiler ve benzeri kimseler gibi hakkı bildiği halde terk edenlerin “ve sapıtanların” hıristiyanlar ve benzerleri gibi bilgisizlikleri ve sapıklıkları dolayısıyla hakkı terk edenlerin yoluna “değil.”
Bu sûre oldukça kısa olmasına rağmen Kur’an sûrelerinden başka herhangi bir sûrenin ihtiva etmediği pek çok hususu kapsamaktadır. Şöyle ki o, üç türü ile tevhidi içermektedir: Rububiyet tevhidi “âlemlerin Rabbi” buyruğundan, Ulûhiyet tevhidi -ki o ibadetler ile Allah’ı birlemektir- “Allah” lafza-i celâli ile “yalnız Sana ibadet ederiz” buyruğundan anlaşılmaktadır. İsim ve sıfat tevhidi de -ki o da Allah’ın kendi zâtı için ve Rasûlünün de O’nun için tesbit etmiş olduğu bütün kemâl sıfatlarını ta’til/iptal etme, temsil/denk tutma ve teşbih/benzetme söz konusu olmaksızın kabul etmektir- önceden de geçtiği gibi “hamd” lafzından anlaşılmaktadır.
“Hidayet eyle bizi dosdoğru yola” buyruğu ise nübüvvetin kabulünü ihtiva etmektedir. Çünkü risalet olmaksızın bunun gerçekleşmesine imkân yoktur. Yapılan amellerin karşılığının verileceği ise Yüce Allah’ın:“karşılık gününün maliki” buyruğunda ifade edilmektedir. Ayrıca bu, amellere verilecek karşılığın adaletle olacağını da ifade etmektedir. Çünkü; “الدين : din/karşılık” kelimesi adil bir şekilde karşılık vermek anlamındadır.
Ayrıca bu sure, Kaderiye ve Cebriyenin görüşlerine muhalif olarak kaderi tespit etmekte ve kulun gerçek fail olduğunu ortaya koymakta, hatta “hidayet eyle bizi dosdoğru yola” buyruğunda bütün bid’at ve dalâlet sahiplerinin kanaatlerini reddetmektedir. Çünkü “dosdoğru yol” hakkı bilmek ve gereğince amel etmektir. Her bid’atçi ve sapık ise bunun dışındadır. Yine bu sûre “yalnız Sana ederiz ibadet ve yalnız Senden dileriz yardım” buyruğunda gerek ibadet ciheti ile gerekse de yardım dilemek yönüyle dinin sadece Allah’a halis kılınmasını da içermektedir.
Öyleyse hamd/övgü yalnızca âlemlerin Rabb’i Allah’ındır.
Kendisinden yardım dileyip, ismini zikrederek bereketini umduğumuz Allah'ın adıyla Kur'an okumaya başlıyorum. Besmele, Allah'ın esmâ-i hüsnâsında üç tanesini içermektedir. Bunlar: 1- « Allah»: Hak olan mabut/ibadet edilendir. Allah Telâlâ'nın en özel ismidir. Allah Subhanehu ve Teâlâ'dan başkası bu isimle isimlenemez. 2- « Er-Rahmân»: O, geniş, bol rahmet sahibi ve zatında Rahman olandır. 3- « Er-Rahîm»: Rahmetini ulaştırandır. O rahmeti ile kullarından dilediğine merhamet edendir. Mümin kullar, rahmetini kendilerine ulaştırdığı canlılardan bir kısmıdır.
The best way to begin any task is in the name of God, the Lord, the Being who is the source of all blessings, and whose blessings and mercy are continually pouring upon His creation. To commence any undertaking in His name is to pray that God, in His infinite mercy, should come to one’s assistance and bring one’s work to a successful conclusion. This is man’s acknowledgement of the fact that he is God’s servant, and also brings divine assurance of success.
Esta fórmula significa que es en el nombre de Al‑lah que yo comienzo la lectura del Corán, implorando Su ayuda y buscando la bendición asociada a la mención de su nombre. La basmalah encierra tres de los Bellos Nombres de Al‑lah, a saber:
-’Allahu: La Divinidad por excelencia, Aquel que es adorado por pleno derecho. Este nombre pertenece exclusivamente a Al‑lah y no designa a nadie más que a Él.
- ‘Ar-Rahmanu: Aquel de extensa misericordia. Él es, entonces, el Compasivo con toda la creación.
- ‘Ar-Rahimu: Aquel de constante misericordia. Él es, entonces, Aquel que envuelve con Su misericordia a las criaturas de Su elección, más precisamente, a sus servidores creyentes.
"Dengan Menyebut Nama Allah Yang Maha Pengasih, Lagi Maha Penyayang. Segala puji bagi Allah, Tuhan semesta alam. Maha Pengasih lagi Maha Penyayang. Yang menguasai Hari Pem-balasan. Hanya kepada Engkau-lah kami menyembah, dan hanya kepada Engkau-lah kami meminta pertolongan. Tunjukilah kami jalan yang lurus. (Yaitu) jalan orang-orang yang telah Engkau beri nikmat kepada mereka; bukan (jalan) mereka yang dimurkai dan bukan (pula jalan) mereka yang sesat." (Al-Fatihah: 1-7).
Makkiyah
(1) Maksudnya, saya memulai dengan setiap nama milik Allah تعالى, karena kata (اِسْم) adalah kata tunggal yang disandarkan, maka ia meliputi seluruh Asma`ul Husna (Nama-nama Allah yang baik-baik).
﴾ ٱللَّهُ ﴿ adalah yang dituhankan, yang disembah, dan yang berhak diesakan dalam ibadah, karena Dia bersifat dengan sifat dari sifat-sifat ketuhanan yaitu sifat-sifat kesempurnaan.
﴾ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ﴿ "Yang Maha Pengasih lagi Maha Penyayang," adalah dua nama yang menunjukkan bahwa Allah تعالى memiliki kasih yang luas dan besar yang meliputi segala sesuatu, dan menyentuh seluruh yang hidup, yang Allah tetapkan bagi orang-orang yang bertakwa yang mengikuti Nabi-nabiNya dan Rasul-rasulNya; me-reka itu mendapatkan kasih yang mutlak sedangkan orang-orang selain mereka hanya mendapatkan sebagian dari kasih itu.
Dan ketahuilah bahwa di antara kaidah yang telah disepakati di antara salaf umat ini dan para imam ulama adalah beriman kepada nama-nama Allah dan sifat-sifatNya serta hukum-hukum tentang sifat tersebut. Mereka beriman bahwasanya Dia adalah Maha Pengasih lagi Maha Penyayang yang berarti memiliki rahmat di mana Dia bersifat dengannya yang berkaitan dengan hamba-hamba yang dirahmati. Maka nikmat-nikmat itu seluruhnya adalah salah satu bekas dari rahmatNya, dan demikianlah juga pada selu-ruh nama-nama Allah.
Dikatakan tentang "Yang Maha Mengetahui" bahwasanya Dia adalah Maha Mengetahui dan memiliki ilmu di mana Dia menge-tahui dengannya segala sesuatu. Juga Dia Mahakuasa, yakni bah-wasanya Dia adalah Kuasa atas segala sesuatu.
(2) ﴾ ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ ﴿ "Segala puji bagi Allah" adalah pujian kepada Allah karena sifat-sifat kesempurnaan dan karena perbuatan-per-buatanNya yang berkisar di antara karunia dan keadilan, segala pujian yang sempurna hanya bagiNya dalam segala bentuknya.
﴾ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ﴿ "Rabb semesta alam." Rabb adalah Sang Pemeli-hara sekalian alam, dan alam itu adalah siapa saja yang selain dari Allah yang Allah ciptakan dan menyiapkan bagi mereka sarana-sarana, memberikan kepada mereka nikmat yang besar, yang mana bila mereka kehilangan kenikmatan itu niscaya mereka tidak akan bertahan hidup, dan apa pun kenikmatan yang ada pada mereka, maka itu semua adalah dariNya تعالى.
Pemeliharaan Allah terhadap makhlukNya ada dua macam; umum dan khusus. Yang umum adalah Dia menciptakan makhluk, memberi mereka rizki, memberi mereka hidayah kepada hal-hal yang berguna bagi mereka yang merupakan sarana terpenting bagi mereka dalam mempertahankan hidup di dunia. Dan yang khusus adalah pemeliharaanNya terhadap kekasih-kekasihNya, Dia me-melihara mereka dengan keimanan, membimbing mereka kepada-nya, menyempurnakan hal itu untuk mereka, menolak dari mereka rintangan dan halangan yang membatasi antara mereka dengan-Nya. Hakikatnya adalah pemeliharaan bimbingan (taufik) kepada segala yang baik dan menjauhkan dari kejahatan, dan mungkin saja makna ini merupakan rahasia dari banyaknya doa-doa para Nabi memakai kata رَبِّ, karena seluruh tuntutan permintaan me-reka termasuk dalam naungan rububiyahNya yang khusus. Maka FirmanNya, ﴾ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ﴿ "Rabb sekalian alam" menunjukkan kepada keesaanNya dalam penciptaan, pengaturan, kenikmatan, kesem-purnaan kekayaanNya, serta kesempurnaan kebutuhan sekalian alam kepadaNya dalam segala bentuk dan sudut pandang.
(4) ﴾ مَٰلِكِ يَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ ﴿ "Yang menguasai Hari Pembalasan." Yakni Yang menguasai, yaitu Dzat yang bersifat memiliki, yang di antara tanda-tandanya adalah bahwa Dia memerintah dan melarang, memberikan balasan dan memberikan hukuman, bertindak dengan kekuasaanNya dengan segala bentuk tindakan.
Dia sandarkan kata "Menguasai" kepada kalimat "Hari Pem-balasan" yaitu Hari Kiamat, hari di mana manusia akan diberikan balasan perbuatan-perbuatan mereka yang baik maupun yang buruk, karena pada hari itu akan nampak jelas terungkap bagi se-luruh makhluk dengan sejelas-jelasnya, kesempurnaan kekuasaan Allah, keadilan serta hikmahNya, dan kekuasaan-kekuasaan para makhluk terputus di sana, hingga pada hari itu akan sama para raja dan rakyat jelata, budak dan manusia merdeka; semuanya ter-tunduk di bawah keagungan Allah, patuh karena kemuliaanNya, seraya menunggu perhitunganNya, dengan mengharap-harap ganjaranNya, dan khawatir terhadap hukumanNya. Oleh karena itu Dia menyebutkan kata tersebut secara khusus (di sini), karena kalau tidak demikian, pastilah Dia adalah penguasa Hari Pemba-lasan maupun hari-hari selainnya.
(5) FirmanNya ﴾ إِيَّاكَ نَعۡبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسۡتَعِينُ ﴿ "Hanya kepada Engkau-lah kami menyembah dan hanya kepada Engkau-lah kami memohon pertolong-an," yakni kami mengkhususkan kepadaMu semata, kami peruntuk-kan segala ibadah dan permintaan akan pertolongan. (Dimaknai demikian) karena mendahulukan suatu kata yang menjadi obyek menunjukkan suatu pembatasan, yaitu menetapkan hal tersebut bagi yang disebutkan dan meniadakannya dari selainnya. Maka seolah-olah berkata, kami menyembahMu, dan tidak menyembah selain diriMu, kami meminta pertolongan kepadaMu, dan tidak meminta pertolongan pada selain diriMu. Didahulukannya penye-butan ibadah daripada permintaan akan pertolongan adalah di antara bentuk mendahulukan hal yang umum dari hal yang khusus, serta perhatian dalam mendahulukan hak-hak Allah daripada hak hambaNya.
Ibadah adalah sebuah kata yang mencakup apa saja yang dicintai oleh Allah dan diridhaiNya berupa perbuatan maupun perkataan, baik yang lahir maupun yang batin, dan memohon pertolongan adalah bersandar kepada Allah dalam mendapatkan kemaslahatan dan menolak kemudaratan, diiringi dengan keya-kinan yang kuat kepadaNya dalam mewujudkan semua itu.
Melaksanakan ibadah kepada Allah dan memohon perto-longan kepadaNya merupakan jalan bagi sebuah kebahagiaan yang abadi dan keselamatan dari segala kejahatan. Maka tidaklah ada cara untuk mendapatkan keselamatan kecuali dengan melaksana-kan kedua hal tersebut, dan sesungguhnya sebuah ibadah itu di-katakan sebagai ibadah apabila ibadah tersebut diambil contohnya dari Rasulullah ﷺ yang dilaksanakan dengan tujuan mencari Wajah Allah semata; dengan kedua faktor ini jadilah perbuatan bersang-kutan sebagai ibadah. Disebutkannya permohonan pertolongan setelah ibadah padahal sebenarnya memohon pertolongan itu ada-lah bagian dari ibadah itu sendiri adalah karena kebutuhan hamba di dalam seluruh ibadah-ibadah mereka kepada permohonan akan pertolongan kepada Allah تعالى tersebut, sebab bila Allah tidak menolongnya, maka tidak akan terwujud untuknya sesuatu yang dikehendakinya dari pelaksanaan perintah maupun menghindari larangan.
Kemudian Allah تعالى berfirman,
(6) ﴾ ٱهۡدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٰطَ ٱلۡمُسۡتَقِيمَ ﴿ "Tunjukilah kami jalan yang lurus." Mak-sudnya, tuntunlah kami, bimbinglah kami, dan arahkan kami kepada jalan yang lurus, yaitu jalan yang sangat jelas yang meng-hantarkan kepada Allah dan kepada surgaNya, yaitu mengetahui kebenaran dan melaksanakannya. Tunjukilah kami kepada jalan tersebut dan juga tunjukilah kami di jalan itu. Maka petunjuk kepada jalan adalah konsisten terhadap agama Islam dan mening-galkan agama-agama selainnya.
Petunjuk kepada jalan meliputi petunjuk kepada seluruh perincian-perincian agama baik ilmu maupun amalannya. Oleh karena itu, doa ini adalah termasuk doa yang paling lengkap dan paling berguna bagi seorang hamba. Dengan demikian, maka wajiblah atas manusia untuk berdoa kepada Allah dengan doa itu dalam setiap rakaat shalatnya, karena kebutuhannya yang sangat kepada hal tersebut, dan jalan yang lurus itu adalah:
(7) ﴾ صِرَٰطَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنۡعَمۡتَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ ﴿ "Yaitu jalan orang-orang yang telah Eng-kau anugerahkan nikmat kepada mereka," dari para Nabi, orang-orang yang benar dalam keimanan (ash-Shiddiqun), para syuhada, dan orang-orang shalih, ﴾ غَيۡرِ ﴿ "bukan" jalan ﴾ ٱلۡمَغۡضُوبِ عَلَيۡهِمۡ ﴿ "mereka yang dimurkai" yang mengetahui kebenaran namun meninggalkan kebe-naran tersebut seperti Yahudi dan semisal mereka, dan bukan pula jalan ﴾ ٱلضَّآلِّينَ ﴿ "mereka yang sesat" yakni orang-orang yang mening-galkan kebenaran karena kebodohan dan kesesatan seperti Nasrani dan semisal mereka.
Surat ini dengan keringkasannya meliputi hal-hal yang tidak diliputi oleh surat-surat lainnya dalam al-Qur`an. Surat ini mengan-dung macam-macam tauhid yang tiga yaitu tauhid rububiyah yang disarikan dari FirmanNya ﴾ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ﴿ "Rabb sekalian alam," tauhid uluhiyah yaitu mengesakan Allah dalam beribadah yang disarikan dari kata "Allah" dan dari FirmanNya ﴾ إِيَّاكَ نَعۡبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسۡتَعِينُ ﴿ "Hanya kepada Engkau-lah kami menyembah dan hanya kepada Engkau-lah kami memohon pertolongan," dan tauhid Asma` wa Shifat, yaitu menetapkan sifat-sifat kesempurnaan bagi Allah تعالى yang telah ditetapkan oleh DiriNya sendiri dan ditetapkan oleh RasulNya ﷺ tanpa meng-ingkari, memisalkan, dan menyerupakan, di mana sesungguhnya hal itu ditunjukkan oleh kata ﴾ ٱلۡحَمۡدُ ﴿ "pujian" sebagaimana yang telah lalu.
Demikian juga surat ini mengandung penetapan akan kena-bian dalam FirmanNya ﴾ ٱهۡدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٰطَ ٱلۡمُسۡتَقِيمَ ﴿ "Tunjukilah kami jalan yang lurus," karena hal itu tidak akan mungkin tanpa adanya risalah.
Juga penetapan akan balasan bagi segala perbuatan yaitu dalam FirmanNya, ﴾ مَٰلِكِ يَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ ﴿ "Yang menguasai Hari Pembalasan," dan bahwasanya balasan itu terjadi dengan keadilan, karena pem-balasan adalah ganjaran dengan adil.
Dan penetapan akan takdir, bahwasanya seorang hamba itu benar-benar sebagai pelaku, berbeda dengan pemikiran al-Qada-riyah maupun al-Jabariyah. Bahkan ia mengandung penolakan terhadap ahli-ahli bid'ah dan kesesatan seperti dalam FirmanNya, ﴾ ٱهۡدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٰطَ ٱلۡمُسۡتَقِيمَ ﴿ "Tunjukilah kami jalan yang lurus," karena ia ber-makna mengetahui yang benar lalu mengamalkannya, sedangkan setiap pelaku bid'ah dan pelaku kesesatan adalah menyimpang dari semua itu.
Juga mengandung ajaran untuk ikhlas beragama hanya untuk Allah تعالى semata, baik ibadah maupun permohonan pertolongan, yaitu dalam FirmanNya, ﴾ إِيَّاكَ نَعۡبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسۡتَعِينُ ﴿ "Hanya kepada Engkau-lah kami menyembah dan hanya kepada Engkau-lah kami memohon per-tolongan." Akhirnya segala pujian hanya bagi Allah, Rabb sekalian alam.
Bismillah بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ is a verse of the Holy Qur'an
There is consensus of all the Muslims on the fact that Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ is a verse of the Holy Qur'an, being a part of the Surah al-Naml سورة النمل (The Ant); and there is also an agreement on that this verse is written at the head of every Surah except the Surah al-Taubah سورة التوبہ . But there is a difference of opinion among the Mujtahids مجتہدین (the authentic scholars who are entitled to express an opinion in such matters) as to whether this verse is an integral part of the Surah al-Fatihah or of all the Surahs or not. According to the great Imam Abu Hanifah (رح) ، it is not an integral part of any Surah except al-Naml, rather it is in itself an independent verse of the Holy Qur'an which has been revealed for being placed at the beginning of every Surah in order to separate and distinguish one Surah from another.
The merits of Bismillah بسمِ اللہ
It was a custom in the Age of Ignorance (Jahiliyyah جاہلیہ ) before the advent of Islam that people began everything they did with the names of their idols or gods. It was to eradicate this practice that the first verse of the Holy Qur'an which the Archangel Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) brought down to the Holy Prophet ﷺ commanded him to begin the Qur'an with the name of Allah اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ "Read with the name of your Lord."
The famous commentator al-Suyuti says that beside the Holy Qur'an all the other divine books too begin with Bismillah. Certain other scholars are of the opinion that Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ is peculiar to the Qur'an and to the followers of Muhammad ﷺ . The two views can be brought into agreement with each other if we 'say that all the divine books share the common trait of beginning with the name of Allah, but the words Bismillah Al-Rahman Al-Rahim بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ are peculiar to the Holy Qur'an, as is evident from certain Traditions (Ahadith) which report that in order to begin with the name of Allah anything he, undertook, the Holy Prophet ﷺ used to say the words بِسْمِک اللَّـهِم (Bismika Allahumma), but when the verse Bismillah Al-Rahman Al-Rahim بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ was revealed, he adopted these words. Since then this practice was established through the verbal command of the Holy Prophet ﷺ or through his act or tacit approval). (See Qurtubi and Ruh al-Ma` ani)
The Holy Qur'an again and again instructs us to begin what we do with the name of Allah. The Holy Prophet ﷺ has said that
no important work receives the blessings of Allah, unless it is begun
with His name. According to yet another hadith (Tradition), closing the door of one's house, putting out the lamp, covering a vessel, should all be done with the recitation of Bismillah. The Holy Qur'an and the ahadith (Traditions) repeatedly instruct us to recite this verse while taking food, drinking water, performing the wudu وضو (ablution), getting on a carriage or getting down from it. (See Qurtubi)
By instructing man to begin everything with the name of Allah, Islam has given to the whole of his life an orientation towards Allah so that he may, with each step he takes, renew his allegiance to the covenant with Allah that nothing he does, not even his very being can come into existence without the will and the help of Allah. Thus, all the economic and worldly activities of man, each movement and gesture becomes transformed into an act of worship. l How brief is the action, which consumes neither time nor energy, and yet how immense is the gain -- it is a regular alchemy, transmuting the profane (dunya دنیا) into the sacred (din دین); a disbeliever eats and drinks just as a Muslim does but in saying 'Bismillah' بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ as he begins to eat, the Muslim affirms that it was not in his power to obtain this little morsel of food which has passed through innumerable stages from the sowing of the seed to the reaping of the grain corn, and which has during this process required the labours of the wind, the rain, the sun, of the heavens and of the earth, and of a thousand men -- and that it is Allah alone who has granted him this morsel of food or this draught of water by making it go through all these stages. A disbeliever goes to sleep, wakes up and goes about as much as a Muslim. But while going to sleep or waking up, the Muslim mentions the name of Allah, renewing his relationship with Him. Thus his economic and worldly needs and activities acquire the nature of the remembrance of Allah, and are counted as acts of worship. Similarly, in saying 'Bismillah' بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ while getting on to a carriage, the Muslim testifies to the fact that it is beyond the power of man to produce this carriage and to procure it for him, and that it is only the infallible and divinely-created order of things that has brought together from all the corners of the world the wood, the steel and other metals which have gone into the making of the carriage, as well as the mechanics who have given a particular shape to these components, and the driver -- and finally put all these into the service of man who can make use of the labour of this army of the creatures of man who can God (اللہ)by spending a few coins. And even these coins have not been created by him, it is Allah himself who has provided the complex ways and means of earning them. Veritably, 'Bismillah' بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ is the legendary philosopher's stone which transmutes, not copper, but mere dust into the purest of gold. فاللہ الحمد علٰی دِین الاسلام و تعلیماتہ ماکهن :'So then, praised be Allah for the religion of Islam an6 its teachings.'
1. This is the only way in which human life can, to use a word dear to modern cultural anthropology, be sacralized in any meaningful sense of the term -- Translator
Ruling
'Before beginning to recite the Qur'an it is sunnah to first say: اعوذ باللہ من الشیطان الرجیم (I seek refuge with Allah from Satan -- the accursed)
and then بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ (I begin with the name of Allah, the
All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful). And during the tilawah تلاوت (the recitation of the Holy Qur'an) as well, saying AI 'Bismillah بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ... at the beginning of each Surah, except the Surah Al-Bara'ah (al-Taubah), is Sunnah.
Commentary
'Bismillah': This phrase is composed of three words -- the Ietter 'Ba', 'Ism' and 'Allah'. The preposition 'Ba' has several connotations in Arabic, three of which are appropriate to the occasion. All the three are applicable here: (1) Contiguity, or the close proximity between one thing and the other; (2) Seeking the aid of someone or something; (3) To seek the blessings of someone.
The word 'Ism' has many lexical and intellectual nuances of meaning, the knowledge of which would not be essential for the average reader. It is sufficient to know that this word is translated in English as 'Name'.
The word, 'Allah' is the greatest and the most comprehensive of the divine names. According to some scholars, it is the 'Great Name', or 'Al-Ism al-A` zam' الاسم اعظم . (According to the Tradition (Hadith), the Great Name carries with it such a benediction that a prayer is granted when this word has been uttered. Reports differ as to what this Great Name is). The word 'Allah' refers to the Essence, and hence this name cannot be given to anyone except Allah. That is why this word has neither a plural nor a dual, for Allah is One and has no associate. In short, Allah is the name of that Ultimate Reality which comprehends in Itself all the attributes of perfection, which is the creator and sustainer, unique and peerless.
Thus, the phrase 'Bismillah' has these three respective significations according to the three connotations of the .preposition 'Ba' ب :
a) With the name of Allah اللہ
b) With the help of the name of Allah اللہ
c) With the barakah or benediction of the name of Allah اللہ .
But, in all the three forms, the phrase obviously remains incomplete unless one mentions the work which one intends to begin with the name of Allah or with its help or benediction. So, according to the rules of grammar, some verb is taken to be understood here which should be suitable for the occasion -- e.g., 'I begin or recite with the name of Allah.' Propriety demands that even this verb should be understood to occur after the phrase, so that one does actually begin with the name of Allah and the verb does not precede His name. The preposition 'Ba' has, however, to be placed before the name of Allah, for it is an exigency of the Arabic language. But even in this respect the ` Uthmani manuscript of the Holy Qur'an prepared by the third Caliph ` Uthman ؓ ، has made the necessary modification in accordance with the consensus of the Companions of the Holy Prophet ﷺ .
