1:2 Al-Faatiha (The Opening)

{ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ } [هو] الثناء على الله بصفات الكمال, وبأفعاله الدائرة بين الفضل والعدل, فله الحمد الكامل, بجميع الوجوه. { رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ } الرب, هو المربي جميع العالمين -وهم من سوى الله- بخلقه إياهم, وإعداده لهم الآلات, وإنعامه عليهم بالنعم العظيمة, التي لو فقدوها, لم يمكن لهم البقاء. فما بهم من نعمة, فمنه تعالى. وتربيته تعالى لخلقه نوعان: عامة وخاصة. فالعامة: هي خلقه للمخلوقين, ورزقهم, وهدايتهم لما فيه مصالحهم, التي فيها بقاؤهم في الدنيا. والخاصة: تربيته لأوليائه, فيربيهم بالإيمان, ويوفقهم له, ويكمله لهم, ويدفع عنهم الصوارف, والعوائق الحائلة بينهم وبينه, وحقيقتها: تربية التوفيق لكل خير, والعصمة عن كل شر. ولعل هذا [المعنى] هو السر في كون أكثر أدعية الأنبياء بلفظ الرب. فإن مطالبهم كلها داخلة تحت ربوبيته الخاصة. فدل قوله { رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ } على انفراده بالخلق والتدبير, والنعم, وكمال غناه, وتمام فقر العالمين إليه, بكل وجه واعتبار.

القراء السبعة على ضم الدال في قوله الحمد لله هو مبتدأ وخبر وروي عن سفيان بن عيينه ورؤبة بن العجاج أنهما قالا "الحمد لله" بالنصب وهو على إضمار فعل وقرأ ابن أبي عبلة "الحمد لله" بضم الدال واللام اتباعا للثاني الأول وله شواهد لكنه شاذ وعن الحسن وزيد بن علي "الحمد لله" بكسر الدال اتباعا للأول الثاني قال أبو جعفر بن جرير معنى "الحمد لله" الشكر لله خالصا دون سائر ما يعبد من دونه ودون كل ما برأ من خلقه بما أنعم على عباده من النعم التي لا يحصيها العدد ولا يحيط بعددها غيره أحد في تصحيح الآلات لطاعته وتمكين جوارح أجسام المكلفين لأداء فرائضه مع ما بسط لهم في دنياهم من الرزق وغذاهم به من نعيم العيش من غير استحقاق منهم ذلك عليه ومع ما نبههم عليه ودعاهم إليه من الأسباب المؤدية إلى دوام الخلود في دار المقام في النعيم المقيم فلربنا الحمد على ذلك كله أولا وآخرا. وقال ابن جرير رحمه الله: "الحمد لله" ثناء أثنى به على نفسه وفي ضمنه أمر عباده أن يثنوا عليه فكأنه قال قولوا "الحمد لله" قال وقد قيل إن قول القائل "الحمد لله" ثناء عليه بأسمائه الحسنى وصفاته العلى وقوله الشكر لله ثناء عليه بنعمه وأياديه. ثم شرع في رد ذلك بما حاصله أن جميع أهل المعرفة بلسان العرب يوقعون كلا من الحمد والشكر مكان الآخر وقد نقل السلمي هذا المذهب أنهما سواء عن جعفر الصادق وابن عطاء من الصوفية وقال ابن عباس "الحمد لله" كلمة كل شاكر وقد استدل القرطبي لابن جرير بصحة قول القائل "الحمد لله" شكرا. وهذا الذي ادعاه ابن جرير فيه نظر لأنه اشتهر عند كثير من العلماء من المتأخرين أن الحمد هو الثناء بالقول على المحمود بصفاته اللازمة والمتعدية والشكر لا يكون إلا على المتعدية ويكون بالجنان واللسان والأركان كما قال الشاعر: أفادتكم النعماء مني ثلاثة يدي ولساني والضمير المججبا ولكنهم اختلفوا أيهما أعم الحمد أو الشكر على قولين والتحقيق أن بينهما عموما وخصوصا فالحمد أعم من الشكر من حيث ما يقعان عليه لأنه يكون على الصفات اللازمة والمتعدية تقول حمدته لفروسيته وحمدته لكرمه وهو أخص لأنه لا يكون إلا بالقول والشكر أعم من حيث ما يقعان عليه لأنه يكون بالقول والفعل والنية كما تقدم وهو أخص لأنه لا يكون إلا على الصفات المتعدية لا يقال شكرته لفروسيته وتقول شكرته على كرمه وإحسانه إلي. هذا حاصل ما حرره بعض المتأخرين والله أعلم. وقال أبو نصر إسماعيل بن حماد الجوهري: الحمد نقيض الذم