In The Name of Allah,
the Beneficent and the Most Merciful
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Volume 1: Surah Fateha, Verses 1-5
In the name
of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful (1). All praise is due to
Allah, the Lord of the Worlds (2). The Beneficent the Merciful (3).
The Master of the Day of Judgment (4). Thee do we worship and Thee
do we beseech for help (5).
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COMMENTARY
QUR'AN:
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful:
People often
take the name of one of their great and powerful personalities at the time
of doing or beginning a work. By this association, it is believed, the
work would achieve success, greatness and blessings; or that it would be a
memorial to keep the named one's memory alive for ever. This is also
observed in naming a child, a project, a house or an association - they
give it the name of a deeply loved or highly respected person, so that his
name would continue in this form; for example, a man names his son after
his father, in order to perpetuate the father's memory.
This verse runs
on the same line. Allah began His speech with His Own name - Great is His
name - so that the ideas taught in this chapter be stamped by, and
associated with it. Also, it teaches a lesson to mankind, showing them the
perfect manner of starting all their talks and actions; it guides them to
put the stamp of the divine name on all their activities; doing every work
for the sake of Allah, associating it with His good names and attributes.
In this way that action would neither be rendered null and void, nor
remain incomplete; it has been started in the name of Allah, and negation
and annihilation cannot reach that sacred name.
Allah has
declared variously in the Qur'an that what is not for His Person must
perish, is in vain; He Will proceed to the deeds not done for His sake and
shall render them as scattered floating dust; He shall forfeit what they
have done and shall nullify their deeds; and that nothing shall remain
except His honored Person.
Therefore, what
is done for the sake of Allah and performed in His name, shall continue
and will not perish. Everything, every work and every affair shall have
its share of eternity - as much as it is related to Allah. It is this
reality that has been hinted at in the universally accepted tradition of
the Prophet: "Every important affair, not begun with the name of Allah,
shall remain incomplete…." The word al-abtar (translated here as
"incomplete'’) means a thing whose end is cut off, an animal whose tail is
severed.
The preposition
"bi" (in, with), in the phrase "In the name of Allah", is related to an
implied verb, "I begin". This verse, at this particular place, begins the
speech which is a single action; this singleness comes from the singleness
of its meaning; that is, the meaning intended to be conveyed, the aim and
purpose of the speech.
Allah has
mentioned the purpose for which His speech the whole Qur'an - has been
revealed: . . . indeed, there has come to you a light and a
clear Book from Allah; with it Allah guides him who follows His
pleasure into the ways of safety. . . (5:15 -16). There are other
verses which show that the aim with which the Book - the speech of Allah -
has been sent down is the guidance of the people.
Therefore, the
full import of the sentence would be as follows: The guidance, total
guidance is begun with the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful; He
is Allah, Whom the servants return to; He is Beneficent, Who has opened
the way of His All-encompassing mercy for believers and disbelievers
alike, the mercy which provides them with all that is necessary and good
for their existence and life; He is Merciful, Who has reserved His special
mercy for the believers, the mercy which ensures their happiness in the
life hereafter and their nearness to their Lord. Allah has said: . . .
and My mercy encompasses all things; so I will ordain it
(specially) for those who guard (against evil) and pay
zakat, and those who believe in our signs (7:156). This explanation
has been written, putting this verse in the framework of the whole Qur'an,
of which it is the first sentence.
Again, Allah has
repeatedly mentioned "chapter" in His speech. For example: Say: "Then
bring a chapter like this... (10:38); Say: "Then bring ten chapters
like it, forged. (11:13); And whenever a chapter is revealed .
. . (9:86); (This is) a chapter which We have revealed . . . (24:
1). It shows that Allah Himself has divided His speech in various parts,
each part being called a chapter. It naturally means that every chapter is
a single unit in structure and in fullness of meaning; and that that unity
is not found between various verses of a chapter or between one chapter
and the other. It necessarily follows that the theme of every chapter is
different from the other; every chapter is revealed with a certain aim in
view, and when that aim is achieved the chapter comes to its end.
Therefore, the
verse, "In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful" coming at the
beginning of every chapter, refers to the particular theme of that
chapter.