The regular Arabic script requires the letter 'Ba' here to be joined with the letter 'Alif ', producing this shape بِسْمِ اللّہٰ. But the ` Uthmani manuscript has dropped the Alif , and joined the letter 'Ba' with the letter 'Sin' س ، making the 'Ba' look like a part of the word 'Ism' اسم ، so that the beginning is made, in effect, with the name of Allah. That is why the letter Alif is not dropped in other combinations between the preposition 'Ba' and the noun 'Ism' -- for example, in the verse اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ (Igra' biismi Rabbik), the 'Alif is written along with the 'Ba'. It is the peculiarity of 'Bismillah' alone that the letter 'Ba' has been joined with the letter 'Sin'. Merciful) -- these two are the attributes of Allah Almighty. Rahman رحمان ' signifies one whose mercy is common to all, and extends to the whole universe, to everything that will be created in the future. On the other hand, 'Rahim رحیم ' signifies one whose mercy is perfect in all possible ways. That is why 'Rahman رحمان ' is the exclusive attribute of Allah and the word is employed only when one is referring to Him. It is not permissible to qualify any created being as 'Rahman', for there cannot possibly be anyone else, beside Allah, whose mercy should be all-embracing and all-inclusive. Just like the word 'Allah', there is no dual or plural for the word 'Rahman' too, because these words are in their signification exclusive to the One and Absolute Being which does not permit the existence of a second or a third. (Tafsir al-Qurtubi) The signification of the word 'Rahim', on the contrary, does not contain anything which it should be impossible to find in a created being, for a man may be perfectly merciful in his dealings with another man. So, the word Rahim' may justifiably be employed in the case of a human being -- as the Qur'an itself has used the word in speaking of the Holy Prophet ﷺ which is: (He is gentle and very merciful towards the Muslims).
Ruling: This would easily show that those who shorten names such as ` Abd al-Rahman or Fadl al-Rahman into 'Rahman' are doing what is not permissible and are thus committing a sin.
Out of the 'Beautiful Names' الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَىٰ : Al-Asma' al-Husna) of Allah Almighty and His attributes of perfection, only two have been mentioned in this verse - namely, 'al-Rahman' الرحمٰن and 'al-Rahim' الحیم۔, and both have been derived from the root 'Rahmah' رحمت (mercy), indicating the all-pervasiveness and perfection of divine mercy. It points to the fact that the creation of the heavens and the earth and the sustenance of the whole universe have no other motivation than making manifest Allah's quality of mercy. He Himself had no need of these things, nor could anyone compel Him to create them. It is His own mercy which has required the creation and sustenance of the whole universal order.
How aptly this was put in Persian by poet Rumi:
مانبودیم و تقاضا نبود
لطف تو ناگفتہ مامی شنود
There was nothing -- neither our being nor our claim to be; It was Thy mercy that heard our unsaid.
Injunctions and related considerations
The Holy Qur'an says: فَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ الْقُرْآنَ فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّـهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ ﴿النحل : 98﴾ :'When you recite the Qur'an, seek the protection of Allah against Satan, the rejected one'.
According to the consensus of Ummah, it is a Sunnah to say ta'awwudh: اعوذ باللہ من الشیطان الرجیم ' before the recitation of the Holy Qur'an whether in Salah or out of Saldh (Sharah al-munyah). Saying ta'awwudh تَعَوُّذ is peculiar to the recitation of the Holy Qur'an. Therefore, with the exception of tilawah, all other chores should be taken up by first saying 'Bismillah' only. Saying ta'awwudh is not a sunnah there. (` Alamgiri, Chapter 4 - Al-Karahiyah)
One should begin the recitation of the Qur'an by reciting both اعوذ باللہ من الشیطان الرجیم (I seek the protection of Allah) and, بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ (Bismillahi: I begin with the name of Allah). During the recitation, one should repeat 'Bismillah', but not 'A` udhubillah', when one comes to the end of a Surah (or Chapter) and begins the next Surah -- with the sole exception of the Surah 'Al-Bara'ah' (البرآة). If one comes upon this particular Surah in the course of the recitation, one should not say 'Bismillah' before reading it. But if one happens to begin the recitation of the Holy Qur'an with this Surah, one should recite A` udhubillah' and 'Bismillah' both (Alamgiriah from Al-Muhit).
'Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim' is a verse of the Holy Qur'an and a part of the verse in Surah 'al-Naml'; it is also a regular verse when it occurs between two Surahs. It must, therefore, be treated with as much respect as the Holy Qur'an itself, and it is not permissible to touch it without having performed wudu وضو (ablution). In the state of major ritual impurity (e.g., after the emission of semen, or during menstruation, or after child-birth), it is not allowed to even read this verse as recitation of the Holy Qur'an before having taken a ritual bath. One may, however, recite it as a form of prayer before beginning a work, like taking one's meals or drinking water under all conditions.
Rulings:
(1) It is a Sunnah to recite 'Bismillah' after 'A` udhu-billah اعوذ باللہ ' at the very beginning of the first raka'ah in the salah. But views differ as to whether it should be recited in a loud or a low voice. Imam Abu Hanifah (رح) and certain other Imams prefer it to be done in a low voice. There is a consensus on the point that 'Bismillah' should be recited at the beginning of all the succeeding raka'ahs too. This is unanimously considered to be a Sunnah; however, in some narrations, the reciting of 'Bismillah' at the beginning of every raka'ah has been identified as wajib or necessary.
(2) In the course of salah, whether one is reciting the Holy Qur'an loudly or silently, one should not recite 'Bismillah' before beginning a Su-rah just after the Surah 'Fatihah'. Such a practice has not been reported either from the Holy Prophet ﷺ or from any of the first four Khulafa'. According to Sharh al-munyah, this is the view of Imam Abu Hanifah and of Imam Abu Yusuf رحمہم اللہ ، and Shrah al-munyah, al-Durr al-Mukhtar, al-Burhan etc. prefer it to other views. But Imam Muhammad (رح) considers it to be preferable that one should recite Bismillah' if one is reciting the Holy Qur'an in a salah offered silently. Certain reports attribute this view even to Imam Abu Hanifah (رح) ، and al-Shami (رح) has quoted some Muslim jurists in support of this view,--which has been adopted even in 'Bahishti Zewar' of Maulana Thanavi (رح) . Anyhow, there is a complete agreement among the scholars that it is not makruh or reprehensible for someone to recite 'Bismillah' in this situation.
Nhân danh Allah, bề tôi bắt đầu đọc Qur'an, với đại danh của Ngài bề tôi cầu xin Ngài phúc lành. Quả thật, câu Bismillah bao gồm ba dại danh hoàn mỹ của Allah: 1- "Allah" có nghĩa là Đấng đáng được thờ phượng, đây là danh xưng chỉ dành riêng cho một mình Allah, không ai (vật gì) ngoài Ngài được phép đặt hay gọi bằng danh xưng này. 2- "Al-Rahman" - "Đấng Rất Mực Độ Lượng" có nghĩa là Đấng với lòng nhân từ bao la phủ trùm mọi tạo vật. 3- "Al-Rahim" - "Đấng Rất Mực Khoan Dung" có nghĩa là Đấng với lòng nhân từ chỉ đối với những bề tôi có đức tin của Ngài.
Aku mulai membaca Al-Qur`ān ini dengan menyebut nama Allah dengan tujuan memohon pertolongan kepada-Nya dan berharap keberkahan dengan penyebutan nama-Nya. Lafal Basmalah mengandung tiga nama Allah yang sangat baik, yaitu: 1. Allāh; Zat yang berhak disembah, dan nama ini merupakan nama paling istimewa bagi Allah -Ta'ālā-, sehingga siapa pun selain-Nya tidak diperkenankan menyandang nama tersebut. 2. Ar-Raḥmān; pemilik rahmat yang luas dan Dia adalah Zat Yang Maha Pengasih. 3. Ar-Raḥīm; pemilik rahmat yang menyeluruh, Dia merahmati siapa pun yang dikehendaki-Nya dari makhluk-Nya, di antaranya hamba-hamba-Nya yang beriman.
Sa ngalan ni Allāh, nagsisimula ako sa pagbigkas ng Qur'ān habang nagpapatulong sa Kanya – pagkataas-taas Siya – at nagpapabiyaya sa pamamagitan ng pagbanggit sa pangalan Niya. Naglaman nga ang basmalah ng tatlo sa pinakamagagandang mga pangalan ni Allāh: 1. Allāh, na nangangahulugan: Ang sinasamba ayon sa karapatan. Ito ay ang pinakatangi sa mga pangalan ni Allāh – pagkataas-taas Siya – at hindi ipinangangalan ito sa iba pa sa Kanya – pagkataas-taas Siya. 2. ArRaḥmān (ang Napakamaawain), na nangangahulugan: ang may awang malawak, sapagkat Siya ay ang Napakamaawain ayon sa sarili Niya. 3. ArRaḥīm, na nangangahulugan: ang may awang umaabot sapagkat Siya ay naaawa sa pamamagitan ng awa Niya sa sinumang niloob Niya kabilang sa mga nilikha Niya at kabilang sa kanila ang mga Mananampalataya kabilang sa mga lingkod Niya.
Introduction to Fatihah
Which was revealed in Makkah
The Meaning of Al-Fatihah and its Various Names
This Surah is called
- Al-Fatihah, that is, the Opener of the Book, the Surah with which prayers are begun.
- It is also called, Umm Al-Kitab (the Mother of the Book), according to the majority of the scholars.
In an authentic Hadith recorded by At-Tirmidhi, who graded it Sahih, Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
الْحَمْدُ للهِ رَبَ الْعَالَمِينَ أُمُّ الْقُرْآنِ وَأُمُّ الْكِتَابِ وَالسَّبْعُ الْمَثَانِي وَالْقُرْآنُ الْعَظِيمُ
Al-Hamdu lillahi Rabbil-`Alamin is the Mother of the Qur'an, the Mother of the Book, and the seven repeated Ayat of the Glorious Qur'an.It is also called Al-Hamd and As-Salah, because the Prophet ﷺ said that his Lord said,
قَسَمْتُ الصَّلَاةَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ عَبْدِي نِصْفَيْنِ، فَإِذَا قَالَ الْعَبْدُ:الْحَمْدُ للهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِنَ، قَالَ اللهُ: حَمِدَنِي عَبْدِي
The prayer (i.e., Al-Fatihah) is divided into two halves between Me and My servants. When the servant says, `All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of existence,' Allah says, 'My servant has praised Me. Al-Fatihah was called the Salah, because reciting it is a condition for the correctness of Salah - the prayer. Al-Fatihah was also called Ash-Shifa' (the Cure).It is also called Ar-Ruqyah (remedy), since in the Sahih, there is the narration of Abu Sa`id telling the story of the Companion who used Al-Fatihah as a remedy for the tribal chief who was poisoned. Later, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to a Companion,
وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ أَنَّهَا رُقْيَةٌ
How did you know that it is a Ruqyah?Al-Fatihah was revealed in Makkah as Ibn Abbas, Qatadah and Abu Al-Aliyah stated.Allah said,
وَلَقَدْ ءاتَيْنَـكَ سَبْعًا مِّنَ الْمَثَانِي
And indeed, We have bestowed upon you the seven Mathani (seven repeatedly recited verses), (i.e. Surah Al-Fatihah) (15:87). Allah knows best.
How many Ayat does Al-Fatihah contain
There is no disagreement over the view that Al-Fatihah contains seven Ayat. According to the majority of the reciters of Al-Kufah, a group of the Companions, the Tabi`in, and a number of scholars from the successive generations, the Bismillah is a separate Ayah in its beginning. We will mention this subject again soon, if Allah wills, and in Him we trust.
The Number of Words and Letters in Al-Fatihah
The scholars say that Al-Fatihah consists of twenty-five words, and that it contains one hundred and thirteen letters.
The Reason it is called Umm Al-Kitab
In the beginning of the Book of Tafsir, in his Sahih, Al-Bukhari said; "It is called Umm Al-Kitab, because the Qur'an starts with it and because the prayer is started by reciting it." It was also said that it is called Umm Al-Kitab, because it contains the meanings of the entire Qur'an. Ibn Jarir said, "The Arabs call every comprehensive matter that contains several specific areas an Umm. For instance, they call the skin that surrounds the brain, Umm Ar-Ra's. They also call the flag that gathers the ranks of the army an Umm." He also said, "Makkah was called Umm Al-Qura, (the Mother of the Villages) because it is the grandest and the leader of all villages. It was also said that the earth was made starting from Makkah."
Further, Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah narrated about Umm Al-Qur'an that the Prophet ﷺ said,
«هِيَ أُمُّ الْقُرْآنِ وَهِيَ السَّبْعُ الْمَثَانِي وَهِيَ الْقُرْآنُ الْعَظِيمُ»
(It is Umm Al-Qur'an, the seven repeated (verses) and the Glorious Qur'an.)
Also, Abu Ja`far, Muhammad bin Jarir At-Tabari recorded Abu Hurayrah saying that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about Al-Fatihah,
«هِيَ أُمُّ الْقُرْآنِ وَهِيَ فَاتِحَةُ الْكِتَابِ وَهِيَ السَّبْعُ الْمَثَانِي»
(It is Umm Al-Qur'an, Al-Fatihah of the Book (the Opener of the Qur'an) and the seven repeated (verses).)
Virtues of Al-Fatihah
Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal recorded in the Musnad that Abu Sa`id bin Al-Mu`alla said, "I was praying when the Prophet ﷺ called me, so I did not answer him until I finished the prayer. I then went to him and he said, (What prevented you from coming) I said, 'O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! I was praying.' He said, (`Didn't Allah say),
يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ اسْتَجِيبُواْ لِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُمْ لِمَا يُحْيِيكُمْ
(O you who believe! Answer Allah (by obeying Him) and (His) Messenger when he () calls you to that which gives you life) He then said,
«لَأُعَلِّمَنَّكَ أَعْظَمَ سُورَةٍ فِي الْقُرْآنِ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَخْرُجَ مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ»
(I will teach you the greatest Surah in the Qur'an before you leave the Masjid.) He held my hand and when he was about to leave the Masjid, I said, `O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! You said: I will teach you the greatest Surah in the Qur'an.' He said, (Yes.)
الْحَمْدُ للَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ
(Al-Hamdu lillahi Rabbil-`Alamin)"
«نَعَمْ هِيَ السَّبْعُ الْمَثَانِي وَالْقُرْآنُ الْعَظِيمُ الَّذِي أُوتِيتُهُ»
(It is the seven repeated (verses) and the Glorious Qur'an that I was given.)"
Al-Bukhari, Abu Dawud, An-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah also recorded this Hadith.
Also, Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ out while Ubayy bin Ka`b was praying and said, (O Ubayy!) Ubayy did not answer him. The Prophet ﷺ said, (O Ubayy!) Ubayy prayed faster then went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, `Peace be unto you, O Messenger of Allah ﷺ !' He said, (Peace be unto you. O Ubayy, what prevented you from answering me when I called you) He said, `O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! I was praying.' He said, (Did you not read among what Allah has sent down to me,)
اسْتَجِيبُواْ لِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُمْ لِمَا يُحْيِيكُمْ
(Answer Allah (by obeying Him) and (His) Messenger when he () calls you to that which gives you life) He said, `Yes, O Messenger of Allah ﷺ ! I will not do it again.' the Prophet ﷺ said,
«أَتُحِبُّ أَنْ أُعَلِّمَكَ سُورَةً لَمْ تَنْزِلْ لَا فِي التَّورَاةِ وَلَا فِي الْإِنْجِيلِ وَلَا فِي الزَّبُورِ وَلَا فِي الْفُرْقَانِ مِثْلَهَا؟»
(Would you like me to teach you a Surah the likes of which nothing has been revealed in the Tawrah, the Injil, the Zabur (Psalms) or the Furqan (the Qur'an)) He said, `Yes, O Messenger of Allah ﷺ !' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, (I hope that I will not leave through this door until you have learned it.) He (Ka`b) said, `The Messenger of Allah ﷺ held my hand while speaking to me. Meanwhile I was slowing down fearing that he might reach the door before he finished his conversation. When we came close to the door, I said: O Messenger of Allah ﷺ ! What is the Surah that you have promised to teach me' He said, (What do you read in the prayer.) Ubayy said, `So I recited Umm Al-Qur'an to him.' He said,
«وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللهُ فِي التَّورَاةِ وَلَا فِي الْإِنْجِيلِ وَلَا فِي الزَّبُورِ وَلَا فِي الْفُرْقَانِ مِثْلَهَا إِنَّهَا السَّبْعُ الْمَثَانِي»
(By Him in Whose Hand is my soul! Allah has never revealed in the Tawrah, the Injil, the Zabur or the Furqan a Surah like it. It is the seven repeated verses that I was given.)"
Also, At-Tirmidhi recorded this Hadith and in his narration, the Prophet ﷺ said,
«إِنَّهَا مِنَ السَّبْعِ الْمَثَانِي وَالْقُرْآنِ الْعَظِيمِ الَّذِي أُعْطِيتُهُ»
(It is the seven repeated verses and the Glorious Qur'an that I was given.) At-Tirmidhi then commented that this Hadith is Hasan Sahih.
There is a similar Hadith on this subject narrated from Anas bin Malik Further, `Abdullah, the son of Imam Ahmad, recorded this Hadith from Abu Hurayrah from Ubayy bin Ka`b, and he mentioned a longer but similar wording for the above Hadith. In addition, At-Tirmidhi and An-Nasa'i recorded this Hadith from Abu Hurayrah from Ubayy bin Ka`b who said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
«مَا أَنْزَل اللهُ فِي التَّورَاةِ وَلَا فِي الْإِنْجِيلِ مِثْلَ أُمِّ الْقُرْآنِ وَهِيَ السَّبْعُ الْمَثَانِي وَهِيَ مَقْسُومَةٌ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ عَبْدِي نِصْفَيْنِ»
(Allah has never revealed in the Tawrah or the Injil anything similar to Umm Al-Qur'an.
It is the seven repeated verses and it is divided into two halves between Allah and His servant.)
This is the wording reported by An-Nasa'i. At-Tirmidhi said that this Hadith is Hasan Gharib.
Also, Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn Jabir said, "I went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ after he had poured water (for purification) and said, `Peace be unto you, O Messenger of Allah ﷺ !' He did not answer me. So I said again, `Peace be unto you, O Messenger of Allah ﷺ !' Again, he did not answer me, so I said again, `Peace be unto you, O Messenger of Allah ﷺ !' Still he did not answer me. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ went while I was following him, until he arrived at his residence. I went to the Masjid and sat there sad and depressed. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out after he performed his purification and said, (Peace and Allah's mercy be unto you, peace and Allah's mercy be unto you, peace and Allah's mercy be unto you.) He then said, (O `Abdullah bin Jabir! Should I inform you of the best Surah in the Qur'an) I said, `Yes, O Messenger of Allah ﷺ !' He said, (Read, `All praise be to Allah, the Lord of the existence,' until you finish it.)" This Hadith has a good chain of narrators.
Some scholars relied on this Hadith as evidence that some Ayat and Surahs have more virtues than others.
Furthermore, in the chapter about the virtues of the Qur'an, Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri said, "Once, we were on a journey when a female servant came and said, `The leader of this area has been poisoned and our people are away. Is there a healer among you' Then a man whose healing expertise did not interest us stood for her, he read a Ruqyah for him, and he was healed. The chief gave him thirty sheep as a gift and some milk. When he came back to us we said to him, `You know of a (new) Ruqyah, or did you do this before' He said, `I only used Umm Al-Kitab as Ruqyah.' We said, `Do not do anything further until we ask the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.' When we went back to Al-Madinah we mentioned what had happened to the Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ said,
«وَمَا كَانَ يُدْرِيهِ أَنَّهَا رُقْيَةٌ اقْسِمُوا وَاضْرِبُوا لِي بِسَهْمٍ»
(Who told him that it is a Ruqyah Divide (the sheep) and reserve a share for me.)"
Also, Muslim recorded in his Sahih, and An-Nasa'i in his Sunan that Ibn `Abbas said, "While Jibril (Gabriel) was with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, he heard a noise from above. Jibril lifted his sight to the sky and said, `This is a door in heaven being open, and it has never been opened before now.' An angel descended from that door and came to the Prophet ﷺ and said, `Receive the glad tidings of two lights that you have been given, which no other Prophet before you was given: the Opening of the Book and the last (three) Ayat of Surat Al-Baqarah. You will not read a letter of them, but will gain its benefit."' This is the wording collected by An-Nasa'i (Al-Kubra 5:12) and Muslim recorded similar wording (1:554).
Al-Fatihah and the Prayer
Muslim recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Prophet ﷺ said,
«مَنْ صَلَى صَلَاةً لَمْ يَقْرَأْ فِيهَا أُمَّ الْقُرْآنِ فَهِيَ خِدَاجٌ ثَلَاثًا غَيْرُ تَمَامٍ»
(Whoever performs any prayer in which he did not read Umm Al-Qur'an, then his prayer is incomplete.) He said it thrice.
Abu Hurayrah was asked, "When we stand behind the Imam" He said, "Read it to yourself, for I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say,
« قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: قَسَمْتُ الصّلَاةَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ عَبْدِي نِصْفَيْنِ وَلِعَبْدِي مَا سَأَلَ فَإِذَا قَالَ:
الْحَمْدُ للَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ ، قَالَ اللهُ: حَمِدَنِي عَبْدِي وَإِذَا قَالَ:
الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ ، قَالَ اللهُ: أَثْنى عَلَيَّ عَبْدِي، فَإذَا قَالَ:
مَـلِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ ، قَالَ اللهُ: مَجَّدَنِي عَبْدِي وَقَالَ مَرَّةً: فَوَّضَ إِلَيَّ عَبْدِي فَإِذَا قَالَ:
إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ ، قَالَ: هذَا بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ عَبْدِي وَلِعَبْدِي مَا سَأَلَ، فَإِذَا قَالَ:
اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ - صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ الضَّآلِّينَ ، قَالَ اللهُ: هذَا لِعَبْدِي وَلِعَبْدِي مَا سَأَلَ»
(Allah, the Exalted, said, `I have divided the prayer (Al-Fatihah) into two halves between Myself and My servant, and My servant shall have what he asks for.' If he says,
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ
(1 In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.)
الْحَمْدُ للَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ
(2 All praise and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of existence.)
Allah says, `My servant has praised Me.' When the servant says,
الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ
(3 The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.)
Allah says, `My servant has glorified Me.' When he says,
مَـلِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ
(4 The Owner of the Day of Recompense.) Allah says, `My servant has glorified Me,' or `My servant has related all matters to Me.' When he says,
إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ
(5 You (alone) we worship, and You (alone) we ask for help.) Allah says, `This is between Me and My servant, and My servant shall acquire what he sought.' When he says,
اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ - صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ الضَّآلِّينَ
(6 Guide us to the straight path.) (7 The way of those on whom You have granted Your grace, not (the way) of those who earned Your anger, nor of those who went astray), Allah says, `This is for My servant, and My servant shall acquire what he asked for.')."
These are the words of An-Nasa'i, while both Muslim and An-Nasa'i collected the following wording, "A half of it is for Me and a half for My servant, and My servant shall acquire what he asked for."
Explaining this Hadith
The last Hadith used the word Salah `prayer' in reference to reciting the Qur'an, (Al-Fatihah in this case) just as Allah said in another Ayah,
وَلاَ تَجْهَرْ بِصَلاتِكَ وَلاَ تُخَافِتْ بِهَا وَابْتَغِ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ سَبِيلاً
(And offer your Salah (prayer) neither aloud nor in a low voice, but follow a way between.) meaning, with your recitation of the Qur'an, as the Sahih related from Ibn `Abbas. Also, in the last Hadith, Allah said, "I have divided the prayer between Myself and My servant into two halves, a half for Me and a half for My servant. My servant shall have what he asked for." Allah next explained the division that involves reciting Al-Fatihah, demonstrating the importance of reciting the Qur'an during the prayer, which is one of the prayer's greatest pillars. Hence, the word `prayer' was used here although only a part of it was actually being referred to, that is, reciting the Qur'an. Similarly, the word `recite' was used where prayer is meant, as demonstrated by Allah's statement,
وَقُرْءَانَ الْفَجْرِ إِنَّ قُرْءَانَ الْفَجْرِ كَانَ مَشْهُودًا
(And recite the Qur'an in the early dawn.Verily, the recitation of the Qur'an in the early dawn is ever witnessed.) in reference to the Fajr prayer. The Two Sahihs recorded that the angels of the night and the day attend this prayer.
