Surah Al-Faatiha (1) — Ayah 2

(Ayah 2) ➊ { اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ:} The meaning of "Hamd" is praise due to some excellence. The "al" in it is for istighraq (inclusiveness), by which all forms of praise are meant, that is, whatever praise exists, it is only for Allah, not for any other self-made deity nor for any creature, because if there is any excellence in a creature worthy of praise, it is created by Him alone.

➋ Since the word "Allah" is a proper noun, all the names and attributes of Allah are included in it, those ninety-nine names and attributes mentioned in the hadith and also those besides them, whether Allah has taught them to any of His creation or kept their knowledge only with Himself. Just as by "Muhammad (peace be upon him)" is meant that noble personality who is a Prophet, a Messenger, a witness, a bringer of good news and a warner, a caller to Allah and a shining lamp, the eraser (of disbelief) and the last, the Seal of the Prophets and the leader of the children of Adam, in short, in the name Muhammad (peace be upon him) (the proper noun) all his names and all his attributes are included, similarly, the word "Allah" being a proper noun is comprehensive of all names and attributes, therefore the scholars say that {’’اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ ‘‘} is both a claim and a proof, that is, all praise is for Allah, because He is the possessor of all perfect attributes and praise is due to Him for every attribute.

➌ In {’’ اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ ‘‘} there are several generalities and one particularity. In {’’ اَلْحَمْدُ ‘‘}, due to the "al" of istighraq, there are several types of generality, and in {’’ لِلّٰهِ ‘‘} there is one particularity, which is that in it the "lam" is for specification, meaning that every praise is exclusively for Allah. In the generality of praise, there is also generality of the doer, that every praiser in reality praises only Allah, whether he himself is the Lord of the worlds or a human or a jinn or an angel or any creature. At one place it is said: «وَ اِنْ مِّنْ شَيْءٍ اِلَّا يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِهٖ» [ بنی إسرائیل : ۴۴ ] "Whatever thing there is, it glorifies Him with His praise." Similarly, in the generality of praise, there is also generality of place, that is, wherever it may be, whether on earth or in the heavens, or between them or on the Throne, it is said: «وَ لَهُ الْحَمْدُ فِي السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضِ» [ الروم : ۱۸ ] "And His is the praise in the heavens and the earth." Similarly, there is also generality of time, that is, whether the praise is in the day or at night, in the past or present or future, in this world or the Hereafter, all of it is exclusively for Allah, it is said: «وَ هُوَ اللّٰهُ لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا هُوَ لَهُ الْحَمْدُ فِي الْاُوْلٰى وَ الْاٰخِرَةِ» [ القصص : ۷۰ ] "And He is Allah, there is no deity except Him, to Him belongs all praise in this world and the Hereafter." In this way, in {’’ اَلْحَمْدُ ‘‘} there is also generality of praise itself, that is, whether the praise is with any word or in any language, in a loud voice or softly, from the heart or the tongue or with other limbs, in short, whatever the praise may be, it is exclusively for Allah alone, if there is any excellence or praiseworthy thing in anyone else, it is not his own but is granted by Allah alone, therefore, because of it, the praise is in reality praise of Allah alone.

➍ Some scholars have divided the Noble Qur’an into four parts, each part beginning with {’’ اَلْحَمْدُ ‘‘}. The first part «اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعٰلَمِيْنَ» starts from “Surah Al-Fatihah,” the second «اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ الَّذِيْ خَلَقَ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضَ وَ جَعَلَ الظُّلُمٰتِ وَ النُّوْرَ» from Surah Al-An’am, the third «اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ الَّذِيْۤ اَنْزَلَ عَلٰى عَبْدِهِ الْكِتٰبَ» from Surah Al-Kahf, and the fourth «اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ الَّذِيْ لَهٗ مَا فِي السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ مَا فِي الْاَرْضِ» from Surah Saba.

