Allah the Most High says: (1) In the Name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. (2) All the praises and thanks are due to Allāh, the Lord of al-`Ālamīn (mankind, jinn and all that exists). (3) The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. (4) The Only Owner (and the Only Ruling Judge) of the Day of Recompense (i.e. the Day of Resurrection). (5) You (alone) we worship, and You (alone) we ask for help (for each and everything). (6) Guide us to the Straight Way. (7) The Way of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace, not (the way) of those who earned Your Anger (i.e. those who knew the Truth, but did not follow it) nor of those who went astray. [Sūrah al-Fātihah: 1-7] Shaykh `Abdur-Rahmān as-Sa`dī (d. 1376 AH), may Allāh have mercy upon him, comments: Meaning: I begin with each and every Name of Allāh, the Most High. This is because the term ism (Name) is singular and in the genitive construction, thus it encompasses all of Allāh’s Beautiful Names. «Allāh» He is the Deity, Who is truly venerated and worshiped, the One deserving to be singled out with all worship because of the Attributes of Divinity with which He is described, and they are all attributes of perfection. «The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful» These are two Names which prove that He, the Most High, is the Owner of Vast and Great Mercy, that embodies all things and encompasses all beings. He ordained it for the muttaqūn (the pious), those who truly follow His Prophets and Messengers. For them is His absolute Mercy, and for anyone else is but a portion of it. Know that from the principles agreed upon by the salaf and the imāms of the ummah is to have complete faith in Allāh’s Names, His Attributes, and the judgments resulting from the Attributes (as to how they relate to His creation). They believe, for example, that Allāh is ar-Rahmān (the Most Gracious), ar-Rahīm (the Most Merciful), and is the Possessor of Mercy, which extends to those on whom His Mercy is bestowed. Therefore, all blessings are a sign of His Mercy. This same principle applies to all of Allāh’s Names. It is said concerning the Name, al-`Alīm (the All-Knowing): He is the All-Knowing, the Possessor of Knowledge, through which He knows everything. He is Qadīr (All-Potent), the Possessor of Power, therefore He is Able to do all things. «All the praises and thanks are due to Allāh» This verse extols and praises Allāh through His Perfect Attributes and His Actions which revolve around Grace and Justice, so to Him belongs perfect and utmost praise in every aspect. «The Lord of al-`Ālamīn (mankind, jinn and all that exists)» The Rabb (Lord) is the One, Who nurtures and sustains all creation – to the exclusion of Allāh – by His creating them, preparing them for all that they need, and His favoring them with vast blessings without which they could not survive. Thus, every blessing they possess has been granted by Him, the Most High. His nurturing, the Most High, of His creation is of two types: 1) general and 2) specific. The general type pertains to His creating the creation, providing for them, and guiding them to what will benefit their survival in this transient life. The specific type refers to His nurturing His awliyā. (friends). So, He nurtures them with īmān (faith), grants them success in attaining it, perfects it for them, and He repels all barriers that lie between them and Him. ..Thus, His Saying «The Lord of al-`Ālamīn (mankind, jinn and all that exists)» proves that it is He alone, Who creates, controls all affairs, and bestows all blessings, and that He is Ever-Rich and free of all wants, while mankind are in total need of Him in every sense and regard. «The Only Owner (and the Only Ruling Judge) of the Day of Recompense (i.e. the Day of Resurrection)» al-Mālik (the Owner) is the One Who is described with the Attribute of Ownership, from whose resultant effects is that He commands and prohibits, rewards and punishes, and disposes of His creation however He wishes. Sovereignty, here, has been annexed to the Day of Judgment, the Day of Resurrection; the Day whereon mankind shall be rewarded for their deeds; the good and the evil. This is because, on that Day, the Perfection of His Sovereignty, Justice, and Wisdom shall manifest to the entire creation, as will the end of man’s sovereignty [during this life], such that the kings and the subjects, the slaves and the free-born shall stand equal; all of them yielding to His Absolute Greatness and Magnificence, submitting to His Might, anticipating His Recompense, hoping for His Reward and fearing His Punishment. So, it is for this reason He mentioned this Day in specific, although, He (alone) is the True Owner of the Day of Judgment and of all other days. His Statement «You (alone) we worship, and You (alone) we ask for help (for each and everything)» meaning: You alone, we single out for worship and seeking aid. This is because placing the object