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Surah A l-Fatihah
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ِ ِ
ا
ِ
ْ
ا
ِ ِْ ِ ا
In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Merciful
Introduction
All praise and glory is only for Allah (swt). The First and the Last. The Manifest and the
Hidden. The One Who has Power over all things. The Creator and the Sustainer of all that exists.
The Manager and the Director over all affairs. The One True Sovereign and King Whom all of
creation must obey and submit to for every second of their existence. The One True God Who
Praise and thanks be to Allah (swt) who has favored us the children of Adam (as) by
giving us a mind and senses with which we can realize His (swt)’s Existence from the signs in the
universe around us. Praise and thanks be to Allah (swt) again who sent to us the prophets and
the messengers with clear proofs and undeniable arguments to guide us to Him (swt) and to
I praise and thank Allah (swt) for all of His bounties and I humbly ask Him (swt) to
continue to bless and bestow upon us from His (swt)’s Grace, Bounty, and Mercy. I bear witness
that there is none worthy of worship except Allah (swt), the One and Only, Who has no partner or
equal, the Generous and the Forgiving. I bear witness that our leader Prophet Muhammad (saw)
is His (swt)’s servant and Messenger, the beloved of Allah (swt) and the very best of all of the
Allah (swt) honored the Prophet (saw) by giving him (saw) the Glorious Quran. Every
prophet was given a Miracle by Allah (swt) to prove to the people that he was truly sent from Allah
(swt). The Prophet (saw) was sent as the Final Messenger to all of mankind until the Last Day. So
he (saw) was given an enduring Miracle that lasted throughout the ages. That Miracle is the
Quran, perhaps the greatest Miracle that was given to any prophet.
Allah (swt) says in the Quran, “I have not created the jinn and the men except that they
should worship and serve Me” (51:57), this means that the reason why we exist is only to worship
and serve Allah (swt). Allah (swt) has also made the Quran a complete guidance for mankind until
the Day Judgment of for He (swt) also says in the Quran that “We have not omitted anything from
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the Book”(6:39). The meaning of this ayah is that everything that the human being needs for
guidance is in the Quran. There is nothing that has been omitted from this Book on how to guide
the human being to fulfill the purpose of his creation. So for us to know how to fulfill our role of
worshipping and serving Allah (swt), the role for which we have been created, the Quran is the
source of guidance to which we have to look. Could then there be anything that is more valuable
to us? Could there be any treasure that we cherish more than this Quran?
Not only is the Quran the greatest bounty that Allah (swt) has given us because it is an
enduring miracle and a complete guidance for mankind but yet another gift that Allah (swt) has
given us is that He (swt) has given our hearts the ability to bear the Quran. Allah (swt) says “Had
We sent down this Quran onto a mountain, you would have seen it humbled, crushed into pieces
out of fear of Allah” (59:21). It is only because of Mercy from Allah (swt) that He (swt) has given
our hearts the ability to bear the strength and the power of meaning that is contained in the
Quran. The words of the Quran can destroy mountains but Allah (swt) has given us the ability to
learn it, to reflect on it, to implement what it contains of our duties to Allah (swt) and to propagate
it to others. What is the strength of the heart of humans when compared to that of a mountain?
So we have to show gratefulness to Allah (swt) for sending us the Quran and for giving us the
ability and the strength to understand it. The way to show this gratefulness is to always be
attached to the Quran and to let it be a constant source of guidance in our life.
There are also many hadith from the Prophet (saw) where he (saw) has told us the great
importance of the Quran. He (saw) has told us again and again to learn, teach and be attached to
the Quran throughout of our lives. The Prophet (saw) has said in a hadith recorded by Muslim
that “The Quran is either an argument for you or against you”. On the Day of Judgment when all
of mankind is brought before Allah (swt) the Quran will be brought forth also. It will be an
argument in support for those who believed in it as the revelation from Allah (swt) and those who
followed its commandments and those who taught it to others. For those who neglected it or for
those who learned it and did not follow it and did not live by it, it will be a source of punishment for
them. May Allah (swt) save us from that! The Prophet (saw) also said in a hadith recorded by al-
Bukhari that “The best of you is he who learns Quran and teaches it”, meaning Allah (swt) will be
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well pleased by the one who learns His (swt)’s Book and teaches it to others. Not only is Allah
(swt) well pleased with such a person, but also Allah (swt) considers that person to be the best of
the believers. What could be better than that? To be the highest in the estimation of the All-
Mighty. So by attaching yourself to this Quran, by learning it and by teaching it to others you
could be the best of the Muslims. The Prophet (saw) also said in a hadith qudsi that Allah (swt)
declared “If anyone is distracted from asking of Me by the Quran and remembering Me (with it), I
will give him better than what I give the askers”. This means that for the one who occupies
himself with the Quran, Allah (swt) will give him better than what He (swt) gives those who are
asking of Him (swt), the ones who are always making duaa to Him (swt). So if you occupy
yourself with this Quran then Allah (swt) will give you what is even better than what He (swt) gives
to those who are asking of Him (swt). Allah (swt) would only allow to befall you in your life what is
best for you. The Prophet (saw) also said “The Excellence of the words of Allah over all other
words is like the Excellence of Allah over his creation”. Could there be any comparison between
Allah (swt) and the creation? Similarly there is no comparing the Words of Allah (swt) over all
other words. The greatness of these words comes from the Greatness of the One Who spoke
them. So from these hadith can we even begin to comprehend how important the Quran must be
in our lives? How much we have to dedicate ourselves to it and how much we have to live by it?
In another hadith recorded in At-Tirmidhi the Prophet (saw) said “There will be trials like
patches of dark night”. When he (saw) was asked how the Muslim community could escape these
trials, he (saw) said “The Book of Allah, Blessed and Exalted, contains your history, news about
what came before you, news about what will come after you, and correct judgment between you.
It is decisive and not a joke. Allah will destroy any oppressor who abandons it and Allah will
misguide whoever looks for guidance from other than it. It is the Firm Rope of Allah, His Clear
Light and the Wise Reminder. It is the Straight Path. Passions are not misguided by it, tongues do
not become sated with it, and the ones that fear Allah do not become bored with it. It does not
wear out when it is repeated a lot and its wonders never cease”. Look at all the descriptions that
the Prophet (saw) gives for the Quran in this hadith. It is clear that the Muslim Ummah today is
going through such trials that the Prophet (saw) described in this hadith as “patches of dark
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night”. He (saw) said this to emphasize and describe the difficulty and the evil of such times. Then
he (saw) said that they only way for us to survive such times of trial is with the Quran. How
These ayahs and these ahadith are the reasons that have inspired us to start this project
called “Quran-Tafsir.org”. This is a web site where we plan to post Quran Tafsir PDF Books for
everyone to come and read for free. First of all you should know that this is a work in progress.
There are a few Surahs available now, but Insha Allah with the Permission and Support of Allah
(swt), we plan to add more Surahs in the future. Insha Allah, with the Help and Support of Allah
(swt), we plan to complete the entire Quran. We only ask for your duaa to achieve that objective.
These books are completely free for you to download, keep and give it to whomever you wish.
We only ask you for your prayers for us and our family.
The purpose of this website is to explain some of the meanings of the Quran for those
Muslims who do not have the Arabic language and are unable to read the Arabic tafsir books.
Allah (swt) gave us the Quran in the Arabic language, and anything that is not in Arabic is not
Quran. Now it is true that you need to be an expert in the Arabic language to learn the deep and
profound meanings of the Quran and it is a duty upon every Muslim to make their best effort to
learn the Arabic language. But until we get there, there is still a large part of this Ummah who do
not have the Arabic language and so have no access whatsoever to the Book of Allah (swt). Not
only is the Quran itself in Arabic but the vast majority of the Tafsirs of Quran that explain the
Quran are also in Arabic. So for those Muslims who do not have the Arabic language, they have
very little access to what their Creator and Master is telling them. We do not feel that the current
translations available do justice to the meaning of the Quran. Even the current books in English
that call themselves “tafsir” books do not provide a sufficient explanation of the meanings of the
This predicament is what we seek to correct with this endeavor. Insha Allah through
these books we hope to give those in the Ummah who do not have the Arabic language a small
understanding of the deep and profound meanings that are in the Quran. This work by no means
replaces the Arabic Tafsirs that our scholars have written, but rather it simply seeks to explain
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some of the meanings of the Quran for those who do not have the Arabic language. We
encourage every one of our readers to make an effort to learn the Arabic language so that they
can understand Quran as it was revealed from Allah (swt), and also so that they can read the
classical Tafsir books that our scholars have written. In the meantime we hope that our work
gives you a small taste of the depth of meaning that is in the Book of Allah (swt). All that you will
get here is a small taste. To truly understand the Quran you need to know the classical Arabic.
We are by no means scholars, and there is nothing here that is from our own opinion.
What we have done is that we have taken the works of both contemporary and classical scholars
of Tafsir and summarized it into one work. Among the sources we have referred to are the works
of scholars such as Sayyid Abul Ala Mawdudi, Sayyid Qutb, Imam Qurtubi, Imam Ibn Kathir,
Imam Shawkani, Mufti Shafi Uthmani, and others (may Allah (swt) be pleased with all of them).
These men are all great scholars who have contributed a great deal for this Ummah. The life of
this Ummah depends solely on the ink of its scholars and the blood of its martyrs. So we should
respect and honor our scholars simply for the fact that they are scholars and because they have
produced works that help us to better understand our Din. This is what we have done in our tafsir
books, we have taken the works of these scholars and summarized it into one work.
We ask you not to think negatively of our work in any way because you may not agree
with any of these scholars. We must not reject any scholar completely simply because they may
not be part of our group or our movement, nor must we reject them if there is one statement that
they may have made that we do not agree with. If we find what they are saying to be consistent
with the Quran and Sunnah then we can accept what they say but if they say something that
contradicts Quran and Sunnah then we leave it. Because even though they are scholars they are
still men and men make mistakes. So if we see something from them that is good then we take it,
otherwise we leave it. Our sincerity and our loyalty must only be for Allah (swt) and His
Messenger (saw). So blindly following scholars without asking for their evidence from the Quran
and Sunnah is wrong. But at the same time we must not discard what the scholars say simply
because we may not always agree with them. We should listen to what each scholar says and
ultimately our only loyalty must be to Book of Allah (swt) and the Sunnah of His Messenger (saw).
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So please do not discard everything that is in this Tafsir only because you do not agree with one
of the scholars we mentioned. Simply listen to what they say, if you are convinced that they are
giving you the correct meaning that is in the Quran then you can accept it, otherwise you can
leave it. As always Allah (swt) Knows best and what is important for us is that we make the effort
to understand what is in His (swt)’s Book to the best of our ability. This striving to understand the
meanings of the Quran is the action for which we seek the reward from our Creator in the
Hereafter, in that eternal life after this one. We are all weak and we all make mistakes. All that we
can do is try our best to understand what our Creator is saying. May Allah (swt) guide us!
As we mentioned when compiling this Tafsir we have always tried our best to stick to the
meaning of the words that Allah (swt) gives in the ayah and we tried our best not to add anything
of our own opinion. So we can assure you that as you read this Tafsir you will not find anything
that is not given in the language of the ayah or anything that is not supported by another ayah in
the Quran or in a hadith of the Prophet (saw). The only thing we have done in addition to quoting
the opinions of scholars is to try and connect the meaning of the ayah to the present situation that
our Ummah is facing. Because the Quran is a Book of guidance, and we all need guidance from
Allah (swt). So for every ayah we try to get the guidance that Allah (swt) is giving for our present
day situation. But we never took any meaning that is not given in the language in the ayah, or
supported by another ayah or a hadith of the Prophet (saw), or given by one of the scholars of
Tafsir. Thus we strove to ensure that every single idea that is presented here is in conformity
with this Message that Allah (swt) has sent. But we are not perfect and that is why we say that if
there is anything here that is correct and good then it is from Allah (swt) and if there is anything
here that is wrong then it is from us and we seek forgiveness of Allah (swt) for any
Since these are the words of Allah (swt) we do not intend by this Tafsir any kind of
comprehensive explanation of the Quran’s meanings. As we said that what we have given here
only scratches the surface of the meaning that is in Allah (swt)’s Book. Allah (swt) has told us in
Quran that if the trees of the world were pens and if the oceans of the world were ink this still
would not be enough to write His (swt)’s words. Ali (ra) is reported to have said ‘If I wished I could
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load seventy camels only with the Tafsir of Surah Fatihah’. This shows the extent of knowledge
and meaning that is contained in the Quran. So our humble project is by no means an extensive
explanation of the meanings of the Quran. You can think of each ayah as an iceberg and the
meaning that we give in this Tafsir as only the tip of the iceberg. There is still a wealth of
knowledge and guidance in each ayah that we cannot even touch upon here. So do not allow
this tafsir to be the only one that you read, rather you should read more and more so that you can
discover more and more of the meanings in the Book of your Lord. Your life is nothing but a
journey to your Lord and the Quran is your guide, should it not then be your everything?
The one rule that we have to always keep in mind when we read any ayah of the Quran
is that we must always be asking ourselves how that ayah can be a source of guidance for us.
We have already said how the Quran is the manual or the guidebook for us to know how to
worship and serve our Creator. Allah (swt) created us for the noble purpose of worshipping and
serving Him (swt) and the Quran is the manual on how to accomplish that purpose. So as we
read each ayah of the Quran, Insha Allah, we should try to learn its meaning and we should ask
ourselves how the meaning of this ayah can help us to better worship and serve our Creator. We
have to always remember that our intention in approaching the Quran is for Allah (swt). So we
have to try and use every ayah that we learn to bring our closer to our Lord. We have to always
be looking for the practical implementation of that ayah in our day to day life. If we keep this rule
in mind then Insha Allah for every ayah that we learn we would be fulfilling the purpose for which
the Quran was sent down, and that is to be a light and guidance for those who believe. To show
us how to worship and serve Allah (swt) so that we can earn His (swt)’s Pleasure. It is only when
we get the Pleasure of Allah (swt) that we will get the Mercy of Allah (swt) and it is only when we
get the Mercy of Allah (swt) that any of us have a chance to enter the Garden. Nothing matters in
this life except that we strive to please our Lord. That is why we have written our tafsir in such a
way that we try to get the benefit and the guidance in each ayah. We try to look for what it is in
that ayah that will bring us closer to our Lord. What it is that will make us remember Him (swt)
more. What it is that will make us love Him (swt) more. What will make us fear and revere Him
(swt) more. This is what we should be seeking from every ayah that we learn.
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We ourselves are not part of any group or movement. Neither are we affiliated with any
organization or government. We are just trying to learn the Book of Allah (swt) and teach it to
others as the Prophet (saw) has commanded us to do. That is the only objective that we hoped to
achieve when we wrote this tafsir. So we strove to ensure that any idea or thought that you get
from this tafsir is an idea or thought that comes from the ayahs of the Quran and not from
ourselves. We had no ulterior motives whatsoever in writing this work. We only want to explain
the Book of Allah (swt) and call to Allah (swt) with it. This tafsir does not in any way call to acts of
unjustified violence or terrorism. We do not want anyone to harm others or harm themselves as a
result of reading these books. Insha Allah if you read this tafsir we will show you how all acts of
terrorism directed against civilians and non-combatants is wrong and is not permitted in the Law
of Allah (swt). Insha Allah we will show how Islam is a religion of peace and how it was only sent
for the betterment of mankind. Even when it comes to jihad and fighting this Din has specific rules
on how combat should take place. Insha Allah we will show how jihad can only be used as a last
resort and even then according to the rules specified in the Law of Allah (swt). We personally are
not against any government or nation. We believe that all people are the children of Adam and so
all people are our brethren in humanity. We believe that all people are good unless they do
something to prove otherwise. So we have nothing against anyone whatsoever. All that we say in
this tafsir is what Allah (swt) Himself has said. All that we do is explain and elaborate on what is
already there in the text. If you think that we have inadvertently said something against someone
that is not supported by the Quran or Sunnah please e-mail us and bring it to our attention. We
want nothing but good for all mankind to come from this work.
We pray to Allah (swt) to accept this humble work of ours and to forgive it’s many
weaknesses and shortcomings. We know that there are many shortcomings in this work. We ask
Allah (swt) to allow these books to facilitate a greater understanding of the Quran by our brothers
and sisters in the Muslim Ummah. We ask Allah (swt) to allow these books to allow non-Muslims
to gain insight into the knowledge and wisdom that the Quran contains. If Allah (swt) guides even
one person through our books then we believe that all of our efforts were worth what we did. You
are welcome to print out these books and use them for dawah. You can distribute them to anyone
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whom you feel will benefit from them. We hope that these books will allow the Quran to be a
source of guidance and a comfort for all who read it like just it has been for us. There is healing
and mercy in this Quran just as there is light and guidance, we only have to look for it. We pray to
Allah (swt) to let this Quran be a light for all those of His (swt)’s slaves who search for Him (swt)
with it. A beacon that guides to His (swt)’s Pleasure and His (swt)’s Paradise. We beg Allah (swt)
to allow this work to be even the smallest of help for the Muslim Ummah on the great mission that
Ebad ur-Rahman
Quran-Tafsir.org
October 2007
(swt) – Subahana Wa Ta’ala , “Perfect and Pure and the Most High”
This is used whenever we mention the Name of Allah (swt), our Lord and Master.
(saw)- Sallahu Allahi wa Salam, “Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him”
This is used whenever we mention the Prophet (saw), our Messenger and Leader.
These have only been used for the sake of brevity and we do not intend to diminish the meaning
of them in any way. When you read these you should try to pronounce them out loud to show
your respect for your Creator and His Messenger and those whom He (swt) is pleased with.
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Surah Al-Fatihah
The first ayah of every Surah in the Quran with the exception of Surah Tawbah is this
collection of words that are known as the Basmallah. The fact that Allah (swt) in His infinite
Knowledge and Wisdom has decided to repeat this ayah so many times in the Quran should
show us what an important ayah it is. It should remind us how important it is that we contemplate
deeply on the meaning of these ayah and try to implement what it says in our lives. The scholars
have said that all of the previous revelations can be summarized in the Quran, and all of the
Quran can be summarized in Surah Fatihah, and all of Surah Fatihah can be summarized in the
Basmallah. So in reality these small five words summarize all of the revelations that were ever
sent down from Allah (swt) to mankind. Can you then even begin to understand the importance of
this ayah?