تقول حمدت الرجل أحمده حمدا ومحمدة فهو حميد ومحمود والتحميد أبلغ من الحمد والحمد أعم من الشكر وقال في الشكر هو الثناء على المحسن بما أولاه من المعروف يقال شكرته وشكرت له وباللام أفصح. وأما المدح فهو أعم من الحمد لأنه يكون للحي وللميت وللجماد أيضا كما يمدح الطعام والمكان ونحو ذلك ويكون قبل الإحسان وبعده وعلى الصفات المتعدية واللازمة أيضا فهو أعم. ذكر أقوال السلف في الحمد قال ابن أبي حاتم حدثنا أبو معمر القطيعي حدثنا حفص عن حجاج عن ابن أبي مليكة عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما قال: قال عمر رضي الله عنه قد علمنا سبحان الله ولا إله إلا الله فما "الحمد لله"؟ فقال علي: كلمة رضيها الله لنفسه ورواه غير أبى معمر عن حفص فقال قال عمر لعلي - وأصحابه عنده - لا إله إلا الله وسبحان الله والله أكبر قد عرفناها فما "الحمد لله"؟ قال علي: كلمة أحبها الله تعالى لنفسه ورضيها لنفسه وأحب أن تقال وقال علي بن زيد بن جدعان عن يوسف بن مهران قال ابن عباس "الحمد لله" كلمة الشكر وإذا قال العبد "الحمد لله" قال شكرني عبدي. رواه ابن أبي حاتم وروى أيضا هو وابن جرير من حديث بشر بن عمارة عن أبي روق عن الضحاك عن ابن عباس أنه قال: "الحمد لله" هو الشكر لله هو الاستخذاء له والإقرار له بنعمته وهدايته وابتدائه وغير ذلك وقال كعب الأحبار "الحمد لله" ثناء الله وقال الضحاك "الحمد لله" رداء الرحمن وقد ورد الحديث بنحو ذلك. قال ابن جرير حدثنا سعيد بن عمرو السكوني حدثنا بقية بن الوليد حدثني عيسى بن إبراهيم بن موسى بن أبي حبيب عن الحكم بن عمير وكانت له صحبة قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم "إذا قلت "الحمد لله رب العالمين" فقد شكرت الله فزادك" وقد روى الإمام أحمد بن حنبل حدثنا روح حدثنا عوف عن الحسن عن الأسود بن سريع قال: قلت يا رسول الله ألا أنشدك محامد حمدت بها ربي تبارك وتعالى فقال "أما إن ربك يحب الحمد" ورواه النسائي عن علي بن حجر عن ابن علية عن يونس بن عبيد عن الحسن بن الأسود بن سريع به. وروى أبو عيسى الحافظ الترمذي والنسائي وابن ماجه من حديث موسى بن إبراهيم بن كثير عن طلحة بن خراش عن جابر بن عبدالله قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم "أفضل الذكر لا إله إلا الله وأفضل الدعاء الحمد لله" وقال الترمذي حسن غريب. وروى ابن ماجه عن أنس بن مالك رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم "ما أنعم الله على عبد نعمة فقال الحمد لله إلا كان الذي أعطى أفضل مما أخذ" وقال القرطبي فى تفسيره وفى نوادر الأصول عن أنس عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال "لو أن الدنيا بحذافيرها في يد رجل من أمتي ثم قال الحمد لله لكان الحمد لله أفضل من ذلك" قال القرطبي وغيره أي لكان إلهامه الحمد لله أكثر نعمة عليه من نعم الدنيا لأن ثواب الحمد لا يفنى ونعيم الدنيا لا يبقى قال الله تعالى "المال والبنون زينة الحياة الدنيا والباقيات الصالحات خير عند ربك ثوابا وخير أملا" وفي سنن ابن ماجه عن ابن عمر أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم حدثهم "أن عبدا من عباد الله قال يا رب لك الحمد كما ينبغي لجلال وجهك وعظيم سلطانك فعضلت بالملكين فلم يدريا كيف يكتبانها فصعدا إلى الله فقالا يا ربنا إن عبدا قد قال مقالة لا ندري كيف نكتبها قال الله وهو أعلم بما قال عبده: ماذا قال عبدي؟ قالا يا رب إنه قال لك الحمد يا رب كما ينبغي لجلال وجهك وعظيم سلطانك فقال الله لهما: اكتباها كما قال عبدي حتى يلقاني فأجزيه بها" وحكى القرطبي عن طائفة أنهم قالوا قول العبد "الحمد لله رب العالمين" أفضل من قوله لا إله إلا الله لاشتمال الحمد لله رب العالمين على التوحيد مع الحمد وقال آخرون لا إله إلا الله أفضل لأنها تفصل بين الإيمان والكفر وعليها يقاتل الناس حتى يقولوا لا إله إلا الله كما ثبت في الحديث المتفق عليه وفي الحديث الآخر "أفضل ما قلت أنا والنبيون من قبلي لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له" وقد تقدم عن جابر مرفوعا "أفضل الذكر لا إله إلا الله وأفضل الدعاء الحمد لله" وحسنه الترمذي. والألف واللام في الحمد لاستغراق جميع أجناس الحمد وصنوفه لله تعالى كما جاء في الحديث "اللهم لك الحمد كله ولك الملك كله وبيدك الخير كله وإليك يرجع الأمر كله" الحديث. والرب هو المالك المتصرف ويطلق في اللغة على السيد وعلى المتصرف للإصلاح وكل ذلك صحيح في حق الله تعالى ولا يستعمل الرب لغير الله بل بالإضافة تقول رب الدار كذا وأما الرب فلا يقال إلا لله عز وجل وقد قيل انه الاسم الأعظم. والعالمين جمع عالم وهو كل موجود سوى الله عز وجل والعالم جمع لا واحد له من لفظه والعوالم أصناف المخلوقات في السماوات وفي البر والبحر وكل قرن منها وجيل يسمى عالما أيضا قال بشر بن عمارة عن أبي روق عن الضحاك عن ابن عباس "الحمد لله رب العالمين" الحمد لله الذي له الخلق كله السماوات والأرض وما فيهن وما بينهن مما نعلم ومما لا نعلم. وفي رواية سعيد بن جبير وعكرمة عن ابن عباس: رب الجن والإنس وكذلك قال سعيد بن جبير ومجاهد وابن جريج ورُوي عن علي نحوه قال ابن أبي حاتم بإسناده لا يعتمد عليه واستدل القرطبي لهذا القول بقوله تعالى "ليكون للعالمين نذيرا" وهم الجن والإنس قال الفراء وأبو عبيد العالم عبارة عما يعقل وهم الإنس والجن والملائكة والشياطين ولا يقال للبهائم عالم. وعن زيد بن أسلم وأبي محيصن العالم كل ما له روح ترفرف. وقال قتادة رب العالمين كل صنف عالم وقال الحافظ ابن عساكر في ترجمة مروان بن محمد وهو أحد خلفاء بني أمية وهو يعرف بالجعد ويلقب بالحمار أنه قال خلق الله سبعة عشر ألف عالم أهل السماوات وأهل الأرض ما لم واحد وسائرهم لا يعلمهم إلا الله عز وجل. وقال أبو جعفر الرازي عن الربيع بن أنس عن أبى العالية فى قوله تعالى "رب العالمين" قال الإنس عالم والجن عالم وما سوى ذلك ثمانية عشر ألف أو أربعة عشر ألف عالم - هو يشك - الملائكة على الأرض وللأرض أربع زوايا فى كل زاوية ثلاثة آلاف عالم وخمسمائة عالم خلقهم الله لعبادته ورواه ابن جرير وابن أبي حاتم. وهذا كلام غريب يحتاج مثله إلى دليل صحيح. وقال ابن أبي حاتم حدثنا أبي حدثنا هشام بن خالد حدثنا الوليد بن مسلم حدثنا الفرات يعني ابن الوليد عن معتب بن سمي عن سبيع يعني الحميري في قوله تعالى "رب العالمين" قال العالمين ألف أمة فستمائة في البحر وأربعمائة في البر وحكى مثله عن سعيد بن المسيب وقد روى نحو هذا مرفوعا كما قال الحافظ أبو يعلى أحمد بن علي بن المثنى في مسنده: حدثنا محمد بن المثنى حدثنا عبيد بن واقد القيسي أبو عباد حدثني محمد بن عيسى بن كيسان حدثنا محمد بن المنكدر عن جابر بن عبدالله قال: قل الجراد في سنة من سني عمر التي ولي فيها فسأل عنه فلم يخبر بشيء فاغتم لذلك فأرسل راكبا يضرب إلى اليمن وآخر إلى الشام وآخر إلى العراق يسأل هل رئي من الجراد شيء أم لا قال فأتاه الراكب الذي من قبل اليمن بقبضة من جراد فألقاها بين يديه فلما رآها كبر ثم قال سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول "خلق الله ألف أمة ستمائة في البحر وأربعمائة في البر فأول شيء يهلك من هذه الأمم الجراد فإذا هلك تتابعت مثل النظام إذا قطع سلكه" محمد بن عيسى هذا وهو الهلالي ضعيف