Reciting Al-Fatihah is required in Every Rak`ah of the Prayer
All of these facts testify to the requirement that reciting the Qur'an (Al-Fatihah) in the prayer is required, and there is a consensus between the scholars on this ruling. The Hadith that we mentioned also testifies to this fact, for the Prophet ﷺ said,
«مَنْ صَلَّى صَلَاةً لَمْ يَقْرَأْ فِيهَا بِأُمِّ الْقُرْآنِ فَهِيَ خِدَاجٌ»
(Whoever performs any prayer in which he did not recite Umm Al-Qur'an, his prayer is incomplete.)
Also, the Two Sahihs recorded that `Ubadah bin As-Samit said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
«لَا صَلَاةَ لِمَنْ لَمْ يَقْرَأْ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ»
(There is no prayer for whoever does not recite the Opening of the Book.)
Also, the Sahihs of Ibn Khuzaymah and Ibn Hibban recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
«لَا تُجْزِئُ صَلَاةٌ لَا يُقْرَأُ فِيهَا بِأُمِّ الْقُرآنِ»
(The prayer during which Umm Al-Qur'an is not recited is invalid.)
There are many other Hadiths on this subject. Therefore, reciting the Opening of the Book, during the prayer by the Imam and those praying behind him, is required in every prayer, and in every Rak`ah.
The Tafsir of Isti`adhah (seeking Refuge)
Allah said,
خُذِ الْعَفْوَ وَأْمُرْ بِالْعُرْفِ وَأَعْرِض عَنِ الْجَـهِلِينَ - وَإِمَّا يَنَزَغَنَّكَ مِنَ الشَّيْطَـنِ نَزْغٌ فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ
(Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and stay away from the foolish (i.e. don't punish them). And if an evil whisper comes to you from Shaytan (Satan), then seek refuge with Allah. Verily, He is Hearing, Knowing) (7:199-200),
ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ السَّيِّئَةَ نَحْنُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَصِفُونَ - وَقُلْ رَّبِّ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ هَمَزَاتِ الشَّيـطِينِ - وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ رَبِّ أَن يَحْضُرُونِ
(Repel evil with that which is better. We are Best-Acquainted with things they utter. And say: "My Lord! I seek refuge with You from the whisperings (suggestions) of the Shayatin (devils). And I seek refuge with You, My Lord! lest they should come near me.") (23:96-98) and,
وَلاَ تَسْتَوِى الْحَسَنَةُ وَلاَ السَّيِّئَةُ ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا الَّذِى بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِىٌّ حَمِيمٌ - وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَا إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ صَبَرُواْ وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَآ إِلاَّ ذُو حَظِّ عَظِيمٍ - وَإِمَّا يَنزَغَنَّكَ مِنَ الشَّيْطَـنِ نَزْغٌ فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ
(Repel (an evil) with one which is better, then verily he with whom there was enmity between you, (will become) as though he was a close friend. But none is granted it except those who are patient ـ and none is granted it except the owner of the great portion (of happiness in the Hereafter, i.e. Paradise and of a high moral character) in this world. And if an evil whisper from Shaytan tries to turn you away (O Muhammad ﷺ) (from doing good), then seek refuge in Allah. Verily, He is the Hearing, the Knowing.) (41:34-36) These are the only three Ayat that carry this meaning. Allah commanded that we be lenient human enemy, so that his soft nature might make him an ally and a supporter. He also commanded that we seek refuge from the satanic enemy, because the devil does not relent in his enmity if we treat him with kindness and leniency. The devil only seeks the destruction of the Son of Adam due to the vicious enmity and hatred he has always had towards man's father, Adam. Allah said,
يَـبَنِى آدَمَ لاَ يَفْتِنَنَّكُمُ الشَّيْطَـنُ كَمَآ أَخْرَجَ أَبَوَيْكُم مِّنَ الْجَنَّةِ
(O Children of Adam! Let not Shaytan deceive you, as he got your parents Adam and Hawwa' (Eve) out of Paradise) (7:27),
إِنَّ الشَّيْطَـنَ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ فَاتَّخِذُوهُ عَدُوّاً إِنَّمَا يَدْعُو حِزْبَهُ لِيَكُونُواْ مِنْ أَصْحَـبِ السَّعِيرِ
(Surely, Shaytan is an enemy to you, so take (treat) him as an enemy. He only invites his Hizb (followers) that they may become the dwellers of the blazing Fire) (35:6) and,
أَفَتَتَّخِذُونَهُ وَذُرِّيَّتَهُ أَوْلِيَآءَ مِن دُونِى وَهُمْ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ بِئْسَ لِلظَّـلِمِينَ بَدَلاً
(Will you then take him (Iblis) and his offspring as protectors and helpers rather than Me while they are enemies to you What an evil is the exchange for the Zalimun (polytheists, and wrongdoers, etc)) (18:50).
The devil assured Adam that he wanted to advise him, but he was lying. Hence, how would he treat us after he had vowed,
فَبِعِزَّتِكَ لأغْوِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَإِلاَّ عِبَادَكَ مِنْهُمُ الْمُخْلَصِينَ
("By Your might, then I will surely, mislead them all. Except Your chosen servants among them (i.e. faithful, obedient, true believers of Islamic Monotheism).") (38:82-83)
Also, Allah said,
فَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ الْقُرْءَانَ فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَـنِ الرَّجِيمِ
إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ لَهُ سُلْطَانٌ عَلَى الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَلَى رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ - إِنَّمَا سُلْطَـنُهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ يَتَوَلَّوْنَهُ وَالَّذِينَ هُم بِهِ مُشْرِكُونَ
(So when you want to recite the Qur'an, seek refuge with Allah from Shaytan, the outcast (the cursed one). Verily, he has no power over those who believe and put their trust only in their Lord (Allah). His power is only over those who obey and follow him (Satan), and those who join partners with Him.) (16:98-100).
Seeking Refuge before reciting the Qur'an
Allah said,
فَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ الْقُرْءَانَ فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَـنِ الرَّجِيمِ
(So when you want to recite the Qur'an, seek refuge with Allah from Shaytan, the outcast (the cursed one).) meaning, before you recite the Qur'an. Similarly, Allah said,
إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلوةِ فاغْسِلُواْ وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ
(When you intend to offer As-Salah (the prayer), wash your faces and your hands (forearms)) (5:6) meaning, before you stand in prayer, as evident by the Hadiths that we mentioned. Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri said, "When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would stand up in prayer at night, he would start his prayer with the Takbir (saying "Allahu Akbar"; Allah is Greater) and would then supplicate,
«سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ، وَتَبَارَكَ اسْمُكَ، وَتَعَالَى جَدُّكَ، وَلَا إِلَهَ غَيْرُكَ»
(All praise is due to You, O Allah, and also the thanks. Blessed be Your Name, Exalted be Your sovereignty, and there is no deity worthy of worship except You.)
He would then say thrice,
«لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ»
(There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah,).
He would then say,
«أَعُوذُ بِاللهِ السَّمِيعِ الْعَلِيمِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ مِنْ هَمْزَهِ وَنَفْخِهِ وَنَفْثِهِ»
(I seek refuge with Allah, the Hearing, the Knowing, from the cursed Satan, from his coercion, lures to arrogance and poems.)."
The four collectors of the Sunan recorded this Hadith, which At-Tirmidhi considered the most famous Hadith on this subject.
Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah recorded that Jubayr bin Mut`im said that his father said, "When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ started the prayer, he said,
«اللهُ أَكْبَرُ كَبِيرًا ثَلَاثًا الْحَمْدُ للهِ كَثِيرًا ثَلَاثًا سُبْحَانَ اللهِ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلًا ثَلَاثًا اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ مِنْ هَمْزِهِ وَنَفْخِهِ وَنَفْثِهِ»
(Allah is the Greater, truly the Greatest (thrice); all praise is due to Allah always (thrice); and all praise is due to Allah day and night (thrice). O Allah! I seek refuge with You from the cursed Satan, from his Hamz, Nafkh and Nafth.)." `Amr said, "The Hamz means asphyxiation, the Nafkh means arrogance, and the Nafth means poetry." Also, Ibn Majah recorded that `Ali bin Al-Mundhir said that Ibn Fudayl narrated that `Ata' bin As-Sa'ib said that Abu `Abdur-Rahman As-Sulami said that Ibn Mas`ud said that the Prophet ﷺ said,
«اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الشَّيطَانِ الرَجِيمِ وَهَمْزِهِ وَنَفْخِهِ وَنَفْثِهِ»
(O Allah! I seek refuge with You from the cursed devil, from his Hamz, Nafkh and Nafth.)
He said, "The Hamz means death, the Nafkh means arrogance, and the Nafth means poetry."
Seeking Refuge with Allah when One is Angry
In his Musnad, Al-Hafiz Abu Ya`la Ahmad bin `Ali bin Al-Muthanna Al-Mawsili reported that Ubayy bin Ka`b said, "Two men disputed with each other in the presence of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and the nose of one of them became swollen because of extreme anger. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
«إِنِّي لَأَعْلَمُ شَيْئًا لَوْ قَالَهُ لَذَهَبَ عَنْهُ مَا يَجِدُ: أَعُوذُ بِاللهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ»
(I know of some words that if he said them, what he feels will go away, 'I seek refuge with Allah from the cursed Satan.')"
An-Nasa'i also recorded this Hadith in his book, Al-Yawm wal-Laylah.
Al-Bukhari recorded that Sulayman bin Surad said, "Two men disputed in the presence of the Prophet while we were sitting with him. One of them was cursing the other fellow and his face turned red due to anger. The Prophet said,
«إِنِّي لَأَعْلَمُ كَلِمَةً لَوْ قَالَهَا لَذَهَبَ عَنْهُ مَا يَجِدُ، لَوْ قَالَ: أَعُوذُ بِاللهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ»
(I know of a statement which if he said it, will make what he feels disappear, `I seek refuge with Allah from the cursed Satan.') They said to the man, `Do you not hear what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is saying' He said, `I am not insane."' Also, Muslim, Abu Dawud and An-Nasa'i recorded this Hadith.
There are many other Hadiths about seeking refuge with Allah. One can find this subject in the books on supplication and the virtues of righteous, good deeds.
Is the Isti`adhah (seeking Refuge) required
The majority of the scholars state that reciting the Isti`adhah (in the prayer and when reciting the Qur'an) is recommended and not required, and therefore, not reciting it does not constitute a sin. However, Ar-Razi recorded that `Ata' bin Abi Rabah said that the Isti`adhah is required in the prayer and when one reads the Qur'an. In support of `Ata's statement, Ar-Razi relied upon the apparent meaning of the Ayah,
فَاسْتَعِذْ
(Then seek refuge.) He said that the Ayah contains a command that requires implementation. Also, the Prophet always said the Isti`adhah. In addition, the Isti`adhah wards off the evil of Satan, which is necessary, the rule is that the means needed to implement a requirement of the religion is itself also required. And when one says, "I seek refuge with Allah from the cursed devil." Then this will suffice.
Virtues of the Isti`adhah
The Isti`adhah cleanses the mouth from the foul speech that it has indulged in. It also purifies the mouth and prepares it to recite the speech of Allah. Further, the Isti`adhah entails seeking Allah's help and acknowledging His ability to do everything. The Isti`adhah also affirms the servant's meekness, weakness and inability to face the enemy of his inner evil, whom Allah alone, Who created this enemy, is able to repel and defeat. This enemy does not accept kindness, unlike the human enemy. There are three Ayat in the Qur'an that affirm this fact. Also, Allah said,
إِنَّ عِبَادِى لَيْسَ لَكَ عَلَيْهِمْ سُلْطَـنٌ وَكَفَى بِرَبِّكَ وَكِيلاً
(Verily, My servants (i.e. the true believers of Islamic Monotheism) ـ you have no authority over them. And sufficient is your Lord as a Guardian.) (17:65).
We should state here that the believers, whom the human enemies kill, become martyrs, while those who fall victim to the inner enemy - Satan - become bandits. Further, the believers who are defeated by the apparent enemy - disbelievers - gain a reward, while those defeated by the inner enemy earn a sin and become misguided. Since Satan sees man where man cannot see him, it is befitting that the believers seek refuge from Satan with Whom Satan cannot see. The Isti`adhah is a form of drawing closer to Allah and seeking refuge with Him from the evil of every evil creature.
What does Isti`adhah mean
Isti`adhah means, "I seek refuge with Allah from the cursed Satan so that he is prevented from affecting my religious or worldly affairs, or hindering me from adhering to what I was commanded, or luring me into what I was prohibited from." Indeed, only Allah is able to prevent the evil of Satan from touching the son of Adam. This is why Allah allowed us to be lenient and kind with the human devil, so that his soft nature might cause him to refrain from the evil he is indulging in. However, Allah required us to seek refuge with Him from the evil of Satan, because he neither accepts bribes nor does kindness affect him, for he is pure evil. Thus, only He Who created Satan is able to stop his evil. This meaning is reiterated in only three Ayat in the Qur'an. Allah said in Surat Al-A`raf,
خُذِ الْعَفْوَ وَأْمُرْ بِالْعُرْفِ وَأَعْرِض عَنِ الْجَـهِلِينَ
(Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the foolish (i.e. don't punish them).) (7:199)
This is about dealing with human beings. He then said in the same Surah,
وَإِمَّا يَنَزَغَنَّكَ مِنَ الشَّيْطَـنِ نَزْغٌ فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ
(And if an evil whisper comes to you from Shaytan, then seek refuge with Allah. Verily, He is Hearing, Knowing (7: 200).)
Allah also said in Surat Al-Mu'minun,
ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ السَّيِّئَةَ نَحْنُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَصِفُونَ - وَقُلْ رَّبِّ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ هَمَزَاتِ الشَّيـطِينِ - وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ رَبِّ أَن يَحْضُرُونِ
(Repel evil with that which is better. We are Best-Acquainted with the things they utter. And say: "My Lord! I seek refuge with You from the whisperings (suggestions) of the Shayatin (devils). And I seek refuge with You, My Lord! lest they should come near me." (23:96-98).)
Further, Allah said in Surat As-Sajdah,
وَلاَ تَسْتَوِى الْحَسَنَةُ وَلاَ السَّيِّئَةُ ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا الَّذِى بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِىٌّ حَمِيمٌ - وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَا إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ صَبَرُواْ وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَآ إِلاَّ ذُو حَظِّ عَظِيمٍ - وَإِمَّا يَنزَغَنَّكَ مِنَ الشَّيْطَـنِ نَزْغٌ فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ
(The good deed and the evil deed cannot be equal. Repel (the evil) with one which is better, then verily he, between whom and you there was enmity, (will become) as though he was a close friend. But none is granted it (the above quality) except those who are patient ـ and none is granted it except the owner of the great portion (of happiness in the Hereafter, i.e. Paradise and of a high moral character) in this world. And if an evil whisper from Shaytan tries to turn you away (from doing good), then seek refuge in Allah. Verily, He is the Hearing, the Knowing) (41:34-36).
Why the Devil is called Shaytan
In the Arabic language, Shaytan is derived from Shatana, which means the far thing. Hence, the Shaytan has a different nature than mankind, and his sinful ways are far away from every type of righteousness. It was also said that Shaytan is derived from Shata, (literally `burned'), because it was created from fire. Some scholars said that both meanings are correct, although they state that the first meaning is more plausible. Further, Siybawayh (the renowned Arab linguistic) said, "The Arabs say, `So-and-so has Tashaytan,' when he commits the act of the devils. If Shaytan was derived from Shata, they would have said, Tashayyata (rather than Tashaytan)." Hence, Shaytan is derived from the word that means, far away. This is why they call those who are rebellious (or mischievous) from among the Jinns and mankind a `Shaytan'. Allah said,
وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَا لِكُلِّ نِبِىٍّ عَدُوّاً شَيَـطِينَ الإِنْسِ وَالْجِنِّ يُوحِى بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ زُخْرُفَ الْقَوْلِ غُرُوراً
(And so We have appointed for every Prophet enemies ـ Shayatin (devils) among mankind and Jinn, inspiring one another with adorned speech as a delusion (or by way of deception)) (6:112).
In addition, the Musnad by Imam Ahmad records that Abu Dharr said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
«يَا أَبَا ذَرَ تَعَوَّذْ بِاللهِ مِنْ شَيَاطِينِ الْإِنْسِ وَالْجِنِّ»
(O Abu Dharr! Seek refuge with Allah from the devils of mankind and the Jinns.) Abu Dharr said, "I asked him , `Are there human devils' He said, (Yes.)" Furthermore, it is recorded in Sahih Muslim that Abu Dharr said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
«يَقْطَعُ الصَّلَاةَ الْمَرْأَةُ وَالْحِمَارُ وَالْكَلْبُ الْأَسْوَدُ»
(The woman, the donkey and the black dog interrupt the prayer (if they pass in front of those who do not pray behind a Sutrah, i.e. a barrier).) Abu Dharr said, "I said, `What is the difference between the black dog and the red or yellow dog' He said,
«الْكَلْبُ الْأَسْوَدُ شَيْطَانٌ»
(The black dog is a devil.)."
Also, Ibn Jarir At-Tabari recorded that `Umar bin Al-Khattab once rode a Berthawn (huge camel) which started to proceed arrogantly. `Umar kept striking the animal, but the animal kept walking in an arrogant manner. `Umar dismounted the animal and said, "By Allah! You have carried me on a Shaytan. I did not come down from it until after I had felt something strange in my heart." This Hadith has an authentic chain of narrators.
The Meaning of Ar-Rajim
Ar-Rajim means, being expelled from all types of righteousness. Allah said,
وَلَقَدْ زَيَّنَّا السَّمَآءَ الدُّنْيَا بِمَصَـبِيحَ وَجَعَلْنَـهَا رُجُوماً لِّلشَّيَـطِينِ
(And indeed We have adorned the nearest heaven with lamps, and We have made such lamps Rujuman (as missiles) to drive away the Shayatin (devils)) (67:5).
Allah also said,
إِنَّا زَيَّنَّا السَّمَآءَ الدُّنْيَا بِزِينَةٍ الْكَوَكِبِ - وَحِفْظاً مِّن كُلِّ شَيْطَـنٍ مَّارِدٍ - لاَّ يَسَّمَّعُونَ إِلَى الْمَلإِ الاٌّعْلَى وَيُقْذَفُونَ مِن كُلِّ جَانِبٍ - دُحُوراً وَلَهُمْ عَذابٌ وَاصِبٌ - إِلاَّ مَنْ خَطِفَ الْخَطْفَةَ فَأَتْبَعَهُ شِهَابٌ ثَاقِبٌ
(Verily, We have adorned the near heaven with the stars (for beauty). And to guard against every rebellious devil. They cannot listen to the higher group (angels) for they are pelted from every side. Outcast, and theirs is a constant (or painful) torment. Except such as snatch away something by stealing, and they are pursued by a flaming fire of piercing brightness) (37:6-10).
Further, Allah said,
وَلَقَدْ جَعَلْنَا فِى السَّمَاءِ بُرُوجًا وَزَيَّنَّـهَا لِلنَّـظِرِينَ - وَحَفِظْنَـهَا مِن كُلِّ شَيْطَـنٍ رَّجِيمٍ - إِلاَّ مَنِ اسْتَرَقَ السَّمْعَ فَأَتْبَعَهُ شِهَابٌ مُّبِينٌ
(And indeed, We have put the big stars in the heaven and We beautified it for the beholders. And We have guarded it (near heaven) from every Shaytan Rajim (outcast Shaytan). Except him (devil) who steals the hearing then he is pursued by a clear flaming fire.) (15:16-18).
There are several similar Ayat. It was also said that Rajim means, the person who throws or bombards things, because the devil throws doubts and evil thoughts in people's hearts. The first meaning is more popular and accurate.
Bismillah is the First Ayah of Al-Fatihah
The Companions started the Book of Allah with Bismillah:
The scholars also agree that Bismillah is a part of an Ayah in Surat An-Naml (chapter 27). They disagree over whether it is a separate Ayah before every Surah, or if it is an Ayah, or a part of an Ayah, included in every Surah where the Bismillah appears in its beginning. Ad-Daraqutni also recorded a Hadith from Abu Hurayrah from the Prophet that supports this Hadith by Ibn Khuzaymah. Also, similar statements were attributed to `Ali, Ibn `Abbas and others.
The opinion that Bismillah is an Ayah of every Surah, except Al-Bara'ah (chapter 9), was attributed to (the Companions) Ibn `Abbas, Ibn `Umar, Ibn Az-Zubayr, Abu Hurayrah and `Ali. This opinion was also attributed to the Tabi`in: `Ata', Tawus, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Makhul and Az-Zuhri. This is also the view of `Abdullah bin Al-Mubarak, Ash-Shafi`i, Ahmad bin Hanbal, (in one report from him) Ishaq bin Rahwayh and Abu `Ubayd Al-Qasim bin Salam. On the other hand, Malik, Abu Hanifah and their followers said that Bismillah is not an Ayah in Al-Fatihah or any other Surah. Dawud said that it is a separate Ayah in the beginning of every Surah, not part of the Surah itself, and this opinion was also attributed to Ahmad bin Hanbal.
Basmalah aloud in the Prayer
As for Basmalah aloud during the prayer, those who did not agree that it is a part of Al-Fatihah, state that the Basmalah should not be aloud. The scholars who stated that Bismillah is a part of every Surah (except chapter 9) had different opinions; some of them, such as Ash-Shafi`i, said that one should recite Bismillah with Al-Fatihah aloud. This is also the opinion of many among the Companions, the Tabi`in and the Imams of Muslims from the Salaf and the later generations. For instance, this is the opinion of Abu Hurayrah, Ibn `Umar, Ibn `Abbas, Mu`awiyah, `Umar and `Ali - according to Ibn `Abdul-Barr and Al-Bayhaqi. Also, the Four Khalifahs - as Al-Khatib reported - were said to have held this view although the report from them is contradicted. The Tabi`in scholars who gave this Tafsir include Sa`id bin Jubayr, `Ikrimah, Abu Qilabah, Az-Zuhri, `Ali bin Al-Hasan, his son Muhammad, Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib, `Ata', Tawus, Mujahid, Salim, Muhammad bin Ka`b Al-Qurazi, Abu Bakr bin Muhammad bin `Amr bin Hazm, Abu Wa'il, Ibn Sirin, Muhammad bin Al-Munkadir, `Ali bin `Abdullah bin `Abbas, his son Muhammad, Nafi` the freed slave of Ibn `Umar, Zayd bin Aslam, `Umar bin `Abdul-Aziz, Al-Azraq bin Qays, Habib bin Abi Thabit, Abu Ash-Sha`tha', Makhul and `Abdullah bin Ma`qil bin Muqarrin. Also, Al-Bayhaqi added `Abdullah bin Safwan, and Muhammad bin Al-Hanafiyyah to this list. In addition, Ibn `Abdul-Barr added `Amr bin Dinar.
The proof that these scholars relied on is that, since Bismillah is a part of Al-Fatihah, it should be recited aloud like the rest of Al-Fatihah. Also, An-Nasa'i recorded in his Sunan, Ibn Hibban and Ibn Khuzaymah in their Sahihs and Al-Hakim in the Mustadrak, that Abu Hurayrah once performed the prayer and recited Bismillah aloud. After he finished the prayer, he said, "Among you, I perform the prayer that is the closest to the prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ." Ad-Daraqutni, Al-Khatib and Al-Bayhaqi graded this Hadith Sahih Furthermore, in Sahih Al-Bukhari it is recorded that Anas bin Malik was asked about the recitation of the Prophet . He said, "His recitation was unhurried." He then demonstrated that and recited, while lengthening the recitation of Bismillah Ar-Rahman Ar-Rahim, Also, in the Musnad of Imam Ahmad, the Sunan of Abu Dawud, the Sahih of Ibn Hibban and the Mustadrak of Al-Hakim - it is recorded that Umm Salamah said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to distinguish each Ayah during his recitation,
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ - الْحَمْدُ للَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ - الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ - مَـلِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ
(In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of all that exists, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. The Owner of the Day of Recompense.)"
Ad-Daraqutni graded the chain of narration for this Hadith Sahih Furthermore, Imam Abu `Abdullah Ash-Shafi`i and Al-Hakim in his Mustadrak, recorded that Mu`awiyah led the prayer in Al-Madinah and did not recite the Bismillah. The Muhajirin who were present at that prayer criticized that. When Mu`awiyah led the following prayer, he recited the Bismillah aloud.
The Hadiths mentioned above provide sufficient proof for the opinion that the Bismillah is recited aloud. As for the opposing evidences and the scientific analysis of the narrations mentioned their weaknesses or otherwise it is not our desire to discuss this subject at this time.
Other scholars stated that the Bismillah should not be recited aloud in the prayer, and this is the established practice of the Four Khalifahs, as well as `Abdullah bin Mughaffal and several scholars among the Tabi`in and later generations. It is also the Madhhab (view) of Abu Hanifah, Ath-Thawri and Ahmad bin Hanbal.