The first word in this ayah is the Arabic word Ba. This word means “with” or “in”. So here
Allah (swt) is saying “with the name of Allah” or “in the name of Allah”. This type of sentence is
what is known in English as an “ellipses” or a sentence in which a portion of the words has been
purposely left out. This is clear because Allah (swt) is telling us to say “In the name of Allah” but
He (swt) is not telling us what is in His (swt)’s Name. We do not know who or what is in His
Name. The scholars say that the reason why Allah (swt) has left out a portion of the sentence is
so that in its place we can put any action that we do. This way any action that we do we can do in
the Name of Allah (swt). That is why when we make ablution for prayer we say the Basmallah,
when we have our meal or drink water we say the Basmallah, when we perform our jobs or drive
our cars we say the Basmallah. In other words for every single action that we do from the time we
wake up to the time we go to bed we can say these words. This way every single action that we
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The scholars point out at least five benefits that we can derive from saying these words at
the beginning of every single action. The first benefit is that it helps us to remember Allah (swt).
Allah (swt) has told us in other ayahs of the Quran that only in His (swt)’s remembrance do the
hearts find solace. Although Allah (swt) is sustaining us for every second of our existence, we
cannot directly sense Him (swt). So saying the Basmallah before each of our actions will help us
to remember Him (swt). The next benefit that we can derive by saying these words is that it
reminds us of the purpose of our existence. We know that the reason why Allah (swt) created us
was to worship Him (swt). Now when we constantly say these words before each of our actions
and we even think about the meaning of these words, then Insha Allah it should remind us of this
purpose for our existence. So just by repeating these words before each of our actions not only
are we reminded our Lord but we are even reminded of the reason why He (swt) created us.
The third benefit of mentioning the Name of Allah (swt) before every action is that doing
so turns that action into a way of worshipping Allah (swt). Every action that we do can be
considered part of our worship of Allah (swt) if we perform that action with the hope of drawing
closer to Him (swt) and with the intention of abiding by His (swt)’s Law in that action. So by saying
the Basmallah before every action, we are turning that action into an act of worship to Allah (swt).
We should not think of worship as merely prayer or fasting. Rather any action that we do can be
considered as part of our worship as long we keep the intention in that action for Allah (swt). In
The fourth benefit of saying these words before all of our actions is that through them we
can get Allah (swt)’s help and support in that action. The scholars of language have pointed out
that the word Ba in this ayah is the Ba of Istiyanna, which means “to seek help”. So every time we
say these words before any one of our actions not only are we seeking to closer to Allah (swt)
with that action but we are also seeking His (swt)’s help in that action. We are asking Him (swt) to
aid us and to support us in doing that action. What could be better for you than to have the Help
and the Support of the All-Powerful and the All-Able in everything that you do? If you have His
Help and Support how then could you ever meet with failure? How then could the outcome of that
action not be best for you either in this life or in the Hereafter?
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The fifth benefit of saying these words before all of our actions is that it prevents us from
doing the forbidden actions. If we are in the habit of saying these words before every single one
of our actions no matter how mundane that action might be, then whenever our desires might
prompt us to do an evil action, Insha Allah we would say these words and then immediately
remember Allah (swt). Insha Allah this should prevent us from doing that forbidden action. When
we know that the prohibitions bring us upon us the Divine Wrath, when we know that they make
us distant from Allah (swt), then what could be more important than avoiding them?
These five are only a few of the many benefits that we can receive by making it a habit of
saying the Basmallah before all of our actions. How beautiful is that then? How beautiful is it to do
each and every one of our actions for Allah (swt)? Allah (swt) is the One Who created us and He
(swt) is the One Who is sustaining us for every moment of our lives. He (swt) is the Most Perfect
and the Most Magnificent and the Most Sublime? Worthy of all worship and servitude. Do we not
then owe it to Him (swt) to dedicate all of our actions for Him (swt)? We could if only we would
say these words and in saying them keep our intention only for Him (swt).
Although we should say the Basmallah at the beginning of every action, one of the most
important times to say it is before we start to read the Quran. Since we are turning to the Quran
as a source of guidance for us, could there be any time in which need Allah (swt)’s help more and
seek His (swt)’s Pleasure more than at the time when we read and study His (swt)’s Book? What
could be a nobler act than turning to the Divine Book with the hope of approaching the Divine
through it? Allah (swt) wants us to mention His (swt)’s Name and call on Him (swt) as we
approach His (swt)’s Book and that may be another reason as to why He (swt) has made this
ayah as the first ayah in almost every Surah. So by making the Basmallah as the first ayah of the
Surah, Allah (swt) is telling us that as we read that Surah we should seek His (swt)’s Help and we
should consider that act of turning to the Quran for guidance and reading that Surah as an act of
worship and submission to Him (swt). When we have Allah (swt) to guide us then we have a hope
that we will get the benefit and guidance from that ayah for our lives, and since this is His (swt)’s
Book we hope to draw closer and closer to Him (swt) by our reading it and learning it.
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Another important reason why Allah (swt) begins Surahs of the Quran with the Basmallah
is to declare a promise in His (swt) Name that everything in that Surah is the Truth. Allah (swt)
speaks only the Truth, but in the Quran He (swt) makes an oath in His (swt)’s own Name to testify
to the Truth of what He (swt) says. So by placing the Basmallah before a Surah Allah (swt) is
swearing by His (swt)’s Own Name that everything the Surah is the Truth. Everything that Surah
has in terms of news must be believed in without a doubt and everything that Surah has in terms
of laws must be followed without question. So if anything that the Quran says is hard for you to
accept or hard for you to follow it then remember that the Lord and Master of this entire universe
has taken oath in His (swt)’s own Name to what in this Book.
However as we mentioned perhaps the greatest benefit for us in this ayah is that it helps
us to remember our Lord. There is nothing more important in our worldly existence than
remembering Allah (swt). Why were we created? Why are we being sustained at every moment
except but to remember Him (swt)? So when we do an action in the Name of Allah (swt) it is very
important that we bring Allah (swt) to the forefront of our minds while we are doing that action.
When we think about Allah (swt) and all of His (swt)’s Perfect Names as well as remembering all
that He (swt) has done for us, Insha Allah this will make us love Him (swt) and fear Him (swt) and
we would do that action willingly for Him (swt) as part of our total submission to Him (swt). So it is
not enough that we do every action for Allah (swt) but we must also do that action with the
recognition of Who Allah (swt) IS, and why it is that He (swt) needs to be the purpose for all of our
actions. We should always think to ourselves that not only are we doing all of our actions only for
Allah (swt) but also we must remind ourselves that we are willingly and lovingly doing that action
for Him (swt). Allah (swt) is the Perfect One and He (swt) is the Source of all good in our life.
Insha Allah when we think about Allah (swt) in our minds in this way it will make us want to do all
of our actions for Him (swt) Alone because no one else deserves our actions be for them except
He (swt). Our actions should not even by for ourselves instead of Allah (swt) because we are
weak and worthless creatures. Our bodies are nothing more than a container of contaminated
things and we do not provide any real good for anyone. The only good that we can do is in being
a slave of Allah (swt) and doing all our actions for Him (swt). This may seem difficult but when
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you think about who you are and what you have done and you think about Allah (swt) and what
He (swt) has done then you will realize Who is more deserving of being the purpose your actions.
We should also note here that the language gives the meaning that not only is the action
done for Allah (swt) but it done only for Him (swt). This means that when we say these words
before an action then we are doing that action in the Name of Allah (swt) and only in the Name of
Allah (swt). We are doing that action for Allah (swt) and for no one else. So we cannot say these
words before an action and then intend by that action anything but the Pleasure of Allah (swt).
This is very important for all of us to remember because it prevents pride and arrogance from
surfacing in any of our actions. It is very important that we always strive to protect ourselves from
this. Arrogance as we know was the sin of Shaitan. This was what caused him to fall from a
station so high. As we know he has promised Allah (swt) that he will lead astray as many of the
children of Adam as possible. And his favorite way of doing this is by injecting pride into us. By
making us think that we are special. By making us think that we are the best. The most favored of
his targets are the believers because he knows that these are the closest to Allah (swt). And he
especially likes to make us proud of the acts of worship and servitude that we have done. What
an excellent worshipper you are. Look you are a Muslim who makes his five daily prayers. Look
you are a Muslim who fasts in Ramadan. How excellent you are? These are the thoughts that he
likes to put in our heart. When he does this he makes us think more about ourselves than about
our Lord. He makes us to look down on others. He makes us think that we are better worshippers
than them. When we do this not only are we earning sin by having such feelings in our heart but
we are also becoming more distant from Allah (swt). Why should we think about ourselves and
how special we are when we were created only for Him (swt)? Who are we when compared to
Him (swt)? Who is more deserving to be the reason behind actions? That is why this Basmallah is
so special. It reminds us that we are doing what we are doing for Him (swt) and only for Him (swt)
we do not care about how pious we are. We do not care if we are better than that person or not.
All that we care about is Allah (swt). All that we desire is that He (swt) is pleased with us. That is
why as we say the Basmallah before each of our actions, we must always be conscious of the
fact that among its meanings is that we are dedicating that action only for Allah (swt).
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So the first part of this ayah gives the meaning that we are doing each and every one of
our actions in “the Name of Allah”. We know from authentic hadith that Allah (swt) has over
ninety-nine Names and that each Name describes our Lord and Master in a different way. Each
Name is a different way for us to know our Creator. But the Name “Allah” is most likely the
greatest of His (swt)’s Names. It is not the Arabic word for “god” but rather it is a proper Name.
So unlike the English word “god”, this Name does not have a plural or feminine equivalent. While
you can say “gods” and “goddess” nothing like this can be done with the Name “Allah”. Allah (swt)
is One and Only and He (swt) is above differentiation between masculine and feminine. Is this not
how the Creator should be? Can you imagine the Creator and Sustainer of this universe to be
limited in any way or to have partners or equals? “Allah” means the One Who is Perfect in every
way and that is how we should know the Creator to be. So we see how the Quran matches the
reality perfectly, the perception that we would have of the Supreme Being is how He (swt)
describes Himself (swt) in His Book. Perfect in every way. It is said that the Quran is a mirror for
the universe and the universe is a mirror for the Quran because they are both from the same
Source. So while we know the Creator to be without partner and to be above the limitation of
being male and female, this is also how the Quran describes Him (swt) to be. The Quran matches
what we see from the universe perfectly. So the meaning here is that we are doing all of our
actions in the Name of the Perfect One. The One without weakness or flaw. The One Who is
unlike any other. The One Who deserves that all our actions be for Him (swt). The One Who
Now we know that Allah (swt) has several Names that describe His (swt)’s Perfection.
Yet all of these Names are contained in the Name “Allah”. So for example we know that Allah
(swt) is All-Powerful in that He (swt) can do anything and everything that He (swt) does is easy for
Him (swt). He (swt) does not even need to make any effort whatsoever to accomplish anything,
He (swt) only says “Be” and it is. So when we refer to Him (swt) as “Allah” we are also referring to
Him (swt) as the All-Powerful. We also know that Allah (swt) is All Knowing in that everything is in
His Knowledge. There is not one iota of knowledge that it outside the Knowledge of Allah (swt)
because He (swt) Knows everything. He (swt) knows the past, present and future. He (swt)
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Knows what is, what was, what will be and what could have been. He (swt) Knows what is in the
deepest ocean, and what is in the farthest galaxy as He (swt) Knows what is in the deepest
recesses of our hearts. Allah (swt) is also the All Seeing and the All Hearing. There is no sight
that is hidden from Allah (swt). He (swt) Sees everything, even that which is hidden in layers upon
layers of darkness. Similarly there is no sound that does not reach Him (swt), even the faintest
whisper reaches Him (swt). These are only a few of His Perfect Names and all of these Names
are contained in the Name “Allah”. This is why it is said that it is His greatest Name. It is the
Name that best describes Him (swt). So the Name “Allah” is the greatest Name of Allah (swt)
because it also includes all of the other Perfect Names of Allah (swt) within it. When you call on
Allah (swt) by this Name you are in essence calling on Him (swt) by all of His Names. This is
something that is special only for the name of “Allah”. So where the other Names of Allah (swt)
describe only that particular attribute of Allah (swt), the Name “Allah” describes all of His (swt)’s
The Name “Allah” is said to be derived from the words “Al” and “illah”. The word “Al” is
similar to the English word “the” and it is used for identifying the definite article in a sentence. So
for example when you say “a book” you could be referring to any book but when you say “The
book” there is the specific and definite book that you are referring to. The word illah means “god”
or an “object of worship”. That which is adored. That which is sought. We have to always
remember that back then the people did not think of “god” as people think of him today. Today for
most people “god” is almost a joke. At best he is someone whom you turn to Sunday or when you
have some dire need. But this is not how the people at the time of the Prophet (saw) thought of
their god. For them god was the illah. The illah is what fills the person’s thoughts day and night.
The illah is the object of his actions. In other words a person’s illah is the most important thing in
that person’s life. Throughout the centuries, people have taken as their illah various idols,
celestial objects, fire, and even other human beings. In reality however an illah does not need to
be an idol or some other physical object but it can be almost anything. For some people it is their
wealth, for others it is their family or tribe and for others it is their status or image in the eyes of
the people, and for others it is their desires and lusts. All of these are things that preoccupy a
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person’s time because their heart is attached to it and so it is their illah. Sometimes a person can
have more than one illah and they all compete for being the purpose behind this person’s actions.
But when the word al and the word illah are combined it forms the Name “Allah” and it gives the
meaning that only Allah (swt) deserves to be illah because He (swt) is “the illah”. So we can see
that even in the linguistic derivation of the Name “Allah” it gives the meaning that only Allah (swt)
deserves to be the object of all of our actions and the centerpiece of all our thoughts. He (swt) is
Some may say that to make Allah (swt) as the purpose for all of our actions and the
centerpiece of all our thoughts is an ideal that is difficult for us to live up to. They might bring the
argument that we as Muslims today are so distracted by the life of this world that we are not able
to remember Allah (swt) all of the time and to make the Pleasure of Allah (swt) the objective
behind all of our actions. The response to such an argument is that no one ever said this would
be easy. The worldly life is always in front of our senses and Allah (swt) is hidden from us.
Although the signs of Allah (swt) are in the universe all around us, we still have to make a
conscious effort to look for those signs and ponder and reflect on them. We still have to make a
conscious effort to remember our Lord. Meanwhile the worldly life is simply there right in front of
our senses and there will always be something there to capture our attention and distract us away
from Allah (swt). So it is understandable if it is difficult for Muslims to live up to the meaning of the
Basmallah that they are saying. But even though it is difficult we still have to try. Even if we never
reach that state where all of our actions are purely for Allah (swt) we still have to try. We have to
remember Allah (swt) and all that He (swt) has done for us. We have to remember that every
second of our existence in this worldly life is a test from Allah (swt). For every second of our life
Allah (swt) is the One Who is keeping us alive and sustaining us. Every breath that we take is
only from Allah (swt). That is why we have to find it within ourselves to make the effort to
remember Allah (swt) constantly and make everything that we do and even everything that we
think and feel only for Him (swt). If we remember Who Allah (swt) IS, all that He (swt) has given
us, and the great reward that He (swt) has prepared for us in the Hereafter then Insha Allah it will
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Since the Name “Allah” captures all of the other Perfect Names of Allah (swt) within it,
this is one of the reasons why Allah (swt) is One True illah Who deserves all of our worship and
all of our obedience. When we call on Allah (swt), we are also calling on the All Powerful, the All
Knowing, the Most Merciful, the Most Patient, we are calling on Him (swt) with all of His (swt)’s
Perfect Names. Since only Allah (swt) has these Perfect Names it is only He (swt) Who deserves
all of our worship and obedience. When we know these Perfect Names that describe Allah (swt),
how can we ever call on anyone besides Him (swt)? How can we not be terrified and humbled by
the awesome Power and Majesty that this Name denotes? How can the creation that is weak and
imperfect in every way compare with Him (swt)? How can we not be overflowing with love,
There is nothing else and no one else that can have the name of “Allah” because this
Name denotes perfection and the lack of any weakness. Everything else is weak or imperfect in
some way and so cannot have this Name. This is a Name that denotes perfection, so it can only
be given to Allah (swt). Some of the enemies of Islam have said that it is the name of an idol that
the pagan Arabs used to worship, but there is no evidence for this whatsoever. In fact if we study
the history it clearly shows that even when the pagans used this Name they used it to refer only
to Allah (swt). Much like other polytheists they believed in Allah (swt), and they knew that the
idols that they worshipped were not able to create the heavens and the earth. But they used
these idols as intercessors between them and Allah (swt) hoping that they can get closer to Allah
(swt) through these idols. They had names for their idols such as Hubal and Uzza but when they
mentioned the Name of Allah (swt), they knew it was only the Creator and Sustainer of the
Now that we have a little bit of an understanding of what the Name “Allah” means, we can
think about how fortunate we are that we know our Creator and our Sustainer in this way. Every
religion has a concept of there being a Supreme Being, One Who has created everything and the
One Who is the originator of everything. Even the simplest of minds can fathom that there has to
be a source for everything, a source from which the universe originated. Anyone can see that a
universe where everything is in some way limited could not have come into being on its own.
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Thus every religion accepts the idea of a Supreme Being that was the first cause for all things.
Another reason why every religion has this idea of a Supreme Being is because Allah (swt) has
sent many prophets and messengers. Every nation has had a prophet or messenger that was
sent to it. Today there is no nation or people that has not received a messenger who was sent to
them from Allah (swt). At some point in their history everyone has received a prophet or
messenger. All of these prophets and messengers always preached the very same message.
That was to believe in the Oneness of Allah (swt) and as a consequence of that belief to dedicate
one’s life in worship and servitude only to Allah (swt). So there were still some remnants of the
teachings of these prophets among all people, and so they still had some idea of Allah (swt). But
the problem was that almost all of the messages became corrupted over time. The people turned
away from the teachings of their prophet and they started to worship others besides Allah (swt).
Over time the idea that they had of this Supreme Being became corrupted and perverted in
almost all religions. So for example the pagans would set up idols as partners with Allah (swt),
they would worship these along with Him (swt). They believed that these idols also had a share in
the control of universe. Similarly the Christians would attribute to Allah (swt) the idea of Him (swt)
having a son and that the son having a share in the divinity of Allah (swt). The Jews would also
put limitations on Allah (swt) and they would say that He (swt) can make mistakes and they would
claim that His (swt)’s Power was limited. When we look at these corrupt beliefs that have been
propagated by the people over the years, we have to remember how fortunate we are as Muslims
in how we believe in Allah (swt). We believe in Allah (swt) to be One and Only, without any
partner or equal. No one has a share in the Power or Divinity of Allah (swt). There is nothing that
is like Him (swt) whatsoever. He (swt) is the Creator and everything else is the creation. All of
creation is imperfect and weak, while He (swt) is Perfect and Able. Allah (swt) can do all things
and there is nothing that is beyond Him (swt), everything that He (swt) does is easy for Him (swt).