➎ {’’ اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ ‘‘} is such a blessed phrase that the Book of Allah begins with it, and the Prophet ﷺ used to begin every sermon with it. (Muslim: 45/868) After eating and upon sneezing, he would praise Allah. (Bukhari: 5458, 6224) When going to bed, he would recite this supplication: [اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ الَّذِيْ اَطْعَمَنَا وَسَقَانَا وَكَفَانَا وَ آوَانَا، فَكَمْ مِمَّنْ لَا كَافِيَ لَهُ وَلَا مُؤْوِيَ ] “All praise is for Allah who fed us, gave us drink, sufficed us, and gave us shelter, for how many are there who have neither one to suffice them nor one to shelter them.” [ مسلم، الذکر والدعاء، باب الدعاء عند النوم : ۲۷۱۵، عن أنس رضی اللہ عنہ ] Upon waking in the morning, he would recite this supplication: [ اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ الَّذِيْ اَحْيَانَا بَعْدَ مَا اَمَاتَنَا وَ اِلَيْهِ النُّشُوْرُ ] “All praise is for Allah who gave us life after causing us to die, and to Him is the resurrection.” [ بخاری، الدعوات، باب وضع الید تحت الخد الیمنٰی : ۶۳۱۴، عن حذیفۃ رضی اللہ عنہ ]

On the Day of Resurrection, people will emerge from their graves praising Allah, as He said: «يَوْمَ يَدْعُوْكُمْ فَتَسْتَجِيْبُوْنَ بِحَمْدِهٖ» [ بنی إسرائیل : ۵۲] “The Day He will call you, you will respond with His praise.” And after entering Paradise, they will praise Allah, as He said: «وَ قَالُوا الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ الَّذِيْ هَدٰىنَا لِهٰذَا وَ مَا كُنَّا لِنَهْتَدِيَ لَوْ لَاۤ اَنْ هَدٰىنَا اللّٰهُ» [ الأعراف : ۴۴] “And they will say: All praise is for Allah who guided us to this, and we would never have been guided if Allah had not guided us.” And in Paradise, the conclusion of their conversation will also be upon this, as He said: «دَعْوٰىهُمْ فِيْهَا سُبْحٰنَكَ اللّٰهُمَّ وَ تَحِيَّتُهُمْ فِيْهَا سَلٰمٌ وَ اٰخِرُ دَعْوٰىهُمْ اَنِ الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعٰلَمِيْنَ» [ یونس : ۱۰ ] “Their call therein will be, ‘Exalted are You, O Allah!’ and their greeting therein will be, ‘Peace,’ and the conclusion of their call will be, ‘All praise is for Allah, Lord of the worlds.’” May Allah include us among those fortunate ones. (Ameen)

➏ The phrase {’’ اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ ‘‘} is also an expression of a great reality, a phrase of gratitude, and the best complete supplication. the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Purity is half of faith and ‘Alhamdulillah’ fills the scale.” [ مسلم، الطہارۃ، باب فضل الوضوء : ۲۲۳، عن أبی مالک الأشعری رضی اللہ عنہ ] The detail of this is that the real purpose of every act of worship to Allah Almighty is to call upon Him and to ask from Him, as it is narrated from Nu’man bin Bashir (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ اَلدُّعَاءُ هُوَ الْعِبَادَةُ ] “Calling (upon Allah) is worship.” [ ترمذی، الدعوات، باب منہ … : ۳۳۷۲، و صححہ الألبانی ] Every act of worship by a person—Salah (prayer), Sawm (fasting), Hajj, Zakat, Jihad, in short, every moment of life spent as a slave according to His command—are all different forms of asking from Him. Among these, the best form is to praise Him and to express gratitude to Him; for this, He bestows even more blessings. He said: «لَىِٕنْ شَكَرْتُمْ لَاَزِيْدَنَّكُمْ» [ إبراہیم : ۷ ] “Indeed, if you are grateful, I will surely increase you.” That is why the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [اَفْضَلُ الذِّكْرِ لَا اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَ اَفْضَلُ الدُّعَاءِ اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ ] “The best remembrance is La ilaha illallah and the best supplication is Alhamdulillah.” [ ترمذی، الدعوات، باب ما جاء أن دعوۃ المسلم مستجابۃ : ۳۳۸۳، عن جابر رضی اللہ عنہ ۔ السلسلۃ الصحیحۃ : ۱۴۹۷ ] An Arab poet has said about his patron:

{اِذَا أَثْنٰي عَلَيْكَ الْمَرْأُ يَوْمًا ¤ كَفَاهُ مِنْ تَعَرُّضِهِ الثَّنَاءُ}

“When someone praises you on any day, that praise alone suffices him instead of asking.”