Imam Malik stated that the Bismillah is not recited aloud or silently. This group based their view upon what Imam Muslim recorded that `A'ishah said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to start the prayer by reciting the Takbir (Allahu Akbar; Allah is Greater) and then recite,
الْحَمْدُ للَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ
(All praise and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of all that exists.) (Ibn Abi Hatim 1:12).
Also, the Two Sahihs recorded that Anas bin Malik said, "I prayed behind the Prophet ﷺ, Abu Bakr, `Umar and `Uthman and they used to start their prayer with,
الْحَمْدُ للَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ
(All praise and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of all that exists.)
Muslim added, "And they did not mention,
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ
(In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful) whether in the beginning or the end of the recitation." Similar is recorded in the Sunan books from `Abdullah bin Mughaffal, may Allah be pleased with him.
These are the opinions held by the respected Imams, and their statements are similar in that they agree that the prayer of those who recite Al-Fatihah aloud or in secret is correct. All the favor is from Allah.
The Virtue of Al-Fatihah
Imam Ahmad recorded in his Musnad, that a person who was riding behind the Prophet ﷺ said, "The Prophet's animal tripped, so I said, `Cursed Shaytan.' The Prophet said,
«لَا تَقُلْ: تَعِسَ الشَّيْطَانُ، فَإِنَّكَ إِذَا قُلْتَ: تَعِسَ الشَّيْطَانُ، تَعَاظَمَ وَقَالَ: بِقُوَّتِي صَرَعْتُهُ، وَإِذَا قُلْتَ: بِاسْمِ اللهِ تَصَاغَرَ حَتى يَصِيرَ مِثْلَ الذُبَابِ»
(Do not say, 'Cursed Shaytan,' for if you say these words, Satan becomes arrogant and says, 'With my strength I made him fall.' When you say, 'Bismillah,' Satan will become as small as a fly.)
Further, An-Nasa'i recorded in his book Al-Yawm wal-Laylah, and also Ibn Marduwyah in his Tafsir that Usamah bin `Umayr said, "I was riding behind the Prophet ﷺ..." and he mentioned the rest of the above Hadith. The Prophet ﷺ said in this narration,
«لَا تَقُلْ هكَذَا فَإِنَّهُ يَتَعَاظَمُ حَتَّى يَكُونَ كَالْبَيْتِ، وَلكِنْ قُلْ: بِسْمِ اللهِ، فَإنَّهُ يَصْغَرُ حَتَّى يَكُونَ كَالذُبَابَةِ»
(Do not say these words, because then Satan becomes larger; as large as a house. Rather, say, 'Bismillah,' because Satan then becomes as small as a fly.)
This is the blessing of reciting Bismillah.
Basmalah is recommended before performing any Deed
Basmalah (reciting Bismillah) is recommended before starting any action or deed. For instance, Basmalah is recommended before starting a Khutbah (speech).
The Basmalah is also recommended before one enters the place where he wants to relieve himself, there is a Hadith concerning this practice. Further, Basmalah is recommended at the beginning of ablution, for Imam Ahmad and the Sunan compilers recorded that Abu Hurayrah, Sa`id bin Zayd and Abu Sa`id narrated from the Prophet ﷺ,
«لَا وُضُوءَ لِمَنْ لَمْ يَذْكُرِ اسْمَ اللهِ عَلَيْهِ»
(There is no valid ablution for he who did not mention Allah's Name in it.)
This Hadith is Hasan (good). Also, the Basmalah is recommended before eating, for Muslim recorded in his Sahih that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to `Umar bin Abi Salamah while he was a child under his care,
«قُلْ بِسْمِ اللهِ وَكُلْ بِيَمِينِكَ وَكُلْ مِمَّا يَلِيكَ»
(Say Bismillah, eat with your right hand and eat from whatever is next to you.)
Some of the scholars stated that Basmalah before eating is obligatory. Basmalah before having sexual intercourse is also recommended. The Two Sahihs recorded that Ibn `Abbas said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
«لَوْ أَنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ إِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ أَهْلَهُ قَالَ: بِسْمِ اللهِ اللَهُمَّ جَنِّبْنَا الشَّيْطَانَ وَجَنِّبِ الشَّيْطَانَ مَا رَزَقْتَنَا،فَإنَّهُ إِنْ يُقَدَّرْ بَيْنَهُمَا وَلَدٌ لَمْ يَضُرَّهُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَبَدًا»
(If anyone of you before having sexual relations with his wife says, 'In the Name of Allah. O Allah! Protect us from Satan and also protect what you grant us (meaning the coming offspring) from Satan,' and if it is destined that they should have a child then, Satan will never be able to harm that child.)
The Meaning of "Allah"
Allah is the Name of the Lord, the Exalted. It is said that Allah is the Greatest Name of Allah, because it is referred to when describing Allah by the various attributes. For instance, Allah said,
هُوَ اللَّهُ الَّذِى لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَـدَةِ هُوَ الرَّحْمَـنُ الرَّحِيمُ - هُوَ اللَّهُ الَّذِى لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ الْمَلِكُ الْقُدُّوسُ السَّلَـمُ الْمُؤْمِنُ الْمُهَيْمِنُ الْعَزِيزُ الْجَبَّارُ الْمُتَكَبِّرُ سُبْحَـنَ اللَّهِ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ - هُوَ اللَّهُ الْخَـلِقُ الْبَارِىءُ الْمُصَوِّرُ لَهُ الاٌّسْمَآءُ الْحُسْنَى يُسَبِّحُ لَهُ مَا فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ
(He is Allah, beside Whom La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He) the Knower of the unseen and the seen. He is the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. He is Allah, beside Whom La ilaha illa Huwa, the King, the Holy, the One free from all defects, the Giver of security, the Watcher over His creatures, the Almighty, the Compeller, the Supreme. Glory be to Allah! (High is He) above all that they associate as partners with Him. He is Allah, the Creator, the Inventor of all things, the Bestower of forms. To Him belong the Best Names. All that is in the heavens and the earth glorify Him. And He is the Almighty, the Wise) (59:22-24).
Hence, Allah mentioned several of His Names as Attributes for His Name Allah. Similarly, Allah said,
وَللَّهِ الأَسْمَآءُ الْحُسْنَى فَادْعُوهُ بِهَا
(And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allah, so call on Him by them) (7:180), and,
قُلِ ادْعُواْ اللَّهَ أَوِ ادْعُواْ الرَّحْمَـنَ أَيًّا مَّا تَدْعُواْ فَلَهُ الاٌّسْمَآءَ الْحُسْنَى
(Say (O Muhammad ﷺ :) "Invoke Allah or invoke the Most Gracious (Allah), by whatever name you invoke Him (it is the same), for to Him belong the Best Names.") (17:110)
Also, the Two Sahihs recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
«إِنَّ للهِ تِسْعَةً وَتِسْعِينَ اسْمًا، مِائَةً إِلَا وَاحِدًا، مَنْ أَحْصَاهَا دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ»
(Allah has ninety-nine Names, one hundred minus one, whoever counts (and preserves) them, will enter Paradise.)
These Names were mentioned in a Hadith recorded by At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah, and there are several differences between these two narrations.
The Meaning of Ar-Rahman Ar-Rahim - the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Ar-Rahman and Ar-Rahim are two names derived from Ar-Rahmah (the mercy), but Rahman has more meanings that pertain to mercy than Ar-Rahim. There is a statement by Ibn Jarir that indicates that there is a consensus on this meaning. Further, Al-Qurtubi said, "The proof that these names are derived (from Ar-Rahmah), is what At-Tirmidhi recorded - and graded Sahih from `Abdur-Rahman bin `Awf that he heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say,
«قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالى: أَنَا الرَّحْمنُ خَلَقْتُ الرَّحِمَ وَشَقَقْتُ لَهَا اسْمًا مِنِ اسْمِي، فَمَنْ وَصَلَهَا وَصَلْتُهُ وَمَنْ قَطَعَها قَطَعْتُهُ»
(Allah the Exalted said, 'I Am Ar-Rahman. I created the Raham (womb, i.e. family relations) and derived a name for it from My Name. Hence, whoever keeps it, I will keep ties to him, and whoever severs it, I will sever ties with him.') He then said, "This is a text that indicates the derivation." He then said, "The Arabs denied the name Ar-Rahman, because of their ignorance about Allah and His attributes."
Al-Qurtubi said, "It was said that both Ar-Rahman and Ar-Rahim have the same meaning, such as the words Nadman and Nadim, as Abu `Ubayd has stated. Abu `Ali Al-Farisi said, `Ar-Rahman, which is exclusively for Allah, is a name that encompasses every type of mercy that Allah has. Ar-Rahim is what effects the believers, for Allah said,
وَكَانَ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَحِيماً
(And He is ever Rahim (merciful) to the believers.)' (33:43) Also, Ibn `Abbas said - about Ar-Rahman and Ar-Rahim, `They are two soft names, one of them is softer than the other (meaning it carries more implications of mercy)."'
Ibn Jarir said; As-Surri bin Yahya At-Tamimi narrated to me that `Uthman bin Zufar related that Al-`Azrami said about Ar-Rahman and Ar-Rahim, "He is Ar-Rahman with all creation and Ar-Rahim with the believers." Hence. Allah's statements,
ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ الرَّحْمَـنُ
(Then He rose over (Istawa) the Throne (in a manner that suits His majesty), Ar-Rahman) (25:59),) and,
الرَّحْمَـنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَى
(Ar-Rahman (Allah) rose over (Istawa) the (Mighty) Throne (in a manner that suits His majesty).) (20:5)
Allah thus mentioned the Istawa - rising over the Throne - along with His Name Ar-Rahman, to indicate that His mercy encompasses all of His creation. Allah also said,
وَكَانَ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَحِيماً
(And He is ever Rahim (merciful) to the believers), thus encompassing the believers with His Name Ar-Rahim. They said, "This testifies to the fact that Ar-Rahman carries a broader scope of meanings pertaining to the mercy of Allah with His creation in both lives. Meanwhile, Ar-Rahim is exclusively for the believers." Yet, we should mention that there is a supplication that reads,
«رَحْمنَ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَرَحِيمَهُمَا»
(The Rahman and the Rahim of this life and the Hereafter)
Allah's Name Ar-Rahman is exclusively His. For instance, Allah said,
قُلِ ادْعُواْ اللَّهَ أَوِ ادْعُواْ الرَّحْمَـنَ أَيًّا مَّا تَدْعُواْ فَلَهُ الاٌّسْمَآءَ الْحُسْنَى
(Say (O Muhammad ﷺ ): "Invoke Allah or invoke Ar-Rahman (Allah), by whatever name you invoke Him (it is the same), for to Him belong the Best Names) (17:110),) and,
وَاسْئلْ مَنْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رُّسُلِنَآ أَجَعَلْنَا مِن دُونِ الرَّحْمَـنِ ءَالِهَةً يُعْبَدُونَ
(And ask (O Muhammad ﷺ ) those of Our Messengers whom We sent before you: "Did We ever appoint alihah (gods) to be worshipped besides Ar-Rahman (Most Gracious, Allah)") (43:45).
Further, when Musaylimah the Liar called himself the Rahman of Yamamah, Allah made him known by the name `Liar' and exposed him. Hence, whenever Musaylimah is mentioned, he is described as `the Liar'. He became an example for lying among the residents of the cities and villages and the residents of the deserts, the bedouins.
Therefore, Allah first mentioned His Name - Allah - that is exclusively His and described this Name by Ar-Rahman, which no one else is allowed to use, just as Allah said,
قُلِ ادْعُواْ اللَّهَ أَوِ ادْعُواْ الرَّحْمَـنَ أَيًّا مَّا تَدْعُواْ فَلَهُ الاٌّسْمَآءَ الْحُسْنَى
(Say (O Muhammad ﷺ): "Invoke Allah or invoke Ar-Rahman (Allah), by whatever name you invoke Him (it is the same), for to Him belong the Best Names.") (17:110)
Only Musaylimah and those who followed his misguided ways described Musaylimah by Ar-Rahman.
As for Allah's Name Ar-Rahim, Allah has described others by it. For instance, Allah said,
لَقَدْ جَآءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا عَنِتُّمْ حَرِيصٌ عَلَيْكُمْ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ
(Verily, there has come unto you a Messenger (Muhammad ﷺ ) from amongst yourselves (i.e. whom you know well). It grieves him that you should receive any injury or difficulty. He (Muhammad ﷺ) is anxious over you (to be rightly guided) for the believers (he is) kind (full of pity), and Rahim (merciful)) (9:128).
Allah has also described some of His creation using some of His other Names. For instance, Allah said,
إِنَّا خَلَقْنَا الإِنسَـنَ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ أَمْشَاجٍ نَّبْتَلِيهِ فَجَعَلْنَـهُ سَمِيعاً بَصِيراً
(Verily, We have created man from Nutfah (drops) of mixed semen (sexual discharge of man and woman), in order to try him, so We made him hearer (Sami`) and seer (Basir) (76:2).
In conclusion, there are several of Allah's Names that are used as names for others besides Allah. Further, some of Allah's Names are exclusive for Allah alone, such as Allah, Ar-Rahman, Al-Khaliq (the Creator), Ar-Raziq (the Sustainer), and so forth.
Hence, Allah started the Tasmiyah (meaning, `In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious Most Merciful') with His Name, Allah, and described Himself as Ar-Rahman, (Most Gracious) which is softer and more general than Ar-Rahim. The most honorable Names are mentioned first, just as Allah did here.
A Hadith narrated by Umm Salamah stated that the recitation of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was slow and clear, letter by letter,
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ - الْحَمْدُ للَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ - الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ - مَـلِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ
(In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of all that exists. The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. The Owner of the Day of Recompense) (1:1-4).
And this is how a group of scholars recite it. Others connected the recitation of the Tasmiyah to Al-Hamd.
Nel nome di Allāh, inizio a leggere il Corano chiedendo aiuto a Lui, l'Altissimo, cercando la Sua Benedizione, menzionando il Suo nome. La bæsmæleh comprende tre dei sublimi nomi di Allāh: 1 – Allāh, cioè: Colui che è adorato realmente; è il nome più alto che spetta solo ad Allāh, l'Altissimo, e nessun altro può essere chiamato con questo nome - Gloria Sua. 2 – Al-Raħmǣn ﴾il Compassionevole﴿, cioè colmo di compassione. 3 – Al-Raħīm ﴾il Misericordioso﴿, cioè colui che possiede abbondante e assidua misericordia. Egli ha misericordia di chi Egli vuole del Suo Creato, tra cui i Suoi sudditi fedeli.
Svoje učenje Kur’ana počinjem s imenom Allaha Uzvišenog, od Njega tražeći snagu za to, moleći za Njegov blagoslov i spominjući Njegovo ime. Bismila sadrži tri Allahova lijepa imena, i to: 1. Allah, tj. Onaj Koji istinski zaslužuje da bude obožavan. To je najposebnije Allahovo ime i niko se njime ne smije nazvati osim Allaha; 2. er-Rahman – Milostivi, tj. Onaj Koji posjeduje svojstvo apsolutne milosti, i ovo ime ukazuje na to da Allah posjeduje milost kao svojstvo Svog Bića; 3. er-Rahim – Samilosni, tj. Onaj Koji Svoju milost spušta na ona stvorenja na koja On hoće, a među koja spadaju i vjernici.
Potpuna pohvala i sve vrste veličanja kroz uzvišena i savršena svojstva, pripadaju samo Allahu, jer On je Gospodar, Tvorac i Upravitelj svega što postoji. Izraz "el-'alemun/svjetovi" jeste množina riječi "el-'alem/svijet", a označava sve drugo mimo Allaha Uzvišenog.
The Meaning of Al-Hamd
Abu Ja`far bin Jarir said, "The meaning of
الْحَمْدُ للَّهِ
(Al-Hamdu Lillah) (all praise and thanks be to Allah) 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's innumerable favors and bounties, that only He knows the amount of. Allah's bounties include creating the tools that help the creation 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 creation and alerted them about the means and methods with which they can earn eternal dwelling in the residence of everlasting happiness. All thanks and praise are due to Allah for these favors from beginning to end."
Further, Ibn Jarir commented on the Ayah,
الْحَمْدُ للَّهِ
(Al-Hamdu Lillah), that it means, "A praise that Allah praised Himself with, indicating to His servants that they too should praise Him, as if Allah had said, `Say: All thanks and praise is due to Allah.' It was said that the statement,
الْحَمْدُ للَّهِ
(All praise and thanks be to Allah), entails praising Allah by mentioning His most beautiful Names and most honorable Attributes. When one proclaims, `All thanks are due to Allah,' he will be thanking Him for His favors and bounties."
The Difference between Praise and Thanks
Hamd is more general, in that it is a statement of praise for one's characteristics, or for what he has done. Thanks are given for what was done, not merely for characteristics.
The Statements of the Salaf about Al-Hamd
Hafs mentioned that `Umar said to `Ali, "We know La ilaha illallah, Subhan Allah and Allahu Akbar. What about Al-Hamdu Lillah" `Ali said, "A statement that Allah liked for Himself, was pleased with for Himself and He likes that it be repeated." Also, Ibn `Abbas said, "Al-Hamdu Lillah is the statement of appreciation. When the servant says Al-Hamdu Lillah, Allah says, `My servant has praised Me." Ibn Abi Hatim recorded this Hadith.
The Virtues of Al-Hamd
Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal recorded that Al-Aswad bin Sari` said, "I said, `O Messenger of Allah ﷺ ! Should I recite to you words of praise for My Lord, the Exalted, that I have collected' He said,
«أَمَا إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يُحِبُّ الْحَمْدَ»
(Verily, your Lord likes Al-Hamd.)"
An-Nasa'i also recorded this Hadith. Furthermore, Abu `Isa At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah recorded that Musa bin Ibrahim bin Kathir related that Talhah bin Khirash said that Jabir bin `Abdullah said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
«أَفْضَلُ الذِّكْرِ لَا إِلهَ إِلَّا اللهُ، وَأَفْضَلُ الدُّعَاءِ الْحَمْدُدِلله»
(The best Dhikr (remembering Allah) is La ilaha illallah and the best supplication is Al-Hamdu Lillah.)
At-Tirmidhi said that this Hadith is Hasan Gharib. Also, Ibn Majah recorded that Anas bin Malik said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
«مَا أَنْعَمَ اللهُ عَلَى عَبْدٍنِعْمَةً فَقَالَ: الْحَمْدُ للهِ، إِلَّا كَانَ الَّذِي أَعْطَى أَفْضَلَ مِمَّا أَخَذَ»
(No servant is blessed by Allah and says,`Al-Hamdu Lillah', except that what he was given is better than that which he has himself acquired.) Further, in his Sunan, Ibn Majah recorded that Ibn `Umar said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
«إِنَّ عَبْدًا مِنْ عِبَادِ اللهِ قَالَ:يَا رَبِّ لَكَ الْحَمْدُ كَمَا يَنْبَغِي لِجَلَالِ وَجْهِكَ وَعَظِيمِ سُلْطَانِكَ. فَعَضَلَتْ بِالْمَلَكَيْنِ فَلَمْ يَدْرِيَا كَيْفَ يَكْتُبَانِهَا فَصَعِدَا إِلَى اللهِ فَقَالَا: يَا رَبَّنَا إِنَّ عَبْدًا قَدْ قَالَ مَقَالَةً لَا نَدْرِي كَيْفَ نَكْتُبُهَا، قَالَ اللهُ، وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا قَالَ عَبْدُهُ: مَاذَا قَالَ عَبْدِي؟ قَالَا: يَا رَبِّ إِنَّهُ قَالَ: لَكَ الْحَمْدُ يَا رَبِّ كَمَا يَنْبَغِي لِجَلَالِ وَجْهِكَ وَعَظِيمِ سُلْطَانِكَ. فَقَالَ اللهُ لَهُمَا: اكْتُبَاهَا كَمَا قَالَ عَبْدِي، حَتَّى يَلْقَانِي فَأَجْزِيهِ بِهَا.»
(A servant of Allah once said, `O Allah! Yours is the Hamd that is suitable for the grace of Your Face and the greatness of Your Supreme Authority.' The two angels were confused as to how to write these words. They ascended to Allah and said, `O our Lord! A servant has just uttered a statement and we are unsure how to record it for him.' Allah said while having more knowledge in what His servant has said, 'What did My servant say' They said, `He said, `O Allah! Yours is the Hamd that is suitable for the grace of Your Face and the greatness of Your Supreme Authority.' Allah said to them, `Write it as My servant has said it, until he meets Me and then I shall reward him for it.)
Al before Hamd encompasses all Types of Thanks and Appreciation for Allah
The letters Alif and Lam before the word Hamd serve to encompass all types of thanks and appreciation for Allah, the Exalted. A Hadith stated,
«اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ الْحَمْدُ كُلُّهُ، وَلَكَ الْمُلْكُ كُلُّهُ، وَبِيَدِكَ الْخَيْرُ كُلُّهُ، وَإِلَيْكَ يُرْجَعُ الْأَمْرُ كُلُّهُ»
(O Allah! All of Al-Hamd is due to You, You own all the ownership, all types of good are in Your Hand and all affairs belong to You.)
The Meaning of Ar-Rabb, the Lord
Ar-Rabb is the owner who has full authority over his property. Ar-Rabb, linguistically means, the master or the one who has the authority to lead. All of these meanings are correct for Allah. When it is alone, the word Rabb is used only for Allah. As for other than Allah, it can be used to say Rabb Ad-Dar, the master of such and such object. Further, it was reported that Ar-Rabb is Allah's Greatest Name.
The Meaning of Al-`Alamin
Al-`Alamin is plural for `Alam, which encompasses everything in existence except Allah. The word `Alam is itself a plural word, having no singular form. The `Alamin are different creations that exist in the heavens and the earth, on land and at sea. Every generation of creation is called an `Alam. Al-Farra` and Abu `Ubayd said, "`Alam includes all that has a mind, the Jinns, mankind, the angels and the devils, but not the animals." Also, Zayd bin Aslam and Abu Muhaysin said, `Alam includes all that Allah has created with a soul." Further, Qatadah said about,
رَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ
(The Lord of the `Alamin), "Every type of creation is an `Alam." Az-Zajjaj also said, "Alam encompasses everything that Allah created, in this life and in the Hereafter." Al-Qurtubi commented, "This is the correct meaning, that the `Alam encompasses everything that Allah created in both worlds. Similarly, Allah said,
قَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ وَمَا رَبُّ الْعَـلَمِينَ - قَالَ رَبُّ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَآ إِن كُنتُمْ مُّوقِنِينَ
(Fir`awn (Pharaoh) said: "And what is the Lord of the `Alamin" Musa (Moses) said: "The Lord of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them, if you seek to be convinced with certainty") (26:23-24).
Why is the Creation called `Alam
`Alam is derived from `Alamah, that is because it is a sign testifying to the existence of its Creator and to His Oneness."
La louange désigne ici la célébration des attributs divins, plus particulièrement des attributs de la majesté et de perfection qu’Il détient Seul à l’exclusion de tout autre être, puisqu’Il est le Seigneur (`ar-rabbu) et le Créateur (`al-khâliqu) et de toute chose ainsi que Celui qui en dispose (`al-mudabbiru). Le mot `al-’âlamîna (déclinaison de `al-’âlamûna) est le pluriel de ‘âlamun et désigne l’ensemble de la Création, c’est-à-dire tout ce qui existe à l’exception d’Allah, exalté soit-Il.
Lời khen ngợi hoàn hảo và tất cả các loại ca ngợi về các thuộc tính của sự uy nghi và hoàn hảo chỉ dành riêng cho Allah duy nhất chứ không ai khác ngoài Ngài, vì Ngài là Thượng Đế của mọi thứ, Đấng Tạo Hoá, Đấng điều hành chúng; vũ trụ và vạn vật là tất cả những gì ngoài Allah Tối Cao.
Ang lubos na pagbubunyi at ang lahat ng mga uri ng mga papuri ay kabilang sa mga katangian ng kapitaganan at kalubusan ay ukol kay Allāh lamang kaysa sa sinumang iba sa Kanya yayamang Siya ay Panginoon ng bawat bagay, Tagalikha nito, at Tagapangasiwa nito. Ang al-`ālamūn/al-`ālamīn (ang mga nilalang) ay pangmaramihan ng `ālam (nilalang). Sila ay ang lahat ng anumang iba kay Allāh – pagkataas-taas Siya.
Tutti i tipi di lode per le qualità di Maestà e Perfezione spettano solo a Lui e non appartengono a nessun altro, poiché Egli è il Dio di tutti, il Creatore e Governatore. E «Al-Alamun» ﴾i mondi﴿: è il plurale di «mondo»; comprende tutto e tutti al di fuori di Allāh l’Altissimo. (sono creati)
La alabanza se refiere aquí a la celebración de los atributos divinos, particularmente a los atributos de majestuosidad y perfección que solo Él detenta, a exclusión de cualquier otro ser, ya que Él es el Señor (ar-rabbu) y el Creador (al-Jaliqu), y a exclusión también de cualquier otra cosa, siendo Él Aquel que dispone de dichos atributos (al-mudabbiru).