Accordingly,
this verse, at the beginning of this chapter of "The Opening", refers also
to the theme of this chapter. It appears from its semantic flow that its
purpose is to praise Allah and to pledge the believer's servitude
(declaring that he worships only Allah and seeks help from Him only) and
then to pray for divine guidance. This speech has been uttered by Allah,
on behalf of Ms servant, so that the servant may learn how, by repeating
these words, he may show his gratitude to, and servitude before,
Allah.
This pledging of
servitude is the important work which the servant of Allah intends to do;
and which he begins in the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. In
this context, this verse would mean: In Thy name, I pledge my servitude to
Thee.
In this first
verse of this chapter, therefore, the preposition, "in", is related to the
implied verb, "I begin"; and the aim is to perfect the sincere servitude
by addressing the pledge to Allah Himself. Some people have said that the
implied verb is "I seek help" (by); although this view is not
objectionable, but "I begin" is more appropriate - the chapter explicitly
seeks divine help, "and Thee do we beseech for help"; therefore, it is not
necessary in the beginning.
"al-Ism " (=
name) is the word that points to the named thing or person. It is derived
from as-simah (= sign, identifying mark) or as-sumuww (=
height, eminence). In any case, it is the word by which an individual
thing or person is spoken of or spoken to. Naturally, it is other than,
and separate from, the named thing.
The following is
a sample of the academic exercises so much loved by the ancients:
There is a name
that means "the person himself seen in the light of an attribute"; such a
name is not separate from the named person; it is the person himself. The
word al- Alim (= The Knower), one of the divine names, points to
the Person of Allah as seen in the light of His attribute of Knowledge. At
the same time, it refers to Allah Who cannot be known except by one or the
other of His attributes. Let us explain this matter in another way: "Name"
points to the named person; likewise the personal traits and
characteristics point to the holder of those traits and characteristics -
in this way, we may say that the personal traits are the "names" of the
person concerned. "Name", accordingly, can be of two kinds: in words, and
in substance. The direct name is of the second type, that is, the personal
trait that points to its own subjects - for example, the "Knowledge" that
points to Allah, the holder of the knowledge. And the word "the Knower" is
in reality an indirect name - it points to the direct name, that is, the
attribute of knowledge, which in its turn directly points to its holder,
that is, Allah. "Knowledge" is, thus, the name of Allah, and "the Knower"
is "the name of the name".
The above was
the result of the academic analysis (or should we say, mental luxury!)
mentioned earlier; but such things should not be imposed on language and
literature. "Name", according to the "plain Arabic language", means what
we have written earlier. There was a lot of controversy going on among the
theologians of the early centuries of Islam: whether the name was separate
from the named person or not. Such unnecessary polemics is out of place at
present times; it is self- evident that "name" and "named" are two things,
and not one. We should not waste time and energy in quoting the ancients'
arguments and counter-arguments, and in judging who was right.
"Allah" (= the
divine name) was originally al-Ilah; the "I"; in the middle was
omitted because of frequent use. al-Ilah is derived from alaha ( =
he worshipped) or from aliha or waliha (= he was bewildered). It is on
paradigm of al-fi’al in meaning of al-maf’ul (= object-noun). For example,
al-Kitab means al-Maktub (= the written); likewise al-Ilah means al-Ma’luh
that is, the One who is worshipped, or the One about whom minds are
bewildered.
Quite clearly,
it has become the proper name of God. It was commonly used in this meaning
in Arabic long before the Qur'an was revealed. The fact that even
pre-Islamic Arabs used this name for God, may be inferred from the
following verses:
And if you
should ask them who created them, they would certainly say: "Allah"
…. (43:87)
.. . . and
they say: "7his for Allah " - so they assert - "and this is for our
associates". (6:136).
Other divine
names may be used as adjectives for this name; for example, "the
Beneficent and the Merciful Allah"; also, this name is used as subject of
the verbs derived from other divine names; for example, "Allah knew",
"Allah had mercy", "Allah gave sustenance" etc. But the word, "Allah", is
never used as adjective to any other name, nor is the verb derived from it
used to describe other names. It is a clear proof that it is the proper
name of God.
The divine
existence, in as much as Allah is the God of everything, presupposes that
He should have all the attributes of perfection; and, as a result, this
name points to all perfect attributes. That is why it is said that the
name, "Allah", means "the Person Who is the Essential Being, and Who
encompasses all the attributes of perfection". But the fact is that it is
the proper name of God and no other meaning (except that related to
worship or bewilderment) has been taken into consideration here.