How different then is what we believe from what they believe? There is no other religion or
thought that has such a pure understanding of the Supreme Being and Creator of all things. So
we should always be grateful to Allah (swt) for giving us the correct understanding of Him (swt).
From saving us from error and confusion, from doubt and deception.
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In the second part of the Basmallah Allah (swt) begins to tell us about Himself (swt) by
describing two of His (swt)’s most important Names. The Names Ar-Rahman and Ar-Raheem are
both derived from the word rahma. The meanings of this word include “mercy”, “compassion” and
“tenderness”. So the two Names of His that Allah (swt) first tells us about are the two Names that
describe His (swt)’s Mercy. We could ask ourselves that of all of the many Names of Allah (swt),
why did He (swt) choose to mention these two Names in this ayah that is repeated so many times
in the Quran? Why did He (swt) choose to begin His Book by mentioning these two Names?
What is so important about the Mercy of Allah (swt) that it deserves to be mentioned more than
the other Names of Allah (swt)? Is it not also important to mention that Allah (swt) is the All
Knowing, the All Seeing, the All Powerful? The fact that Allah (swt) has described Himself with
the Name of Mercy in this ayah that is repeated so many times in the Quran and in this ayah that
begins the Quran shows us how important the Mercy of Allah (swt) is. It shows us how Allah (swt)
is constantly reminding us of His (swt)’s Mercy. Why is this so? What is so special about the
Mercy of Allah (swt)? More than any other Name Allah (swt) wants Him to be known for Mercy.
Allah (swt) is Merciful in so many ways and His (swt)’s Mercy is unlike any other. The first
aspect of the Mercy of Allah (swt) that is so special is that the Mercy of Allah (swt) extends to all
of the creation. All of the creation is experiencing the Mercy of Allah (swt) for every second of its
existence. The first way in which everything in the universe is experiencing the Mercy of Allah
(swt) is simply from the fact that it exists. Allah (swt) is not in need of anything, He (swt) does not
need the creation. Rather every single thing that exists in the universe is only a manifestation of
His Mercy. Because Allah (swt) created everything only out of His (swt)’s Mercy. So all of the
rocks, plants, animals, stars and everything else in the universe have only been created as part of
the Mercy of Allah (swt). Their very existence is a manifestation of the Mercy of Allah (swt). Not
only has everything in the universe been created only as part of the Mercy of Allah (swt) but also
everything is being sustained only by His (swt) Mercy. So everything that exists in the universe
needs Allah (swt) for every moment of its existence. If Allah (swt) were to neglect the universe for
even a single moment then the entire universe would be completely destroyed. So one way in
which we can see why Allah (swt)’s Mercy is one of His most important Names is because the
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entire universe needs His (swt)’s Mercy both to be brought into existence and for that existence to
be maintained. Some scholars have even said that Allah (swt) created the entire universe and
continues to maintain this universe only to make manifest His (swt)’s Mercy. This entire universe
is nothing but a manifestation of the Mercy of Allah (swt). Just the fact that so Powerful and
Tremendous a Being has chosen to be so Merciful shows us how Sublime and Magnificent He
(swt) IS.
This Mercy of Allah (swt) extends to every single thing. There is not a single thing except
that it is tasting of the Mercy of Allah (swt) for every single moment of its existence. For example
in the Quran Allah (swt) tells us to look at the birds in flight and how they spread their wings. Allah
(swt) says that nothing keeps them from falling except He (swt). Similarly it is only Allah (swt) that
provides the sustenance for every living thing. Even at this moment He (swt) is providing for the
smallest of ants that walk on the earth and for the fish in deepest of seas. There is nothing in
existence except that it has Allah (swt) as it’s only Provider and Sustainer. Everything in this
universe constantly needs the Mercy of Allah (swt). This is why all of the animals, and all of the
plants, and all the inanimate objects are constantly remembering Allah (swt) and constantly
worshipping Him (swt). They realize that they need Him (swt) for every moment of their existence.
While the Mercy of Allah (swt) extends to even the rocks and the trees, there is nothing
that has received more of His (swt)’s Mercy than human beings. Allah (swt) says in the Quran
that He (swt) has created everything on the earth for us. Allah (swt) has subjugated every single
thing in this planet for our benefit. So all of the animals, plants and inanimate objects of this
planet only exist for. We are free to use the animals of this world for food and transportation, to
use the trees of this world to build houses and to use the plants in his garden, and to use
whatever else is on this earth for any purpose we may please. The only condition is that we
should not use these things in disobedience to Allah (swt). We should not use these things to
violate His (swt)’s Law. So everything on this earth has been made only for us. This is an honor
and privilege that has not been given to any other creation. The subjugation of this universe is
part of the Mercy of Allah (swt) for us. How grateful then do we have to be to Him (swt) for this
Mercy? How much should we strive to worship and serve Him (swt) to show our gratitude?
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However the greatest manifestation of Allah (swt)’s Mercy for us is our mind. With this
mind that Allah (swt) has given us we can communicate with other human beings, we can learn
about the world around us and we can come up with material advancements and technology to
benefit our stay on this planet. Simply look at all of the comforts and conveniences that you have
because Allah (swt) has given the human being this mind. From the warm meal that you eat, to
the shelter your roof provides, to the transportation your car gives you, to the information you find
on the Internet. All of these are inventions of the human being but they are from the resources
that Allah (swt) gave us and most importantly they were devised from the mind that Allah (swt)
Alone gave to us. So this also is part of His (swt)’s Mercy upon us. Yet despite all that we as a
human race have accomplished with our minds and all of the technological advancements that
we have made, the greatest blessing of this mind that Allah (swt) has given us is that it enables to
realize and know Him (swt). With our minds we can study the universe around us and realize the
Existence of Allah (swt) through the signs that are present in the universe. All the other creatures
of this planet are already aware of Allah (swt) and they are always in a complete state of
submission to Him (swt). But as for humans, Allah (swt) has given us the ability to study the world
around us, reflect on it and realize that it could not have come into existence without Him (swt).
This is only possible with our minds. So the greatest blessing of our minds is that our minds allow
us to know Allah (swt). They allow us to discover Him (swt) and come closer to Him (swt). What
greater Mercy can Allah (swt) show to a creation other than this?
But how many of today use our minds for this purpose? We use our minds to think about
ways that will benefit our stay here but do ever think about why we are here? How many humans
reflect on what is the purpose of their existence on this planet? If they did they would realize that
they have been created by Allah (swt) and their purpose in life is to worship and serve their
Creator. This is the reason why we have been given our mind, it so that we can know our Creator.
So human beings have experienced the Mercy of Allah (swt) more than any other creature by the
fact that Allah (swt) has given them their minds and Allah (swt) has given them the potential to
know Him (swt). But how many humans are aware of that Mercy, how many humans are thankful
to Allah (swt) for that Mercy by using their minds to reflect on Allah (swt) and to glorify Him (swt)?
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Despite the fact that there are so many people who refuse to use their minds to think
about Allah (swt) and to think about the purpose of their existence, the Mercy of Allah (swt) still
extends to these people as well. These are the ones who do not thank Allah (swt) for all of the
bounties that He (swt) has bestowed upon them and some of them even refuse to acknowledge
the Existence of Allah (swt). But still the Mercy of Allah (swt) extends to them. Even for these
ungrateful and evil people Allah (swt) still continues to provide for them the air that they breathe,
the food that they eat, and Allah (swt) even allows their very bodies to function as He (swt) keep
them alive. These people continue to be ungrateful and unjust to Allah (swt) even though they
need Him (swt) and Allah (swt) continues to be Merciful to them even though He (swt) does not
need them. So despite all the evil and injustice that the people have done to Allah (swt), their
Creator and Sustainer, He (swt) continues to Sustain and Nurture them. Allah (swt) provides for
them everything that they need. Can you then realize how Sublime and Magnificent your Lord is
in that He (swt) would provide for these people even though they do not even acknowledge Him
(swt) let alone worship and serve Him (swt) like they should? Everything that the disbelievers
have is from Allah (swt) and they have done nothing for Him (swt) to deserve it. However despite
the fact that Allah (swt) has given them all of this, the greatest Mercy of Allah (swt) for these
people is the time that He (swt) gives them to change their ways, to repent and to return to the
worship and servitude for which they were created. Allah (swt) gives them time and even their
time is a mercy for them. Every moment that passes them by is a Mercy for them. However there
is no one to whom the Mercy of Allah (swt) extends more to than the righteous believers. The
Mercy of Allah (swt) reaches the believers more than any other of His (swt)’s creation. Here in
actually is the difference between the two Names of Ar-Rahman and Ar-Raheem. Where Ar-
Rahman is the Mercy of Allah (swt) that is present for all of the creation, Ar-Raheem is a Mercy
that is specifically for the righteous believers. The ones who believe in Allah (swt) and willingly
submit to Him (swt) by living their lives in worship and servitude to Him (swt). So this Name Ar-
Raheem describes that special Mercy of Allah (swt) that is only for the righteous believers. In
addition to what Allah (swt) does for all of the creation as described in His Name Ar-Rahman, He
(swt) does even more for the believers and this is described by His (swt)’s Name Ar-Raheem.
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So what is it that Allah (swt) does for the believers that is described by His Name Ar-
Raheem? The first and foremost of what Allah (swt) has done for the believers is that He (swt)
puts the light of guidance in their hearts. He (swt) facilitates for them to believe in Him (swt) and
in the Message that He (swt) sends. Allah (swt) has told us that He (swt) will guide those who
seek guidance from Him (swt). So for those who sincerely search for the Signs of Allah (swt), He
(swt) will guide them to the Truth of His (swt)’s Existence and He (swt) will put in their hearts the
sweetness of Faith that is far better than anything that this worldly life has to offer. The next
Mercy that Allah (swt) gives specifically for the believers is the tranquility that they feel in their
hearts that comes from this Faith. For the ones who truly recognize Allah (swt) and have the
firmest of belief in Him (swt), would they ever feel any sorrow or any fear from anything of this
world? They would not because they know that everything comes from Allah (swt) and they know
that He (swt) has Power over all things and that He (swt) Sees and Hears everything. Allah (swt)
is aware of any trial or difficulty that they go through in this world and this trial is either a test for
them for which they will be rewarded or it is a means by which some of their sins are removed.
Even the way of life that Allah (swt) has given the believers, this way of life called Islam is a
Mercy for them. It shows them how to live their lives so that they can achieve true peace and
tranquility in the life of this world. It shows them how they can fulfill the purpose for which they
were created. Islam does this both for the society as a whole and for the people in that society.
Despite all of this Mercy that Allah (swt) has given the believers in the life of this world we
know that the greatest Mercy that Allah (swt) gives for them is in the Hereafter. We know the
hadith where the Prophet (saw) has told us how Allah (swt) has divided Mercy into one hundred
pieces and of those ninety nine pieces He (swt) has kept with Himself and only one piece did He
(swt) send down to this world. So any Mercy that we find in this worldly life, including the mercy of
all mothers for their young, is part of this one piece of Mercy. The remaining ninety-nine pieces of
Mercy that Allah (swt) has kept with Himself He (swt) has reserved specifically for the believers in
the Hereafter. So although Allah (swt) showers Mercy for all of the creation, we can see that this
is only a small portion of the total Mercy that Allah (swt) has. The largest portion of this Mercy is
what has been kept for the believers in the Hereafter. When you see how much Mercy the
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creation today is experiencing, can you then even begin to imagine how much Mercy Allah (swt)
is saving for the believers in the Hereafter? It is even beyond our imagination and
comprehension. This shows us how wonderful and joyous the Hereafter will be for the righteous
believers and how much Allah (swt) loves them that He (swt) will grant them such a reward. This
shows us the true value of Iman and the true value of being a member of this community. May
So we can see from this ayah that the greatest share of the Mercy of Allah (swt) has
been kept only for the believers in the Hereafter. But we must realize that we are not guaranteed
this Mercy simply by being born into a Muslim family and having a Muslim name. There is no
guarantee that says that you will go straight to Paradise if all that you do is believe and you do not
act on that belief. Rather you must remember that Allah (swt) says in the Quran “Obey Allah and
obey the Messenger in order that you may be shown Mercy” (3:132). The meaning of this ayah is
that we will only be guaranteed the Mercy of Allah (swt) if we do our best to obey His commands.
How can we hope for His Mercy when we are disobedient to Him (swt)? How can we hope for
Him (swt) to love us when we knowingly violate the commands that He (swt) has sent us? We
have to remember that we as Muslims believe that Allah (swt) has sent us a Law to live by. This
Law was not sent down to be ignored and neglected. If we choose to do so then are we not being
insolent and arrogant towards Him (swt)? How then can we hope for His (swt)’s Mercy?
So what is the Mercy of Allah (swt) for the righteous believers in the Hereafter? The
Mercy of Allah (swt) for the righteous believers in the Hereafter includes saving them from the
punishment of the grave. We know that there is punishment for the sinful in the grave, even in the
grave they will be subjected to a punishment because they chose to turn away from their Lord
and Master. The Mercy of Allah (swt) saves the believers from this punishment. The Mercy of
Allah (swt) in the Hereafter also includes saving them from the fear, anxiety and terrors of the
Last Day. We know that the Day of Judgment is a Day on which this world as we know it will be
completely destroyed. Those who do not have the Mercy of Allah (swt) on them will be gripped
with fear and apprehension on that Day. They will see the world around them being destroyed
and their hearts will be seized with terror. So we ask Allah (swt) for His (swt)’s Mercy on that Day.
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Most importantly however the Mercy of Allah (swt) for the believers is His (swt) saving them from
the torment of the Hellfire. No one can have patience on the Fire, not even for one moment, and
the greatest of the Mercy of Allah (swt) is to be kept away from that awful place. May Allah (swt),
in His (swt)’s Infinite and unending Mercy keep us all far away from that place! As bad as your life
may be at this moment, just the fact that you are not in that terrible place at this moment is a
Mercy from Allah (swt) for which you should be constantly thanking Him (swt)!
In addition to this salvation, the Mercy of Allah (swt) for the believers in the Hereafter
also includes allowing them to enter the eternal bliss and tranquility of Paradise. To partake in all
of the pleasures and joys therein. The true pleasure, bliss, and contentment of the Garden is
beyond our limited words so we will not even try. You just have to think that if the Lord and
Master of the universe wanted to make you happy then in how many different ways can He (swt)
make you happy? Allah (swt) created you for a test. Just imagine how He (swt) could reward if
But the greatest part of the Mercy that Allah (swt) gives the believers in the Hereafter is
that He (swt) gives them His (swt)’s contentment and that He (swt) allows the believers to behold
Him (swt). Insha Allah if we can get this Mercy of Allah (swt) then it would be the very best thing
that could ever happen to us. First Allah (swt) will tell us that He (swt) is pleased with us, and that
He (swt) will never be displeased with us after that. Could there be anything better than that? To
know that your Creator is pleased with you. The only thing that will be better than that is to
actually behold Allah (swt). We do not know how we will see Allah (swt), we just know that we will
and it will the greatest of experiences, something that cannot be described in words. This is what
we must always be thinking about in the life of this world, and all of our actions should be to strive
to attain this. May Allah (swt) give us that determination and ability! Truly we cannot do it unless
In addition to knowing that the greatest portion of the Mercy of Allah (swt) is reserved for
us only if we give obedience to all of the Laws of Allah (swt), we must also realize that Allah (swt)
is pleased with us when we show mercy to others. The Prophet (saw) said “Allah will not show
Mercy to the one who does not show mercy to the people”. This hadith shows us that it is
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obligatory upon Muslims to show mercy for the people. It is obligatory upon us to want nothing but
the best for all people. This is because the Prophet (saw) linked the action of us showing mercy
to the people with the reward of Allah (swt) giving Mercy to us. This is what indicates in this hadith
that such an action is not merely a recommended act but it is an obligation. In other words if we
do not do this action of showing mercy to the people then we will not receive the Mercy of Allah
(swt) in the Hereafter. Think about it, how can you invoke Allah (swt) by calling on Him (swt) as
the Most Merciful over seventeen times every single day of your life and then you not show mercy
to His (swt)’s creation. Showing mercy to the people includes being kind to the people and
always speaking and interacting with them in a pleasant manner. It includes being just and fair
with them and always fulfilling you oaths and obligations to them. It includes always thinking the
best of them and never finding fault with them. It includes overlooking their mistakes and
shortcomings. Most importantly however it includes inviting them to Allah (swt). The most
important way in which we can show mercy to the people is to work in the dawah following the
example of the Prophet (saw), to invite the people to Islam by reminding them of their obligations
to Allah (swt), their Creator and Sustainer. To be merciful to the people is to want what is best for
them, and what could be better for them than this Din? Both in this life and the Hereafter? So
since the true Mercy of Allah (swt) is in the Hereafter we would be inviting the people to that
Mercy and at the same time we would be securing that Mercy for ourselves. How wonderful is
that? Praise be to Allah (swt) for giving us the opportunity to do this. How Merciful is He (swt)!
Some ignorant people may bring the argument that if Allah (swt) is so Merciful then why
is it that we see so much suffering and misery in the world today. They would say that even the
righteous believers in the world today are being oppressed and are suffering, they ask why this is
happening if Allah (swt) is so Merciful. The ones who ask questions such as these are truly
ignorant as to the reality of this universe and how it operates. They have to be reminded that
Allah (swt) created us only so that we may worship Him (swt). Part of this worship is having
patience and steadfastness through the different trials and hardships that we have to go through
in life. Allah (swt) says “Do you think that you will enter Paradise before Allah tests those of you
who fought (in His Cause) and (also) tests those who are As- Sabirin (the patient ones, the
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steadfast.)?”(3:142). This ayah clearly shows that our entering the Garden is conditional upon our
being patient through times of sorrow and hardship, and also on us being steadfast in completing
all of the obligations and responsibilities that we have. So the hardships and sorrows that the
believers have to face in this worldly life is a test for them, if they are patient and steadfast
through these trials then they will be rewarded beyond measure in the Hereafter for their patience
and steadfastness. In addition to being a source of reward in the Hereafter trials and difficulties in
this world can also be a way in which Allah (swt) removes the sins of the believers. There is no
believer outside of the prophets who is completely without sin. It is part of the nature of the son of
Adam that he commits sins and only the prophets have been excluded from this rule. Yet it is a
Mercy from Allah (swt) that He (swt) gives the believers some trial in this world so that their sins
can be removed. Then after being cleansed of their wrong actions through the trials and
difficulties that they face they can enter Paradise being purified of all the evil that they did. Some
scholars have even said that while it is an obligation for the believers to be patient through times
of sorrow and adversity, it is actually recommended that they be pleased with such trials because
of the knowledge that either they are being tested and rewarded or their sins are being removed
because of their patience. Of course we should never ask for such trials. Rather we should
always beg Allah (swt) that He (swt) keeps us safe from all calamities and difficulties. But should
So we see that those who question as to why the believers are made to suffer in this
world are only thinking in terms of the temporary and fleeting life of this world. They do not realize
that once this short life is over, the believers will be rewarded in full for their patience through all
of the suffering and hardship that they had endure. When they see the Fire that they have been
saved from and they see how many of their sins their Lord has forgiven them then they will realize
how Merciful He (swt) has been even in the trials and sorrows that He (swt) gave to them. The
Prophet (saw) has told us that for the believer whatever befalls him is good for him. We have to
always remember that Allah (swt) loves those who believe in Him (swt) and those who try their
best to please Him (swt), so everything that He (swt) does for them is what is best for them. Even
if we, with our limited knowledge and understanding, may not always realize it.
