Sura (1) Al-Fatihah (The Opening)

A BRIEF NOTE

1.        Every verse of this surah is so comprehensive in its meaning that it is said that the meaning of the Holy Qur’an as a whole has been synthesized in this surah.

2.        About the knowledge needed for man on earth, which has been accommodated in the Holy Qur’an, the announcement from the Lord is: ‘There is nothing wet or dry which is not (accommodated) in (this) Open Book (the Holy Qur’an). [Verse 6:59]

3.        This surah is the quintessence of the whole of the Qur’an. Before attempting to explain the Qur’an as a whole, with the satisfaction of having done justice to the venture, one must remember what is said in the following verses of the Holy Book:

§  “He (ALLAH) is it Who has revealed the Book (Qur’an) to you; some of its verses are decisive, they are the essence of the Book and others are ambiguous; so as for those in whose hearts is perversity, they follow the part of it which is ambiguous, seeking to mislead (people) and seeking to give it (their own) interpretation, but none knows its interpretation save ALLAH and those who are firmly established in knowledge.” [Verse 3:6]

§  ‘Nay these are verses (of the Qur’an) in the breast of those who are gifted with knowledge.” [Verse 29:49]

As to those divinely endowed with the knowledge of everything, let the reader read the following verse:

§  “Everything have We accommodated in the manifest (Imam (Guide)”  [Verse 36:12]

THUS UNDER THE ABOVE DIVINE DECLARATIONS, MAN IS DEFINITELY DIRECTED TO HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE QUR’AN FROM THE HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALLI ALAA MUHAMMAD WA ALI MUHAMMAD) AND IN HIS ABSENCE FROM THE DIVINELY COMMISSIONED DEPUTIES OF HIS, CALLED THE IMAMS OF HIS HOLY HOUSE (THE AHLUL-BAIT).

4.        The similitude of the HOLY PROPHET (Allahuma salli alaa Muhammad wa ali Muhammad) and the Book of ALLAH (the Holy Qur’an), is that of a doctor and the medicine chest, and the followers of the HOLY PROPHET (Allahuma salli alaa Muhammad wa ali Muhammad) (the Muslims) are comparable to the patients of the doctor. As the patients receive whatever the doctor dispenses with, and act upon the directions given by the doctor with all the care and strictness in the use of the drugs, so also the followers of the HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALLI ALAA MUHAMMAD WA ALI MUHAMMAD) (the Muslims), have to receive whatever the HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALLI ALAA MUHAMMAD WA ALI MUHAMMAD) offers and act upon the guidance given to them, with implicit obedience and faith, and the same thing has been enjoined in the following verse:

“But nay! By thy Lord! They believe not (in fact) until they make thee a judge in whatever they dispute about among themselves and then find not straitness in their hearts as to what thou decideth and submit (themselves) (to it) with perfect submission.” [Verse 4:65]

THEREFORE NONE CAN AT ANYTIME HAVE THE RIGHT OR THE CHOICE OF USING HIS OWN WILL, DESIRE, OR DISCRETION AGAINST THE DECLARE GUIDANCE OR THE GIVEN ORDERS OF THE HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALLI ALAA MUHAMMAD WA ALI MUHAMMAD).

5.        Surah-e-Fateha being the essence of the Qur’an covers in its meaning the entire field of the fundamentals of the religious knowledge which mankind naturally needs to proses and practice. The importance of this Surah is quite evident from its being repeatedly revealed, once in Makka and again at Madina, AND its compulsory use in every prayers AND no prayer being perfect without it.

6.        The excellence of the artistic arrangement of the verses in the order of ‘Luffe Nashre Murattab’ of the highest poetic order, using not only the sounds of the words but containing in it the glory of the inimitable beauty and the unfathomable depth or the extent of the meaning of each word employed in it, has been proved enchanting even to the enemies of Islam.

7.        The spirit or the essence or the only object of Islam is to awaken the conscience in man with the correct belief and faith in the One and Only True Creator Lord of the universe, make him subservient to the Divine Will in his life on earth AND THUS enable him to rise from his earthly abode to the glorious heights of the heavenly bliss. Any intelligent reader of the Surah-e-Fateha can easily conceive the wonderful effect the passage creates on the mind of the one who repeats it several times in each of the several daily prayers, if it is done with the necessary concentration on the matter.