El término ‘al’alamina es el plural de ‘alamun y designa al conjunto de la Creación, es decir, de todo lo que existe a excepción de Al‑lah.
Mutlak övgü, yücelik ve kemal sıfatlarındaki bütün övgüler yalnızca Allah içindir. O her şeyin Rabbi, yaratıcısı ve idare edenidir. Âlemler, âlem kelimesinin çoğuludur ve Allah Teâlâ'nın dışındaki her şeydir.
All praise belongs to Allah with regards to His essence, attributes and actions, because He is the Creator of everything. Everything belongs to Him and He is the disposer of their affairs; blessing individuals specifically and humans in general.
This Surah comprises seven verses. Of these, the first three are in praise of Allah, while the last three contain a request or a prayer on the part of man, which Allah himself has, in His infinite mercy, taught him. The verse in between the two sets has both the features -- there is an aspect of praise, and another of prayer.
The Sahih of Muslim reports from the blessed Companion Abu Hurayrah a hadith (Tradition) of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him): "Allah has said, 'The salah (i.e., the Surah al-Fatihah) is equally divided between Me and My servant. And My servant shall be given what he prays for." The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) continued: "When the servant says:
اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعٰلَمِيْنَ
Praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds,
Allah says: "My servant has paid his homage to Me." When he says:
الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
The All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful
Allah says: "My servant has praised Me." When the servant says:
مٰلِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّيْنِ
The Master of the Day of Judgment
Allah says, "My servant has proclaimed my greatness." When the servant says:
اِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَاِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِيْنُ
You alone we worship, and to You alone we pray for help
Allah says, "This verse is common to Me and My servant. He shall be given what he has prayed for." When the servant says:
اِھْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَـقِيْمَ
Guide us in the straight path
Allah says: "All this is there for My servant.-He shall be given what he prays for." (mazhari)
The Surah begins with the words Al-hamdulillah, signifying that all praise essentially belongs to Allah. Whosoever praises anything anywhere in the world is ultimately praising Allah. The sensible world contains millions of things which compel man's attention and admiration for their beauty and usefulness, but if one tries to look behind the veil of appearances, one would find in each and every thing the manifestation of the same creative power. Admiring anything that exists in the created world is no more than showing one's admiration for a work of art or craft, which in fact is a praise of the artist or the craftsman. This small statement of the Holy Quran opens a new perspective for man lost in the labyrinth of multiplicity, and shows him how the many are knit together in the same unity, and how all praise in reality belongs to One whose power is absolute, and that it is only in our ignorance or indifference that we regard this praise to be due to anyone else.
If there is only one Being in the whole universe who inherently deserves all praise, it necessarily follows from it that this Being alone should be Worthy of adoration and worship. Thus we can see that although the phrase, Al-hamdulillah, has been used to signify praise, yet, by implication, it cuts the very root of polytheism or the worship of created beings, and at the same time brings out in a self-evident manner the first and the basic principle of the Islamic creed -- Oneness of God.
The next phrase to follow in the Surah speaks of an attribute of Allah -- Lord of the Worlds. Lexically, the word, Rabb signifies 'one who nurtures'. And 'nurture' implies developing a thing by gradual stages in a manner which is conducive to its own good till it attains perfection. The word, Rabb is exclusive to the sacred Being of Allah, and cannot be employed in the case of any created being without adding some qualification, for a created being is itself in need of 'nurture', and cannot nurture anyone else.
Al-'alamin is the plural of 'alam (world, universe, kingdom). "The worlds" include all possible forms of -- existence: the sky, the earth, the sun, the moon, stars, wind and rain, the angels, the jinns, animals, plants, minerals, and, of course, men. So, 'the Lord of all 'the worlds" means that Allah alone gives nurture to all the forms of existents that are to be found in this universe, or in the millions of universes that may lie beyond our own universe in the outer space. Imam Razi, the great commentator of the Holy Quran, says that the existence of an indefinite space beyond our universe can be proved on the basis of rational argument, and it is also certain that Allah is All-Powerful, so it should not be at all difficult for Him to have created millions of other universes in this endless space. It has been reported from the Companion Abu Said al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him), that there are forty thousand worlds; our world, stretching from the East to the West, is only one of them, there being many more besides it. According to the well-known commentator Muqatil, the number of worlds is eighty thousand. (see Qurtubi)
As for the objection that no man or animal can live in the outer space owing to the lack of the kind of air which should be compatible with the physical make-up of man, Imam Razi replies that the inhabitants of the worlds in the outer space need not necessarily have the same physical make-up as that of the inhabitants of our world which should make existence in space impossible for them, and suggests that their organic composition and the requirements for its nourishment and sustenance might just be totally different.
Imam Razi postulated these possibilities some eight hundred years ago without the help of the modern facilities for observation and exploration, yet the speculations of the scientists in the age of space travel endorse his view.
Seen in the light of this short phrase, 'Lord of the worlds', the universe reveals itself to be an incredibly complex, yet perfectly integrated order. From the heavens to the earth, from the planets and the stars to the particles of dust, everything is bound in a chain of being, and is performing the function assigned to it by Divine Wisdom. Man cannot obtain a little morsel of food unless a thousand forces of the sky and the earth work together to produce it. The universal order is there for man to contemplate, and to realize that, if Allah has put millions of His creatures in the service of man, man in his turn cannot be worthless or purposeless or meaningless. The Holy Quran is indeed very explicit and very insistent in reminding us that the universe is not absurd:
“We have not created in vain the heavens and the earth and what lies between them. That is the fancy of the disbelievers. But woe to the disbelievers in the fire of Hell.” (38:27)
If the universe is not in vain or absurd, man too, whose purposes the universe has been made to serve, cannot be purposeless and meaningless. The Holy Quran defines the Divine purpose in creating man and the goal of his existence in these words.
“I have not created the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” (51:56)
It may be said that the phrase 'the Lord of all the worlds' is in a way the proof of the claim made in the earlier phrase اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ : (all praise belongs to Allah). When Allah alone is the ultimate cause for the nurture of the whole universe, He alone can, in reality, be worthy of praise. Thus, the first verse of the Surah, as we said before, combines in itself the praise of Allah and a subtle indication of the first and basic principle of the Islamic creed -- the oneness of God.
Pujuan yang sempurna. Segala bentuk pujian berupa sifat keagungan dan kesempurnaan hanya bagi Allah semata karena Dia Tuhan segala sesuatu, Pencipta dan Pengaturnya. Kata al-'Ālamūn adalah bentuk plural dari Ālam yaitu segala sesuatu selain Allah -Ta'ālā-.
The second verse speaks of the Divine quality of mercy, employing two adjectives Rahman and Rahim of which are hyperbolic terms in Arabic, and respectively connote the superabundance and perfection of Divine mercy. The reference to this particular attribute in this situation is perhaps intended to be a reminder of the fact that it is not through any external compulsion or inner need or any kind of necessity whatsoever that Allah has assumed the responsibility of nurturing the whole of His creation, but in response to the demand of His own quality of mercy. If this whole universe did not exist, He would suffer no loss; if it does exist, it is no burden to Him.
Allah said next,
الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ
(Ar-Rahman (the Most Gracious), Ar-Rahim (the Most Merciful)) We explained these Names in the Basmalah. Al-Qurtubi said, "Allah has described Himself by `Ar-Rahman, Ar-Rahim' after saying `the Lord of the Alamin', so His statement here includes a warning, and then an encouragement. Similarly, Allah said,
نَبِّىءْ عِبَادِى أَنِّى أَنَا الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ - وَأَنَّ عَذَابِى هُوَ ٱلْعَذَابُ ٱلْأَلِيمُ
(Declare (O Muhammad ﷺ) unto My servants, that truly, I am the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful. And that My torment is indeed the most painful torment.) (15:49-50) Allah said,
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ سَرِيعُ الْعِقَابِ وَإِنَّهُ لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
(Surely, your Lord is swift in retribution, and certainly He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.) (6:165)
Hence, Rabb contains a warning while Ar-Rahman Ar-Rahim encourages. Further, Muslim recorded in his Sahih that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
«لَوْ يَعْلَمُ الْمُؤْمِنُ مَا عِنْدَ اللهِ مِنَ الْعُقُوبَةِ مَا طَمِعَ فِي جَنَّتِهِ أَحَدٌ، وَلَوْ يَعْلَمُ الْكَافِرُ مَا عِنْدَ اللهِ مِنَ الرَّحْمَةِ مَا قَنَطَ مِنْ رَحْمَتِهِ أَحَدٌ»
(If the believer knew what punishment Allah has, none would have hope in acquiring His Paradise, and if the disbeliever knew what mercy Allah has, none will lose hope of earning His earning.)
Ovim riječima iskazuje se pohvala Uzvišenom Allahu, nakon što Mu se, u prethodnom ajetu, iskazala zahvala.
Lode ad Allāh, l'Altissimo, dopo averLo glorificato nel verso precedente.
Isang pagbubunyi kay Allāh matapos ng pagpuri sa Kanya sa naunang talata.
Esta aleya completa la alabanza contenida en la aleya anterior, evocando Sus atributos de Misericordia.
Ini merupakan sanjungan untuk Allah -Ta'ālā- setelah memuji-Nya di ayat sebelumnya.
Ca ngợi và tán dương Allah, Đấng Tối Cao sau khi đã tán dương và ca ngợi Ngài trong câu Kinh trước
Bir önceki ayette Allah Teâlâ'ya hamt edildikten sonra sena edilip, övgüde bulunulmuştur.
Ce verset complète la louange contenue dans le verset précédent en évoquant Ses Attributs de Miséricorde.
Two names of Allah, Ar-Raḥmān and Ar-Raḥīm, derived from the word raḥmah, or mercy: indicating His mercy for creation, with the believers being the greatest recipients of it.
Yüce Allah burada kıyamet gününde olan her şeyin maliki olmakla övülmüştür. Öyle ki o gün kimse kimseye hiçbir fayda sağlayamayacaktır. "Din günü", karşılık ve hesap günüdür.
Pengagungan kepada Allah -Ta'ālā- bahwa Dialah penguasa dan pemilik segalanya pada hari Kiamat, yaitu saat tak satu jiwa pun memiliki kuasa atas jiwa lainnya. Makna "Yaumud-dīn" ialah hari pembalasan dan perhitungan.
Indicating Sovereignty on the Day of Judgment
Allah mentioned His sovereignty of the Day of Resurrection, but this does not negate His sovereignty over all other things. For Allah mentioned that He is the Lord of existence, including this earthly life and the Hereafter. Allah only mentioned the Day of Recompense here because on that Day, no one except Him will be able to claim ownership of anything whatsoever. On that Day, no one will be allowed to speak without His permission. Similarly, Allah said,
يَوْمَ يَقُومُ الرُّوحُ وَالْمَلَـئِكَةُ صَفّاً لاَّ يَتَكَلَّمُونَ إِلاَّ مَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُ الرَّحْمَـنُ وَقَالَ صَوَاباً
(The Day that Ar-Ruh (Jibril (Gabriel) or another angel) and the angels will stand forth in rows, they will not speak except him whom the Most Gracious (Allah) allows, and he will speak what is right.) (78:38),
وَخَشَعَتِ الأَصْوَاتُ لِلرَّحْمَـنِ فَلاَ تَسْمَعُ إِلاَّ هَمْساً
(And all voices will be humbled for the Most Gracious (Allah), and nothing shall you hear but the low voice of their footsteps.)(20:108), and,
يَوْمَ يَأْتِ لاَ تَكَلَّمُ نَفْسٌ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِهِ فَمِنْهُمْ شَقِىٌّ وَسَعِيدٌ
(On the Day when it comes, no person shall speak except by His (Allah's) leave. Some among them will be wretched and (others) blessed) (11:105).
Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn `Abbas commented, "Allah says, `On that Day, no one owns anything that they used to own in the world."'
The Meaning of Yawm Ad-Din
Ibn `Abbas said, "Yawm Ad-Din is the Day of Recompense for the creatures, meaning the Day of Judgment. On that Day, Allah will reckon the creation for their deeds, evil for evil, good for good, except for those whom He pardons." In addition, several other Companions, Tabi`in and scholars of the Salaf, said similarly, for this meaning is apparent and clear from the Ayah.
Allah is Al-Malik (King or Owner)
Allah is the True Owner (Malik) (of everything and everyone). Allah said,
هُوَ اللَّهُ الَّذِى لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ الْمَلِكُ الْقُدُّوسُ السَّلَـمُ
(He is Allah, beside Whom La ilaha illa Huwa, the King, the Holy, the One free from all defects) (59:23).
Also, the Two Sahihs recorded Abu Hurayrah saying that the Prophet ﷺ said,
«أَخْنَعُ اسْمٍ عِنْدَ اللهِ رَجُلٌ تَسَمَّى بِمَلِكِ الْأَمْلَاكِ وَلَا مَالِكَ إِلَّا اللهُ»
(The most despicable name to Allah is a person who calls himself the king of kings, while there are no owners except Allah.)
Also the Two Sahihs recorded that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
«يَقْبِضُ اللهُ الْأَرْضَ وَيَطْوِي السَّمَاءَ بِيَمِينِهِ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ: أَنَا الْمَلِكُ، أَيْنَ مُلُوكُ الْأَرْضِ؟ أَيْنَ الْجَبَّارُونَ؟ أَيْنَ الْمُتَكَبِّرُونَ؟»
((On the Day of Judgement) Allah will grasp the earth and fold up the heavens with His Right Hand and proclaim, 'I Am the King! Where are the kings of the earth Where are the tyrants Where are the arrogant')
Also, in the the Glorious Qur'an;
لِّمَنِ الْمُلْكُ الْيَوْمَ لِلَّهِ الْوَحِدِ الْقَهَّارِ
(Whose is the kingdom this Day Allah's, the One, the Irresistible.)(40:16).
As for calling someone other than Allah a king in this life, then it is done as a figure of speech. For instance, Allah said,
إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ بَعَثَ لَكُمْ طَالُوتَ مَلِكًا
(Indeed Allah appointed Talut (Saul) as a king over you.) (2:247),
وَكَانَ وَرَآءَهُم مَّلِكٌ
(As there was a king behind them)(18:79), and,
إِذْ جَعَلَ فِيكُمْ أَنْبِيَآءَ وَجَعَلَكُمْ مُّلُوكاً
When He made Prophets among you, and made you kings )5:20(.
Also, the Two Sahihs recorded,
«مِثْلُ الْمُلُوكِ عَلَى الْأَسِرَّةِ»
(Just like kings reclining on their thrones)
The Meaning of Ad-Din
Ad-Din means the reckoning, the reward or punishment. Similarly, Allah said,
يَوْمَئِذٍ يُوَفِّيهِمُ اللَّهُ دِينَهُمُ الْحَقَّ
(On that Day Allah will pay them the (Dinahum) recompense (of their deeds) in full) (24:25), and,
أَءِنَّا لَمَدِينُونَ
(Shall we indeed (be raised up) to receive reward or punishment (according to our deeds)) (37:53). A Hadith stated,
«الْكَيِّسُ مَنْ دَانَ نَفْسَهُ وَعَمِلَ لِمَا بَعْدَ الْمَوتِ»
(The wise person is he who reckons himself and works for (his life) after death.) meaning, he holds himself accountable. Also, `Umar said, "Hold yourself accountable before you are held accountable, weigh yourselves before you are weighed, and be prepared for the biggest gathering before He Whose knowledge encompasses your deeds,
يَوْمَئِذٍ تُعْرَضُونَ لاَ تَخْفَى مِنكُمْ خَافِيَةٌ
(That Day shall you be brought to Judgement, not a secret of yours will be hidden) (69:18)."
Il s’agit de rappeler ici que tout ce qui se passera le Jour de la résurrection, Jour solennel et crucial pour le destin de la création, dépendra de Sa Seule volonté et sera placée sous Sa seule autorité
He is the Master of the day of Judgement, the day in which we will be brought back to life and repaid for what we have done, all of His creation will be held accountable for their actions and recompensed for them. On that day God will ask “To whom belongs the Kingdom today?” [Sūrah Ghafir: 16] No one, no matter how high his status, will answer, and then God will reply Himself, “to God, the One, the Overcomer” [Sūrah Ghafir: 16]
Se trata aquí de recordar que todo lo que sucederá el Día de la resurrección, Día solemne y crucial para el destino de la creación, dependerá de Su voluntad y tendrá lugar bajo Su autoridad.
La glorificazione di Allāh, l’Altissimo; in verità Egli è il Patrono di tutto ciò che vi è nel Giorno della Resurrezione, in cui nessun'anima potrà giovare ad un'altra anima in nulla. Il "Giorno del Rendiconto" è il Giorno della punizione e della resa dei conti.
Isang pagluluwalhati para kay Allāh – pagkataas-taas Siya – dahil Siya ay ang nagmamay-ari ng bawat anumang nasa Araw ng Pagbangon kung saan walang magagawang anuman ang isang kaluluwa para sa isang kaluluwa. Ang Araw ng Paggantimpala ay ang Araw ng Pagganti at Pagtutuos.
Vinh quang thay Allah rằng Ngài nắm mọi vương quyền vào Ngày Phục Sinh, Ngày mà không một linh hồn nào giúp đỡ được một linh hồn khác. Ngày Phán Xử Cuối Cùng: Ngày Allah xét xử để thưởng phạt các bề tôi của Ngài.
Ovim riječima ukazuje se na veličanje Uzvišenog Allaha spominjanjem činjenice da će On biti vladar svega na Sudnjem danu, kada niko ništa neće posjedovati. Izraz “Jevmud-din” ovdje znači Dan obračuna, dan kada će svako polagati račun i shodno tome biti nagrađen ili kažnjen.
The third verse pays homage to Allah as 'the Master of the Day of Judgment or Requital'. The word Malik has been derived from the root, 'milk' (ملک) which signifies possessing a thing in such a manner that one has the right and power to dispose of it as one likes (See Qamus). The word Din signifies 'Requital'. So, the phrase 'Master of the Day of Requital' implies total mastery on the Day of Requital. But there is no mention of the thing or things to which this mastery or possession would apply. According to the commentary, 'al-Kashshaf, the phrase makes a general reference to cover everything. That is to say, on the Day of Requital the mastery over everything that exists will belong to Allah alone.
The Day of Requital is real and rational:
Before we proceed, let us consider two important questions: Firstly, what is this Day of Requital? Secondly, Allah being the Master, of everything even today as much as on the Day of Requital, why does this verse specifically mentions the Day of Requital? The Day of Requital or the Day of Judgment is the Day appointed by Allah to recompense good or evil deeds. The world is only the fieid of action, the place where one is required to perform one's duty, and not the place for receiving one's reward. The mere fact that man happens to be healthy and wealthy or powerful does not necessarily argue that he has won the pleasure and favour of Allah. Similarly, the mere fact that a man happens to be ill or poor or weak or miserable does not by itself indicates that he is the object of Allah's wrath. Even in the case of worldly life, would it not be a platitude to remark that a man sweating in a factory or an office does not consider it a misfortune? In fact, try to deprive him of this opportunity to sweat, and you would have earned his deepest displeasure; for beyond all this toil he can glimpse the reward he is going to get after thirty days in the shape of his wages.
It proceeds from this principle that the greatest sufferings in this world are the lot of the Prophets (علیھم السلام) and, after them, of the men of Allah, and yet we see them quite content and even happy. In short, physical well-being or worldly glory or luxury is no sure indication of one's virtue and truthfulness, nor is sorrow and suffering that of one's misdeeds and falsity. It may, however, happen that a man receives some punishment or reward for his deeds in this world. This never is the full recompense, but only a faint model which has been manifested to serve as an intimation or warning. The Holy Quran has spoken very clearly on this point:
“And We shall surely let them taste a nearer punishment (in this world) before the greater punishment (in the other world), so that they may return (to the right path).” (32:21)
“Such is the punishment; and the punishment of the other world is certainly greater, only if they knew.” (68 : 33)
The sufferings of this world, as even its joys, are sometimes a trial, and sometimes a punishment, but never a full recompense, for the world is itself transitory. What really counts is the joy or suffering that will endure for ever, and which one will come to know in the other world beyond this world. Given the fact that good or evil deeds are not fully recompensed in this world, and the rational and just principle that good and evil not being equal in value, every deed should be rewarded or punished according to its nature, it readily follows that beyond this world there should be another world where every deed, big or small, good or evil, is to be judged, and then justly rewarded or punished. This the Holy Qur'an calls Al-Akhirah: (The world-to-come), or Al-Qiyamah: (Doomsday or the Day of Judgment), or Yawm al-din, (Day of Requital). The whole idea has been explained by the Holy Qur'an itself:
“The blind are not equal with the seeing, nor the wrong-doers with those who believe and do good deeds. Yet you seldom reflect. The hour of retribution is sure to come, no doubt about it, yet most people do not believe.” (40 : 58-59)
Who is the Master?
Now, we come to the second question. It should be obvious, on a little reflection, to everyone that the real master of every particle of dust in the universe can only be He who has created and nurtured it, Whose mastery over everything is complete, having neither a beginning nor an end, covering the living and the dead, the apparent and the hidden, the seen and the unseen. On the contrary, the mastery of man is delimited by a beginning and an end; it has a 'before' when it did not exist, and an 'after' when it will exist no more. Man's mastery and control extends to the living, not to the dead, to the seen, not to the unseen, to the external aspect of things, not to the internal. All this would show to those who can see that the real Master of the whole universe, not only on the Day of Requital but even in this world, is no other than Allah. Then why should this verse specify the Day of Requital?
The verses of the Surah al-Mumin/Ghafir (Chapter 40) serve as a commentary on the phrase under discussion, and provide a clear account of the Day of Requital. The real and complete mastery over everything, no doubt, belongs to Allah alone even in this world. Yet Allah Himself, in His beneficence and wisdom, has granted a kind of imperfect, temporary and apparent mastery to man as well; and the Shariah, in laying down laws for worldly affairs, has given due consideration to man's limited right to ownership. But today, in possessing lands or money or power, which has been given to him by way of trial, man has always been prone to get drunk with pride and vanity. The phrase 'Master of the Day of Judgment' is a warning to man reeling in his forgetfulness and self-conceit, and an intimation that all his possessions, all his relationships with things and men are only short-lived, and that there shall come a Day when masters will no more be masters and slaves no more slaves, when no one will own anything even in appearance, and the ownership and mastery, apparent as well as real, of the whole universe will be seen to belong to none but Allah, the Exalted. The Holy Quran says:
“The day they will present themselves (before Allah), and nothing of theirs will remain hidden from Allah (even apparently). 'Whose is the kingdom today?' Of Allah alone, the One, the Mighty. Today everyone will be recompensed for what he has done. Today no one will be wronged. Allah's reckoning is surely swift.” (40:17)
The Linguistic and Religious Meaning of `Ibadah
Linguistically, `Ibadah means subdued. For instance, a road is described as Mu`abbadah, meaning, `paved'. In religious terminology, `Ibadah implies the utmost love, humility and fear.
The Merit of stating the Object of the Action before the Doer of the Act, and the Merit of these Negations
"You...", means, we worship You alone and none else, and rely on You alone and none else. This is the perfect form of obedience and the entire religion is implied by these two ideas. Some of the Salaf said, Al-Fatihah is the secret of the Qur'an, while these words are the secret of Al-Fatihah,
إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ
(5 You we worship, and You we ask for help from.)
The first part is a declaration of innocence from Shirk (polytheism), while the second negates having any power or strength, displaying the recognition that all affairs are controlled by Allah alone. This meaning is reiterated in various instances in the Qur'an. For instance, Allah said,
فَاعْبُدْهُ وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَيْهِ وَمَا رَبُّكَ بِغَـفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ
(So worship Him (O Muhammad ) and put your trust in Him. And your Lord is not unaware of what you (people) do.) (11:123),
قُلْ هُوَ الرَّحْمَـنُ ءَامَنَّا بِهِ وَعَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْنَا
(Say: "He is the Most Gracious (Allah), in Him we believe, and in Him we put our trust.") (67:29),
رَّبُّ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ فَاتَّخِذْهُ وَكِيلاً
((He alone is) the Lord of the east and the west; La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He).
So take Him alone as Wakil (Disposer of your affairs)), (73:9), and,
إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ
(You we worship, and You we ask for help from).
We should mention that in this Ayah, the type of speech here changes from the third person to direct speech by using the Kaf in the statement Iyyaka (You). This is because after the servant praised and thanked Allah, he stands before Him, addressing Him directly;
إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ
(You we worship, and You we ask for help from).
So take Him alone as Wakil (Disposer of your affairs)), (73:9), and,
إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ
(You we worship, and You we ask for help from).