"ar-Rahman
ar-Rahim (= The Beneficent, the Merciful) are two adjectives derived
from ar-rahmah (= mercy).
When you see
someone suffering from a deficiency which he cannot remove. by himself,
the reaction which you experience and which tells you to provide him with
what he needs in order to make up his deficiency, is called mercy.
Ultimately, mercy means giving and bestowing to fulfill other's need. It
is this latter meaning in which this attribute is used for Allah.
"ar-Rahman"
is on a paradigm which is used for magnification and exaggeration.
"ar-Rahim" paradigm of as-Sifatu ‘l-mushabbah (= perpetual
adjective, inseparable attribute). Therefore "ar-Rahman"
(translated here as "the Beneficent") relates to that all-encompassing
mercy that is bestowed upon the believers and the unbelievers alike. It is
used in the Qur'an, mostly in this meaning. Allah says: The Beneficent
(God) is firm in power (20:5); Say: 'As for him who remains
in error, the Beneficent (God) will surely prolong his length of
days . . . (19:75). "ar-Rahim" (translated here as "the
Merciful"), on the other hand, is more appropriate for that mercy which
shall remain for ever, the perpetual inexhaustible mercy that shall be
bestowed on the believers in the life hereafter. Allah says: . . . and
He is Merciful to the believers (33:43); surely to them (i.e., the
believers) He is Compassionate, Merciful (9:117). That is why it is said
that the mercy of "ar-Rahman " is common for the believers and the
unbelievers, and that of "ar-Rahim" is reserved for the
believers.
QUR’AN:
All praise is due to Allah:
It has been said
that "al-hamd" is to praise someone for a good acquired by his own
intention, "al-madh" (also translated as praise) is more general -
it is used to praise even that good which someone is given without his
will and power. If you praise someone for his benevolence, you may use
either word - al-hamd or al-madh but if you want to praise a
pearl for its luster, you may use the verb al-madh, but not
al-hamd because the pearl has not acquired that luster by its own
will and power.
"al" (translated
here as "all") in "al-hamd" denotes either species or praise, or
each and every praise. The end-result is the same in either case; that is
why it has been translated here as "all".
Allah says:
That is Allah, your Lord, the Creator of every thing
(40:62). Whatever there is, is created by Allah. Again He says:
…Who made good everything that He has created (32:7). Everything is
good because it has been created by Allah and is attributed to Him. In
other words, a thing becomes good because it is created by Allah; and
everything created by Him is good. Every creature is good and beautiful
because Allah has made it so; and every good and beautiful thing is
created by Allah, attributed to Him. Allah says: He is Allah, the One,
the Subduer (of all) (39:4); And the faces are humbled before the
Living, the Self subsistent God . . . (20:111). In other words, He has
created the creatures by His own knowledge, power and will, and not
because He was compelled by someone else to do so. Therefore, everything
is His own good work, done by His own will.
The above
discourse was about Allah's action. Coming to His names, He has said:
Allah is He besides Whom there is no god; His are the very best
names (20:8); And Allah's are the best names; therefore call
on Him thereby, and leave alone those who violate the sanctity of
His names (7:180). It is clear that Allah is good in His names and
good in His actions; and that every good and beauty emanates from Him.
Therefore, Allah
is praised for His good names as He is praised for His good actions. Every
praise, uttered by any speaker for any good deed is in reality addressed
to Allah only; because every good (which is the object of praise) emanates
from Him only. In short, to Him belongs the species of the praise and all
and every praise.
The verse: "Thee
do we worship", shows that the whole chapter is revealed on behalf of man.
Allah teaches him in this chapter how to praise his Lord and how to show
his allegiance to, and humility towards, Him. And the phrase, "All praise
is due to Allah", further strengthens this inference, as will be seen in
the next paragraph.
The praise means
to attribute, to ascribe; and Allah has declared that He is above all that
His servants ascribe to Him. He has said: Hallowed be Allah (for
freedom) from what they ascribe, except the servants of Allah,
freed (from sins) (37:159 -160). This declaration is general and
unconditional; and it is further proved by the fact that not a single
verse in the Qur'an ascribes the action of "praise" to anyone except Allah
and some of the prophets (who were doubtlessly freed from sins). Allah
addresses Nuh (Noah - a.s.) in these words: . . . Say: "All
praise is due to Allah who delivered us from the unjust people"
(23:28). And He quotes lbrahim (Abraham - a.s.) as saying: "Praise be
to Allah, Who gave me in old age Isma’il and Ishaq (I4:39). Also, He
told His Prophet, Muhammad (s.a.w.a.) in several places, And say:
"Praise be to Allah. (27:93). Further, he says about Dawud and
Sulayman (peace be on both of them): . . . and they both said: "Praise
be to Allah. . . " (27:15). Another exception is of the people of the
Paradise and they also are freed from spite and rancor as well as from
vain and sinful words: . . . and the last of their cry shall be:
"Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds" (10: 10).