8.        Through this one single Surah man is educated with the essential knowledge of the basic fundamentals of his life in this world and the life hereafter. By reciting it repeatedly with concentration on the matter, man gets conditioned with sublimity and gradually becomes godly in his life on earth. And when his personality gets duly integrated with the divine attributes of ALLAH, divinity gets reflected from his conduct and character.

THROUGH THIS SURAH MAN IS EDUCATED WITH THE FOLLOWING FACTORS:

1.        The Creator and the Nourisher Lord of the universe is One, and only One, and besides Him there is none even equal to Him.

2.        The Pre-eminent attributes of ALLAH are Beneficence and Mercy.

3.        “---and whatever the Prophet giveth you, accept it and from whatever he forbideth you, keep ye away from it---“ [Verse 59:7]

4.        The One who is Merciful must necessarily be the Almighty Master of His own Independent Will, rather Himself be the Will-supreme.

5.        The One, who is Merciful to one and all, can never be unjust or cruel. He will Himself be the force of Justice Absolute.

6.        The One Merciful to every life must certainly be the Ever-Living Creator of life, Himself being the Life Real.

7.        The One who create life can never do it without knowledge; He must be the All-Knowing, Knowledge and Wisdom being His essence.

8.        The One who is Beneficent and Merciful must naturally and essentially love one and all.

9.        When one loves one and all, the love of one and all, will also naturally revert only to Him and to none else.

10.     The One who loves all, and is essentially Beneficent and Merciful to everyone, He and none else will respond to prayer, and prayer if it is to be heard, should be only to Him and none else, for it will be in vain and effect less.

11.     When ALLAH is the Only Lord of Beneficent and Mercy, i.e., when His Mercy envelops everything in the universe, He and none else will be bountiful and His bounties will be unlimited.

12.     When the Beneficent and the Most Merciful One is also the Only Lord of the universe, all praise, all thanks and all gratitude will only be His and exclusively His, and of none else.

13.     Man is assured that ALLAH is the Lord-Nourisher, Cherisher, Sustainer and Protector of not any particular tribe, community or nation but of the world’s i.e., the universe as a whole.

14.     When there is only One Lord of the universe and besides Him there is none else, man with his faith in the one True ALLAH, is once for all liberated from the worry of his allegiance to the host of imaginary deities. In other words, man is liberated from the curses of polytheistic belief and its meaningless and wasteful practices.

15.     When it is established that ALLAH is the Lord of Mercy and the Lord Supreme of the universe as a whole, it naturally suggests that he would never like or allow or tolerate the least cruelty by any one of His own creation, to the other members of it. With this conviction man gets conditioned with the feeling of his fellowship with the other creatures of ALLAH and thus naturally becomes kind, merciful and charitable to his other fellow beings, to earn the favour of ALLAH by practicing His divine attributes. This condition of his mind becomes the generative force for every kind of righteousness and he remains ever mindful to avoid the least possible displeasure to His Beneficent, All-Merciful and All-Just Lord, as well as to qualify himself in fairness to his own goodness, to be goodly recompensed.

16.     Having invoked the Beneficent and the Mercy of the Lord-Nourisher, Cherisher, Sustainer and the Protector of everyone in the universe and having paid the sincerest allegiance to Him, man need not and should not bow before anyone else and shall no longer fear anyone but the displeasure of his True Lord, and need not stretch his hand for anybody else’s favour. Thus man becomes independent of everyone else besides ALLAH, with his faith and conviction in the help and protection from Him.

17.     That they is surely a Day of Requital when justice in its fullness will be meted out, when none shall bear the burden of the other, when every atom of good shall be rewarded and every atom of evil shall be punished. Everyone is assured of the return for his good and evil. The conviction in this makes a man work to have a desirable recompense from the All-Just Lord of the Awful Day. So that any unintentional sinner may not be dejected against the divine justice, the All-Merciful Lord has kept the door of pardon to the sincerely repentant ones in this life, to give a chance to the sinners to be hopeful of the pardon and amend their conduct and character for future.

18.     True guidance can be had only from ALLAH. Hence man should always be prayerful to be guided aright or to be kept firm on the Right Path without being beguiled and tempted by the forces of evil, which are ever active in this world.