We should mention that in this Ayah, the type of speech here changes from the third person to direct speech by using the Kaf in the statement Iyyaka (You). This is because after the servant praised and thanked Allah, he stands before Him, addressing Him directly;
إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ
(You we worship, and You we ask for help from).
Al-Fatihah indicates the Necessity of praising Allah. It is required in every Prayer.
The beginning of Surat Al-Fatihah contains Allah's praise for Himself by His most beautiful Attributes and indicates to His servants that, they too, should praise Him in the same manner. Hence, the prayer is not valid unless one recites Al-Fatihah, if he is able. The Two Sahihs recorded that `Ubadah bin As-Samit said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
«لَا صَلَاةَ لِمَنْ لَمْ يَقْرَأْ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ»
(There is no valid prayer for whoever does not recite Al-Fatihah of the Book.)
Also, it is recorded in Sahih Muslim that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
«يَقُولُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى : قَسَمْتُ الصَّلَاةَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ عَبْدِي نِصْفَيْنِ، فَنِصْفُهَا لِي وَنِصْفُهَا لِعَبْدِي وَلِعَبْدِي مَا سَأَلَ، إِذَا قَالَ الْعَبْدُ:
«الْحَمْدُ للَّهِ رَبّ الْعَـلَمِينَ يَوْمِ إِنَّ اللَّهُ يُؤْمِنُونَ كَفَرُواْ اللَّهُ يُؤْمِنُونَ غِشَـوَةٌ عَلَى الْمَغْضُوبِ يُنفِقُونَ اللَّهُ سَوَآء قُلُوبِهِمْ يُؤْمِنُونَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ قُلُوبِهِمْ تُنذِرْهُمْ يُوقِنُونَ اللَّهُ بِالْغَيْبِ سَمْعِهِمْ يُؤْمِنُونَ قُلُوبِهِمْ تُنذِرْهُمْ يَوْمِ أَمْ اللَّهُ لّلْمُتَّقِينَ قُلُوبِهِمْ بِمَآ اللَّهُ يُؤْمِنُونَ إِنَّ اللَّهُ يُؤْمِنُونَ كَفَرُواْ اللَّهُ الْمَغْضُوبِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ»
، قَالَ اللهُ: أَثْنى عَلَيَّ عَبْدِي فَإذَا قَالَ:
مَـلِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ ، قَالَ اللهُ: مَجَّدَنِي عَبْدِي، وَإِذَا قَالَ:
إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ ، قَالَ: هذَا بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ عَبْدِي، وَلِعَبْدِي مَا سَأَلَ، فَإِذَا قَالَ:
اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ
صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ الضَّآلِّينَ ، قَالَ: هذَا لِعَبْدِي، وَلِعَبْدِي مَا سَأَلَ»
(Allah said, `I divided the prayer into two halves between Myself and My servant, one half is for Me and one half for My servant. My servant shall have what he asks for.' When the servant says,
الْحَمْدُ للَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ
(All praise and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of all that exists.), Allah says, `My servant has praised Me.' When the servant says,
الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ
(The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful), Allah says, `My servant has praised Me.' When the servant says,
مَـلِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ
(The Owner of the Day of Recompense), Allah says, `My servant has glorified Me.' If the servant says,
إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ
(You we worship, and You we ask for help), Allah says, `This is between Me and My servant, and My servant shall have what he asked.' If the servant says,
اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ - صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ الضَّآلِّينَ
(Guide us to the straight path. The path of those on whom You have bestowed Your grace, not (that) of those who have earned Your anger, nor of those who went astray), Allah says, `This is for My servant, and My servant shall have what he asked.')
Tawhid Al-Uluhiyyah
Ad-Dahhak narrated that Ibn `Abbas said,
إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ
(You we worship) means, "It is You whom we single out, Whom we fear and Whom we hope in, You alone, our Lord, and none else.
Tawhid Ar-Rububiyyah
وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ
(And You we ask for help from), to obey you and in all of our affairs." Further, Qatadah said that the Ayah,
إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ
(You we worship, and You we ask for help from) "Contains Allah's command to us to perform sincere worship for Him and to seek His aid concerning all of our affairs." Allah mentioned,
إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ
(You we worship) before,
وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ
(And You we ask for help from), because the objective here is the worship, while Allah's help is the tool to implement this objective. Certainly, one first takes care of the most important aspects and then what is less important, and Allah knows best.
Allah called His Prophet an `Abd
Allah called His Messenger an `Abd (servant) when He mentioned sending down His Book, the Prophet's involvement in inviting to Him, and when mentioning the Isra' (overnight journey from Makkah to Jerusalem and then to heaven), and these are the Prophet's most honorable missions. Allah said,
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِى أَنْزَلَ عَلَى عَبْدِهِ الْكِتَـبَ
(All praise and thanks be to Allah, Who has sent down to His servant (Muhammad ) the Book (the Qur'an)) (18:1),
وَأَنَّهُ لَّمَا قَامَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ يَدْعُوهُ
(And when the servant of Allah (Muhammad ) stood up invoking Him (his Lord ـ Allah in prayer)), (72:19) and,
سُبْحَانَ الَّذِى أَسْرَى بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلاً
(Glorified (and Exalted) be He (Allah) (above all that they associate with Him) Who took His servant (Muhammad ) for a journey by night) (17:1).
Encouraging the Performance of the Acts of Worship during Times of Distress
Allah also recommended that His Prophet resort to acts of worship during times when he felt distressed because of the disbelievers who defied and denied him. Allah said,
وَلَقَدْ نَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ يَضِيقُ صَدْرُكَ بِمَا يَقُولُونَ - فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَكُنْ مِّنَ السَّـجِدِينَ - وَاعْبُدْ رَبَّكَ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَكَ الْيَقِينُ
(Indeed, We know that your breast is straitened at what they say. So glorify the praises of your Lord and be of those who prostrate themselves (to Him). And worship your Lord until there comes unto you the certainty (i.e. death)) (15:97-99).
Why Praise was mentioned First
Since the praise of Allah, Who is being sought for help, was mentioned, it was appropriate that one follows the praise by asking for his need. We stated that Allah said,
«فَنِصْفُهَا لِي وَنِصْفُهَا لِعَبْدِي، وَلِعَبْدِي مَا سَأَلَ»
(One half for Myself and one half for My servant, and My servant shall have what he asked.)
This is the best method for seeking help, by first praising the one whom help is sought from and then asking for His aid, and help for one's self, and for his Muslim brethren by saying.
اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ
(Guide us to the straight path.)
This method is more appropriate and efficient in bringing about a positive answer to the pleas, and this is why Allah recommended this better method.
Asking for help may take the form of conveying the condition of the person who is seeking help. For instance, the Prophet Moses said,
رَبِّ إِنِّى لِمَآ أَنزَلْتَ إِلَىَّ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَقِيرٌ
(My Lord! Truly, I am in need of whatever good that You bestow on me!) (28:24).
Also, one may first mention the attributes of whoever is being asked, such as what Dhun-Nun said,
لاَّ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ أَنتَ سُبْحَـنَكَ إِنِّى كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّـلِمِينَ
(La ilaha illa Anta (none has the right to be worshipped but You (O Allah)), Glorified (and Exalted) be You (above all that they associate with You)! Truly, I have been of the wrongdoers) (21:87).
Further, one may praise Him without mentioning what he needs.
Kami mengkhususkan segala jenis peribadatan dan ketaatan hanya kepada-Mu, dan kami tidak menyekutukan-Mu dengan siapa pun. Hanya dari-Mulah kami meminta pertolongan dalam semua urusan kami karena segala kebaikan hanya ada di tangan-Mu dan tidak ada penolong kami selain-Mu.
We worship and obey none except You; we associate no one with You, and from You alone do we ask for help in all our affairs. All goodness is in Your hand, and there is no helper except You.
Tüm ibadet ve itaat çeşitlerini yalnızca sana has kılarız. Sana hiç bir kimseyi ortak koşmayız. Bütün işlerimizde yardımı, yalnız senden dileriz. Bütün hayır senin elindendir. Senden başka yardımcı yoktur.
En esta aleya, las criaturas confiesan su estado de servidumbre y vulnerabilidad, enfatizan que ellas solo adoran a Al‑lah y solo ponen su esperanza en Al‑lah. Ningún otro ser puede asociarse con Él. En efecto, solo Al‑lah tiene en Su mano el bien y nadie más que Él tiene el poder de socorrer.
Isključivo Tebi upućujemo sve vidove obožavanja (ibadeta) i pokornosti, i nikoga Ti, u tome, ne pridružujemo, i samo od Tebe tražimo pomoć u svim našim poslovima. U Tvojoj ruci je svako dobro i niko mimo Tebe ne može pomoći.
A Te solo dedichiamo tutti i tipi di culto e di obbedienza; non associamo a Te nessun altro, e a Te solo chiediamo aiuto in tutti i nostri affari, poiché tutto il bene sta nelle Tue mani, e non vi è altro Sostenitore, all’infuori di Te.
Nagtatangi Kami sa iyo lamang sa lahat ng mga uri ng pagsamba at pagtalima kaya hindi kami nagtatambal kasama sa Iyo ng iba pa sa Iyo, at mula sa Iyo lamang kami humihingi ng tulong sa lahat ng mga pumupatungkol sa amin sapagkat nasa kamay Mo ang kabutihan sa kabuuan nito at walang tagatulong na iba pa sa Iyo.
The fourth verse اِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَاِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِيْنُ : “You alone we worship, and from You alone we seek help” has a double aspect, one of praise and another of prayer. A man's life is subject to three states of time -- past, present and future.
The first two verses of the Surah, اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعٰلَمِيْنَ (All Praise belongs to Allah) and الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ, (the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful), remind man that, as far as his past and present are concerned, he owes everything to Allah alone, for it is Allah who created him out of nothing, endowed him with the best form in the universe, and with reason and intuition, and continues to sustain and nurture him in the present. The third verse: مٰلِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّيْنِ (Master of the Day of Judgment) tells him that in the future too he will have to depend on Allah alone, for on the Day of Requital one cannot possibly have a helper other than Allah. The three verses having made it clear that man is totally and absolutely dependent on Allah in all the three states of his life, it logically and naturally leads to the conclusion that Allah alone is worthy of being worshipped, for in Arabic the word ibadah (worship) connotes showing the utmost humility and submissiveness out of an intense respect and love for someone, and such an attitude of willing self-abasement cannot justly be adopted towards anyone except Allah. So, the phrase: اِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ (You alone we worship) expresses this very natural and logical conclusion. And once it has been understood that there is only one Being who can satisfy all our needs, it is equally natural and logical to turn for help in everything to Him alone. Hence the phrase اِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِيْنُ (to You alone we pray for help). Beside these two aspects, the fourth verse has another dimension as well. It teaches man not to worship anyone except Allah, not to consider anyone else as being really capable of satisfying his needs, and not to beg anyone else to satisfy these needs. It does not, however, go against this principle if, in praying to Allah, one mentions the name of a prophet or a man of Allah by way of a medium (wasilah) for drawing the mercy of Allah upon oneself.
It may also be noticed that the phrase: اِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِيْنُ (to You alone we pray for help) does not mention the purpose for which help is being sought. According to most of the commentators, it generalizes the idea of the request to cover everything from acts of worship to all possible worldly or other-worldly concerns.
Then, acts of worship (Ibadah) are not limited merely to prescribed prayers or fasting. Imam al-Ghazzali in his book Arba'in has enumerated ten forms which worship can take:-
1. Prayers.
2. Prescribed Alms-giving.
3. Fasting.
4. Hajj or pilgrimage to Makkah.
5. Reciting the Holy Qur'an.
6. Remembrance of Allah in all possible situations.
7. Earning one's livelihood in accordance with the regulations of the Shariah.
8. Fulfilling one's obligations towards one's companions and neighbors.
9. Persuading people to act righteously and dissuading them from what is reprehensible and forbidden.
10. To follow the Sunnah, or the practice of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)
Therefore, not associating anyone with Allah in worship means that one should not love or fear or depend on anyone else as one loves , or fears or depends on Allah, nor should one repose one's hope in anyone else, nor should one consider obedience or submission or service to another as obligatory as the worship of Allah, nor make a votive offering or consecrate or dedicate anything to anyone or take a vow in the name of anyone similar to the way one does these things in the case of Allah, nor should one show complete self-abasement and total humility before anyone as one is required to do before Allah, nor should one engage in the particular God-oriented acts of worship for anyone other than Allah, acts which symbolize the farthest limits of self-abasement, such as, ruku and sajdah (the bowing and prostrating in salah).
Bầy tôi chỉ thờ phượng một mình Ngài và chỉ phục tùng mệnh lệnh của riêng Ngài, bầy tôi không tổ hợp cùng với Ngài một đối tác ngang vai, và bầy tôi chỉ cầu xin sự phù hộ và sự giúp đỡ từ nơi Ngài duy nhất trong tất cả mọi vụ việc của bầy tôi bởi lẽ mọi điều tốt lành đều đến từ bàn tay của Ngài và không có đấng phù hộ nào ngoài Ngài cả.
Dans ce verset, les créatures confessent leur statut de servitude et de vulnérabilité: elles soulignent qu’elles ne vouent leur adoration et ne placent leur espoir qu’en Allah. Nul être ne saurait lui être associé. En effet, Allah seul détient en Sa main le bien et personne d’autre que Lui n’a le pouvoir de porter secours à qui que ce soit.
Show and facilitate for us the right way, the path of submission to You which has no crookedness, and make us firm upon it –
Bize doğru yolu göster. Bizi bu yolda ilerlet ve bizi bu yolda daim kıl. Hidayetimizi arttır. "Sırat-ı mustakim", üzerinde eğrilik bulunmayan dosdoğru yoldur. O da Allah Teâlâ'nın Muhammed -sallallahu aleyhi ve sellem-'e gönderdiği İslam dinidir.
Magturo Ka sa amin tungo sa landasing tuwid, magpatahak Ka sa amin doon, magpatatag Ka sa amin doon, at magdagdag Ka sa amin ng patnubay. "Ang landasing tuwid" ay ang daang maliwanag na walang kabaluktutan. Ito ay ang Islām na isinugo ni Allāh dahil dito si Muḥammad – basbasan siya ni Allāh at batiin ng kapayapaan.
Las criaturas imploran a Al‑lah que les indique el camino recto, que les inspire el deseo de seguir esta vía, y que les dé la fuerza para mantenerse en él. El camino recto (as-siratu l-mustaqimu) designa la vía recta, aquella cuyo claro trazado no tiene sinuosidades. Representa al Islam, la religión trasmitida por el profeta Mujámmad r a la humanidad.
Ukaži nam na Pravi put, podari da idemo njime, učvrsti nas na njemu, i povećaj nam uputu. Konstrukcija "es-siratul-mustekim" (Pavi put) označava jasnu stazu na kojoj nema stranputica i devijacija. To je, ustvari, islam, odnosno vjera koju je od Allaha dostavio Muhammed, sallallahu alejhi ve sellem.
Les créatures implorent Allah de leur indiquer le droit chemin, de leur inspirer le désir de suivre cette voie et de leur accorder la force de s’y maintenir. Le droit chemin (`aṣ-ṣirâṭu l-mustaqîmu) désigne la voie droite, celle dont le tracé clair ne comporte aucune sinuosité. Il représente l’Islam, la religion transmise par le prophète Muħammad à l’humanité.
The Prayer for Guidance
The last three verses of the Surah consist of a prayer on the part of man. In other words, Allah Himself, in His great mercy, has taught man what to pray for:
“Guide us in the straight path, the path of those on whom You have bestowed Your grace, not of those who have incurred Your wrath, nor of those who have gone astray.”
The Implications of Guidance
A problem of highest significance arises here. The teaching with regard to the prayer for being guided in the straight path is addressed equally to all men or all Muslims and to saints and prophets who have already received guidance and are even a source of guidance for other men. Why should these repeatedly pray for something they already possess? The answer to this question depends on knowing all that is implied by guidance. The answer would, at the same time, remove all difficulties and confusions which arise in the minds of those who, not being familiar with the true signification of guidance, begin to suspect that certain verses of the Holy Qur'an were contradicting certain others.
The Meaning of Hidayah or Guidance
The best explanation of the word, Hidayah (guidance) has been offered by Imam Raghib al-Isfahani in his Mufradat al-Quran, which can be summed up thus: Hidayah signifies leading someone towards his destination, gently and kindly; while guidance, in the real sense, issues forth from Allah alone, and it has several degrees.
The First Degree of Guidance
The first degree of guidance is general, and covers everything that exists in the universe -- minerals, plants, animals etc. It would surprise many to hear of guidance in relation to minerals. But the Holy Qur'an makes it quite clear that all forms of existents in the universe, and every particle of dust possesses life, sensitivity, and even consciousness and understanding in its own degree and according to its own sphere of existence. Some of these existents possess more of this essence than others, and some less. Hence, those who have very little of it are considered to be inanimate and devoid of consciousness. The Shariah too has recognized this difference, and such creatures have not been made to bear the obligation of observing the injunctions of Allah. The creatures which show obvious signs of life but not those of consciousness and reason are considered to be living, but not rational; whereas, creatures showing the signs of consciousness and reason, along with those of life, are called rational beings. Because of these differences in the degrees of consciousness, men and jinn alone, of all the existents in the universe, have been made subservient to the injunctions of the Shariah and accountable for their actions, for they alone have the necessary consciousness and understanding. But, it does not mean that other creatures or existents are totally devoid of life or sensitivity, or of consciousness and understanding. The Holy Quran is very explicit on this point:
“Nothing exists that does not celebrate His praise, but you do not understand their (mode of) praising.” (17:44)
“Have you not seen that everything in the heavens and the earth proclaims Allah's purity, and the birds too that spread their wings? Each of them knows its prayer and its (mode of) praising. And Allah is aware of what they do.” (24:41)
Evidently, one cannot extol and praise Allah without knowing Allah. It is equally evident that knowing Allah is the highest form of knowledge possible, and such knowledge cannot be gained unless one possesses consciousness and understanding. These verses, therefore, show that everything that exists in the universe possesses life, sensitivity, understanding and consciousness, though it may not always be apparent to the ordinary observer -- a truth which has been endorsed by all the great religions, by certain ancient philosophers, and lately even by experimental science.
This, then, is the first degree of guidance which is common to minerals, plants, animals, men, jinns and all the forms of creation. The Holy Qur'an speaks of this primary and general guidance in these words:
“He gave to everything its distinctive form, and then guided it.” (20:50)
Or, as we find in another Surah:
“Celebrate the name of your Lord, the Most High, Who has created all things, well proportioned them, and Who has determined and guided them.” (87:1-2)
That is to say, Allah has given every creature a particular nature and function, and guided it in a way which should correspond to its station in the scheme of things. Thanks to this general guidance, everything in the universe is performing its allotted function with such marvelous efficiency. For example, it is the ears that hear a sound and not the eyes or the nose. Similarly, the nose smells but cannot see; the eyes see but cannot smell. In short:
“There is nothing in the heavens and the earth but comes to the All-Merciful as a servant.” (19:93)
The Second Degree of Guidance
Unlike the first, the second degree of guidance is not general but particular. It is limited to those creatures which are considered to be rational, that is, men and jinns. This kind of guidance comes to every man through prophets and revealed books. Some accept this guidance, and become believers (Muslims): some reject it and become disbelievers (Kafirs).
The Third Degree of guidance
The third degree of guidance is still more particular, being special to true believers (Muminin) and the God-fearing (Muttaqin). Like the first degree, the third kind of guidance too descends directly to the individual from Allah, and it is called, Tawfiq That is to say, Allah's grace provides a man with internal and external means and circumstances which should make it easy, and even pleasant for him to accept and act upon the guidance of the Holy Quran, and difficult to ignore or oppose it. The scope of the third degree of guidance is limitless, and its levels indefinite.5 Here is the sphere in which man, not only can, but is required to make a progress in the veritable sense of the term. The agency of this progress is the performance of virtuous deeds. All increase in virtuous deeds brings with it an increase in divine guidance. The Holy Qur'an itself gives us the promise of such increase:
“As for those who follow the straight path, Allah will increase their guidance.” (47:17)
“And whoever believes in Allah, He guides his heart.” (64:11)
“Those who strive for (literally, 'in') Us, We will surely guide them in Our paths.” (29:69)
It is in this field of progress that we see even the greatest prophets and men of Allah striving, and it is an increase in divine guidance and help that they keep seeking to their last breath.
A Cumulative view of guidance
Keeping in mind the three distinct degrees of guidance, one can easily see that guidance is a thing which everyone does possess in some way, and yet no one, not even the greatest, can do without wishing to attain more of its advanced and higher stages. Hence, of all the prayers man can address to Allah, the most important is the prayer for guidance, which has been taught to us in the very first Surah of the Holy Qur'an; and this prayer is as necessary for the greatest of prophets and men of Allah as for an ordinary Muslim. That is why the Surah Al-Fath (Victory), in enumerating the material and spiritual benefits of the conquest of Makkah in the last days of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) also says: (and to guide you on the straight path) (48:20). When these verses were revealed, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) had already received guidance and was a source of guidance for others. The good tidings of receiving guidance can, in this situation, have only one meaning that he attained some very high station of guidance at the time.
Guidance: Some notes of caution
In concluding this discussion about the different implications of 'guidance' (Hidayah), we repeat points that would help the reader of the Holy Qur'an avoid certain confusions and errors:
1. The Holy Quran sometimes speaks of divine guidance as being general and common to believers and non-believers, in fact to all creatures, and sometimes makes it out to be particular and special to the God-fearing. So, the unwary may be led to sense a contradiction here. But once it is understood that one degree of guidance is common to all, whereas another degree is limited to particular cases, the doubt and confusion readily resolves itself.
2. On the one hand, the Holy Quran reminds us again and again that Allah does not grant guidance to the unjust and the unrighteous; on the other hand, it repeatedly declares that Allah guides all. The misunderstanding which may arise here is also dispelled by knowledge of the degrees of guidance. Now we can easily see that the general guidance is given to all without any distinction, but the third and very special degree of guidance is not granted to the unjust and the unrighteous.
3. The first and the third degrees of guidance pertain to a direct act of divine grace, and no prophet can have anything to do with it, for the function of the prophets is related only to the second degree.
Whenever the Holy Qur'an speaks of Prophets (peace be upon them) as guides, it is always referring to this second degree, and to it alone. On the other hand when Holy Qur'an, addressing the noble Prophet (peace be upon him), says: (You cannot guide whom you please) (28:56), it is the third degree of guidance which is intended, that is to say, it is neither the function of a prophet nor is it in his power to provide tawfiq to anyone, in other words, to make it easy for anyone to accept guidance.
To sum up, the Qur'anic prayer (guide us in the straight path) is most comprehensive, and certainly, one of the most important prayers taught to man. No member of the human family can claim not to need it. No success, no prosperity in this or in the other world can really come without being on the straight path. Particularly so, for man lost in the anxieties of mortal life, the prayer for the straight path is an elixir, though people do not realize it.
Arahkanlah kami dan bimbinglah kami ke jalan yang lurus. Yakni jalan Islam yang tidak condong sedikitpun (kepada kesesatan). Dan teguhkanlah hati kami di jalan yang lurus itu.
The Meaning of Guidance mentioned in the Surah
The guidance mentioned in the Surah implies being directed and guided to success. Allah said,
اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ
(Guide us to the straight path) meaning guide, direct, lead and grant us the correct guidance. Also,
وَهَدَيْنَـهُ النَّجْدَينِ
(And shown him the two ways (good and evil)) (90:10), means, `We explained to him the paths of good and evil.' Also, Allah said,
اجْتَبَـهُ وَهَدَاهُ إِلَى صِرَطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ
(He (Allah) chose him (as an intimate friend) and guided him to a straight path) (16:121), and,
فَاهْدُوهُمْ إِلَى صِرَطِ الْجَحِيمِ
(And lead them on to the way of flaming Fire (Hell)) (37:23). Similarly, Allah said,
وَإِنَّكَ لَتَهْدِى إِلَى صِرَطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ
(And verily, you (O Muhammad ) are indeed guiding (mankind) to the straight path) (42:52), and,
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِى هَدَانَا لِهَـذَا
(All praise and thanks be to Allah, Who has guided us to this) (7:43), meaning, guided us and directed us and qualified us for this end - Paradise.
The Meaning of As-Sirat Al-Mustaqim, the Straight Path.
As for the meaning of As-Sirat Al-Mustaqim, Imam Abu Ja`far At-Tabari said, "The Ummah agreed that Sirat Al-Mustaqim, is the clear path without branches, according to the language of the Arabs. For instance, Jarir bin `Atiyah Al-Khatafi said in a poem, `The Leader of the faithful is on a path that will remain straight even though the other paths are crooked." At-Tabari also stated that, "There are many evidences to this fact." At-Tabari then proceeded, "The Arabs use the term, Sirat in reference to every deed and statement whether righteous or wicked. Hence the Arabs would describe the honest person as being straight and the wicked person as being crooked. The straight path mentioned in the Qur'an refers to Islam.