When a generous person, who is a creation, bestows just by hearing praise and does not wait for a clear request, then why would the Lord of the worlds, who is also Generous and Glorious, not bestow upon His own praise—especially when there is no one who is more pleased to hear His own praise than Him? the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “There is no one who loves praise more than Allah, so He Himself has praised Himself.” [ بخاری، التفسیر، باب قول اللہ عزوجل : «قل إنما حرم ربی الفواحش…» : ۴۶۳۷، عن ابن مسعود رضی اللہ عنہ ]

➐ The meaning of {رَبِّ الْعٰلَمِيْنَ: ’’ رَبِّ ‘‘} is a chief whose obedience is obligatory, and an owner and nurturer. This is a Sifah Mushabbahah (a permanent adjective) derived from {’’ رَبَّ يَرُبُّ (ن) ‘‘} (to nurture), or it is a verbal noun used in place of the active participle for emphasis, just as {’’زَيْدٌ عَدْلٌ‘‘ ’’زَيْدٌ عَادِلٌ‘‘} is used in place of its active participle, meaning Zaid is so just that his very existence is justice. All three of these attributes are present in Allah Almighty to the highest degree; there is no greater master than Him, He alone is the owner of all, and He alone brings each being from creation to perfection and fulfills every need of it. In other words, that Pure Being is entirely nurturing.

➑ {’’ الْعٰلَمِيْنَ ‘‘ ’’اَلْعَالَمُ‘‘} is the plural of world. {’’اَلْعَالَمُ‘‘} is a plural that has no singular, like {’’قَوْمٌ، رَهْطٌ، نَاسٌ‘‘} and others. Its meaning is: {’’ مَا يُعْلَمُ بِهِ الشَّيْءُ‘‘} through which knowledge of something is obtained, just as {’’خَاتَمٌ‘‘} means: {’’مَا يُخْتَمُ بِهِ‘‘} with which a seal is placed. The Arabs use this pattern for instruments. The world is called ‘Alam’ because any creature, through it, knowledge of the Creator is obtained—that there is a Creator who brought it into existence. {’’الْعٰلَمِيْنَ ‘‘} is mentioned in the plural because every creation of Allah Almighty is a separate world, for example, the world of humans, the world of jinn, the world of plants, the world of inanimate objects, the world of earth, and the world of heavens, etc. Then, within each of these, there are many worlds, for example, among humans, every race, every language, and every region has its own world. In short, there are countless worlds that no one knows except the Lord Almighty. It is said: « وَمَا یَعْلَمُ جُنُوْدَ رَبِّکَ اِلَّا ھُوَ » [ المدثر : ۳۱ ] “And none knows the armies of your Lord except Him.” There are thousands of types of just one ant, countless worlds of birds, the creatures of the sea are innumerable, countless galaxies and their planets, compared to which the sun and moon are like a ring, each is a separate world. Each of these is a means of knowledge of the existence of Allah Almighty and His being One without partner. The Lord of the worlds is the Creator of each of them, then at every moment He fulfills every need of each and brings it to perfection. In short, all praise is for Allah, because He is {’’ رَبِّ الْعٰلَمِيْنَ ‘‘}.

➒ After {’’ اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ ‘‘}, four attributes of Allah Almighty are mentioned; the first attribute is in {’’ رَبِّ الْعٰلَمِيْنَ ‘‘}, in which, among the fundamental themes of the Quran, besides Tawhid, both promise and warning are present: that the Nurturer, when pleased, bestows favors, and when displeased, also deprives.