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These same ignorant people may also bring the argument as to why it is that disbelievers
are suffering in this world. Similar to the question that has been asked above, a question such as
this can only be posed by someone who is truly ignorant of the universe and how it works.
Someone whose thinking is limited only to the narrow existence of this world. How can you
expect a people who deny their Creator and Sustainer, who will not even acknowledge the One
that brought them into existence and the One that is maintaining their existence for every moment
of their lives, to be shown Mercy by Allah (swt)? Their suffering is actually a way of making them
realize the error of their ways and return to the worship of Allah (swt). These people are actually
suffering more than we can ever imagine. Most of their suffering is from the void in their hearts
that they feel after abandoning Allah (swt). That is why they are so materialistic and many of them
have deep physiological problems. They have another illah in their hearts in place of Allah (swt),
be it their wealth or their desires or some trivial pastime of this world. This illah leads them to
misery because despite the fact that it occupies their hearts for the duration of their lives, they
know deep down inside that it cannot answer their prayers in times of need and it cannot save
them from death. For them death is an unknown, they do not know what to expect so they choose
not to even think about it. However this does not change the fact that they are coming closer to it
with every second of their life that passes. So they live a meaningless existence in total misery
pursuing after the trivial things of this world, even if they themselves are not aware of this misery.
Still this misery that they suffer is also a Mercy from Allah (swt) because the pain that they feel is
a way in which Allah (swt) is telling them to wake up from their slumber and intoxication. Those
who are sincere from among them Insha Allah will realize the Truth of Allah (swt) and Insha Allah
will try to find the Messenger (saw) that leads to Allah (swt). Once they enter into this Din they will
realize the darkness that they used to be living in. But today most of the people are living in
darkness and they do not even realize it. The reason for their misery is because Allah (swt) is
absent from their lives. If they would find Islam and know their Creator then like the true Muslims
they would find peace and solace. In whatever happens to them in life they would find the Mercy
of Allah (swt). It is truly the fault of us Muslims that the Message of the Prophet (saw) is not
present for them. That is why Insha Allah we must all try our best to take this Message to them.
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So whenever Shaitan makes us think as to where is the Mercy of Allah (swt) after seeing
all of the oppression and injustice in this world, we have to always remind ourselves that this
world is not the end of existence for any human soul. Allah (swt) created every single human soul
to live forever. The short and temporal existence in the life of this world is only the smallest
fraction in the existence of that soul. This world is only a place of testing. A temporary and fleeting
existence that will be over before we even know it. The real life for every single soul begins only
in the Hereafter. In the Hereafter if there any souls that are deserving of the Mercy of Allah (swt),
you can be certain that they will be shown that Mercy. Allah (swt) is the All Knowing, the Most
Wise, and the Most Just. The only ones who will be far away from the Mercy of Allah (swt) are
those who have willingly chosen to turn away from Him (swt). The only ones who are truly
undeserving of this Mercy. May Allah (swt) save us from ever being among such people!
So we see that in this first ayah of the Surah Allah (swt) calls on us to begin all of our
actions in His (swt)’s Name. We have seen the many benefits that come from starting all of our
actions in the Name of our Lord. Among these benefits is that it makes that action a way of
worshipping Allah (swt) and we get the help of Allah (swt) in that action. So we read the Quran
and we do our actions in the greatest Name of our Lord and Master. It is a Name that cannot be
given to anyone besides Him (swt). It is also the Name that has all of the perfect attributes of
Allah (swt) because this Name captures the meanings of all of His other Names. Of those other
Names, the two that Allah (swt) mentions in this very ayah describe how Merciful He (swt) is. So
from the fact that Allah (swt) has chosen to mention these two Names we can say that Allah (swt)
wants to be known for His (swt)’s Mercy more than anything else.
This then is how Allah (swt) begins Surah Fatihah, by mentioning over it His (swt)’s
Name. This tells us the enormity and importance of this Surah because the Name of Allah (swt) is
over it. The same can be said for the Quran as a whole because the Name of Allah (swt) is over
almost all of the Surahs of the Quran. The Quran’s words are a miracle the like of which no
human mind has ever been able to reproduce. The news that it gives us is the Truth with
absolutely no doubt in it. Of all of the Mercy that Allah (swt) has sent down for mankind there is
nothing greater than the Quran because these are the Words of Allah (swt) that lead to Him (swt).
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It is a guidance that will guide us on how to fulfill the purpose of our existence and it will guide us
on how to serve Our Creator. Could there then be any greater treasure that a human beings
possesses than this? We should approach this Surah and all of the Surahs having this in mind.
Always remembering that we have been created to be the slaves of Allah (swt) and to dedicate
our lives to Him (swt). This is the reason why we exist. We only exist to please Him (swt). We
only exist for Him (swt). Of course this will require some effort. Shaitan will come and make us
think of ourselves before we think of Him (swt). We must make the effort to fight him. We must
make the effort to dedicate ourselves completely to our Lord. Insha Allah will be rewarded for this
effort in the life that comes after this one, and the greatest pleasure and happiness in that life is
knowing that Allah (swt) is pleased with us and to be given the chance to see Allah (swt). The
only thing that guides to that pleasure is this Quran. So how valuable is this Quran?
May Allah (swt) make us worthy this Quran! May Allah (swt) make every ayah that we
read a source of light for us in this world of darkness in which we live! May Allah (swt) make us
realize the importance of the Quran! Now that the Prophet (saw) has passed away, the Quran is
the only link that we have with Allah (swt). You can see that our community is very different today
than it was at the time of the Prophet (saw). Today our situation has deteriorated into a far worse
condition than how we were when the Prophet (saw) was with us. We cannot say the reason why
we have come into this terrible condition is because the Prophet (saw) is no longer with us when
he (saw) clearly told us that Allah (swt) has left us this Quran and his (saw)’s Sunnah in his
(saw)’s place. So the reason why we have gone astray and come into this terrible situation is
because we have abandoned this guidance that our Lord has sent us. May Allah (swt) forgive us
for that and make us worthy to carry this Message once again! The method on how to carry this
Message is in the Sunnah of the Prophet (saw) and in this Quran. Only by following that can we
attain happiness and tranquility in this life and salvation in the next. May Allah (swt) grant us that!
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2. The Hamd is Only for Allah, the Rabb of al-Alaimin.
Surah Fatihah is a prayer that we read every day of our lives. If we make the minimum
obligatory Salah that we are supposed to do then we would be making this prayer at least
seventeen times a day. The fact that Allah (swt) has obligated us to make this prayer at least
seventeen times a day should show us how important it is. How important then must it be for you
to learn this Surah and always reflect on this Surah since your Lord has commanded you to recite
it at least seventeen times a day? This Surah is the gateway to your Lord if only you would realize
the meanings that it contains. So Insha Allah we must strive to learn as much of the meanings of
this Surah as we possibly can. In the previous ayah we saw how Allah (swt) told us to begin this
Surah in His (swt)’s Name. Allah (swt) also told us of two of His (swt)’s Most Beautiful Names and
we saw how they both described His (swt)’s unending Mercy. In this ayah Allah (swt) teaches us
that before we ask anything of Him (swt) we first have to praise Him (swt) and we first have to
thank Him (swt) for all that He (swt) has given us. In this ayah alone Allah (swt) tells us both Who
He (swt) IS and what our relationship with Him (swt) should be.
Allah (swt) begins this second ayah of Surah Fatihah by telling us that all of the Hamd is
only for Him (swt). The word Hamd means “praise” and it also means “thankfulness and
appreciation”. Both of these meanings are present in this word. Allah (swt) is the One who
deserves all of the praise just as He (swt) deserves all of the thanks and appreciation. How can
we not thank Allah (swt) when we think about all that He (swt) has given us? How can we not
praise Allah (swt) when we realize Who He (swt) IS? What we are going to give here is only a few
examples of why Allah (swt) deserves all of the praise and all of the thanks. But if you were to
think about it, you will find many more reasons as to why Allah (swt) deserves all of the praise
and all of the thanks. You will find that the words of this ayah are truer than the heavens and the
earth. Allah (swt) is the One Who should always constantly be thanked and He (swt) is the One
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First of all Allah (swt) deserves the praise because He (swt) has all of Perfect Names.
How can you not praise Allah (swt) when you see that He (swt) is Perfect in every way? You
would praise someone when you see something in that person that is commendable. You would
praise a warrior for being brave, a woman for being beautiful, a scholar for being intelligent, a
judge for being wise and so forth. But now think about Allah (swt) and think about all of His (swt)’s
Perfect Names. He (swt) is the All-Powerful in that He (swt) can do anything. He (swt) is the All-
Knowing in that He (swt) Knows about every single thing. He (swt) is the All-Seeing in that
nothing escapes His (swt) Vision and He (swt) is the All-Hearing in that He (swt) hears every
single sound. He (swt) is also the Most Wise and the Most Kind and He (swt) is the Most Merciful
and the Most Just. So because Allah (swt) has all of the Perfect Names that is why He (swt)
deserves all of the praise. The creation is nothing when compared to the Creator. Who is there in
this entire universe that can see everything or hear everything? Is there anyone in this world who
knows everything or can do all things? So we see that the Perfect Names of Allah (swt) make
Him (swt) the most Praiseworthy, to the point that nothing else in the creation deserves any
Even if you want to praise the creation you really have to praise Allah (swt). All praise
that is given to the creation must actually go to the Creator. For example if you want to praise a
warrior for being brave or a woman for being beautiful, you have to ask yourself Who is that
created that warrior and that woman? Who is that gave them their bravery, their beauty, their
intelligence, their wisdom? So ask yourself now who really deserves the praise? Then realize that
any praise that is given to the creation should really be given to Allah (swt). He (swt) is the One
Who created that person and He (swt) is the One Who gave that person that ability or attribute
about them which we praise. So instead of praising the creation we should praise Allah (swt). The
next time that you want to praise anyone for anything, remember the One Who gave them
everything that they have. Even when Shaitan comes and makes you praise yourself and tries to
make you arrogant, you have to remember the One Who gave you everything that you have. So
instead of praising yourself and becoming arrogant and proud, you should praise your Creator
and your Sustainer and you should dedicate yourself to worshipping and serving Him (swt).
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The other meaning that the word Hamd gives is gratefulness and appreciation. So when
you say that the Hamd belongs to Allah (swt), you also giving thanks and appreciating Allah (swt)
for all that He (swt) has given you. Allah (swt) is the One Who created you and He (swt) is the
One keeping you alive at every second of your life. Everything that you have in your life is from
Him (swt). From the air that your breathe to food that you eat to the water that you drink to the
clothes that you wear to the homes that shelter you to the transportation that carries you. Even
your family is something that Allah (swt) has given you. Your parents that looked after you when
you were young, and your wives that you take comfort in and the children that delight you in are
all from Allah (swt). Your hearing, your sight and your mind are all from Allah (swt). In fact every
moment of joy, every moment in which you are free from pain and suffering is from Him (swt).
For all these that your Creator has given you when you say “Al-Hamd is only for Allah” you are
We can also notice that the Arabic word lam that Allah (swt) uses in this ayah is what is
known as the “lam of possession and exclusiveness”. This word gives the meaning that both the
praise and the thanks are only for Allah (swt). All praise and thanks are for Allah (swt) and for no
one else. No one and nothing in this world deserves to be praised and no one and nothing in this
world deserves to be thanked except Allah (swt). When you truly realize Allah (swt) and when you
truly know Him (swt) then can you ever praise or show gratitude to anyone besides Him (swt)? Is
there anyone else who is as perfect and sublime as He (swt)? Is there anyone else who has
The lesson that we can take from this first part of the ayah is that we must always be
repeating these words to ourselves to express the gratefulness that we must have to Allah (swt).
Not only should we say these words in our Salah, but even outside the Salah during the course of
our lives. When we are walking, when we are waiting, when we are working. Imam Muslim
records from Abu Musa Al-Ashari (ra) that the Prophet (saw) said “Al-Hamdulillah fills the scales”.
The meaning of this hadith is that if we simply say that the hamd is only for Allah with sincerity,
then our scale of good deeds will be filled with reward only from the utterances of these words
and our understanding of their meaning in our hearts. How Merciful is Allah (swt) in that He (swt)
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has made it so easy for us to earn good deeds for ourselves in the Hereafter? In another hadith
the Prophet (saw) said “Allah does not grant a servant a favor for which he says al-Hamdulillah
except that what offered (of praise and thanks) is better than what he took (of the favor)”. This
means that if something good happens in your life and you say al-Hamdulillah, then your praising
and giving thanks to Allah (swt) is better for you than that favor you received. This is because you
will only get the benefit of that favor in this world but your praise of Allah (swt) and your
appreciation of the fact that only Allah (swt) gave it to you will be a source of reward for you in the
Hereafter. Every believer knows that what is in the Hereafter is much better than what is in the life
of this world. Furthermore if Allah (swt) grants us something and we do not thank Him (swt) for
that blessing or that favor, then there are at least two dangers. First is that Allah (swt) might take
that blessing or favor away from us, and second is that we will be questioned on the Last Day as
to why we were ungrateful to Allah (swt) for that favor that He (swt) conferred on us. In order to
save ourselves from that we have to try our best to express our gratitude to Allah (swt) for
everything that He (swt) has given us. So just like you are in the habit of saying the Basmallah
before any action that you take, you should say al-Hamdulillah for any blessing or favor that you
receive in this world. Since your whole life is a great blessing from Allah (swt) you should be in
the habit of saying al-Hamdulillah all of the time. Try to think of all of the good that Allah (swt) has
given you and try to constantly praise Him (swt) for it. You will find that it is not hard to find much
good in your life if only you would think about. Know that your praising of Allah (swt) is beloved to
Him (swt) and know that you can draw closer to Him (swt) with it. May Allah (swt) give us all the
enabling grace to even try and thank Him (swt) for all that He (swt) has given us!
The way to show your gratitude to Allah (swt) for all that He (swt) has given you is to first
acknowledge that it was Allah (swt) and Allah (swt) Alone Who has given you all that you have.
The first part of gratitude has to be this realization in the heart. Realize that everything that you
have is only from Allah (swt). After this realization in your heart, you then say al-Hamdulillah with
your tounge. Acknowledge with your tongue that every blessing you have in your life is only from
Allah (swt). After that you must strive with your limbs to do all the actions that are pleasing to
Allah (swt) and to stay away from all the actions that are displeasing to Him (swt). You show
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thanks to Allah (swt) with your body by using it in a way that is pleasing to Him (swt). So we see
how our heart, our tounge and our limbs must all express gratitude to Allah (swt). Thus we realize
that our giving of thanks to Allah (swt) is something that is comprehensive and covers every facet
of our selves.
So we see that these few words of praising and thanking Allah (swt) that make the first
part of this ayah have great blessing and reward. You say these words by remembering all that
Allah (swt) has given you and also by knowing that He (swt) deserves all of the praise and all of
the thanks because of what He (swt) has given you. You also say al-Hamdulilah by remembering
all of the Perfect Names of Allah (swt) and how He (swt) deserves all of the praise because of this
Perfection. You realize how everything else in the universe is weak and dependent in some way,
and so you realize how nothing in the universe deserves any praise. Rather all praise must be for
Allah (swt) Who is Perfect and Independent of all of the creation. When you realize the absolute
Perfection of Allah (swt) then you see why He (swt) is deserving of all praise. You also remember
all of the favors and bounties that Allah (swt) has bestowed on you, you remember how every
single thing that you have is a blessing from Allah (swt), every moment in your life is a gift from
Allah (swt), and so you realize that all thanks and gratitude must be only for Allah (swt). As we
mentioned we could go on for pages and pages as to why Allah (swt) is the only One Who
deserves all of the praise and all of the thanks. But you yourself should think about this fact and
reflect on it. You yourself will find many more reasons as to why He (swt) deserves the hamd.
In the second part of this ayah Allah (swt) describes Himself as Rabb al-Alamin. The
word Rabb cannot be translated into a single English word because it encompasses so much
meaning. When it used without the definite article simply as “rabb” it could mean the master or
owner of something. However when it used with the definite article as “Ar-Rabb” it could only refer
to Allah (swt). One of the meanings it gives is the One Who creates everything and the One Who
sustains and nurtures everything. Allah (swt) is the One Who brought everything into existence
and He (swt) is the One Who is constantly maintaining the existence of all things. So not only are
you alive at this moment because Allah (swt) created you but He (swt) is also the One Who is
sustaining you at this very moment. Allah (swt) is giving you the air that you breathe and He (swt)
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is making your environment suitable for you to live in and He (swt) is the One that is allowing your
body to function. Allah (swt) is the One Who is making the blood flow through your veins at this
moment and He (swt) is the One Who is digesting the food in your stomach. So Allah (swt) is the
One Who gave you life and He (swt) is the One Who is keeping you alive. This is not only true for
you but it is true for all of the creation. He (swt) is the One Who is constantly maintaining all of the
creation. The entire universe is more in need of Allah (swt) than an infant is of its mother. This
dependence that we all have on Allah (swt) is captured by this Name Ar-Rabb. So a few of the
meanings that are captured with the Name Ar-Rabb are the “Creator”, the “Sustainer” and the
“Nurturer”. This is because Allah (swt) is all of these for every single thing in this universe.
In addition to giving the meaning of “Creator” , “Sustainer” and “Nurturer”, Ar-Rabb also
gives the meaning of the “Owner” and “Master” of all things. Because Allah (swt) is the Creator
and Sustainer of this universe, everything in it belongs to Him (swt) Alone. The Ownership and
Mastership that Allah (swt) has over the creation is a right that belongs to Him (swt) on the
account of Him (swt) being the Creator and Sustainer of it. There is nothing in this world that
belongs to any human being, everything belongs to Allah (swt). Allah (swt) gives to human beings
a small portion of this world to be under their care. How much Allah (swt) gives to each person is
up to Him (swt). Furthermore whatever Allah (swt) gives to us is only a temporary ownership, in
reality everything still belongs to Him (swt). Everything belongs to Allah (swt) and so He (swt) is
One of the lessons that we can take from this fact is that we must learn to be content with
whatever Allah (swt) has given us. We must not always be lusting for more and more of this
world. Rather we have to be content with whatever Allah (swt) has given us. We have to always
remember that everything in this world really belongs to Him (swt) and not to us. This
contentment is also part of our worship). We know that everything really belongs to Allah (swt), so
with whatever He (swt) has given us we are content. We never question why He (swt) has given
others more than He (swt) has given us. In order to please Him (swt) we are pleased with
whatever He (swt) has given us. We should strive to reach that level where what we yearn for is
not this world but rather what we for is only Him (swt).