Imam Ahmad recorded in his Musnad that An-Nawwas bin Sam`an said that the Prophet ﷺ said,
«ضَرَبَ اللهُ مَثَلًا صِرَاطًا مُسْتَقِيمًا، وَعَلَى جَنْبَتَيِ الصِّرَاطِ سُورَانِ فِيهِمَا أَبْوَابٌ مُفَتَّحَةٌ، وَعَلَى الْأَبْوَابِ سُتُورٌ مُرْخَاةٌ، وَعَلَى بَابِ الصِّرَاطِ دَاعٍ يَقُولُ: يَاأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ ادْخُلُوا الصِّرَاطَ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَعْوَجُّوا، وَدَاعٍ يَدْعُو مِنْ فَوْقِ الصِّرَاطِ، فَإِذَا أَرَادَ الْإِنْسَانُ أَنْ يَفْتَحَ شَيْئًا مِنْ تِلْكَ الْأَبْوَابِ قَالَ:وَيْحَكَ لَا تَفْتَحْهُ فَإِنَّكَ إِنْ فَتَحْتَهُ تَلِجْهُ فَالصِّرَاطُ: الْإِسْلَامُ وَالسُّورَانِ: حُدُودُ اللهِ وَالْأَبْوَابُ الْمُفَتَّحَةُ مَحَارِمُ اللهِ وَذَلِكَ الدَّاعِي عَلَى رَأْسِ الصِّرَاطِ كِتَابُ اللهِ، وَالدَّاعِي مِنْ فَوْقِ الصِّرَاطِ وَاعِظُ اللهِ فِي قَلْبِ كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ»
(Allah has set an example: a Sirat (straight path) that is surrounded by two walls on both sides, with several open doors within the walls covered with curtains. There is a caller on the gate of the Sirat who heralds, 'O people! Stay on the path and do not deviate from it.' Meanwhile, a caller from above the path is also warning any person who wants to open any of these doors, 'Woe unto you! Do not open it, for if you open it you will pass through.' The straight path is Islam, the two walls are Allah's set limits, while the doors resemble what Allah has prohibited. The caller on the gate of the Sirat is the Book of Allah, while the caller above the Sirat is Allah's admonishment in the heart of every Muslim.)
The Faithful ask for and abide by Guidance
If someone asks, "Why does the believer ask Allah for guidance during every prayer and at other times, while he is already properly guided Has he not already acquired guidance"
The answer to these questions is that if it were not a fact that the believer needs to keep asking for guidance day and night, Allah would not have directed him to invoke Him to acquire the guidance. The servant needs Allah the Exalted every hour of his life to help him remain firm on the path of guidance and to make him even more firm and persistent on it. The servant does not have the power to benefit or harm himself, except by Allah's permission. Therefore, Allah directed the servant to invoke Him constantly, so that He provides him with His aid and with firmness and success. Indeed, the happy person is he whom Allah guides to ask of Him. This is especially the case if a person urgently needs Allah's help day or night. Allah said,
يَـأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ءَامِنُواْ بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَالْكِتَـبِ الَّذِى نَزَّلَ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ وَالْكِتَـبِ الَّذِى أَنَزلَ مِن قَبْلُ
(O you who believe! Believe in Allah, and His Messenger (Muhammad ﷺ ), and the Book (the Qur'an) which He has sent down to His Messenger, and the Scripture which He sent down to those before (him)) (4:16).
Therefore, in this Ayah Allah commanded the believers to believe, and this command is not redundant since what is sought here is firmness and continuity of performing the deeds that help one remain on the path of faith. Also, Allah commanded His believing servants to proclaim,
رَبَّنَا لاَ تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وَهَبْ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْوَهَّابُ
(Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate (from the truth) after You have guided us, and grant us mercy from You. Truly, You are the Bestower.) (3:8). Hence,
اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ
(Guide us to the straight way) means, "Make us firm on the path of guidance and do not allow us to deviate from it."
Xin Ngài chỉ dắt bầy tôi đến với con đường ngay chính và làm vững bước bầy tôi trên con đường đó và xin Ngài ban thêm cho bầy tôi sự hướng dẫn. Con đường Ngay Chính tức con đường thẳng tắp không ngoằn nghèo uốn lượn, ý nói tôn giáo Islam mà Allah đã cử Thiên Sứ Muhammad mang đến.
Mostraci la retta via e mantienici su di essa, e tienici saldi su di essa, e aumenta la nostra rettitudine. E la retta via è la via evidente, quella che è priva di tortuosità, ovvero l'Islām, affidato da Allāh a Muħammed – Pace e la Benedizione di Allāh su di lui.ﷺ.
Nebiler, sıddıklar, şehitler ve salihler gibi hidayet nimetini bahşettiğin kullarının yoluna (ilet). Bunlar ne güzel arkadaştır. Yahudiler gibi hakkı bildiği halde ona tabi olmayıp gazaba uğrayanların ve Hristiyanlar gibi hakkı ve doğru yolu aramayı ihmal edip, haktan ve o yolda ilerlemekten sapanların yoluna değil.
Which 'path' is 'straight'?
Now, to come to the meaning of the 'straight path', it is the path which has no turns and twists. The term signifies the particular way of Faith which equally avoids the two extremes of excess and deficiency. One who follows the straight path would, in matters of doctrine and practice both, neither go beyond the limits nor fall short of them.
The last two verses of the Surah Al-Fatihah define and identify that 'straight path', something man has been prompted to pray for immediately earlier. The verse says: (The path of those on whom You have bestowed Your grace). As to who these people are, another verse of the Holy Qur'an gives us details in the following words:
“Those whom Allah has blessed, namely, the prophets, the Siddiqin, the Shuhada', and the righteous.” (4:69)
These are the four categories of those who find favour with Allah. Among them all, the prophets are the greatest. The Siddiqin (the constantly true) are those who acquire spiritual perfection, and thus -- attain the highest rank among the followers of a prophet. In common parlance, they are called Men of Allah, or saints.' The Shuhada (martyrs) are those who sacrifice even their lives for the sake of their faith (or, who bear witness to the truth, as the word admits of both meanings). The righteous (the Salihin) are those who follow the Shariah completely, not only in the matter of obligations (Wajibat) but also with regard to commendable (mustahabb) actions. In everyday language they are called the pious or the virtuous or the good.
This verse, then, determines the straight path in a positive manner, identifying it with the path followed by men of these four categories. The next verse, by a process of elimination, does the same in a negative manner by saying
“Not of those who have incurred your wrath, nor of those who have gone astray.”
Those who have incurred Allah's wrath are the people, who inspite of being quite familiar with the commandments of Allah willfully go against them out of a calculated perversity or in the service of their desires, or, in other words, who are deficient in obeying divine injunctions. This, for example, was the general condition of the Jews who were ready to sacrifice their religion for the sake of a petty worldly gain, and used to insult and sometimes even to kill their prophets.
As for (those who go astray), they are the people who, out of ignorance or lack of thought, go beyond the limits appointed by Allah, and indulge in excess and exaggeration in religious matters. This, for example, has generally been the error of the Christians who exceeded the limits in their reverence for a prophet and turned him into a god. On the one hand, there is the rebelliousness of the Jews who not only refused to listen to the prophets of Allah but went on to kill them; on the other hand, there is the excessive zeal of the Christians who deified a prophet.
Thus, the essential meaning of the verse is that, in praying for the straight path, we do not ask for the path of those who are the slaves of their desires, perverse in thought and action, and deficient in performing their religious obligations, nor the path of those who are ignorant or unmindful or misled, and indulge in excess and exaggeration in religious matters, but wish for a path between these two extremes, which inclines neither towards excess nor towards deficiency, and which is as free of the promptings of desires as of doubts and confusions and of erroneous beliefs.
In short, the prayer for the straight path is the essence of the Surah Al-Fatihah. Since knowing and following the straight path is the real knowledge and the real achievement in this mortal world, a mistake in picking it up right takes peoples and nations to ruins; otherwise, there are even non-Muslims who claim to be seeking God and undertake stupendous labours to attain this end. The Holy Quran has, therefore, defined the straight path so explicitly from a positive as well as eliminative point of view.
The Key to the Straight Path
But, before we proceed, there is another problem to be considered, the answer to which would open the door to a new and more comprehensive understanding. It would seem that in order to define the straight path it should have been sufficient to call it 'the path of the Prophet (peace be upon him) or 'the path of the Qur'an', which should also have been more succinct and more explicit, for the whole of the Holy Qur'an is really an explanation of the straight path, and the teachings of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), an elaboration. But, setting aside the succinct and explicit form of expression, the Holy Qur'an has taken up two verses of this short Surah for defining and delimiting the straight path positively and negatively, and has thus indicated that if one wishes to follow the straight path, one should seek such and such men 'those on whom Allah has bestowed His grace...', and adopt their way. Here, the Holy Quran does not ask us to follow the 'path of the Qur'an', for a book alone is not sufficient for the grooming of man; nor does it ask us to follow 'the path of the prophet', for the Holy Prophet was not to be in this world for ever, and no other prophet was to come after him. So, in enumerating those whose teaching and example can help us attain the straight path, the Holy Quran has, besides the prophets (peace be upon him), included those too, who will always be found living amongst us till the last day of the world -- namely, the Siddiqin, the Shuhada, and the righteous.
For the purpose of indicating the manner in which one can find the straight path, the Holy Qur'an has thus referred not to a book but to certain men. According to a hadith, when the Holy Prophet informed his Companions that, like earlier communities, his 'Ummah' too would be divided into seventy or seventy-two sects, and that only one among them would be on the right path, they wanted to know as to which group it would be. The answer he gave also leads on to certain men of Allah, for he said: “That which follows my way and the way of my Companions”. All this comes to mean that written books or oral traditions alone cannot teach, train and discipline man; for this, one has to be with knowing men, and learning from them. In yet other words, the real teacher and groomer of man has to be another man; a book cannot take that place all by itself. How curtly this was pointed out by Akbar, the famous Urdu poet-humorist, who said:
کورس تو لفظ ہی سکھاتے ہیں
آدمی، آدمی بناتے ہیں
which, in English, comes close to saying: "Courses teach words. But, men train men." This truth holds good even for spheres of everyday life.
No one has ever become a doctor, or an engineer, or even a cook or a tailor merely by reading a book. Similarly, studying the Holy Qur'an and the Hadith on one's own cannot by itself be sufficient for the moral-spiritual education and training of a man; such a study must be carried on under the guidance of a specialist or a genuine scholar before it can be useful. It is common observation that many people today, though otherwise educated, cherish the erroneous notion that one can acquire a masterly knowledge of the Holy Qur'an and Hadith merely by reading a translation or at best a commentary. But the error of such an enterprise is self-evident. Had a book in itself been sufficient for the guidance of men, there was no need for the prophets to be sent. But, Allah in sending us His Book, has also sent His Prophet to serve as a teacher and guide. In defining the straight path too, He has also enumerated those of His servants who find special favor with Him -- all of which argues that, in trying to understand the Book of Allah and to act upon it, one cannot solely rely on one's own study and judgment, but must turn to someone who knows.
The conclusion
Two things are necessary for the physical and spiritual well-being and success of man -- the Book of Allah which contains guidance for every sphere of human life, and the Men of Allah who help in making this guidance effective. The way to profit from the Men of Allah is to assess them according to the well-known principles of the Book of Allah. Those who do not conform to these principles should just not be regarded as Men of Allah. But, when one has found Men of Allah, in the real sense, one should seek their guidance in order to understand the meaning of the Book of Allah and act upon it.
Why the Schism?
As to the sectarian differences on this point, we may remark that there are two kinds of deviations in this respect. Some people elected to follow the Book of Allah alone, ignored the Men of Allah totally and gave no value to their teachings and explanations. Conversely, others adopted the Men of Allah as the only criterion of truth and became indifferent to the Book of Allah. Both these ways lead to fatal error.
Injunctions and related considerations
To recapitulate, the Surah Al-Fatihah begins with the praise of Allah. Then comes an affirmation on the part of man that he worships Allah alone, and turns to him alone in the hour of need. That is, so to say, the oath of allegiance man offers to his Lord and Master. Finally, there is a prayer which covers all possible human needs and goals. Beside these, there are some related secondary considerations also which arise from the Surah. These are as follows:
The proper way of Praying to Allah
Through this particular mode of expression and through its structure, the Surah teaches man how to pray and how to make a request to Allah. The proper method is that one should begin by fulfilling one's obligation to praise Allah. Then, one should offer the pledge of complete allegiance to Allah to the effect that one does not regard anyone except Allah as being worthy of adoration and worship, nor does one look upon anyone except Allah as having the real power to give help in one's distress or need. Finally, one should pray for what one wishes to have. And there is every hope that a prayer made in this manner will be granted. (see Ahkam al-Jassaas). The Surah also suggests that, in praying to Allah, one should pray for something so comprehensive that it includes in essence all possible human goals, for example, pray for being guided in the straight path, because if one can and does follow the straight path in everything that concerns this world or the other, one's material life or spiritual, one need not be afraid of stumbling or of being hurt.
Praising Allah is Man's Natural Demand
The first verse of the Surah teaches man to praise Allah. We praise someone either for a quality inherent in him or for a favor received from him. But the verse mentions neither. The implication is that the blessings of Allah are limitless. The Holy Qur'in says: “If you try to count the blessings of Allah, you will never be able to number them” (14:34 and 16:18). Leaving aside other things, if man only considers his own being, he would find that it is a microcosm -- in itself which contains in analogical form everything contained in the macrocosm, his body offers a parallel to the earth, the hair on it to the ' vegetation, his bones to the hills, his veins flowing with blood to the springs underground.
Man, again, is composed of two parts, spirit and body, of which the spirit is obviously superior in value, while the body is subservient to it. In this inferior part alone, there are thousands of anatomical and biological wonders. There are supposed to be more than three hundred joints, but Allah has made each of them so strong that during the sixty or seventy years of an average man's life they are in perpetual motion and yet do not need repairs. Of this Allah himself has reminded us:
“It is We Who created them, and it is We Who endowed their joints with strength” (76:28)
Or, take the example of the eye. One may spend a life-time and yet not fully know the manifestations of divine wisdom present in it. Or, take a single movement of the eye, and see how many blessings of Allah are involved in its functioning. Before the eye can see, internally it requires physical energy which in its turn is provided by food, air, water etc. And externally it requires the light of the sun which in its turn depends on a thousand other factors. That is to say, all the forces of the universe join together to make it possible for the eye to see even once. Now, try to calculate how many times does the eye see in a day, in .a year, in a man's life-time. Similarly, the functions of the ears, the tongue, the hands and the feet, each brings into action the forces of the whole universe.
This is a kind of blessing which is equally available to every living man, be he a king or a beggar. In fact, all the greatest blessings of Allah are the common property of every living creature -- for example, air, water, light, the sun, the moon, the stars, in fact, everything that exists in the heavens and the earth, or between them, offers its benefits to all without distinction
Then there are special blessings which divine wisdom has chosen to distribute unequally among men, some getting more and others less. This category includes wealth, honor, health, peace, knowledge and other acquisitions. Although the general blessings are obviously much more important and essential for human life than the special blessings, yet man in his naiveté takes them for granted and never realizes what great gifts they are in spite of being common.
Now, human nature itself requires that in recognition of the innumerable blessings that keep descending on him at every moment of his life, man should, as far as he can, praise and continue to praise his Benefactor. It is to indicate this basic need of human nature that the Holy Qur'an employs the word 'Al-hamd' (Praise) as the first word of the very first Surah. Thus, the praise of Allah has been accorded a very high rank among the acts of worship. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) has said that when, on receiving some kind of a blessing from Allah, His servant says “Praise belongs to Allah”, it is like giving something better in return for what he has taken (Qurtubi, from Ibn Majah, as narrated by Anas). According to another hadith if a man, on receiving all possible blessings of the world, says: “Al-hamdulillih”, his act is superior to all those blessings. Commenting on this hadith and citing certain scholars, al-Qurtubi says, the ability to repeat the phrase 'Al-hamdulillih' with one's tongue is in itself a blessing of Allah. According to another authentic hadith, saying this phrase fills half the scale on the side of good deeds in the Balance. As to what praising Allah should actually mean, Shaqiq ibn Ibraham explains that when one receives some gift from Allah, one should first of all recognize the Benefactor, then be content with what He has given, and finally never disobey Him as long as one has some strength left in the body, which again is a gift from Allah. (See Qurtubi)
The second element in the phrase is Lillah, which is composed of the preposition Lam (Arabic equivalent of the letter L) and the noun 'Allah'. This preposition means 'for' and is used for particularization, showing the exclusive possession of a thing or quality. So, the phrase implies that not only is it the duty ,of man to praise Allah, but in reality all praise belongs exclusively to Him, and no one else in the universe is worthy of it. At the same time, and by way of a further blessing, Allah has, for the purpose of teaching man how to behave with his fellow beings, commanded him to thank those too through whom the gifts of Allah come to him, for one who does not see the need of thanking his human benefactor would not thank Allah too.
Self-praise is not permitted
It is not permissible for a created being such as man to praise himself. The Holy Qur'an says:
“Do not pretend to be pure; He knows best who is really God-fearing” (53:32). That is to say, a man can be praised only if he fears Allah, but Allah alone knows to what degree a particular man possesses this quality, known as Taqwa. As for Allah praising Himself, the reason is that man is not capable of praising the glory and greatness of Allah in a befitting manner. Not to speak of others, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) has exclaimed: “I cannot properly praise You!” Therefore, Allah Himself has taught man the mode of praising Him
Rabb is the exclusive attribute of Allah
The Arabic word 'Rabb' (Lord) is applied to a person who not only possesses a certain thing, but is also fully capable of and responsible for nurturing it properly. Obviously, no one can act as 'Rabb' with regard to the whole universe except Allah. So, the word, used in an absolute sense, is exclusive to Allah, and it is not permissible to address or describe anyone other than Allah as 'Rabb. A hadith in the Sahih of Muslim explicitly forbids a slave or servant to call his master a 'Rabb'. The word may, however, be employed in the case of a man too in a relative sense -- that is, in relation to a particular thing, for example, 'rabb al-dar' (master of the house) etc. (Qurtubi).
Seeking help from Allah
According to the great commentator and Companion 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas, the verse 'You alone we worship, and from You alone we seek help' means that one worships Allah alone and no one else, and that one turns for help to Allah alone and to no one else. (Ibn Abi Hatim, Ibn Jarir)
It has been reported from certain great scholars and saints of the earliest centuries of Islam that the Surah al-Fatihah is the secret (i.e., the gist) of the entire Holy Qur'an, and this verse is the secret of the whole Surah, for the first sentence of the verse is a declaration of one's being free from Shirk, or from all desire to associate anyone with Allah, and the second sentence is an expression of one's being exempt from all wish to trust in one's own power and will. Such an affirmation would naturally lead to putting oneself in the hands of Allah in all concerns. The Holy Quran again and again commands us to do 'Worship Him, and put your trust in Him'. (11: 123); 'Say He is the All-Merciful. We believe in Him, and we put all our trust in Him' (67:29); 'He is the Lord of the East and the West; there is no god but He; so take Him for a guardian' (73:9). All these verses come to mean simply this -- a true Muslim should, in anything that he undertakes, rely neither on his own faculties nor on the help of a fellow creature, but should entrust himself completely to Allah, for He alone is All-Powerful, and He alone is the absolute helper.
Two doctrinal points emerge from this discussion. Firstly, it is totally forbidden to worship anyone except Allah, and associating anyone else with Him in worship is a deadly and unforgiveable sin. As we have already explained, 'Ibadah (worship) signifies an utmost humility and willing self-abasement before someone out of the deepest love and veneration. If one behaves in this manner in relation to any created being, it is called shirk (association) in Islamic terminology. It basically follows from this definition of "worship" that "association" does not merely consist in attributing divine power to figures made out of stone or metal as idolators usually do; but obeying or loving or venerating someone to the degree which is reserved for Allah is also an "obvious association" (al-shirk al-Jalii). In recounting how the Jews and the Christians indulge in shirk (association), the Holy Qur'an says: 'They have taken their religious scholars and their monks as lords apart from Allah'. (9:31)
The Companion Abi Ibn Hatim, who was a Christian before accepting Islam, asked the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) with reference to this verse as to why the Holy Quran should blame the Christians for having taken their religious scholars as lords when they were never guilty of worshipping them. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) in his turn asked him if it was not a fact that their scholars had declared many things as forbidden although Allah had permitted men to eat them, and that conversely they had declared as permissible what had been forbidden, and that the Christians obeyed their scholars in both the respects. Adi admitted that it was so. Therefore, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) remarked that this was exactly how they 'worshipped' their scholars. This goes to prove that Allah alone has the right to establish what is permissible and what is forbidden. If one associates somebody else with Allah in this respect and, in spite of being familiar with the divine injunctions regarding what is permissible (halal) and what is forbidden (haram), goes against them, believing that someone other than Allah too can demand obedience in these matters, one is virtually worshipping him and being guilty of the sin of association (shirk). But, in order to guard against a possible misunderstanding, we may remark that this verse of the Holy Quran, which condemns the worship of religious scholars, does in no way apply to the generality of Muslims who, not being qualified to understand the Holy Quran and the Sunnah by themselves or to deduce the injunctions of the Shariah from them, naturally depend on an Imam, a Mujttihid, a Mufti or a religious scholar and follow his instructions in these matters. In fact, such Muslims are only acting in accordance with the Holy Qur'an and the Sunnah, and obeying divine commandments. For the Holy Quran itself says:
“Ask the men of knowledge, if you yourselves do not know.” (16:43)
Another thing which comes under the category of association (shirk) is to make votive offerings to someone other than Allah; so does praying to someone else in time of need or distress, for, according to a Tradition (Hadith), praying is also an act of worship. Similarly, adopting such practices as are in general considered to be the signs or symbols of association also constitute the same sin. For example, the Companion Adi Ibn Hatim, relates that when he embraced Islam and presented himself before the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) with a cross hanging round his neck, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) asked him to remove this idol. Although at this time the cross did not have the kind of signification for Adi which it has for Christians, yet he was asked to shun a symbol of 'association' externally as well. Among the symbols of 'association' are included practices like bowing (ruku') or prostrating (sajdah) oneself before anyone except Allah, or going round a person or thing in the prescribed manner of the tawaf (circumambulation) of the Ka'bah. Avoiding all such symbols of 'association' is a necessary part of the pledge of fidelity to Allah made in the phrase: 'You alone we worship'.
Seeking Allah's Help Directly and Indirectly
'The other doctrinal point we mentioned is that one must turn to Allah alone for help and to no one else. This requires some clarification.
There is a kind of help which every man does seek from other men. The physical aspect of the universal order being what it is, it has to be so, and not otherwise. A tailor or tinker, a carpenter or a blacksmith, each is serving others, and everyone is obliged to seek his help. Seeking help of this kind neither is nor can be forbidden by any religion, for it is part and parcel of the network of physical means provided to men by Allah. In the sphere of non-physical means too, it is quite permissible for one to seek the help of a prophet or a saint by asking him to pray to Allah in one's behalf, or to mention, while praying directly to Allah, the name of a prophet or a saint by way of a medium (wasilah) for drawing divine mercy upon oneself. Explicit Traditions (ahadith) and implicit indications of the Holy Quran fully justify this practice, and it would be wrong to condemn it as being forbidden or to include it among the various forms of association (shirk).
Now, what sort of supplication for help is it which can be addressed exclusively to Allah and to no one else? And, when does one fall into the sin of shirk (association) in asking someone other than Allah for help? In reply to the second question, we may say that in this context the sin of shirk or association arises in two forms. Firstly, one becomes guilty of association, if one seeks the help of an angel or prophet or saint or any creature believing him to be omnipotent like Allah. It is such an obvious heresy that even idolaters and associators in general consider it as such, for even they do not look upon their idols and gods as being omnipotent like Allah. The second is the form adopted by idolaters and associators. They admit that God alone is Omnipotent, but also believe that He has delegated a part of His power to an angel or a prophet or a saint or to a smaller god who exercises a full and independent authority in that area, and to whom one may pray for help in matters within his jurisdiction. This is the supplication which the Holy Qur'an forbids, and against which it warns us in the phrase “to YOU alone we pray for help”.