19.     With the knowledge of the effective nature of environment and personal attachment, man while praying for guidance from the Lord, should also express his love for virtue and the virtuous ones and this is called the doctrine of ‘Tawalah’ which is prescribed by Islam as a compulsory article of the practice of the faith.

20.     And while praying to the Lord to keep him away from evil, man has also to declare his hatred against evil and the evil ones and this is called the doctrine of ‘Tabarra’ which is prescribed by Islam as one of the compulsory articles of its practice.

9.        The one unique property which is the exclusive characteristic of this passage of the Qur’an is the grace endowed in the matter, and the comprehensive nature of the prayer which entitles the praying soul, not only for any particular kind of bounty or favour of the Lord but everything the All-Merciful Lord-Nourisher of the universe, Who is the Lord of all bounties and of Infinite Grace, can bestow upon His supplicant devotee.

10.     Unlike the prayer taught by the Christian Church, the Qur’anic prayer taught by Islam:

1.        Does not address ALLAH as mere father who cannot by nature have the motherly love for his issues.

2.        Calling ALLAH and addressing Him as father, cultivates the idea of the creation having been issued out of Him. Whereas the Islamic conception of ALLAH is that nothing can be subtracted from His Being, and also nothing can be added to Him.

A glance over the wording used as their Lord’s Prayer by our Christian brethren supplied to them by their Bible, helps us to assess the composite nature and the comparative merit or glory of the wording of the prayer that the Qur’an gives to the Muslims:

The Biblical ‘Lord’s Prayer’ of our Christian brethren Math. 6th Chapter Verses:-	The reasonable questions that arise out of the matter
9. Our Father which art in heaven. Hallowed be Thy name.	Has ALLAH only the fatherly love without the motherly attachment? Is ALLAH only in Heaven and not on earth?
10. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven.	Is earth now out of ALLAH’s Kingdom i.e., out of His hold or authority? If it is not ALLAH’s authority that prevails on the earth, who is then the present owner and ruler of the earth? If it is ALLAH’s will that is always fulfilled on the earth and elsewhere in the universe, whose will is it that is being done on the earth now?
11. Give us this day our daily bread	Is bread the all that man needs for his life in this world? What about clothes and other amenities, essential for man’s stay on earth? Is there anyone else besides ALLAH to provide man with what he needs?
12. And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.	Can the one or two petty debts of no real worth or significance at all, which might be due to us from others, be ever compared to the innumerable and invaluable bounties we continuously receive from ALLAH? Can the worthless and insignificant debts of ours imaginably be worthy to ransom against our indebtedness to the infinite benevolence of the AllMerciful Almighty Lord?
13. Lead us not unto temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine are the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.	It is Satan who leads man to temptation and it is ALLAH Who can and Who does protect man against it. Does ALLAH also lead his creatures to sin? Then who is Satan and what is his quality and work? The very second article of this prayer the prayer says “Thy Kingdom comes’ and now in this article it is asserted saying ‘Thine is the Kingdom, the power the glory forever,’ is it not a self-contradicting statement?

11.     The fact is that any prayer composed by man for his use will naturally be imperfect, and even defective having in it the aspects of the acknowledged limitations of the human knowledge about ALLAH, and the conceptive limitation, to fully comprehend the incomprehensible infinite attributes. Man, when he asks for himself without any guidance from ALLAH to do it, will naturally ask for his own immediate demand in this material life in his earthly abode, and this has been proved true in the wording of the above prayer. Besides the prayers formulated by man in the days when he has yet to be educated with the fundamental knowledge in its fullness, about his individual self and the Universal One, about the vanity of this life and the reality of the Hereafter, can never be expected to be perfect, neither in wording nor in the concept.

12.     When progressive awakening dawned on man with the advent of Muhammad, the Last apostle of ALLAH, the Final Warner, the Final Reformer and the Final Bearer of the glad tidings to man about the everlasting blissful life in store for him, the infinite mercy of the All-Merciful Lord revealed for man through His Final Word the Qur’an, the appropriate words and the proper method he should use to invoke the Divine Mercy for him and the things he needs to ask for his life here and hereafter.