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Another lesson that we can take from the fact that everything belongs to Allah (swt) is
that we must never become too attached to the things of this world. Not only does everything
here belong to Allah (swt), but also sometime soon we will have to return everything that we have
back to their real Owner. So we must always remember the temporary and fleeting nature of this
world. How everything that we have will leave us soon. As the Prophet (saw) said “the most
truthful word ever uttered by a poet is when he said ‘Verily everything apart from Allah is
falsehood’”. Here the Prophet (saw) is showing us how everything in this universe that does not
help us to attain the Pleasure of Allah (swt) is falsehood and must be abandoned. As we
remember the worthlessness of this world we must also remember the permanence and the ever-
lastingness of the Hereafter. We must remember how the Hereafter will be the abode that we will
stay in forever. The scholars have said that this will make our hearts leave this world and go to
the Hereafter even if our bodies are still in this world. May Allah (swt) give us the enabling grace
to always remember our final home! May Allah (swt) save us from the lure of material things of
this world and may He (swt) always keep our hearts attached to Him (swt)!
The title Ar-Rabb also gives the meaning that Allah (swt) is the Lord, King and Ruler of all
things. He (swt) is the Authority that needs to be obeyed and the King that needs to be served.
How can you expect Him (swt) to be anything less when He (swt) is the Creator of all things and
the Sustainer of all things? So when Allah (swt) sends you a messenger who tells you to do
certain actions and who tells you to refrain from certain actions then you have to follow that
messenger and do everything that he says. This is true for all human beings and it is true in all
aspects of life because Allah (swt) is the Lord of all people and He (swt) is always Lord over all
aspects of life. So all of humanity must be obedient to Allah (swt) and Allah (swt) Alone. This is
true for all spheres of life; both the individual laws that we apply for ourselves and the societal
laws that the government applies over the society. In everything that we do, we must listen to
Allah (swt) and Allah (swt) Alone. This is because Allah (swt) is the true Lord and King for all
creation, the One that needs to be obeyed without question. This also is a right that belongs
exclusively to Allah (swt) on the account of Him (swt) being the Creator and the Sustainer.
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So for more than any of His (swt)’s other Names, the Name of Ar-Rabb brings out the fact
that Allah (swt) is our Creator Who brought us into existence, our Sustainer Who is keeping us
alive, our Master Who owns us, and our Lord Who we must obey. All of these meanings are given
by the Name of Ar-Rabb. So when we call on Allah (swt) by this Name we are acknowledging
how He (swt) has complete Power and Control over us and how we are completely dependent on
Him (swt). This is why you will see many prayers in the Quran where the prophets and the true
believers call on Allah (swt) with this Name. When you call on Allah (swt) with this Name, you are
demonstrating your complete weakness and inability and you are acknowledging the complete
Power and Ability of Allah (swt). How He (swt) is the only One Who completely controls all good
As we have hinted the word ‘alamin means “everything in the heavens and the earth”. So
when we say that Allah (swt) is the Rabb of ‘alamin it means that He (swt) is the only Rabb for all
creation. There is nothing that exists except that Allah (swt) is its Creator, its Sustainer, its Owner
and its Lord and Master. This is true for all the animals and plants, all the rocks and trees, all the
stars and galaxies, all the atoms and molecules, and it is also true for every single human being.
Can you then even begin to realize the kind of Being that He (swt) IS? How then can you turn
away from Him (swt)? How then can you neglect any of your obligations to Him (swt)?
The word alamin is derived from the word aalama, which means “sign”. So another
meaning of this word is that everything in the heavens and the earth is a sign for Allah (swt).
Anyone who takes only a moment to reflect on the universe will realize that this entire universe is
only a creation. This is because everything that we can sense is limited in so many ways. First
everything is limited for the time in which it exists. Anything that you can sense in this universe,
there was a time when it did not exist and there will be a time in the future when it did will exist
anymore. All things in the universe exist only for a certain length of time, so that clearly shows
that they are created. Look at the universe around you, can you find even one thing for which this
rule does not hold true? Human beings live for a certain number of years, there was a time when
we did not exist and there will be a time when our bodies are no more. The same is true for all
forms of life such as animals and plants. The same is true for inanimate objects such as rocks
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and mountains. Where is the scientist that can find a rock that has existed forever or will continue
to exist forever? The same is true for the planets and the stars; they only exist for a certain period
of time. What is there to the universe beyond these things that we have mentioned? Is not the
entire universe simply a collection of stars and planets and whatever is in them? Is there anything
here that has existed forever? Of course not, because in the end this entire universe is only a
collection of limited things and the sum of all limited things is still limited. There may be many
drops of water in the ocean but each drop is still limited, so similarly even though there are many
stars and planets in this universe since we can show that some them are limited we can be sure
that they are all limited. So the fact that everything in this universe is limited shows us that there
was a Creator Who initiated their creation. A limited thing cannot come into existence on its own
so a limited universe cannot come into existence on its on as well. The only way that we can
explain the existence of a limited universe is to say that it has been created by an Unlimited
Creator. A Creator Who does not have any of the limitations of the creation. In addition to being
limited for the time in which it exists, everything in this universe is also limited in what it can do.
This fact also demonstrates how everything in this universe has been created. So for example if
you look at yourself you can walk but you cannot fly. The bird can fly but it cannot drive a car. A
car can cross land but it cannot cross the ocean. The fish in the ocean cannot live in the land just
like the animal on the land cannot live in the ocean. Everything in this universe has some
limitation or some weakness to it, thus clearly showing that it is a creation. Can you find one thing
in this universe that does not have some weakness or limitation? Even the sun has a limit to how
hot it can burn. Even light has a limit to how fast it can travel. So we see that everything in the
universe has some limitation to it and this clearly demonstrates that it is a creation. Since
everything in the universe is a creation with limitation it could only have been brought into
existence by a Creator Who is without limitations, and that is none other than Allah (swt).
Yet another way in which everything in the universe is a sign for Allah (swt) is that
everything in this universe is being constantly controlled and governed. The sun always rises in
the east. The night always follows the day. The fire always burns the wood. The water always
quenches the thirst. Your eyes will not see in the dark no matter how much you want them to.
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These are laws that have been fixed into on all of creation. They must behave in this way and
they have no choice in the matter. The fact that these laws are controlling everything in the
universe demonstrates that a Higher Power that we cannot directly perceive is operating this
universe. Who else can this Higher Power be but Allah (swt), the Controller Who controls all
So we see that the word alamin which Allah (swt) uses in this ayah means everything in
this universe, and it also means sign. When we put these two definitions together we see that it
means that everything in the universe is a sign for the One Who created it and the One Who is
controlling and maintaining it. Allah (swt) is the Creator for everything in this universe and He
(swt) is also constantly controlling and maintaining everything in this universe for every second of
its existence. Because of this everything in this universe is pointing to Him (swt).
We should also note that when you say that Allah (swt) is the Rabb al-alamin you are
saying that He (swt) is the Lord, Master and Owner of all things. You are saying that obedience
must be only for Allah (swt). You are saying that this whole universe belongs only to Allah (swt).
When you as a Muslim are aware of this fact and when you believe in this fact how then can you
set up a government where men rule instead of Allah (swt)? How can you live contently in a
country where Sovereignty to rule belongs to other than Allah (swt)? Right here in the very
second ayah of the Quran Allah (swt) is telling you that Only He (swt) is the One to be obeyed in
all spheres of life. He (swt) is telling you that He (swt) is the Master and King of all things. All
Authority has to be only for Him (swt). We challenge you to find even one scholar who is worth his
knowledge that says this ayah does not give the meaning that total obedience in all spheres of life
must be only for Allah (swt). Any scholar that does not say that the laws for the land can only
come from Allah (swt). Rather it is absolutely clear from this ayah that one of the meanings of
Rabb is Sovereign, so only Allah (swt) should be the One to legislate the laws for the land. So
how is it today that we see so many Muslim countries, and in these countries Muslims recite this
Surah every day in Salah, but not one of these so-called countries rule completely by the Law of
Allah (swt)? What we see is that these countries either deny the Law of Allah (swt) completely
and implement a secular government or they take a few laws from the Quran and Sunnah but the
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vast majority of the laws and even the system of government itself is from kufr. Where is the
country today that has a righteous Khalifah like what existed as the time of Abu Bakr (ra) and
Umar (ra)? Where is the country today that Muslims can go to and give the Bayah to the Khalifah
to as the Prophet (saw) told all Muslims to do? Where is the Muslim country that is inviting all
Muslims to come and be its citizens? Where is the country that will stand up against the West
and order them to leave the Muslim lands they are now occupying and exploiting? So what we
see is Muslims have forgotten this fundamental fact that total Sovereignty in all the lands must be
for Allah (swt) and Allah (swt) Alone. He (swt) must be the One to legislate the laws. The only
system of government that gives Sovereignty completely to Allah (swt) is the Islamic State that
was established by the Prophet (saw) in Madinah. This was the government that was carried on
by the righteous Khulafah like Abu Bakr (ra) and Umar (ra). Our scholars say that this system of
government did exist in the Ummah till 1924 when it was destroyed by the West. This is the only
system of government that is recognized by the Shariah. It is the only system of government
where Allah (swt) legislates all the laws. The Khalifah only implements the Law of Allah (swt) on
the people, he does not bring any laws from his own mind. The laws in the Islamic State come
only from the Book of Allah (swt) and the Sunnah of the Prophet (saw). It is the only system of
government that is acceptable to Allah (swt) because it is the only system that allows Him (swt) to
be the Lord, Master and Sovereign. So we have to work in whatever capacity that we can to bring
about its restoration Insha Allah. If we are sincere in calling Him Rabb al-alamin then we must join
this effot. Even if you are not part of a movement that is actively working to restore the Islamic
State, at the very least you should carry to other Muslims the idea of the State. You should tell
them that we cannot live except under the banner of the Khalifah and that we all have a
responsibility to work towards this goal. When we call on Allah (swt) as Rabb al-alamin we have
to implement with our actions what we say with our mouths. When we read Surah Fatihah
everyday in our salah we are saying that only Allah (swt) deserves the obedience because only
He (swt) is the King and Lord of our lands. So we have to work to establish the Law of Allah (swt)
in our lands. Then instead of obeying some parliament or president or king, we will be obeying
the One who is worthy of our obedience. May Allah (swt) give us the enabling grace!
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3. The Most Merciful, the Merciful.
In this ayah Allah (swt) repeats these two of His (swt)’s Names. Insha Allah we have
already given a brief explanation of these Names when we discussed the Basmallah. If you do
not recall what we said then please refer to that ayah to find out what we discussed about these
two Names. But now the question needs to be asked as to why Allah (swt) repeats these two
Names in this ayah. Why does not Allah (swt) tell us about some of His (swt)’s other Names, why
does He (swt) repeat these two Names? There are at least three reasons that the scholars have
identified as to why Allah (swt) repeats His (swt)’s Names of Ar-Rahman and Ar-Raheem in this
ayah. One reason is to once again emphasize His (swt)’s Mercy. How Merciful Allah (swt) is to all
of creation with His (swt)’s Name Ar-Rahman? How Merciful is Allah (swt) to the disbelievers, He
(swt) created them, He (swt) maintains them for every second of their existence, He (swt) gives
them everything they have in this world, and He (swt) gives them time to repent and come back to
the purpose for which they were created? How especially Merciful Is Allah (swt) to the believers
with His (swt)’s Name Ar-Raheem? In the life of this world, He (swt) has given them the peace
and tranquility of this Din of Al-Islam and in the Hereafter He (swt) has promised them
Forgiveness and the eternal gardens of Paradise. So the first reason why Allah (swt) repeats
these two Names of His (swt) is to remind us how Merciful He (swt) Is! To stress and emphasize
His (swt)’s Mercy. No matter how many times we are reminded and no matter how hard we try,
we will never fully realize how Merciful Allah (swt) has been with us. Even to come to the
realization where we can fully comprehend His (swt)’s Mercy upon us is beyond our ability.
Another reason that the scholars have identified as to why Allah (swt) repeats His (swt)’s
Names of Ar-Rahman and Ar-Raheem is because of what was in the previous ayah. Recall from
the previous ayah how Allah (swt) told us that He (swt) was Rabb Al-Alamin. Among the many
meanings that this title gives is that Allah (swt) is the complete Lord and Master over all that
exists. Now most kings and rulers who have any kind of power usually become corrupted by that
power. This power leads a king to think that he can do whatever he wants. He can abuse or
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exploit the people as he wants and no one can question him. The more power he has, the more
corrupt and evil he becomes. The more the power and authority that he has, the more he thinks
about serving himself and the less he think about others. This can be said to be the general case
with the vast majority of human beings. But is that the case with Allah (swt)? Allah (swt) has more
Power and Authority than anyone of us can ever imagine. But would Allah (swt) ever abuse that
Power to do injustice to the creation? Would Allah (swt) ever harm any of the creation for no
reason? He (swt) could if He (swt) wanted to. But since Allah (swt) has already told us that He
(swt) is the Most Merciful we know that He (swt) would not do any injustice or any harm to the
creation even though He (swt) could. If Allah (swt) does not remind us in this ayah that He (swt) is
the Most Merciful then we would become terrified of His (swt)’s Power and what He (swt) can do
to us. We would be paralyzed with fear and not be able to do anything. So in this ayah Allah (swt)
reminds us that He (swt) is the Most Merciful despite all of the Power that He (swt) has. Even
though He (swt) is the All-Powerful He (swt) will not use that Power for evil. He (swt) will not, even
though He (swt) could. Such is the Mercy and Love of this Majestic and Sublime Being. We know
that Allah (swt) will not do any injustice even in the least to any of His (swt)’s creation. Even
though Allah (swt) will not be questioned by anyone, He (swt) will still not do injustice to anyone.
On the contrary everything that Allah (swt) does is part of His (swt)’s Mercy. Even the trials that
Allah (swt) gives the believers is part of His (swt)’s Mercy, it wipes away their sins and the
patience that they demonstrate from such trials is a source of reward for them in the Hereafter.
Even the punishment that Allah (swt) gives the disbelievers is part of His (swt)’s Justice and
Mercy. If a people receive a clear communication from their Creator and their Lord, a Message
that tells them why they were created, what is their purpose in this life, and even tells them what
will be their fate if they fail to follow this Message, then what should be the fate of a people who
willfully turn away from this communication? The punishment of Allah (swt) is His (swt)’s Justice
and the Justice of Allah (swt) is His (swt)’s Mercy. Thus another reason why Allah (swt) reminds
us of His (swt)’s Mercy in this ayah is to show us that despite all of the Power that He (swt) has,
despite the fact that He (swt) is Rabb al-alamin He (swt) still will not be in the least unjust. So we
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So Merciful is Allah (swt) that even the disbelievers cannot give up on this Mercy. Allah
(swt) will never punish a people for no reason. Before Allah (swt) sends His (swt)’s punishment,
He (swt) always sends a clear Message. Anyone who does not receive the Message correctly will
not be held responsible in the Hereafter. That is yet another manifestation of His Mercy in that He
(swt) will not punish any people until He (swt) first sends them a messenger with a Message.
Even for the disbelievers who turn away from this Message after receiving it clearly, Allah (swt)
still does not punish them immediately. He (swt) gives them time to repent from all of their sins,
He (swt) gives them time to accept the Message and return to worship and serving Him (swt) as
they were created to do. The Prophet (saw) has told us “if the disbelievers knew of the Mercy of
Allah, no one would despair of His Garden”. Thus we see that even people who are as evil as this
still have a chance to make amends and come back to Allah (swt). He (swt) continues to give
them one chance after another. Despite all of His (swt)’s Power and His (swt)’s complete
Yet another reason why Allah (swt) repeats His (swt)’s Name of Ar-Rahman and Ar-
Raheem is because of what comes in the next ayah. In the next ayah Allah (swt) tells us about
the Day of Judgment. That Day in which this entire world will be destroyed and we will all return to
Him (swt). That Day when our fate for all of eternity will be determined. Allah (swt) is the Only
One Who will decide where we are going to end up on that Day. Allah (swt) is the Only One Who
can save us. Save us from our sins, from all the wrong that we have done. Now is there anyway
that you would like to know Allah (swt) on that Day except as Ar-Rahman and Ar-Raheem? If
there were only two of His Names that you would want to remember on that Day it would be these
two Names. Nothing would give you more reassurance than to know that the One Who you are
returning to is the Most Merciful. So before telling us about the Last Day, Allah (swt) reminds us
that He (swt) is the Most Merciful. Thus we must all have a great hope for the Mercy of Allah (swt)
on that Day. We have a great hope for that moment when our eternity will be decided.
Recall how we said that since Allah (swt) is Rabb al-alamin that means that only He (swt)
has the authority to legislate all of the laws according to which humanity should live. Now in this
ayah Allah (swt) is repeating how He (swt) is the Most Merciful. Can we then expect anything less
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from the Law of Allah (swt) other than Mercy for all mankind? Mercy for all creation. If we only
look back to our history to see how the Islamic State was correctly implemented we can see how
it brought mercy for all of its citizens. Everyone who lived in the Islamic State tasted of this Mercy.
For example the Islamic economic system was based on the principle that all of the
wealth and all of the resources of the earth belonged only to Allah (swt) and that mankind were
only the caretakers of this wealth. This foundational thought lead to a system where no one was
allowed to abuse wealth and no one was allowed to hoard wealth. Everyone was to be a given a
fair share of the wealth and no one was allowed to keep large amounts of wealth for themselves.
Because of such a system you would never be faced with a situation where all of the wealth is
concentrated in the hands of a few and the masses are in poverty. You would never be faced with
a situation where wealth is squandered and wasted on useless luxuries. You would never be
faced with a situation where there are hungry and starving people. In fact the Prophet (saw) has
said that every son of Adam (as) was entitled to food, shelter and clothing. Notice how he (saw)
did not make a distinction in this hadith between Muslim and non-Muslim. Based on this hadith
our scholars have ruled that every person living in the Islamic State, both Muslim and non-
Muslim, was guaranteed food, shelter and clothing from the State. No matter who they were, as
long as they lived within the borders of the Islamic State, they would be guaranteed these
necessities if they were for any reason unable to provide for themselves. Allah (swt) also
obligated the Muslims to give Zakat and encouraged them to give charity by telling them how it
purified their wealth and how it was a source of reward in the Hereafter. What resulted from all of
this was a country in which poverty was unheard of. There were no children starving from hunger,
no elderly shivering out in the cold, and no family without a home. This is not a dream. This is a
reality that once existed. This was the Mercy that the Law of Allah (swt) brought for all mankind.