As for other
creatures, the Qur'an never says that they "praise" Allah - they always
"glorify Allah with His praise". Allah says: . . . and the angels
declare His glory with the praise Of their Lord. .
(42:5); and the thunder declares His glory with His
praise . . . (13:13); and there is not a single thing
but glorifies Him with His praise . . . (17:44). In all these
verses "praise" is preceded by glorifying; rather "glorifying" is the main
verb and "with praise" is only a clause, attached to it. None except Allah
may comprehend the beauty and perfection of His work, nor can anyone else
understand the beauty and perfection of His names and attributes. Allah
says: they do not comprehend Him in knowledge . . . (20:110). In
this background, if they were to praise Him it would mean that they had
comprehended Him in their knowledge; in other words, Allah would be
surrounded by their limited understanding, confined within the boundary of
their comprehension. Therefore, they were careful enough to first declare
His glory from all the limits of their comprehension, before starting His
praise. Allah says: . . . surely Allah knows and you do not know
(16:74).
So far as His
purified servants are concerned, He treats their utterance of praise as
though He Himself has said it, because they are free from sins and
defects.
From the above
discourse, it becomes crystal-clear what the good manner of servitude
demands: The servant should praise his Lord in exactly the same words the
Lord Himself has chosen for Himself; no deviation from it would be
tolerable, as the Prophet has said in an universally accepted tradition;
"I do not enumerate Thy praise; Thou art as Thou Thyself hast praised
Thyself.
Therefore, the
divine word, "All praise is due to Allah", is a sort of a training to the
servant - a training without which he could not know how to declare the
praise of Allah.
QUR'AN:
the Lord of the worlds, the Beneficent, the Merciful, the Master
of the Day of Judgment:
"ar-Rabb" is
the Master Who manages the affairs of His servant. The word, thus connotes
the idea of ownership. Ownership (in our social structure) is a special
relationship of one thing with another - a relationship that allows the
owner to do with the owned thing as he wishes. When we say, "This thing
belongs to us", it shows that it has a special relationship with us that
allow s us to do with it as we wish; had it not been for this
relationship, we would not have had this authority over it. In this social
context, it is an idea which the society has laid down but which has no
existence outside imagination. This idea is derived from another real and
positive concept, which too is called "ownership": Our limbs and
faculties, like the sight, the hearing, the hands and the feet, belong to
us - they exist because of our own existence, they have no independent
existence, they depend on us for their existence and continuity, and we
use them as we like. This is the real ownership.
The ownership
that may be attributed to Allah is the real one, and not that which is
based on subjective outlook. Obviously the real ownership cannot be
disjoined from management of the affairs of the owned thing. The owned
thing depends on the owner in its existence, as well as in all affairs
related to its existence. Allah is "ar-Rabb " the Lord of
everything because the Lord is the owner who manages the affairs of, and
looks after, the owned thing - and only Allah has this attribute.
"al-‘Alamin"
is the plural of al-'alam (= the world) which literally means,
"what one is known with". This paradigm is used for "instrument", like
al-qalab (the mold, the form), al-khatam the seal, the instrument
of sealing) and at-taba' (the stamp, the impress). The word
al-'alam is used for the universe - the whole creation taken
together. Also it is used for each genes or species taken separately, for
example, the inorganic world, the vegetable world, the animal world, the
human world. It is also used for a class of a species, like the Arab
world, the African world etc. This last meaning is more appropriate in the
context of these verses: The verses that enumerate the good names of Allah
until they come to "the Master of the Day of Judgment". The judgment is
reserved for mankind alone or together with the jinn. Therefore, the
"worlds" should refer to the worlds of the human beings and the jinn, that
is, their various groups. The word al'alamin (the worlds) has been
used in this sense in other Qur'anic verses too. Allah says:..... and
has chosen you above the women of the worlds (3:42);..... so
that he may be a warner to the worlds (25:1); What! do you
commit an indecency which any one in the worlds has not done before
you (7:80).