There is a simple reason for misunderstanding in this regard. Allah appoints many angels to perform quite a large number of functions even in the physical order of the universe; or, He makes many things happen through the prophets which are beyond the powers of man and which are called miracles (mu'jizat), as also other incredible wonders through the saints which are called karamat. The appearance may easily lead a careless observer to ignore the reality, and to conclude from what he has seen that the angels or the prophets or the saints could not have worked such wonders if Allah had not given them the necessary power and authority. This faulty argument which is no more than an illusion gives birth to the belief that the prophets or the saints enjoy absolute power and authority in their own degree. It is not so. Miracles and wonders are the direct acts of Allah, but they are manifested through prophets and saints so that people may recognize their spiritual station -- prophets and saints themselves have no powers to make such things happen. This fact is borne out by so many verses of the Holy Qur'an. For example, the verse: 'When you threw, it was not you that threw, but Allah threw' (8:17) refers to a miracle of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) in which he threw a handful of pebbles at an army of his enemies, and Allah willed it so that they smote the eyes of the whole army. The Holy Qur'an attributes the act of throwing pebbles, not to the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) but to Allah Himself, which clearly shows that a miracle is manifested through a prophet (peace be upon him), but is in reality an act of Allah Himself. Similarly, when the people of Nuh, or Noah (peace be upon him) demanded that, in order to establish his authenticity as a prophet, he should bring down on them the punishment and wrath of Allah, he replied: 'Allah will certainly bring it down to you, if He so will;' (11:33), in other words, he declared that he himself could not bring down divine punishment on them by way of a miracle. Another verse of the Holy Qur'an reports what a group of prophets said to their people in reply to a similar demand: 'We cannot give you proof, except by Allah's will’ (14:11). This again was an admission that it was not in their power to produce a miracle, for all power rests in the hands of Allah. In short, it is not at all possible for a prophet or a saint to show a miracle whenever he likes and whatsoever he likes. The disbelievers used to demand specific miracles from the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and from the earlier prophets (peace be upon them) but Allah manifested only those which He Himself pleased, and not others. The Holy Quran presents many such instances.
An ordinary example will make the discussion clear. In your room, you receive light from a lamp and air from a fan, but the lamp and the fan do not possess in themselves an absolute power to give you light and air, but need the electric current which they receive from the power house, and without which they cannot function. Giving you light and air is, in actual fact, not the work of the lamp and the fan, but of the electric current which comes from the power house. Similarly, saints, prophets and angels, all depend on Allah in everything they do; it is Allah's power and will which makes things happen, though it manifests itself through prophets and saints as the electric current manifests itself through fans and lamps.
This example would also show that although prophets and saints have no power to make these things happen or come to be, yet their presence is not altogether irrelevant to what happens, you cannot have light and air in your room without there being a lamp and a fan. Likewise, you cannot have miracles or wonders without there being a prophet or a saint. There is, of course, a certain difference between the two situations. In spite of all the wirings and fittings being intact, you cannot have light without a lamp, nor air without a fan. But, in the case of miracles, Allah has the power, if He so wills, to manifest them even without the medium of prophets and saints. The usual way of Allah has, however, been that miracles are not manifested without the medium of prophets and saints; otherwise miracles would not serve the purpose for which they are intended.
To conclude, one must have firm faith in the doctrine that everything that happens is made to happen by the power and will of Allah, but it is also necessary to recognize the need for prophets and saints, and to admit their importance. Without such an admission, one would succeed neither in obeying divine commandments in the real sense nor in attaining Allah's pleasure exactly like the man who, being ignorant of the worth of lamps and fans, disregards them, and remains deprived of light and air.
The problems we have discussed above perplex many a mind. But the answer is essentially simple. Taking prophets and saints as a medium (wasilah) for drawing divine mercy upon oneself is neither absolutely permissible nor absolutely forbidden. There is a condition attached to it. If one does so, believing a prophet or a saint to be all-powerful, it becomes an act of shirk (association) and is hence forbidden. But if one takes a prophet or a saint to be no more than a medium or a means, it is permissible. But one finds that in this matter people generally adopt either of the two extreme positions, outright rejection of wasilah or exaggerated veneration. The truth, however, lies between the two
6. Success in this world and in the Hereafter As we have said before, the prayer which the Holy Qur'an has chosen to recommend to everyone, in every situation and for everything one does, is the prayer for being guided in the straight path. Just as success in the Hereafter depends on taking the straight path which leads one to Paradise, in the same way, if you come to think about it, success in all worldly concerns too depends on keeping to the straight path -- that is, on using the means and methods which habitually lead to the attainment of one's goal. Conversely, a little reflection will reveal that failure is always due to having strayed from the straight path. In view of the need for the straight path in worldly and other worldly concerns both, this is the prayer which should constantly be on the lips and in the heart of a true Muslim -- never as an empty verbal exercise, but with a sincere intention and with the meaning of the words fully present in the mind. With Allah's help, the commentary on Surah Al-Fatihah ends here.
The same path as those of Your creation whom You have blessed with guidance, such as the prophets, the truthful, martyrs, and the righteous ones. What good companions these people make! Keep us away from the path of those who earned Your anger, who knew the truth and did not follow it – as was the case with the Israelites; and keep us away from the path of those who lost their way and were not guided, because they were neglectful in seeking the Truth and being guided by it – as was the case with the Christians.
Ang daan ng mga biniyayaan Mo kabilang sa mga lingkod Mo sa dahil sa pagpatnubay sa kanila, gaya ng mga propeta, mga nagpapakatotoo, mga martir, at mga maayos – kay ganda ng mga iyon bilang kasamahan – hindi ang daan ng mga kinagalitan na nakakilala sa katotohanan at hindi sumunod dito, gaya ng mga Hudyo; hindi ang daan ng mga naliligaw palayo sa katotohanan, na mga hindi napatnubayan tungo rito dahil sa pagpapabaya nila sa paghahanap sa katotohanan at sa pagkapatnubay tungo roon, gaya ng mga Kristiyano.
Diferentes vías se le ofrecen al hombre en el transcurso de su vida terrenal. El camino recto, evocado anteriormente, no es otro que aquel por el cual Al‑lah ha guiado a Sus elegidos, a los profetas, a los verdaderos creyentes, a los mártires y a los piadosos. ¡Qué mejor compañía que la de estos servidores! Este camino es opuesto al camino que siguieron aquellos que cayeron en la ira divina: se trata de hombres que, como en general los judíos, han conocido la verdad, pero se negaron a seguirla. Este camino también se opone a la vía que siguieron los hombres que se perdieron en la búsqueda de lo verdadero debido a introducir constantes innovaciones e inventos en su religión, como los cristianos.
La via di coloro, tra i tuoi sudditi, che hai colmato di grazie, indicando loro la retta via; come i profeti, i devoti, i martiri e i giusti: Loro sono l''eccellesa compagnia. Non la via di coloro che sono incorsi nella Tua ira, coloro che hanno conosciuto la verità ma non l’hanno seguita, come gli Ebrei. E non la via di coloro che sono sviati dalla verità, coloro che non vi sono stati guidati, per la loro noncuranza nelc cercarla, come i Nazareni.
We mentioned the Hadith in which the servant proclaims,
اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ
(Guide us to the straight way) and Allah says, "This is for My servant, and My servant shall acquire what he asks for." Allah's statement.
صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ
(The way of those upon whom You have bestowed Your grace) defines the path. `Those upon whom Allah has bestowed His grace' are those mentioned in Surat An-Nisa' (chapter 4), when Allah said,
وَمَن يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَالصِّدِّيقِينَ وَالشُّهَدَآءِ وَالصَّـلِحِينَ وَحَسُنَ أُولَـئِكَ رَفِيقاً - ذلِكَ الْفَضْلُ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَكَفَى بِاللَّهِ عَلِيماً
(And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger (Muhammad ﷺ ), then they will be in the company of those on whom Allah has bestowed His grace, the Prophets, the Siddiqin (the truly faithful), the martyrs, and the righteous. And how excellent these companions are! Such is the bounty from Allah, and Allah is sufficient to know) (4:69-70).
Allah's statement,
غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ الضَّآلِّينَ
(Not (the way) of those who earned Your anger, nor of those who went astray) meaning guide us to the straight path, the path of those upon whom you have bestowed Your grace, that is, the people of guidance, sincerity and obedience to Allah and His Messengers. They are the people who adhere to Allah's commandments and refrain from committing what He has prohibited. But, help us to avoid the path of those whom Allah is angry with, whose intentions are corrupt, who know the truth, yet deviate from it. Also, help us avoid the path of those who were led astray, who lost the true knowledge and, as a result, are wandering in misguidance, unable to find the correct path. Allah asserted that the two paths He described here are both misguided when He repeated the negation `not'. These two paths are the paths of the Christians and Jews, a fact that the believer should beware of so that he avoids them. The path of the believers is knowledge of the truth and abiding by it. In comparison, the Jews abandoned practicing the religion, while the Christians lost the true knowledge. This is why `anger' descended upon the Jews, while being described as `led astray' is more appropriate of the Christians. Those who know, but avoid implementing the truth, deserve the anger, unlike those who are ignorant. The Christians want to seek the true knowledge, but are unable to find it because they did not seek it from its proper resources.
This is why they were led astray. We should also mention that both the Christians and the Jews have earned the anger and are led astray, but the anger is one of the attributes more particular of the Jews. Allah said about the Jews,
مَن لَّعَنَهُ اللَّهُ وَغَضِبَ عَلَيْهِ
(Those (Jews) who incurred the curse of Allah and His wrath) (5:60).
The attribute that the Christians deserve most is that of being led astray, just as Allah said about them,
قَدْ ضَلُّواْ مِن قَبْلُ وَأَضَلُّواْ كَثِيراً وَضَلُّواْ عَن سَوَآءِ السَّبِيلِ
(Who went astray before and who misled many, and strayed (themselves) from the right path) (5:77).
There are several Hadiths and reports from the Salaf on this subject. Imam Ahmad recorded that `Adi bin Hatim said, "The horsemen of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ seized my paternal aunt and some other people. When they brought them to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , they were made to stand in line before him. My aunt said, `O Messenger of Allah ﷺ ! The supporter is far away, the offspring have stopped coming and I am an old woman, unable to serve. Grant me your favor, may Allah grant you His favor.' He said, `Who is your supporter' She said, `Adi bin Hatim.' He said, `The one who ran away from Allah and His Messenger' She said, `So, the Prophet ﷺ freed me.' When the Prophet ﷺ came back, there was a man next to him, I think that he was `Ali, who said to her, `Ask him for a means of transportation.' She asked the Prophet ﷺ, and he ordered that she be given an animal.
" `Adi then said, "Later on, she came to me and said, `He (Muhammad ﷺ ) has done a favor that your father (who was a generous man) would never have done. So and-so person came to him and he granted him his favor, and so-and-so came to him and he granted him his favor.' So I went to the Prophet ﷺ and found that some women and children were gathering with him, so close that I knew that he was not a king like Kisra (King of Persia) or Caesar. He said, `O `Adi! What made you run away, so that La ilaha illallah is not proclaimed Is there a deity worthy of worship except Allah What made you run away, so that Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greater) is not proclaimed Is there anything Greater than Allah' I proclaimed my Islam and I saw his face radiate with pleasure and he said:
«إِنَّ الْمَغْضُوبَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْيَهُودُ وَ إِنَّ الضَّالِينَ النَّصَارَى»
(Those who have earned the anger are the Jews and those who are led astray are the Christians.)"
This Hadith was also collected by At-Tirmidhi who said that it is Hasan Gharib.
Also, when Zayd bin `Amr bin Nufayl went with some of his friends - before Islam - to Ash-Sham seeking the true religion, the Jews said to him, "You will not become a Jew unless you carry a share of the anger of Allah that we have earned." He said, "I am seeking to escape Allah's anger." Also, the Christians said to him, "If you become one of us you will carry a share in Allah's discontent." He said, "I cannot bear it." So he remained in his pure nature and avoided worshipping the idols and the polytheistic practices. He became neither a Jew, nor Christian. As for his companions, they became Christians because they found it more pure than Judaism. Waraqah bin Nawfal was among these people until Allah guided him by the hand of His Prophet, when he was sent as Prophet, and Waraqah believed in the revelation that was sent to the Prophet ﷺ may Allah be pleased with him.
The Summary of Al-Fatihah
The honorable Surah Al-Fatihah contains seven Ayat including the praise and thanks of Allah, glorifying Him and praising Him by mentioning His most Beautiful Names and most high Attributes. It also mentions the Hereafter, which is the Day of Resurrection, and directs Allah's servants to ask of Him, invoking Him and declaring that all power and strength comes from Him. It also calls to the sincerity of the worship of Allah alone, singling Him out in His divinity, believing in His perfection, being free from the need of any partners, having no rivals nor equals. Al-Fatihah directs the believers to invoke Allah to guide them to the straight path, which is the true religion, and to help them remain on that path in this life, and to pass over the actual Sirat (bridge over hell that everyone must pass over) on the Day of Judgment. On that Day, the believers will be directed to the gardens of comfort in the company of the Prophets, the truthful ones, the martyrs and the righteous. Al-Fatihah also encourages performing good deeds, so that the believers will be in the company of the good-doers on the Day of Resurrection. The Surah also warns against following the paths of misguidance, so that one does not end up being gathered with those who indulge in sin, on the Day of Resurrection, including those who have earned the anger and those who were led astray.
The Bounties are because of Allah, not the Deviations
Allah said,
صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ
(The way of those upon whom you have bestowed Your grace), when He mentioned His favor. On mentioning anger, Allah said,
غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ
(Not (that) of those who earned Your anger), without mentioning the subject, although it is He Who has sent down the anger on them, just as Allah stated in another Ayah,
أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ تَوَلَّوْاْ قَوْماً غَضِبَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِم
(Have you (O Muhammad ) not seen those (hypocrites) who take as friends a people upon whom is the wrath of Allah (i.e. Jews)) (58:14).
Also, Allah relates the misguidance of those who indulged in it, although they were justly misguided according to Allah's appointed destiny. For instance, Allah said,
مَن يَهْدِ اللَّهُ فَهُوَ الْمُهْتَدِ وَمَن يُضْلِلْ فَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُ وَلِيًّا مُّرْشِدًا
(He whom Allah guides, he is the rightly-guided; but he whom He sends astray, for him you will find no Wali (guiding friend) to lead him (to the right path)) (18:17)
and,
مَن يُضْلِلِ اللَّهُ فَلاَ هَادِيَ لَهُ وَيَذَرُهُمْ فِى طُغْيَـنِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ
(Whomsoever Allah sends astray, none can guide him; and He lets them wander blindly in their transgression) (7:186).
These and several other Ayat testify to the fact that Allah alone is the One Who guides and misguides, contrary to the belief of the Qadariyyah sect, who claimed that the servants choose and create their own destiny. They rely on some unclear Ayat avoiding what is clear and contradicts their desires. Theirs, is the method of the people who follow their lust, desire and wickedness. An authentic Hadith narrated,
«إِذَا رَأَيْتُمُ الَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَابَهَ مِنْهُ فَأُولئِكَ الَّذِينَ سَمَّى اللهُ فَاحْذَرُوهُمْ»
(When you see those who follow what is not so clear in it (the Qur'an), then they are those whom Allah has mentioned (refer to 3:7). Hence, avoid them.)
The Prophet ﷺ was referring to Allah's statement,
فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فى قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَـبَهَ مِنْهُ ابْتِغَآءَ الْفِتْنَةِ وَابْتِغَآءَ تَأْوِيلِهِ
(So as for those in whose hearts there is a deviation (from the truth) they follow that which is not entirely clear thereof, seeking Al-Fitnah (polytheism and trials), and seeking for its hidden meanings)(3:7).
Verily, no innovator in the religion could ever rely on any authentic evidence in the Qur'an that testifies to his innovation. The Qur'an came to distinguish between truth and falsehood, and guidance and misguidance. The Qur'an does not contain any discrepancies or contradictions, because it is a revelation from the Most Wise, Worthy of all praise.
Saying Amin
It is recommended to say Amin after finishing the recitation of Al-Fatihah. Amin means, "O Allah! Accept our invocation." The evidence that saying Amin is recommended is contained in what Imams Ahmad, Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi recorded, that Wa'il bin Hujr said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ recite,
غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ الضَّآلِّينَ
(Not (that) of those who earned Your anger, nor of those who went astray), and he said `Amin' extending it with his voice."
Abu Dawud's narration added, "Raising his voice with it." At-Tirmidhi then commented that this Hadith is Hasan and was also narrated from `Ali and Ibn Mas`ud. Also, Abu Hurayrah narrated that whenever the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would recite,
غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ الضَّآلِّينَ
(Not (the way) of those who earned Your anger, nor of those who went astray), He would say Amin until those who were behind him in the first line could hear him.
Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah recorded this Hadith with the addition, "Then the Masjid would shake because of (those behind the Prophet ﷺ) reciting Amin." Also, Ad-Daraqutni recorded this Hadith and commented that it is Hasan.
Further, Bilal narrated that he said, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ ! Do not finish saying Amin before I can join you." This was recorded by Abu Dawud.
In addition, Abu Nasr Al-Qushayri narrated that Al-Hasan and Ja`far As-Sadiq stressed the `m' in Amin.
Saying Amin is recommended for those who are not praying (when reciting Al-Fatihah) and is strongly recommended for those who are praying, whether alone or behind the Imam. The Two Sahihs recorded that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
«إِذَا أَمَّنَ الْإِمَامُ فَأَمِّنُوا، فَإِنَّهُ مَنْ وَافَقَ تَأْمِينُهُ تَأْمِينَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ»
(When the Imam says, ' Amin', then say, 'Amin', because whoever says, Amin' with the angels, his previous sins will be forgiven.)
Muslim recorded that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
«إِذَا قَالَ أَحَدُكُمْ فِي الصَّلَاةِ: آمِينَ، وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ فِي السَّمَاءِ: آمِينَ، فَوَافَقَتْ إِحْدَاهُمَا الْأُخْرَى غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ»
(When any of you says in the prayer, 'Amin ` and the angels in heaven say, `Amin', in unison, his previous sins will be forgiven.)
It was said that the Hadith talks about both the angels and the Muslims saying Amin at the same time. The Hadith also refers to when the Amins said by the angels and the Muslims are equally sincere (thus bringing about forgiveness).
Further, it is recorded in Sahih Muslim that Abu Musa related to the Prophet ﷺ that he said,
«إِذَا قَالَ يَعنِي الْإِمَامَ : وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ، فَقُولُوا: آمِينَ، يُجِبْكُمُ اللهُ»
(When the Imam says, `Walad-dallin', say, `Amin' and Allah will answer your invocation.)
In addition, At-Tirmidhi said that `Amin' means, "Do not disappoint our hope", while the majority of scholars said that it means. "Answer our invocation."
Also, in his Musnad, Imam Ahmad recorded that `A'ishah said that when the Jews were mentioned to him, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
«إِنَّهُم لَنْ يَحْسُدُونَا عَلَى شَيْءٍ كَمَا يَحْسُدُونَا عَلَى الْجُمُعَةِ الَّتِي هَدَانَا اللهُ لَهَا وَضَلُّوا عَنْهَا، وَعَلَى الْقِبْلَةِ الَّتِي هَدَانَا اللهُ لَهَا وَضَلُّوا عَنْهَا وَعَلَى قَوْلِنَا خَلْفَ الْإِمَامِ: آمِينَ»
(They will not envy us for anything more than they envy us for Friday which we have been guided to, while they were led astray from it, and for the Qiblah which we were guided to, while they were led astray from it, and for our saying `Amin' behind the Imam.)
Also, Ibn Majah recorded this Hadith with the wording,
«مَا حَسَدَتْكُمُ الْيَهُودُ عَلَى شَيْءٍ مَا حَسَدَتْكُمْ عَلَى السَّلَامِ وَالتَّأْمِينِ»
(The Jews have never envied you more than for your saying the Salam (Islamic greeting) and for saying Amin.) rgiveness). veneooA ? Further, it is recorded in Sahih Muslim that Abu Musa related to the Prophet ﷺ that he said,
«إِذَا قَالَ يَعنِي الْإِمَامَ : وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ، فَقُولُوا: آمِينَ، يُجِبْكُمُ اللهُ»
(When the Imam says, `Walad-dallin', say, `Amin' and Allah will answer your invocation.)
In addition, At-Tirmidhi said that `Amin' means, "Do not disappoint our hope", while the majority of scholars said that it means. "Answer our invocation."
Also, in his Musnad, Imam Ahmad recorded that `A'ishah said that when the Jews were mentioned to him, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
«إِنَّهُم لَنْ يَحْسُدُونَا عَلَى شَيْءٍ كَمَا يَحْسُدُونَا عَلَى الْجُمُعَةِ الَّتِي هَدَانَا اللهُ لَهَا وَضَلُّوا عَنْهَا، وَعَلَى الْقِبْلَةِ الَّتِي هَدَانَا اللهُ لَهَا وَضَلُّوا عَنْهَا وَعَلَى قَوْلِنَا خَلْفَ الْإِمَامِ: آمِينَ»
(They will not envy us for anything more than they envy us for Friday which we have been guided to, while they were led astray from it, and for the Qiblah which we were guided to, while they were led astray from it, and for our saying `Amin' behind the Imam.)
Also, Ibn Majah recorded this Hadith with the wording,
«مَا حَسَدَتْكُمُ الْيَهُودُ عَلَى شَيْءٍ مَا حَسَدَتْكُمْ عَلَى السَّلَامِ وَالتَّأْمِينِ»
(The Jews have never envied you more than for your saying the Salam (Islamic greeting) and for saying Amin.)
Con đường của những người bề tôi mà Ngài đã ban ân huệ cho họ qua sự hướng dẫn của Ngài như các vị Thiên Sứ, các vị Nabi, những người Siddeeq (có niềm tin tuyệt đối), những người Shaheed (hy sinh cho con đường chính nghĩa của Ngài) và những người ngoan đạo; và thật tốt đẹp và phúc lành thay cho những ai được cùng hội cùng thuyền với những người đó. Không phải con đường của những kẻ mà Ngài đã giận dữ ý nói người Do Thái bởi vì họ biết chân lý nhưng không đi theo. Cũng không phải con đường của những ai lầm đường lạc lối ý nói những người Thiên Chúa giáo vì họ đã lạc khỏi chân lý.
Na put onih Tvojih robova kojima ti dao blagodat upute, poput vjerovjesnika, istinoljubivih, šehida i dobrih ljudi, a divno je li je to društvo. Sačuvaj nas puta onih na koje se je rasrdilo, koji su spoznali istinu ali je nisu slijedili, poput židova, i sačuvaj nas puta onih koji nisu spoznali put istine zbog svog nemara u traženju istine i upute, poput kršćana.
The Quran has a special and characteristic way of expressing a believer’s inner sentiments in the most appropriate words. The invocation of God in the opening chapter of the Quran, constitute a supplication of this nature. The feelings which are naturally aroused in one after discovering the truth are expressed in these lines. When man looks at the world around him, he cannot fail to notice God’s power and mercy abundantly in evidence everywhere. Wherever he casts his glance, he finds extraordinary order and supervision.
Everything has been extraordinarily and astonishingly adapted to man’s needs. This observation shows that the great cosmic machine cannot be in vain. Therefore, one realizes that there must come a day when the grateful and the ungrateful are rewarded for the way they have lived their lives in this world. One spontaneously entreats God in words to this effect, ‘Lord, You are the Master of the Day of Judgement. I have submitted to You and humbly seek Your help; have mercy on me. Lord, show us the path that is, to You, the true path. Enable us to tread the path of Your chosen servants. Help us to avoid the path of those who have gone astray, and the path of those who have incurred Your wrath due to their obstinacy.’ God requires His servant to live his life with such feelings and emotions.
The opening chapter of the Quran is a miniature portrayal of Islamic belief; the rest of the Quran is an enlargement of this picture.
Jalan yang ditempuh oleh orang-orang yang telah Engkau beri nikmat dari hamba-hamba-Mu berupa pemberian hidayah pada mereka, seperti para nabi, para ṣiddīqīn (pecinta kebenaran), para syuhada dan orang-orang saleh; mereka adalah teman terbaik. Bukan jalan yang ditempuh oleh orang-orang yang dimurkai, yaitu orang-orang yang mengetahui kebenaran tetapi tidak mau mengikutinya seperti orang-orang Yahudi; dan bukan pula jalan yang ditempuh oleh orang-orang yang tersesat dari jalan yang benar, yaitu orang-orang yang tidak menemukan jalan yang benar karena keteledoran mereka dalam mencari kebenaran dan mencari petunjuk seperti orang-orang Nasrani.
Différentes voies s’offrent à l’homme au cours de sa vie terrestre. La voie droite, évoquée précédemment, n’est autre que celle sur laquelle Allah a guidé Ses Elus, à l’image des prophètes, des véridiques, des martyrs et des pieux. Quelle meilleure compagnie que celle de ces serviteurs ! Elle s’oppose donc au chemin suivi par ceux qui ont encouru la colère divine: il s’agit des hommes qui, à l’instar des juifs, ont connu la vérité, mais refusé de la suivre. Elle s’oppose également à la voie suivie par les hommes qui se sont perdus dans la quête du vrai du fait de leur manque d’enthousiasme, à l’image des chrétiens.