Where is this Mercy in the world today? A recent study has found that in the world today, a child
dies from hunger every four seconds. Can you imagine that? Just in the time that it takes you to
finish reading this sentence another child has died. Died while in other parts of the world piles and
piles of food are being thrown away. Died only because man has chosen to turn away from the
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Divine Law that his Creator has sent to him and chosen to rule by his desires instead. He has
removed the merciful systems of the Divine and replaced them with his own oppressive systems.
In addition to the Islamic Economic system which fairly distributed the wealth of the land,
there was also the Islamic social system. This system as well was a manifestation of the mercy of
Allah (swt) for all people. This was a system where the men and women were properly separated.
There was no free mixing between the sexes. All the people, both men and women were required
to cover themselves and dress modestly. Foul and obscene images were not marketed out in the
open and the body of the woman was respected and protected. As a result of these precautions
all the social crimes and ills were eliminated from the society. Perversions such as adultery,
fornication, homosexuality, rape and incest were unheard of. This was because the State created
a society where the people had their hearts attached to Allah (swt) rather than to their desires.
How different is this from the world today? How corrupted and how much in darkness is the world
today compared to that ideal? How many perversions do human beings commit today? People do
acts of such perversion today that even animals will not do. How much suffering is caused by
such perversions? It is said that in the United States alone a woman is raped every two minutes.
But then what do you expect when mankind turns away from a Message that has been sent by
the Lord and Master of the universe and a Message that He (swt) has described as “Mercy for all
people”? What do you expect when chooses to rule by his desires instead of the Divine Law? So
yet another reason why Allah (swt) reminds us of His (swt)’s Mercy in this ayah is to show us that
as a Legislator and as a Sovereign He (swt) will only bring the laws and the system of life that is a
Mercy for all creation. The laws and the systems where the people will no longer suffer. May Allah
(swt) give us the guidance and the ability to reestablish the Islamic State once again so that all of
mankind may receive its mercy! May Allah (swt) show mankind the darkness that we are now
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4. Malik of the Day of Din.
We can see that throughout this Surah Allah (swt) is teaching us about Himself. The
Quran is nothing but a Book about Allah (swt). The primary goal of the Quran is to tell us about
our Creator. It tells us about Him (swt), what is pleasing to Him (swt) and what is not pleasing to
Him (swt). Thus it is a means by which we can draw closer to Him (swt). Do you then realize how
precious this Book is? Once you realize that it is the key to your Lord then what place must it
have in your life? So far in this Surah Allah (swt) has told us that He (swt) is the Perfect One, the
One with all of the Perfect Names. The One Who deserves to be worshipped and served by all of
creation. Allah (swt) has also told us that He (swt) is the Most Merciful. The amount of Mercy that
Allah (swt) has for the creation cannot even be described in words. Then Allah (swt) told us how
He (swt) was the One deserving of all praise and the One deserving of all thanks and gratitude.
There should not be any praise or any gratitude except that it should be for Allah (swt). Then
Allah (swt) told us that He (swt) was the Creator and Sustainer, as well as the Lord and Master
for every single thing in the universe. Everything in the universe depended only on Him (swt) for
every moment of its existence. He (swt) also told us how everything was a sign for Him (swt).
Everything in the universe just by being what it is, is a sign for Him (swt). Finally He (swt)
reminded us once again that He (swt) was the Most Merciful. Merciful by the fact that He (swt)
created everything and by the fact that He (swt) is sustaining everything. Merciful in the Law that
He (swt) legislates. Merciful in the Judgment that He (swt) gives. So we can see that in the first
three ayahs alone Allah (swt) has told us a lot about Himself. In this ayah He (swt) tells us more.
In this ayah Allah (swt) tells us that He (swt) is the Malik of the Day of Din. Insha Allah
the key to understanding this ayah is in understanding these two Arabic words. There are two
meanings of the word Malik in this ayah. One meaning is “King” and the other meaning is
“Owner”. So in this ayah Allah (swt) is telling us that He (swt) is the King of the Day of Din and He
(swt) is telling us that He (swt) is also the Owner of the Day of Din. He (swt) is the complete
Sovereign of that Day and that Day belongs completely to Him (swt).
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The word Din also has multiple meanings. One meaning is “repayment” or “recompense”,
and another meaning is “a complete way of life”. This latter definition of the word Din is also what
Islam is. Islam is a Din in the fact that it is a complete way of life. This Din of Islam has two
components, one is the tenets of faith that must be believed in with conviction and the other is the
law that most be followed without question or hesitation. The belief that Islam gives us answers
our most fundamental questions such as where we came from, why are we where, where are we
going after we die. Allah (swt) has told us that we are from Him (swt) and He (swt) has also told
us that one Day soon we will return to Him (swt). Allah (swt) has also told us that we are in this
world to know Him (swt) and to serve Him (swt). We are here in this world to live our life by the
Law of Allah (swt) and this Law is the second component of Islam. The Law of Allah (swt) is a
guide for us to follow for every moment of our lives. From the time we open our eyes in the
morning to the time we go to sleep at night, the Law of Allah (swt) addresses each and every
single action that we can take. Islam is not simply the “five pillars” as some Muslims believe, but
rather every single action that a Muslim can take is addressed in the Quran and Sunnah. The
Quran and Sunnah have outlined for us what are the actions that Allah (swt) is pleased with and
what are the actions that He (swt) is displeased with. Our purpose in this life then is to follow this
guidance, to seek Allah (swt)’s Pleasure by performing those actions that He (swt) is pleased with
and staying away from the actions that He (swt) is displeased with. This fact then brings us back
to the other meaning of the word Din that means “recompense” and “repayment”. This is this
definition of the word Din that Allah (swt) uses in this ayah. Din in this ayah refers to the
repayment or reward for actions in the life of this world. Allah (swt) uses this word Din to tell us
about the Day in which we will be repaid based on how well we followed this Law that He (swt)
has sent us. A Day in which we will be judged according to how well we lived our lives by this Law
that He (swt) sent us. A Day when every soul will be repaid for all the good that it did and all the
evil. As we know good is what is pleasing to Allah (swt) and evil is what is not pleasing to Him
(swt). So we see that in this ayah Allah (swt) is bringing our attention to a Day that will come very
soon. Allah (swt) refers to that Day in this ayah as the “Day of repayment”. The Day when all of
mankind will be rewarded according to how well they lived according to this Din that Allah (swt)
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has sent. Allah (swt) sent mankind this Message of Islam through the Prophet (saw). It consists of
articles of faith that we must believe in, obligations that we must fulfill and prohibitions that we
must avoid. It also consists of actions that are recommended for us to perform and actions that
are not prohibited but disapproved. The purpose of the creation of the human being is to see how
well he lives according to this way of life that his Creator has sent to him. One Day soon mankind
will all return to Allah (swt) and He (swt) will judge us for how well we lived according this Din.
So this ayah serves to remind us that this life is a test. Actually there is not one but two
tests that Allah (swt) has given us. The first is the test of belief and the second is the test of
action. Allah (swt) created the human being and He (swt) sustains and nurtures the human being.
But Allah (swt) did not simply leave the human being in this world to play and amuse himself.
Rather Allah (swt) sent the human being messengers and through these messengers Allah (swt)
gave the human being two tests. The purpose of the creation of the human being is to see how
well he would fare on both of these tests. The first test is to see whether or not the human being
believes in this Message that was sent to him. The human being already knows from the signs in
the universe around him that there is a Creator and Controller for this universe. However even
though he knows that there is a Creator he does not what know what should be his relationship
with that Creator. He does not know why his Creator created him and why his Creator continues
to sustain and maintain him. This is why Allah (swt) has sent him a messenger. Through this
messenger the human being can know what his Creator wants from him.
When this messenger presents his message to the people, that is when they are given
the first test. The people know that if they follow this messenger then they would have to live a life
of serving Allah (swt) rather than serving themselves, but they also know that to follow this
messenger and dedicate their life in servitude to Allah (swt) was the reason why they were
created. The ones who are sincere in their hearts and who can control their desires, they make
the decision to follow the messenger. These are the ones who have passed the first test. But
those who have arrogance in their hearts and who would rather serve their desires than follow the
Truth reject the messenger. They find some excuse for themselves. Thus by refusing to believe in
this Message they have failed the first of these tests that their Creator has given them.
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Now as for the people who pass the first test and become Muslim, there is still the
second test that they must face. They have to face this test every day of their lives. Even though
they know that their belief mandates them to follow the Law that Allah (swt) has sent down, they
have to be firm and constant in always following this Law. They have to be steadfast in obedience
to this Law even if it is difficult for them and even if their desires prompt them to disobey this Law.
So the second test for those who pass the first test is to see if they can remain obedient to the
Law of Allah (swt) by fulfilling all of its obligations and avoiding all it’s prohibitions. These then are
the two tests that Allah (swt) has given for mankind. On the Day of Repayment, Allah (swt) will
reward or punish every single human being on how well they fared on these two tests.
Now there are also people who never correctly receive the Message from Allah (swt).
What will be the fate of such people? Allah (swt) has told us in other ayahs that He (swt) will not
punish a people until He (swt) first sends them a messenger. So for these people who never
received a messenger, Allah (swt) will not hold them accountable for not believing in His (swt)’s
Message and not following His (swt)’s Law. What then will be their fate? Some scholars say that
Allah (swt) will give them a test on the Day of Judgment, and that their fate will be decided by this
test. Other scholars say that He (swt) will judge them on how they lived their life in this world. On
whether or not they were good people in this world. Allah (swt) Knows best! For our purpose
however, we have to realize that we are not in this category because we have already received
the Message. So our purpose now is only to believe in this Message and to follow it to the best of
our ability.
So in this ayah Allah (swt) describes Himself (swt) as the King and Owner of that Day.
Allah (swt) is the King of that Day because all must listen and obey Him (swt) on that Day. There
is no one who can do anything or say anything without His (swt)’s permission. Only that which
pleases Allah (swt) will occur on that Day. This is because He (swt) is the complete King and
Sovereign of that Day. Only He (swt) will be listened, only He (swt) will be obeyed.
Allah (swt) is already the King as that is One of His (swt)’s Names, but today there are
others who can claim to be king and there are those who can claim that they need to be obeyed.
Allah (swt) may even give these fools some temporary authority in the life of this world. But on
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that Day, no one will have any power or any authority except Allah (swt). On that Day, He (swt)
will be the only One Who all of creation must obey, including the angels and the prophets. Since
Allah (swt) is the King of that Day no one else will be listened to expect Him (swt). No one will
even be allowed to speak except with His (swt)’s permission. So if you want to prepare for that
Day, that Day on which your eternity will be decided, who should you be thinking about? Who
In addition to being the King, Allah (swt) is also the Master and Owner of the Day of Din.
He (swt) is the complete Owner on that Day in that He (swt) can do whatever He (swt) wants.
Allah (swt) can punish whom He (swt) wants and He (swt) can forgive whom He (swt) wants.
Allah (swt) can subject some people to a difficult reckoning where each and every one of their
actions are judged and other people He (swt) can send straight to Paradise. He (swt) can allow
intercession for some, and not for others. He (swt) can give shade on that Day to whom He (swt)
pleases and He (swt) can leave in the burning sun whom He (swt) pleases. Since this Day
belongs completely to Him (swt), He (swt) can do whatsoever He (swt) pleases in it.
So the first lesson that we can take from this ayah is to see how we must dedicate our
lives to Allah (swt) and Allah (swt) Alone. No one else but He (swt) can save us on that Day. No
one else but He (swt) can determine our fate for all eternity. So we should not keep our hope in
any but He (swt). Do not expect any from the creation to be there for you on that Day. Do not
expect any from the creation to be able to save you on that Day. Not a saint or a righteous
forefather or a pious child or even an angel. Even the Prophet (saw) himself (saw) will not be able
to make intercession for us on that Day except with the permission of Allah (swt). So how then
can you dedicate your life to any but He (swt)? How can you keep your hopes in any but He
(swt)? This is the Day when our eternity will be decided, and it is a Day that belongs completely to
Allah (swt). How then can we allow even a moment to pass us by in the life of this world without
remembering Him (swt), without praising Him (swt), and without trying to please Him (swt)?
Another lesson that we can take from this ayah is to see how important it is to believe in
the Day of Judgment. There are several things that are in the unseen world which Allah (swt)
requires us to believe in as part of our Din. Examples of these include the belief in the angels, the
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belief in the jinn, and the belief in the stories of the previous nations and prophets. All of these are
in the unseen and we are required to believe in all of them. Now of all of these beliefs in the
unseen that we are required to believe in why does Allah (swt) choose to mention only the Day of
Judgment in this Surah? What is so important about this Day that we need to remind ourselves
about it at least seventeen times a day in our salah? Why is this Day repeated so many times in
other ayahs of the Quran? It is because after our belief in Allah (swt) and after our belief in the
Prophet (saw), our belief in the Day of Judgment is the most important part of our Iman. Not only
must we always remember it, but we must always be thinking about it. We must always be
looking to what we have prepared for it. Before we do any action or say any word we have to
think about what will be the ramifications of that action or that word on this great Day. We should
always remind ourselves that we will be questioned about even the smallest of actions on that
Day. So we should be striving to do everything in our power to prepare for this Day. We know
from other ayahs of the Quran that this is a Day on which one soul cannot do anything for any
other soul and this is a Day on which you will see the mother running from her child and the
husband running from his wife, such is the terror and the horror of that Day. We know that it is a
Day on which we will see even the smallest of good deeds that we did and we will see even the
smallest of evil deeds that we did. That is why the Muslim needs to have this Day at the forefront
of his or her mind all of the time. Whenever you become lazy and are about to miss an obligation
remember this Day, whenever your desires prompt you and you are about to commit an action
that is forbidden in the Law of Allah (swt), remember this Day. Picture yourself now about to do
an action that might be displeasing to Allah (swt). Before you do that action, remember that you
will be standing naked in front of Allah (swt), how then will you answer for that action when your
Rabb questions you about it on that Day? So we see that the reason why Allah (swt) has
mentioned this Day in this Surah that we repeat so often, and also in so many other Surahs of the
Quran is because this is a Day that every Muslim should always be thinking about. This is a Day
that should always be on our minds and that is why our Creator, in His (swt)’s Mercy for us,
reminds of it again and again. Now we have no excuse whatsoever if we find ourselves on this
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The belief in the Day of Judgment and the Hereafter is what many people find hard to
accept. Most people believe in the Creator for this universe. They cannot explain how a universe
that is filled with limited and dependent things can come into existence on its own. They cannot
explain how all of this can exist without a Creator. So the vast majority of mankind today does
believe in Allah (swt) in one way or another. But what many people refuse to believe in is this Day
of Judgment. This Day when we will all return to Allah (swt) and be questioned for every single
action that we have ever done. Many people want to follow their desires and do whatever it is
that their desires prompt them to do. This is why they refuse to believe in a Day such as this. We
have to save ourselves from becoming like such people. The true believer in believes in this Day.
This is why he always checks himself before every single action that he does. He always asks
himself as to what will be the consequences of this action on the Day that he returns to his Lord.
That is why he does not do any action except that which is pleasing to his Lord.
In this ayah we see the tone of the Surah change. Surah Fatihah is actually a duaa or a
prayer that Allah (swt) is teaching the believers to make. In this ayah it becomes clear that this is
so. After praising Allah (swt) we now ask Him (swt) of what we need. So first Allah (swt) teaches
us to praise Him (swt). To declare how all praise and gratitude should only be for Him (swt). To
acknowledge that He (swt) is the One and Only Lord and Master for all creation. To remind
ourselves how He (swt) is the Most Merciful. To remind ourselves that He (swt) is the Master and
the King of the Day of Judgment. We should also note here how Allah (swt) changes the speaker
from the third person to the first person plural. The fact that Allah (swt) changed the speaker to
the first person shows us that these words are something that Allah (swt) is teaching us to say.
Allah (swt) wants us to say the words in this ayah to Him (swt) and these words are our prayer.
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So this Surah is a dua that Allah (swt) is telling all the believers to make. The believers
have accepted Islam. They bear witness that there is only Allah (swt) Who created them and Who
created everything else in the heavens and the earth. They bear witness that the Prophet (saw)
is the Messenger of Allah (swt). Now they want to know how to worship Allah (swt) and how to
serve Allah (swt). They want to be guided on how to gain the Pleasure of Allah (swt). They want
to be shown the path of the Prophet (saw). This Surah is the prayer for that guidance. The
remainder of the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet (saw) is the answer to that prayer. We do
not need to look for guidance in anywhere else but in these two sources of light.
The scholars have put forward several reasons as to why Allah (swt) suddenly shifts the
speaker in this ayah. Why Allah (swt) changes from speaking in the first person in the previous
ayahs to the first person in this ayah. The most convincing reason is that if we think about the
meaning of the ayahs that preceded this one, it becomes clear that this ayah must be in the third
person. In the previous ayahs Allah (swt) was describing Himself to us. First Allah (swt) told us
that He (swt) is the Perfect One. He (swt) is Allah, the Perfect One, the One with all of the Perfect
Names and with all the attributes of perfection. The One Who does not have any weaknesses or
shortcomings. The One worthy of all of the worship and all of the sanctification. Then Allah (swt)
told us that He (swt) is the Most Merciful. The One with an overflowing Mercy that reaches every
single creation. In addition to that He (swt) is the One with a special Mercy that is reserved only
for the righteous believers. Then Allah (swt) told us that all praise and all glorification as well as
all thanks and gratitude should only be for Him (swt). He (swt) is the only One deserving of all
praise and deserving of all thanks. Then Allah (swt) told us that He (swt) is the Creator and
Sustainer of every single thing in this universe as well as its Lord and Master. Then Allah (swt)
told us that He (swt) is the One True King and the One True Owner for all that exists. Everything
must serve Allah (swt) and He (swt) is the Sovereign for all creation. Not only is Allah (swt) the
King and the Owner but He (swt) is especially the King and the Owner of the Day of Judgment.