first (in a sentence) is done to confine (the meaning of the verb), thus affirming it to the object that is mentioned and negating it from anything other than that object. So, it is as if one says: ‘We worship You and we do not worship anything besides You. We seek Help from You and we do not seek help from anyone besides You.” The mention of `ibādah (worship) before isti`ānah (seeking aid) is [a matter] of mentioning the general before the specific, and it is to stress the precedence given to His Right, the Most High, over the right of His servant. Worship is a comprehensive word that encompasses all that Allāh loves and is pleased with, being deeds or statements, apparent or hidden. Seeking aid is to rely upon Allāh, the Most High, in acquiring all that is beneficial, and repelling all that is harmful, with the complete certainty that He will bring forth all this. Establishing the worship of Allāh and seeking His Help are the means to eternal bliss and salvation from all evil; there is no path to success except through these two. Worship can only be considered as true worship when it is performed in conformity to the way of the Messenger of Allāh, may Allāh raise his rank and grant him peace, seeking Allāh’s Face alone. It is with these two matters that it can be considered true worship. He mentioned seeking aid after worship, although it is part of worship, because the servant is in complete need of Allāh’s aid in all his acts of worship, and if Allāh does not aid him, he will be unable to fulfill the obligations and keep from the prohibitions. The Most High then stated: «Guide us to the Straight Way» meaning: direct, guide, and grant us success towards the Straight Way, which is the clear path that leads to Allāh and His Paradise: and [specifically] it is knowledge of the truth and implementing it. Thus, [this means:] guide us to the path and guide us in traversing the path. Guidance to the Path means to embrace the religion of Islām and to abandon all other religions. Guidance in traversing the Path entails guidance to all the religious details, in knowledge and in deed. So, this supplication is from the most complete and most beneficial supplications for the servant. Hence, one is obligated to supplicate to Allāh with it in every unit of his prayer, as he is in constant need of it. This Straight Way is «The Way of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace» from amongst the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous «not» the way «of those who earned Your Anger» those who knew the truth, but abandoned it, such as the Jews and others, nor the way of «those who went astray» who abandoned the Truth out of ignorance and misguidance, such as the Christians and others. This chapter, despite its brevity, gathers what no other chapter of the Qur.ān has gathered. It comprises the three categories of tawhīd (monotheism): 1. Tawhīd ar-Rubūbiyyah: this is derived from His Statement: «The Lord of al-`ālamīn (mankind, jinn, and all that exists).» 2. Tawhīd al-Ulūhiyyah, which is to single out Allāh with all worship, as derived from word «Allāh» and His Statement: «You (alone) we worship, and You (alone) we ask for help (for each and everything).» 3. Tawhīd al-Asmā. was-Sifāt, which is to affirm the Attributes of Perfection for Allāh, the Most High, which He has affirmed for Himself, and which His Messenger has affirmed for Him, without any ta`tīl (negating or denying), nor any tamthīl or tashbīh (likening Allāh or one of His Attributes to His Creation). This is proven by His Statement «all the praises and thanks» as has preceded. This chapter comprises the affirmation of Prophethood in His Statement: «Guide us to the Straight Way.» This is because it is impossible to attain [this guidance] without the Message. It affirms the reckoning of all deeds in His Statement: «The Only Owner (and the Only Ruling Judge) of the Day of Recompense (i.e. the Day of Resurrection)» and it affirms that this reckoning shall be based on justice, because the meaning of “dīn” is reckoning with justice. It comprises the affirmation of qadr (the divine decree) and that the servant is the one in fact, who performs his [own] deeds, contrary to the beliefs of the Qadariyyah and Jabariyyah. It includes a refutation of all the people of innovation and misguidance, in His Statement: «Guide us to the Straight Way.» This is because [the straight path] is the recognition of truth and its implementation, and every innovator and misguided oppose this. In addition, it includes rendering the religion pure and sincere for Allāh, the Most High, whether when performing an act of worship or seeking His Aid: «You (alone) we worship, and You (alone) we ask for help (for each and everything).» Thus, all the praises and thanks are due to Allāh, the Lord of al-`Ālamīn. [Source: Imām as-Sa`dī, Taysīr al-Karīm ar-Rahmān, p39-40.]
Posted on: Fri, 01 Nov 2013 20:23:16 +0000
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