وحكى البغوي عن سعيد بن المسيب أنه قال لله ألف عالم ستمائه في البحر وأربعمائة في البر وقال وهب بن منبه لله ثمانية عشر ألف عالم الدنيا عالم منها وقال مقاتل العوالم ثمانون ألفا وقال كعب الأحبار لا يعلم عدد العوالم إلا الله عز وجل نقله كله البغوي وحكى القرطبي عن أبى سعيد الخدري أنه قال إن لله أربعين ألف عالم الدنيا من شرقها إلى مغربها عالم واحد منها. وقال الزجاج العالم كل ما خلق الله في الدنيا والآخرة قال القرطبي وهذا هو الصحيح أنه شامل لكل العالمين كقوله "قال فرعون وما رب العالمين قال رب السماوات والأرض وما بينهما إن كنتم موقنين" والعالم مشتق من العلامة"قلت" لأنه علم دال على وجود خالقه وصانعه ووحدانيته كما قال ابن المعتز: فيا عجبا كيف يعصى الإله أم كيف يجحده الجاحد وفي كل شيء له آيـــــة تدل على أنه واحـــد.

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."

In the Name of God the name of a thing is that by which it can be known. The Names of God exalted be He are the archetypal forms ṣuwar nawʿiyya whose specificities and ipseities hūwiyya indicate the attributes of God and His essence and which indicate by their very existence His countenance and by their individuation His oneness. For these are the outward manifestations through which He can be known; Allāh is a name for the divine essence qua essence absolutely without taking into consideration that it may be qualified by the attributes or indeed taking into consideration that it may not be so qualified; the Compassionate is the one who causes existence and perfection to flow upon all things in the measure that divine wisdom requires and to the capacity of the receiving entities qawābil from the outset of their creation; the Merciful al-Raḥīm is the one who bestows the spiritual perfection kamāl maʿnawī that has been earmarked for the human species in the end sc. in the Hereafter. It is for this reason that they say O You Who are the Compassionate One of this world and of the Hereafter yā raḥmān al-dunyā wa'l-ākhira but say O Merciful One of the Hereafter raḥīm al-ākhira the meaning then is in the perfect human all-encompassing form general and specific mercy which is the locus of manifestation of the divine essence and the greatest truth with the totality of attributes I commence and I recite. It Allāh is the Greatest Name of God. It is to this meaning that the Prophet's ṣlʿm alluded when he said 'I have been given the sum of all excellent speech sc. The QurÌān and have been sent to complete the noble character traits makārim al-akhlāq. For words constitute the realities ḥaqāÌiq of existents mawjūdāt and their concrete substances aʿyān just as Jesus peace be upon him was called a Word from God cf. 33945. The noble character traits are the perfections of these existents and represent their specifities constituting the sources of their the existents' actions in their entirety contained as they are in the comprehensive human microcosm kawn insānī. Herein lies a subtlety la?īfa namely that the prophets peace be upon them have made the letters of the alphabet analogous to the ranks of existents marātib al-mawjūdāt.