The Day on which it will be decided where we will all abide in for all eternity. Only Allah (swt)
controls that Day and Only Allah (swt) must be obeyed on that Day. After saying all of this about
Allah (swt) what then should be our reaction towards Him (swt)? How should we want to behave
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towards Him (swt)? If we really understood the meaning of what we said the in the first four ayahs
of Surah Fatihah then in this ayah we would want nothing than to submit to Allah (swt)
completely. This is what we should want. This is the result of what we realized about our Creator
in the first four ayahs. We should want to submit to Him (swt) completely. To worship and serve
Him (swt) with all of souls. After declaring that Allah (swt) is the Rabb of al-alamin, and Ar-
Rahman and Ar-Raheem, and Malik of the Day of the Din, we then declare that we want to
worship and serve Allah (swt). That is why the tone of the Surah changes from where we are
describing Allah (swt) to where we are turning to Him (swt) and seeking Him (swt). It is the natural
reaction that comes from within us after we realize Who Allah (swt) IS.
This then brings us to the meaning of the word ‘abudu in this ayah. Most translations say
this word means “to worship”. But if we think about what worship means in the Western society
today, which is simply going to Church on Sunday and performing a few rituals, then this is not
what ‘abudu means at all. To understand the real meaning of this word abudu we have to look at
the root word from which it is derived. That root word is the word ‘abd. This word simply means
“slave”. So then the word abudu means to serve Allah (swt) or to be His slave. Thus we should
realize that when we say that we abudu Allah (swt), it is something far more comprehensive and
far reaching than simply worship and rituals. It is far more than the five pillars. Now of course
when we pray to Allah (swt) and fast for Him (swt) and make pilgrimage for Him (swt) this is part
of our servitude of Allah (swt) as well. But our servitude to Allah (swt) is so much more than these
ritual acts of worship that we perform. In fact every action that we do from the time we wake up at
Fajr to the time we go to sleep after ‘Isha should be part of our servitude to Allah (swt). If we
make Him (swt) as the intention behind that action then such an act becomes an act of servitude
to Him (swt). So for example when we rise in the morning and go to work or go to school it is part
of our servitude to Allah (swt) because we are going out into the world and seeking of His (swt)’s
sustenance as He (swt) has commanded us to do. When we are kind to our parents we are
serving Him (swt). When we maintain relationships with our family we are serving Him (swt).
When we fulfill our contracts and our obligations we are serving Him (swt). When we stay away
from what Allah (swt) has forbidden we are also serving Him (swt). When we lower our gaze we
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are serving Allah (swt) and when we control our tongues from speaking evil about others we are
serving Him (swt). When we smile for our brother or sister and speak kind words we are serving
Allah (swt). When we forgive and pardon others the wrong that they have done to us we are
serving Allah (swt). When we do our work in the perfect and best way possible we are serving
Allah (swt). When we do dawah and carry to others the ideas of Islam we are serving Him (swt).
So everything that we do for every moment of our lives can be part of our servitude to Allah (swt)
Even our emotions and our feelings are part of our servitude. For example when we love
Allah (swt) it is part of our servitude to Him (swt). When we love the Prophet (saw) and we love
our parents, it is part of our servitude to Him (swt). When we love the righteous and we love doing
acts of good, that is part of our servitude to Him (swt) as well. In fact the scholars have said that
to realize the true meaning of what we say when we say “You Alone we ‘abadu” we have to love
only Allah (swt), and our love of everything else must come only because of our love of Him (swt).
So for example we love the Prophet (saw), we love the messengers and prophets, we love the
Sahabah, we love our parents, we love our family, we love the righteous scholars, we love our
Muslim brothers and sisters, all of this has to only be because of our love for Allah (swt). Either
Allah (swt) loves these people or He (swt) has told us to love these people and that is why we
love them. Similarly we have fear of only Allah (swt), we have hope only in Allah (swt), and we put
our trust only in Allah (swt). These feelings and emotions are part of our servitude of Allah (swt)
as well. Other actions of our heart that are part of our servitude to Allah (swt) are patience with
the Decree of Allah (swt), gratefulness for the bounties of Allah (swt), and contentment with
whatever Allah (swt) has given us. All of these emotions and feelings are part of our servitude to
Allah (swt) as well. Even our cleansing our hearts of all diseases like jealousy, arrogance and
miserliness is part of our servitude of Allah (swt). Even when eat, or drink, or sleep, or use the
restroom, or be with our spouses, this too can be part of our servitude of Allah (swt) if we make
Him (swt) as our intention behind doing that. Just look how complete and comprehensive our
Din is. Is this not something far greater than a few worship rituals? When we abudu Allah (swt)
we dedicate our entire life to Him (swt). This is what He (swt) expects from us.
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In the second part of this dua Allah (swt) teaches us to say “You Alone do we seek help
from”. Allah (swt) is telling us here to seek help from Him (swt). To understand what exactly we
are asking help from Allah (swt) for we have to go back to the first part of the ayah where we said
that we are serving only Him (swt). The first part of the ayah gives the meaning that our only goal
in life is the servitude of Allah (swt). The only hope that we have is attaining His (swt)’s Pleasure
through our acts of servitude to Him (swt). This should be all that matters for us. So when we
seek help of Allah (swt) we are asking Him (swt) to help us to serve Him (swt). We are asking
Him (swt) to show us how to please Him (swt). We are asking Him (swt) to show us the purpose
of our creation.
Just like we serve Allah (swt) Alone we also seek help and assistance in Allah (swt)
Alone. We know that our purpose in this life is the servitude to Allah (swt), but we do not know
how to do it ourselves and we cannot do it by ourselves. That is why we humbly beg and beseech
Allah (swt) to help us. We ask Him (swt) to guide us to the correct way to serve Him (swt). We
ask Him (swt) to show us what pleases Him (swt) and then to give us the willpower and the
determination to do what pleases Him (swt). We also ask Allah (swt) to show us what is
displeasing to Him (swt) and we ask Him (swt) for the willpower and the patience to stay away
from it. Because we do not know from our own minds what is pleasing to Him (swt) and what is
not pleasing to Him (swt). How can we ever hope to take any of His Knowledge except that which
He (swt) pleases to bestow on us? That is why first and foremost we are asking Him (swt) to
bestow on us knowledge. To give us the knowledge to know what is pleasing to Him (swt). Even
when we know what is pleasing to Him (swt) we still need the willpower and the determination to
do what we know is pleasing to Him (swt). So when we say that we ask Help of Allah (swt) we
are first and foremost asking Him (swt) to show us how to serve Him (swt). To give us the
knowledge of what is pleasing to Him (swt) and then to give us the willpower and the
determination to do it. What could be greater than this? What could be greater than knowing how
to please the Divine and then to please Him? Is He (swt) not the greatest? Is He (swt) not the
One Who is deserving of all that we can give to Him (swt)? What then could be greater than
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We should also note that even when we ask help of Allah (swt) we are in effect of
worshipping Him (swt). As the Prophet (saw) told us “There is nothing Allah (swt) considers more
noble than supplication”. So just by asking Allah (swt) to show us how to worship Him (swt) we
are in essence worshipping Him (swt). We are showing how we are weak and how He (swt) is
Powerful, how we have no knowledge and how He (swt) is the One to teach us. How we have no
strength and He (swt) is the One to give us strength. This in itself is part of our worship of Allah
(swt) and it is an action that He (swt) is pleased with. How beautiful then is Surah Faithah where
we are not only asking of Allah (swt), but we are asking Him (swt) to guide us on how to serve
Him (swt) so that we can gain His (swt)’s Pleasure and His (swt)’s Paradise. Then even our
asking of Him (swt) is an action that He (swt) likes, and it is an action for which we will be
rewarded! How pleased would Allah (swt) be with us then every time we make this prayer! How
We have to realize from this ayah how comprehensive our Din is. How complete our
servitude of Allah (swt) is. How it is something that we should be doing for every moment of our
lives. For every moment of our lives we have to think to ourselves as to what is the most pleasing
of actions to Allah (swt) at that moment, and then we have to rush to do that action. Our life
becomes nothing but a quest to find out what is the most pleasing of actions to Allah (swt) at a
particular moment and then rushing to do that action. What this action is will be different for a
particular person and for a particular time and place. Sometimes this action could be salah,
sometimes this action could be fasting, sometimes this action could be working or studying,
sometimes it could be reading Quran, sometimes it could be spending time with family or with
good Muslim brother or sisters, sometimes it could be learning Islam, sometimes it could be
carrying dawah, sometimes it could be fighting jihad, sometimes it could be contemplating on the
signs of Allah (swt), sometimes it could be eating or sleeping. So we do not know for a particular
moment in time which action will please Allah (swt) the most and that is why we ask His (swt)’s
help. We ask Allah (swt)’s help to show us what is the action that He (swt) is pleased with for
every moment of our lives. Now to only to give us the knowledge of what is pleasing to Him (swt)
but also to give us the willpower and the willingness to do it. Then Insha Allah we can fill our scale
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with good deeds for the Day when we will return to Allah (swt). Then Insha Allah we can hope to
pass the test for which Allah (swt) created us. What then could be more beautiful than this Surah?
We are asking our Creator how to fulfill the purpose of our creation.
This is how we draw closer to Allah (swt). This is how we can find peace and
contentment in life. It is to realize our utter servitude of our Rabb. To realize that we are nothing
but His (swt)’s servants. To realize that we were only created for Him (swt). The scholars of
language tell us that other meanings for this word ‘abd is a path that has been trodden over by
many people, or a camel that has been beaten into submission. This is how our lives should be.
For every single moment we should try to remember our Rabb. For every single moment we have
to try to do what is pleasing to Him. We know that it is difficult, but we have to bring ourselves to
make the effort. We have to force ourselves and compel ourselves until we reach that level where
we are remembering Him (swt) at every moment. Where we are trying to please Him (swt) at
every moment. It is through this effort that we can draw closer to Him (swt). It is through this effort
that the illusion of the world will fade away and His Reality will dawn upon us.
So we see that the beauty of Surah Fatihah is that not only as we being asked to be
shown what is pleasing to Allah (swt) but we are also asking Allah (swt) for the strength and the
determination to do it. Sometimes we may know what is right for us to do but we still might not do
it. Sometimes we may know that a certain action is wrong but we might still do it. Why is that
today so many people smoke even though they know that smoking is so unhealthy? So
knowledge by itself is not enough. We also need to strength and the willpower to do what we
know is right. This is also what we are praying to our Lord for in this ayah. We ask Allah (swt) to
show us what is pleasing to Him (swt) and then to give us the strength to do it. We cannot do
even a single good deed or refrain ourselves from a single evil unless Allah (swt) gives us His
enabling grace. For every second of our existence we ask Allah (swt) to guide us to that path, to
those actions that lead us to His (swt)’s Pleasure and His (swt)’s Paradise. To show us the way
and then to give us the strength to follow it. This thought then naturally brings us to the next ayah
of this Surah.
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6. Guide us to As-Siratul Mustaqeem.
In the previous ayah we gave a promise to Allah (swt) that we will live our lives to worship
and serve Him (swt). We also asked Allah (swt) to show us the way in which to worship and serve
Him (swt) and we asked Him (swt) for His (swt) enabling grace to live that life of worship and
servitude. This life of worship and servitude is a path that we traverse over the entirety of our
lives. We hope that this path ends with the Pleasure of Allah (swt) and His (swt)’s Garden. But to
reach that goal we need the help of Allah (swt). So we ask Allah (swt) to guide us to that path. To
guide us to the actions that He (swt) likes. We ask Allah (swt) to show us what He (swt) likes and
then we ask Him (swt) to give us the willpower and the determination to do what He (swt) likes.
This is the Straight Path and we are asking Him (swt) to guide us to it. This then is the meaning of
this ayah because As-Siratul Mustaqeem means “the Straight Path”. We are asking Allah (swt) to
guide us to that Straight Path, to those actions that He (swt) is pleased with and we are asking
Him (swt) to give us the enabling grace to do those actions. Of all the things that we can ask Allah
(swt) for what could be more important than this? When we know that this is the path that leads to
When we say this ayah not only are we asking Allah (swt) to guide to that Straight Path
but we are asking Him (swt) to keep us on it as well. We are asking Allah (swt) to help us do the
actions that are pleasing to Him (swt) not only in the month of Ramadan but throughout our lives.
It is not that difficult to do the actions that are pleasing to Allah (swt) for a particular point in time.
But to be constant in performing those good deeds and to be constant in staying away from those
evil deeds. To have the steadfastness and the patience to serve Allah (swt) continuously
throughout our lives. This is what is truly difficult so there is where we need Allah (swt)’s help.
You may be able to lower your gaze the first time that you see that beautiful woman, but can you
do it the second time and the third time and for all the times after that? Can you wake up for Fajr
for every morning of your life? Can you be steadfast in the dawah even if it seems that the victory
will never come? This is what you are asking of your Rabb here.
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So we see that Siratul Mustaqeem is this Din of Islam. It is an entire way of life.
It is everything that Allah (swt) is pleased with from us. It is the beliefs that Allah (swt) is pleased
with us believing, it is the actions that Allah (swt) is pleased with us doing and it is the emotions
that Allah (swt) is pleased with us feeling. In this ayah we are asking Allah (swt) to guide us to
this Straight Path. For the moments of our lives when our belief is strong, and when we are doing
the actions that Allah (swt) is pleased with and we have the emotions and feelings that He (swt) is
pleased with, then for those moments we are on the Siratul Mustaqeem. Whenever our belief
weakens or we are not doing the actions that Allah (swt) likes or when we have some emotions
that He (swt) may not be pleased with, that is when we are starting to deviate from this path. So
for example when you hear the alarm clock ring or you hear the Muahadin for Salatul Fajr and
you purposely make a choice to continue sleeping then for that moment you have taken yourself
off the Siratul Mustaqeem. If you see a beautiful woman on the street and you do not lower your
gaze then for that moment you have taken yourself off Siratul Mustaqeem. If you are at a
gathering and you do not fight the urge that Shaitan puts within you to speak about others then
for that moment you have taken yourself off Siratul Mustaqeem. If some calamity befalls you and
you do not have patience with the Decree of Allah (swt) you have taken yourself off Siratul
Mustaqeem, and if some fortune reaches you and you do not thank Allah (swt) you have taken
yourself off Siratul Mustaqeem. But as long as you are doing the actions that Allah (swt) is
pleased with, sincerely for Him (swt), then Insha Allah you will be on Siratul Mustaqeem.
Now the question may arise among some ignorant people that if it is Allah (swt) Who
keeps us on the Siratul Mustaqeem, then why do we need to make any effort at all? Why do we
need to do anything at all if it is Allah (swt) Who keeps on Siratul Mustaqeem? This kind of
thinking is only present in hypocrites who have no sincerity to their Rabb at all. They are looking
for an excuse to escape following the Law of Allah (swt). So they say that they are waiting for the
guidance to come from Allah (swt) when they are told to be righteous, when they are told to abide
themselves by the Law of Allah (swt). They continue to sin, and then they blame the evil that they
do on Allah (swt). They say that the reason why they are sinning is because Allah (swt) has not
given them the guidance yet. This is the way of Shaitan. He also blamed Allah (swt) for his evil.
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To save ourselves from such thinking and such deviation we have to look to the example
of the Prophet (saw) and the Sahabah. They were the best generation for this Ummah. They
were the role models that Allah (swt) has given us to imitate. We know that the Prophet (saw) and
the Sahabah made this prayer every day in their Salah, and they still made every effort to abide
by the Law of Allah (swt). They did not simply rely only on Allah (swt) to guide them and then not
make any effort on their part. Rather they prayed to Allah (swt) to guide them and they also make
every effort to be among the guided. We know that Allah (swt) has told us in the authentic hadith
qudsi “O my servants, all of you are astray except those whom I have guided, so seek guidance
of me and I will guide you”. So the guidance comes from Allah (swt) but our responsibility is to
seek it from Him (swt). We ourselves have to make our best effort to keep ourselves on the
Siratul Mustaqeem with our emotions and our actions and at the same time we have to pray to
Allah (swt) to keep us on this path. We must make the effort and then we pray to Allah (swt). The
same is true when we seek the sustenance from Allah (swt). We know that it is Allah (swt) Who
provides for us and we always pray to Him (swt) to provide for us. But we do not just sit at home
or pray in the masjid all day long and then wait for the sustenance. Rather we go out in the world
and we seek of His Bounty. We work in our jobs, we conduct trade, we go to school. Yet we
know that this bounty is not coming because of our own efforts. We know that He (swt) is the One
Who is providing for us. We also know that our task is to seek it from Him (swt). The same idea
applies for our guidance. We must never think that we are on Siratul Mustaqeem because of own
our efforts and at the same time we must never become lazy and think we can do whatever we
want and only rely on Allah (swt) to keep us on the Siratul Mustaqeem. We must make our best
efforts and at the same time we must ask Allah (swt) to guide us. Allah (swt) knows best and we
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7. The Path of those whom you have blessed and not the path of those who earn your
In this last ayah of this most important Surah we see that Allah (swt) describes to us the
Path that we are asking Him (swt) to guide us to. In the previous ayah we asked Allah (swt) to
guide us to the Straight Path, that path of the beliefs, actions and emotions that are pleasing to
Him (swt). In this ayah Allah (swt) describes for us what that path is. It is very important that we
learn as much about this path as we can. Because on the Day of Judgment, it is whether or not
that we walked on this path that will determine if we are in the Fire or in the Garden. Can you then
even begin to understand how important this path must be? Should you not want to know
everything that you can about this path so that you can walk on it and so that you can stay on it?
The first description of the Straight Path that Allah (swt) gives us is that it is the way of
those whom He (swt) has “blessed”. The Straight Path is the path that is walked by those whom
Allah (swt) has blessed. But who are the people whom Allah (swt) has blessed? To find that out
we have to go to another ayah of the Quran. In Surah An-Nisa Allah (swt) describes to us those
whom He (swt) has blessed when He (swt) says “Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger will
be with those whom Allah has blessed: the Prophets, the Siddqiuin, the Martyrs, and the
Saliheen”. These are the people whom Allah (swt) has blessed. They are the ones who have
walked on the path that leads to the Pleasure of Allah (swt) and the Paradise of Allah (swt). They
are the prophets and messengers of Allah (swt), the Siddqiuin, the martyrs, and the Saliheen. So
this is a path that has been walked on by those who came before us. To follow them then is only
to do what they did. If we can walk on their path then we would get the greatest of all gifts, we
would be blessed by Allah (swt). This means that He (swt) will show us how to please Him (swt)
and He (swt) will give us the willingness and the determination to do so. All that we have to do is
look to the many examples and role models in the Quran and in the lives of the Prophet (saw)
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So when we look at the ayah in Surah An-Nisa, we see that there are four categories of
people whom Allah (swt) has described as those whom He (swt) has blessed. The first of these
categories is the prophets. So we should study the lives of all of the prophets and messengers of
Allah (swt) and try to emulate them in our lives. Of all the prophets and messengers, the best
example for us of course is the Prophet (saw), may Allah (swt) bless him (saw) and raise him
(saw) to the highest station in Paradise! For us to know how to fulfill the role of our existence, for
us to know how to worship and serve Allah (swt), the best role model for us to follow is our own
Prophet (saw). We have to study his (saw)’s life to the best of our ability, and try to model
everything that he (saw) did in his (saw)’s life in our own lives. Everything that the Prophet (saw)
did is an example for us to follow. He (saw) has walked the path and our task is only to follow it.