"The Master of
the Day of Judgment": We have explained above the meaning of ownership,
that is, mastership. The word "al-malik" is derived from
al-milk (possession, to possess). Some reciters have read this word
as "al-malik" (the sovereign, the king); it is derived from
al-mulk (country; kingdom). The king is the one who has the
authority to manage his nation's affairs; nevertheless he does not own the
nation or the country. In other words, he holds the authority for
management and administration.
The reciters
have given the reasons for their preference. of either recitation. But the
fact remains that Allah is the Master as well as the King, and both words
are equally correct, so far as the divine authority is concerned. Looking
at it from linguistic point of view, the word, "King" is generally used in
context of time and period. It is said, "the King of that time"; but they
do not say "the master of that time", as it would be stretching the
meaning too far. In this verse, Allah has used this word in reference to a
certain "day"; therefore, linguistically, it would be more proper to say,
"the King of the Day of Judgement". Moreover, Allah has used the word,
"Kingdom" in context of the same day in other verse: To whom belongs
the kingdom of this day? To Allah, the One, the Subduer (of
all) (40:16).
TRADITIONS
ar-Rida (a.s.)
said in explanation of the divine words: In the name of Allah:
"It means: 'I mark my soul with one of - the marks of Allah', and it
is (His) worship." He was asked: "What is the 'mark'?" He said; "The
brand." ('Uyunu 'I-akhbar and Ma'ani 'I-akhbar).
The author says:
This meaning emanates from the explanation given earlier that the
preposition "in", herein connotes beginning. As the servant marks his
worship with the name of Allah, he brands his soul - real doer of the
worship - with one of the divine marks.
It is narrated
in at-Tahdhib from as-Sadiq (a.s.), and in 'Uyunu 'I-akhbar and
at-Tafsir of al-Ayyashi from ar-Rida (a.s.) that this verse "is nearer
to the Greatest name of Allah than the iris of the eye is from its
white".
The author says:
This tradition will be explained when we shall talk about the Greatest
name.
Amiru
'l-mu'minin (as.) said that (this verse) is from the chapter of The
Opening; and verily the Apostle of Allah used to recite it and count it as
one of its verses, and he used to say, "The Opening of the Book is 'the
seven oft-repeated' (verses)". ('Uyunu 'I-akhbar)
The author says:
This matter has also been narrated by the Sunni narrators.
ad-Dar-qutni narrates from Abu Hurayrah that he said: "The Apostle
of Allah said: When you recite (the chapter of) The Praise (i.e., The
Opening), you shall recite, In the name of Allah, the
Beneficent, the Merciful, because it is the source of the Book and
(is) the seven oft-repeated (verses), and, In the name of Allah,
the Beneficent, the Merciful is one of its verses.
as-Sadiq (a.s.)
said: "What have they done? May Allah destroy them! They proceeded to the
greatest verse of the Book of Allah, and thought that it would be an
innovation (unlawful act) if they recited it loudly! "
(al-Khisal)
al-Baqir (as.)
said: "They stole the most exalted verse of the Book of Allah, (that is)
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. It
should be recited at the start of every big or small work, so that it may
be blessed.
The author says:
There are numerous traditions of this meaning coming from the lmams of
Ahlu 'I-bayt (a.s.). All of them prove that the verse (In the
name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful) is a part of every
chapter, except the ninth ("Repentance"); and the Sunni traditions also
prove it:
Anas (ibn Malik)
said that the Apostle of Allah said: "Just now a chapter has been sent
down to me." Then he began reciting, "In the name of Allah, the
Beneficent, the Merciful." (as-Sahih, Muslim)
Abu Dawud
narrates from Ibn 'Abbas (and they say that its chain is "correct") that
he said: "Verily, the Apostle of Allah did not know the separation of a
chapter (and in another narrative it is 'end of a chapter' ) until came
down to him: In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the
Merciful."
The author
says: This matter has been narrated by Shi'ite narrators also from
al-Baqir (a.s.).
It is reported
in al-Kafi, at-Tawhid, Ma’ani 'I-akhbar and at-Tafsir of
al-'Ayyashi that as-Sadiq (a.s.) said, inter alia, in a tradition:
"And Allah is God of everything, ar-Rahman (the Beneficent) for all
His creations, ar-Rahim (the Merciful) especially for the
believers."
as-Sadiq (a.s.)
has said:"ar-Rahman (the Beneficent) is a special name with a
general attribute; and ar-Rahim (the Merciful) is a general name
with a special attribute."