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.

Praise belongs to God, the Lord of the Worlds. This is praise of the lovingly kind God, the Creator who provides daily provisions, the One in name and mark, the Lord who is found without seeking, recognized without being found, loved without being seen. He is powerful without contrivance, self-standing without the changing of states, safe from decline in kingship, transcendent in essence and attribute, without beginning and end, de- scribed by the description of majesty and the attribute of beauty. He saw the servants' incapacity to recognize His measure and He knew that as much as they tried, they would not arrive. As much as they hoped, they would not recognize. The exalted Qur'an gives witness to their incapacity: “They measured not God with the rightful due of His measure” [6:91]. In the perfection of His exaltedness, majesty, and holiness, He made them His deputies in laudation of Him, taught them how to praise Him, and gave them permission to do so. Otherwise, who would dream of saying “Praise belongs to God” if He had not said it Himself? Who in the whole world would have the gall to say, “Praise belongs to God”? Her own face has itself as a moon, her own eye has itself as collyrium. * Who knows You? It is You who know You, You. No one knows You-You alone know You. O worthy of Your own laudation, O giver of thanks for Your own bestowal! In my essence I am incapable of Your service, and with my own intellect I am incapable of recognizing Your favor. In my entire self I am incapable of joy in You, and with my own ability I am incapable of what is worthy for You. O Generous! I am seized by the pain whose cure is You. I am a servant of the laudation that is worthy of You. What do I know of You? You know. You are what You said You are-that is You. Know also that praise is two sorts: one at seeing blessings, the other at seeing the Beneficent. That which is at seeing blessings extols Him, puts His blessings to work through obedience, and girds up the loins in thanking Him so as to increase blessings today and convey to paradise tomor- row. Thus the Prophet said, “The first to be called to the Garden will be those who fully praise God in every state. ” This is the final end of him whose praise is at seeing blessings. As for him whose praise is at seeing the Beneficent, the tongue of his state says, “Poverty did not drive us from the land of our kinsmen- we came to find happiness at encountering You. * “O idol, we didn't come to look at the world!” Such a chevalier was given the wine of yearning and shamed by mutual seeing until he was anni- hilated from himself. He heard one, he saw one, he reached one. What did he hear? What did he see? What did he reach? He heard the remembrance of the Real, he saw the lamp of familiarity, he reached the First Day. He heard the response of gentleness, he saw the signet of friendship, and he reached the friendship of the Beginningless. The chevalier first found the mark and lost his heart, then was given access and became all heart, then saw the Friend and became lost in the heart. The Pir of the Tariqah said, “The two worlds became lost in friendship, and friendship became lost in the Friend. Now I cannot say that it is I, nor can I say that it is He.” I have an eye, all of it filled with the form of the Friend. Happy am I with my eye so long as the Friend is within it. Separating the eye from the Friend is not good- either He's in place of the eye, or the eye itself is He. The Lord of the Worlds, that is, the nurturer of the world's folk and the one who assigns their daily provision. The portion of one is the nurture of the body, the portion of another the nurture of the heart. He is nurturer of one person's body with blessings, nurturer of another's heart with the Patron of Blessings. Blessings are the portion of him who does not put aside struggle in service. The mystery of the Patron of Blessings is the portion of him whose hope is to see Him. Wanting to see the Friend is the attribute of the Men. Who is more victorious than he who sees the Friend face-to-face? Great is the aspiration of the eye that wants to see You- is it not enough for an eye that You see him who sees You? The nourishment of the friends' hearts, which they put to work as the nurture of their spirit and which is conveyed to them night and day from the Exalted Presence, is what was said by the world's paragon: “I spend the night at my Lord; He gives me to eat and drink.