Now there are few laws that Allah (swt) gave which were specific to the Prophet (saw) such as
the obligation to make the late night prayer and the permissibility to marry than four wives. There
were also some things that he (saw) did which were specific to him (saw) as a human such as the
food that he (saw) liked to eat and the kind of clothes that he (saw) used to wear. Aside from
these laws that were specific for him (saw) and aside from those actions that he (saw) did simply
as a human, we must try to follow him (saw) in everything else that he (saw) did. The entirety of
his (saw)’s life is a model for us to follow. From the way in which he (saw) carried dawah, to the
way he (saw) dealt with his (saw)’s family, to the way he (saw) treated his guests to the way he
(saw) raised his children to the way he (saw) behaved towards his friends and the way he (swt)
behaved towards his enemies, to the way he (saw) conducted himself as a head of state and
military commander to the way in which he (saw) expressed gratitude and to the way that he
(saw) dealt with calamities. We have to follow him (saw) in everything that he (saw) did. We have
to make it a point to study his (saw)’s life to the best of our ability and try to implement his (saw)’s
way of life in our own lives. May Allah (swt) give us the ability to do that!
Since he (saw) became the Messenger of Allah (swt), the Prophet (saw) had many duties
and responsibilities. But there was no job that he (saw) had that was more important than
teaching the Quran. The Prophet (saw) is the one who has taught us the Quran, that was the
main task that he (saw) did. He (saw) explained to us the Book that our Creator has sent to us.
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So if you want to follow in the footsteps of the Prophet (saw), then make it a point to study the
Quran and teach it to others. We should all know the hadith where the Prophet (saw) has told us
that the best of us is the one who learns the Quran and teaches it. Thus we should make it a
point to study the Quran and teach it to others. If we do then we would be continuing the mission
In addition to the Prophet (saw), the previous prophets and messengers whom Allah
(swt) sent, the brothers in prophethood of our Prophet (saw), are also are an example for us to
follow. ‘Aisha (ra) once said about the Prophet (saw) that his (saw)’s life was the Quran. He
(saw) was a walking Quran. This means that he (saw) made it a point to emulate the personalities
whom Allah (swt) has praised in the Quran to the best of his (saw)’s ability. The foremost of these
personalities of course are the previous prophets and messengers. If we look in the Quran we will
find many examples of the previous prophets and messengers. They also have tread the path
that leads to the Pleasure of Allah (swt), the path that Allah (swt) has blessed, so they also are an
example for us to follow. So for example we have to persevere through times of difficulty like
Yunus (as), we have to resist powerful temptations like Yusuf (as), we have to be strong and
brave like Musa (as), we have to always search for the truth like Ibrahim (as), we have to keep
our responsibilities to our families like Luqman (as), and we have to be kind and humble towards
the people like ‘Isa (as). In all of these stories of the previous prophets that Allah (swt) tells us, we
have the most excellent of examples. The prophets are the foremost on this path that leads to the
Pleasure of Allah (swt), so if we want to tread this path then we have to study their lives and
follow their examples. May Allah (swt) give us the enabling grace to study about the prophets and
messengers that He (swt) tells us in His (swt)’s Book and to emulate them in our lives!
After the prophets Allah (swt) then tells us that we have to look to the example of the
Siddqiuin. The Siddqiuin are the ones who are always true and sincere in everything that they do.
They are the ones who have the firmest belief in this Message with the deepest conviction. As a
result of this belief they are the ones who sacrifice and strive the most for the sake of Allah (swt).
The best example we have of this kind of person is Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (ra). There are many
examples of Abu Bakr (ra)’s life that we can follow, but perhaps the most salient feature of his life
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and it was how he (ra) earned the title of As-Siddiq was because he was so sincere and true to
the pledge he (ra) made when he (ra) said he believed in the Prophet (saw). Abu Bakr (ra)
demonstrated better than anyone else what it truly means to believe with all of one’s heart. There
was not one sacrifice that Abu Bakr (ra) was not willing to make for Allah (swt) and His
Messenger (saw). There was no effort to which Abu Bakr (ra) was not willing to strive to please
his Creator. Just a few examples of this are when he (ra) gave away all of his wealth and said
that he (ra) left for his family only Allah (swt) and His Messenger (saw). Can you imagine giving
away every single thing that you have only to please Allah (swt)? Most of us are not even close to
being at this level but this is where Abu Bakr (ra) was. However even though we are not at his
level we can see that the path that he (ra) is walking is the path that we want to follow. So we also
must be in the habit of giving away more and more of what we have only to please Allah (swt).
Another example of the great striving and sacrifice of Abu Bakr (ra) was when he (ra) swore that
he (ra) would even have killed his own son in the battle of Badr. Do you love Allah (swt) so much
that you would even kill your own son or father if you knew that he was an enemy of Allah (swt)?
Even if you are not at this level you must strive to bring yourself to this level. Remind yourself that
Allah (swt) is the One Who you love more than anyone else, and do not allow anyone to come
between you and your Lord. Yet another example of the strength and courage of Abu Bakr (ra)
was when he (ra) insisted that the army of Osama be sent even though he (ra) was opposed by
all of the Sahabah in this decision. When it comes to doing what Allah (swt) and the Prophet
(saw) want him (ra) to do, Abu Bakr (ra) did not care about the opinion of others. He (ra) did what
he (ra) knew that the Prophet (saw) would have done, what was pleasing to Allah (swt). Can you
do the same? Can you also always do only what Allah (swt) is pleased with, even if others may
not like it? So we see that in every one of his actions, Abu Bakr (ra) demonstrated his complete
sincerity to the iman that he (ra) had in his heart. So just like the Prophet (saw), and the prophets
before him (saw), Abu Bakr (ra) was also one who walked on this path and he (ra) was also one
that Allah (swt) blessed. If we want to walk on Siratul Mustaqeem also then we have to study his
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The next group of believers whom Allah (swt) has told us that He (swt) has blessed and
so we know that they are on Siratul Mustaqeem are the martyrs. Similar to Abu Bakr (ra), these
were believers who had such certainty of belief in Allah (swt) and such total trust in Allah (swt)
that they were willing to make the ultimate of sacrifices only to seek the Pleasure of Allah (swt).
We know that the first of martyrs in the dawah of the Prophet (saw) and his party was Sumeyah
(ra) who died at the hands of the tyrant Abu Jahl. Despite the extreme pain and humiliation that
she (ra) had to suffer during the time she was tortured in Makkah, she did not give in to the
enemies of this Message. She believed with utmost certainty the words of the Prophet (saw)
when he (saw) told her that Paradise was waiting for her as a reward for her efforts and sacrifices
for Allah (swt). We know that just as the Prophet (saw) promised, she (ra) is with her Rabb now in
the highest levels of Paradise while the tyrant Abu Jahl is burning in the depths of the fire of hell.
So if we want to walk on Siratul Mustaqeem we have to build within ourselves this same certainty
of faith and this complete reliance on Allah (swt). We must strive with out utmost and be willing to
make any sacrifice for the sake of our Rabb. If we are faced with some fear or some difficulty in
this dawah then we must not let it stop us in our mission. We have to keep going and keep
striving no matter how difficult the road becomes and no matter how many obstacles are in our
way. Remember that this is the path that leads to Allah (swt). So do not expect it to be an easy
path that is always flat. Rather it is a rocky path that leads up, so you have to make the effort to
climb this path. You have to make sacrifices. You must be willing to strive. But remember that if
you can reach the top then the reward is much better than you can ever imagine. Just like
Sumeyah (ra) you will be with your Lord. Both in this life and in the Hereafter.
The last category of people whom Allah (swt) has blessed and who are on Siratul
Mustaqeem are the Saliheen. These are the righteous, the ones who always do the actions that
Allah (swt) is pleased with. To be among them is to always do the actions that in accordance with
the Law of Allah (swt). So for every moment of your life and for every action that you do, you must
always check yourself and see if that action is permitted in Law of Allah (swt). You only do that
action if Allah (swt) is pleased with you doing it. For every moment of our lives we restrict our
actions according to the Law of Allah (swt). This is what it means to be among the Saliheen.
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So we see that for you to walk on Siratul Mustaqeem then for every moment of your life,
for every action that you can take, you must always refer that action to the Law of Allah (swt). Is
that action permissible or not, is that an action that Allah (swt) will be pleased with or not? These
are the questions that you must always be asking yourself for every second of your life. For every
moment of your life you should be striving to learn more about Islam, trying to find out what are
the actions that Allah (swt) likes for you to do and then striving to do those actions. Even if those
actions sometimes entail hardships and difficulty. All that should matter for you is gaining the
Pleasure of Allah (swt). As long as you make your best effort to walk on this Path, and you
sincerely pray to Allah (swt) to keep you on this Path, then you have to have the trust and the
hope that He (swt) will keep you on this Path and give you the reward that you are seeking.
Now that we know what Siratul Mustaqeem is we also need to know what it is not. We
see from the ayah that we ask Allah (swt) to guide us to the path of those whom He (swt) has
blessed, and not the path of those who have earned His (swt)’s Wrath nor of those who go astray.
So the path that is not Siratul Mustaqeem is the path of those who have earned the Wrath of
Allah (swt) and the path of those who go astray. But what does it mean to be among those who
have earned the Wrath of Allah (swt) and those who have gone astray? Allah (swt) has already
told us in this ayah who are the ones who walk on the Straight Path that lead to His (swt)’s
Pleasure, but who are the ones who go astray from this path? Who are the ones whom Allah
There is an authentic hadith of the Prophet (saw) where he (saw) has told us that the
people who have earned the Wrath of Allah (swt) are the Jews and the people who have gone
astray are the Christians. The Siratul Mustaqeem is a straight path and it is one. The deviations
from this Path are many. In fact everything that is not Siratul Mustaqeem is a deviation from this
path. So all of the false religions and the false ways of life are deviations from Siratul Mustaqeem.
Any way of life where one does not dedicate oneself to the remembrance of Allah (swt) and the
worship of Allah (swt) is a deviation from this path. However here Allah (swt) brings our attention
to two of the deviations that we need to be especially careful of. This is the path of the Jews and
the path of the Christians. Both were a people who had deviated from the path that their
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respective prophets had put them on. The reason why Allah (swt) brings our attention to these
deviant paths is because these are the most dangerous paths for us. Of all the paths that are not
Siratul Mustaqeem, these two paths are the deviant paths that this Muslim Ummah will most likely
will fall into. This is because just like us, these are a people who also had revelation from Allah
(swt). Like us they also once believed in this revelation that Allah (swt) sent them. But eventually
they deviated from this Message that Allah (swt) sent them, they went away from the Siratul
Mustaqeem. So in this ayah we ask Allah (swt) to keep us on the Siratul Mustaqeem and to keep
us away from the paths of these people who went astray. Foremost among the people who have
As we pray to Allah (swt) to protect us from becoming like them, we also have to study
their lives to see where they went astray. We have to see what were the mistakes that they made
that took them away from Siratul Mustaqeem, Insha Allah this is how we can save ourselves from
making the same mistakes. We do not need to look past the Quran to find out what were the
mistakes that were made by these people. Much of Surah Baqarah is the history of the Jews.
Allah (swt) tells us how they were once the nation who was charged with the responsibility of
carrying this dawah to mankind before us. Allah (swt) tells us how they clearly saw the miracles of
their prophets in front of them, how they knew for certain that this Message was the truth, and
how they turned away from this Message despite their certainty of its Truthfulness. Allah (swt)
shows us step by step how they allowed themselves to be led astray from Him (swt). First they
stop carrying this Message to mankind. They refused to fight in jihad for the sake of Allah (swt).
They preferred to chase after the life of this world rather than to strive and sacrifice to seek the
Pleasure of Allah (swt). After they gave up the path of dawah and jihad, they even stopped
applying the Law of Allah (swt) on themselves. They changed the Book of Allah (swt) with their
own hands to make what was haram into halal and to turn what was halal into haram. Soon they
failed to rule by the Law of Allah (swt) altogether and instead they ruled by laws that they made
up with their minds. Laws that suit their whims and their desires. But worst of all was the
arrogance and the pride they had in their hearts for their nation. They thought they were the best
of mankind, and they saw the rest of mankind as far below them.
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We are not saying that all Jews behaved in this way. There were some Jews who
recognized the Truth of the Message that the Prophet (saw) brought to them from Allah (swt), and
they became among the best of Muslims, much better than you and me. Among these were
Saffiya (ra) who was the wife of the Prophet (saw) and a mother of the believers, there was also
the Jewish youth who took the Shahada at the hand of the Prophet (saw) on his deathbed despite
his parents’ objections, and there was also Jewish man who accepted Islam and was martyred
shortly after in the Battle of Uhud. The Prophet (saw) promised him paradise even though he had
never made a single prayer or fasted a single day as a Muslim. However even though among the
Jews were those who were sincere and who submitted to the Truth, as a whole their people had
this arrogance where they thought themselves better than others and they thought themselves
above having to submit to the Truth. This then is the thinking and the behavior that we have to
avoid if we want to save ourselves from going astray from the Siratul Mustaqeem and falling into
the path of a people who had the Wrath of Allah (swt) on them. So much was their arrogance and
their refusal to submit to the Truth that they became the people who earned the Wrath of Allah
(swt). How evil and corrupt do a people have to be to earn the Wrath of the One Who is the Most
Merciful? To see the error of all of their ways, we have to dedicate ourselves to study Surah
Baqarah and other Surahs of the Quran that tell us of their history. May Allah (swt) give us the
ability to do that!
Just like we can see in the Quran how the Jews became a people who had the Wrath of
Allah (swt) on them, we can also see in the Quran why the Christians are the people who went
astray. The word that Allah (swt) uses to describe them in this ayah is dalal which means
“misguidance” or “lost”. So they are a people who have lost the way and are misguided from the
Truth. The scholars have said that the Jews were a people who had the Message and had the
Truth with them, but they willfully turned away from this Truth. In other words they had the Law of
Allah (swt) in their books but they chose not to follow it. The Christians on the other hand were a
people who completely deviated from the Truth that they lost all of their guidance. So where the
Jews had the guidance and refused to follow it, the Christians went astray and became lost so
that they had no guidance whatsoever. Their corruption began in their Aqeedah when some
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people among them started ascribing divinity to ‘Isa (as) and even to his mother Maryam (as).
This corruption in belief grew further until many of them started believing that if you would only
accept ‘Isa (as) as a savior then all of your sins would be removed and you were free to commit
whatever evil you wanted. Others of them believed that their Pope received revelation and
guidance from Allah (swt). So they simply believed whatever he said as being from Allah (swt). All
of this corruption began when they imagined false beliefs about ‘Isa (as) that he (as) himself had
never claimed. They took stories from their pagan religions and applied it to the pure religion of
Islam that ‘Isa (as) brought them. We know that ‘Isa (as) never claimed any divinity for himself or
for his mother; these were all thoughts that they made up in their own minds or they took from
their pagan beliefs. This corruption in belief of a few of their priests is what caused their whole
people to go astray. Completely lost from the guidance of Allah (swt), and living in total darkness
and error.
To save ourselves from being like these Christians we have to be careful of corruptions
in our belief. Something that starts very small could grow over time and turn into the worst form of
shirk, much like it did with the Christians. That is how Shaitan works, he will not come from the
beginning and tell you to worship an idol. First he will make you to go the graves of pious people
and tell you to pray to them or ask them for help. Shaitan will say that since they were pious they
were closer to Allah (swt) than you. He will tell you that Allah (swt) will respond to their prayers
but not to yours. Then after sometime he will tell you to worship them alongside Allah (swt).
Finally he will tell you to worship them instead of Allah (swt). This is how he works. A small
innovation overtime grows into among the worst forms of shirk. This is what we have to always
strive to save ourselves from. Even the Prophet (saw) stressed again and again that he (saw)
was only a messenger from Allah (swt) and he (saw) told the Sahabah not to do to him (saw)
what the Christians did to ‘Isa (as). Allah (swt) Himself said in the Quran that the Prophet (saw)
was only a man and that all prophets and messengers were only men. If the Prophet (saw) was
only a man, then who are we to claim divinity for someone from the Prophet (saw)’s family or for
some so called saint or pious person? No rather we must keep in mind that all divinity belongs to
Allah (swt) Alone and only Allah (swt) deserves all of our worship. Surah Fatihah and all of the
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Quran testifies to this fact. Just like we can find a history of the Jews and all the mistakes that
they made in the Quran, we can also find all the corruptions the Christians had in their Aqeedah
in the Quran as well. For example the first half of Surah Imran presents many arguments against
the Aqeedah of the Christians. Allah (swt) shows us in this Surah how foolish they were in
worshipping other than Him (swt). He (swt) shows us how foolish it is to ascribe divinity to the
creation. Thus we have to study the Quran. We have to learn these proofs and arguments. We
need to always remind ourselves of the fact that only Allah (swt) deserves our worship and
servitude. We bow down with our faces on the floor to Allah (swt) more than thirty times a day,
but we would never even once bow before anyone else, not even for all the wealth in the world.
So we have seen that Surah Fatihah is a prayer for guidance. We believe in Allah (swt)
and we recognize that the purpose of our existence is to worship and serve Him (swt). In this
Surah we are asking Allah (swt) to guide us on how we can fulfill that purpose of our existence.
We are telling Allah (swt) that we are doing everything in our lives in His (swt)’s Name. We praise
and thank Allah (swt) for all of the blessings and gifts that He (swt) has bestowed on us. We
acknowledge Allah (swt) as our Creator and Sustainer, and our Lord and Master, both for us as
individuals and for the society in which we live. We also remind ourselves that Allah (swt) is the
complete King and Owner of the Day of Repayment. The Day on which we will be judged on
whether we accepted this Message that He (swt) sent us, and how well we lived our lives to act in
accordance with this Message. Then we ask Allah (swt) to guide us to what pleases Him (swt)
and to keep us away from what displeases Him (swt). The path of those whom He (swt) has
blessed. The path of those whom He (swt) has taught how to please Him (swt) and given them
the enabling grace to do so. This is what we should always be seeking. Guidance to the Real and
the True. May Allah (swt) show us the way! May Allah (swt) guide all of the people in this world
who sincerely search for the Truth of His (swt)’s Message! May Allah (swt) keep us all on the
Straight Path that leads to His (swt)’s Pleasure and His (swt)’s Paradise!
All praise and thanks belongs to Allah (swt), our tafsir of Surah Fatihah end here.
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