The author
says: The preceding commentary may explain why the mercy of "the
Beneficent" is general for the believer and the unbeliever alike, and why
that of "the Merciful" is reserved for the believer only. The description
given in this tradition that "the Beneficent is a special name with a
general attribute, and the Merciful is a general name with a special
attributed, perhaps this refers to the fact that the mercy of the
Beneficent is limited to this world and is common for the whole creation;
and that of the Merciful is common to this world and the hereafter but is
reserved for the believer. In other words, the mercy of the Beneficent is
reserved for the creative blessings that are bestowed on believers and
unbelievers alike; and that of the Merciful is common to the creative and
legislative blessings (the latter opening the way to happiness and
felicity) and is reserved for believers, because only the bounties
bestowed upon will last for ever, and the (good) end is for guarding
(against evil) and for piety.
It is narrated
in Kashfu 'I-ghummah that as-Sadiq (a.s.) said: "A mule of my
father was lost. He said: if Allah brought it back to me, I would
thank Him with Praises He would pleased with.' Shortly afterwards, it was
brought before him with its saddle and rein (intact). When he sat on it
and arrayed his clothes, he raised his head towards heaven and said:
'Praise be to Allah.' He said nothing more. Then he said: 'I did not omit
nor did I leave out, anything; I have declared that all Praises are for
Allah, Powerful and Great is He!; because there is no praise but it is
included in this (formula)." It is narrated in Uyunu ‘l-akhbar that
'Ali (a.s.) was asked about its explanation. He said: "Verily, Allah has
explained to His servants broadly some of His bounties on them, as they
can not know all His bounties in detail - they are beyond enumeration and
description. Therefore, He said: Say: ‘All praise is for Allah on what He
has bestowed upon us.' "
The author says:
The lmam points to the fact mentioned earlier that the praise, in this
verse, is from the servant, and that Allah has revealed it to teach him
the manners of servitude and worship.
FROM
PHILOSOPHICAL POINT OF VIEW
Reason tells us
that an effect, as well as all its characteristics and affairs, depend on
its cause; whatever perfection it may be having, is a shadow of the cause.
If beauty or goodness has any existence, then its perfect and independent
entity is for Allah only, as He is the Cause of all causes. The praise and
thank is addressed, in reality, to the cause which creates the perfection
and excellence referred to. As every perfection is caused by Allah, every
praise and thank, in reality, is addressed to Allah. Therefore, all praise
is for, and due to Allah.
QUR’AN:
Thee do we worship and Thee do we beseech for help:
"al- ‘Abd"
means slave, a human being who is owned. In its abstract sense, it is
applied to other intellectual beings also, as the words of Allah show:
There is no one in the heavens and the earth but will come to
the Beneficent God as (" 'abdan") a slave (19:93). In
modern usage, it is commonly translated as ‘servant’.
"al-‘Ibadah"
(= to serve, to worship, to obey) is derived from this word. Its inflexion
and meaning changes according to the context. al-Jawhari has written in
his dictionary, as-Sihah, that "the basis of
al-‘ubudiyyah (= bondage, servitude) is "al-khudu"
(= submission). But this explanation is not of the word; it only shows
a concomitant quality of its meaning; because al-khudu’ is used
with the preposition "li", and al-'ibidah is used
without any preposition.*
When a servant
of Allah worships Him, he stands before the Lord as a slave stands before
his master. That is why worship is diametrically opposed to arrogance and
pride - but it is not so opposed to polytheism; after all, a slave may be
jointly owned by two or more masters. Allah says: Verily those who are
arrogant to My worship shall soon enter Hell, disgraced
(40:60). Also He says: . . . and he should not join anyone
in the worship of his Lord (18:110). It should be noted here
that polytheism - joining someone in the worship of Allah - is a
possibility, and that is why it has been made subject of this prohibition;
none forbids an impossible thing. But arrogance does not exist with
worship, and that is why the expression, "arrogant to my worship ", has
been used in the first verse.
Servitude is
effective in those affairs which are owned or controlled by the master;
and not in other matters related to the slave, like his being son of his
father, or having a height of so many centimeters - there is no submission
or servitude in such things. But the mastership of Allah is not limited;
His mastership is not shared by anyone else, nor is the servitude of the
creatures divided between Allah and someone else. A master has only
limited authority over his servants - he may employ them to perform
certain duties, but he cannot kill them or punish them unjustly. But Allah
has total and all-encompassing authority over His servants; He does
whatsoever He wills with them and about them. His ownership is
unconditional and unlimited; and the servitude of Ms creatures is likewise
unconditional and unlimited. This "ownership" is true and exclusive on
both sides: The Lord has the exclusive ownership, and the slave has the
exclusive servitude. The construction of the sentence, "Thee do we
worship", points to this exclusiveness - the object, "Thee", has been
placed before the verb, and worship is mentioned without any
condition.
It has been
explained earlier that the owned thing exists and subsists because of, and
with, its owner. In this sense, it should not divert an onlooker's
attention from its owner. You look at a house belonging to Zayd; if you
are looking at it merely as a house, you may possibly lose sight of Zayd;
but if you look at it from the angle that it is a property of Zayd, you
cannot wean your thoughts from him.
The only true
attribute of the universe is that it is created and owned by Allah.
Nothing in the creation can hide the divine presence, nor should looking
at these things make one forgetful of Allah. He is ever present, as He has
said: Is it not sufficient as regards your Lord that he is a
witness overall things? Now surely they are in doubt as to the
meeting of their Lord; now surely He encompasses all things
(41:53 - 54). The true worship, therefore, is that in which the
worshipped and the worshipper both are present. Allah should be worshipped
as the One who is present before the worshipper - and that is why the
third person of the preceding verses has been changed to the second person
in this verse "Thee do we worship". The worshipper should be present
before his Lord, not only with his body but also with his soul; otherwise,
the worship would be a body without soul, a form without life. Nor should
he divide his attention between his Lord and someone (or something) else -
neither openly, (as the idol worshippers do) - nor secretly (like the one
whose mind is on something else while worshipping Allah, or the one who
worships because he wants to enter the Garden or to save himself the
hell). All these diversions are various facets of polytheism, and Allah
has forbidden it in His Book: . . . therefore, Worship
Allah, being sincere to Him in religion (39:2). Now, surely,
sincere religion is for Allah (alone), and (as
for) those who take guardians besides Him, (saying): We do
not worship them that they may make us nearer to Allah, surely Allah will
judge between them in that in which they differ (39:3).
Worship shall be
a true worship when it is done with pure intention, and this purity has
been named as the presence of the worshipper. This will happen only when
the attention of the worshipper is not fixed on anyone other than Allah
(otherwise, it would be polytheism); and when his aim of worship is not
any other hope or fear like that of the paradise or the hell (otherwise,
the worship would not be purely for Allah). Moreover, he should not be
concerned with his own self, as it would tantamount to egotism and
arrogance, completely opposite of submission and servitude. Probably the
plural pronoun - "we" worship - points to this fact; it negates the
individuality of the worshipper as he includes himself in a multitude of
people; it removes egotism, creates humility, and effaces the tendency of
self -importance.
The declaration
of one's servitude with the words, "Thee do we worship", is free from all
defects, so far as its meaning and Purity are concerned. Yet, as the
servant describes the worship as his own act, it could create an
impression that he thought to be independent in existence, power and will,
while in fact he is only a slave and slave owns nothing. The second
sentence, "and Thee do we beseech for help", removes this possible
misunderstanding. It means: "We ascribe the worship to ourselves and make
this claim only with Thy help; we are never independent of Thee. In other
words, the complete-verse, "Thee do we worship and Thee do we beseech for
help" gives a single meaning, and that is "worship with purity of
intention". Probably, that is why both sentences have the same style;
otherwise, it could be said, 'Thee do we worship; help us and guide us .
The style has been changed in the next verse, "guide us .." and its reason
will be explained later.
The above-given
explanation makes it clear why the pronouns in this verse have been
changed from the third to the second person; why the restrictive device of
putting the object ("Thee") before the verb has been chosen; why the
worship, in "do we worship", is used without any condition; why worshipper
includes others with him in this declaration of allegiance and worship;
why the second sentence is needed after the first; and why both have the
same construction and style.
The scholars
have written other fine points about this verse; the reader is advised to
refer to their books for this purpose; Allah is the creditor whose debt
can never be repaid.
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