13.     Any impartial and intelligent observer can easily note that while the other religions invite mankind to separate Father-ALLAHs, Mother-ALLAHs, Son-ALLAHs, Daughter-ALLAHs, besides the other Demon-ALLAHs of land and sea, some residing in heaven, some on earth and some inside it, some living on certain mountains, some taking the forms of rivers and huge trees and plants, some ALLAHs good in nature and some troublesome and wicked, some of them ever in conflict and quarrel with each other, the awesome ones among such imaginary deities demanding the offer of human blood for their food or to appease their fury—ALLAHs of seasons and ALLAHs of diseases demanding wasteful sacrifices and meaningless ritual, Islam introduces mankind to the One, the Only True, All-Supreme, Absolute Being Who is the All-Merciful, the Eternal, the All-Knowing, the Almighty, the All-Wise Independent Master of His Ever-Fulfilling Will.

14.     In short Islam educates man with the fact that all goodness put together is the essence of the Only True ALLAH Lord Creator of Universe Who is the only Nourisher, Cherisher, Sustainer and Protector of everything in the universe as a whole. He is not the one Whose Kingdom is to be awaited as that of the Christian Church, whose kingdom to come, needs the blessing of the prayers from man every day and every night. Islam invites mankind with the imperative assertion that the kingdom of the heavens and the earth is exclusively ALLAH’s and of none else.

15.     The Will or the Authority which is ever active in the heavens and the earth is only of ALLAH, the Only True ALLAH Lord of the heavens and the earth and everything in between them, and of none else besides Him.

16.     Man, with his conviction in the above divine attributes of the Lord, and with the fullest possible consciousness of the bounties and the favours he enjoys, should always be acknowledging his indebtedness and gratitude to Him.

17.     For his needs in this world and the next, man has only to invoke the mercy of ALLAH for His guidance on the right path, which prayer comprehends everything right and good which man needs for his life here and hereafter.

18.     The concluding words of this Surah give out the secret of the success of human life on earth that is to be always good and to remain with the good ones, and to shun evil and be away from the evil ones.

Sura (1) Al-Fatihah (The Opening) Aya 1 to 7 (Consist of 7 Verses including Bismillah)

Revealed both at Makka and also at Madina. Hence both Makka and Madina

SUMMARY

ALLAH alone is the Lord Creator of the whole Universe---All Praise is due only to Him---He alone is the Master of the Day of Judgment or Reckoning---Worship is due only to ALLAH and to none else---Help to be sought only from Him for He alone can help---To pray always to be guided on the straight or the Right Path---To love always the righteous and always be with them---To hate the wicked and always be away from them. This Surah contains the Quintessence of Qur’an. Hence it is also called the ‘Ummul-Qur’an’ i.e., the Mother (or the Essence) of the Holy Qur’an. As no prayer can be complete without reciting this Surah, it is called the ‘Lord’s Prayer’ of the Muslims.

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ {1:1}

[Q1:1] Bismillaahir Rahmaanir Raheem
[Q1:1] In the name of ALLAH (SWT), the Beneficent, the Merciful.

[Q1:1] Dengan nama Allah, Yang Maha Pemurah, lagi Maha Mengasihani.

BISMILLAHIR-RAHMANIR-RAHIM, as the first verse, is the part and parcel of al Fatihah.

The Holy Prophet (Allahuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) said: LA SALATA ILLA BIFATIHATUL KITAB WA BISMILLAHIR RAHMANIR RAHIM MIN AYATIHA. There is no prayer (salat) without al Fatihah, and bismillahir rahmanir rahim is one of its verses.

The Ahlul Bayt (the thoroughly purified members of the family of the Holy Prophet (Allahuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad), and the scholars, who follow their teachings, time and again, had verified this saying of the Holy Prophet (Allahuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad).

SO ACCORDING TO Muhammad and ali Muhammad bismillahir rahmanir rahim is a verse by itself, which, if not recited as a part of al Fatihah, the prayer is rendered null and void. It is not only the component of al Fatihah but also of every surah except al Bara-at.

In the light of the clear decisions and evidences of the practical acts of the Holy Prophet (Allahuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) and his Ahlul Bayt, the arguments of the dissenting scholars carry no weight. ACCORDING to the Holy Prophet (Allahuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) and his divinely chosen Ahlul Bayt bismillahir rahmanir rahim is the first of the seven verses of al Fatihah. And when Muhammad and ali Muhammad have said so, there remains no doubt whatsoever. Any opinion contrary to the verdict of Muhammad and ali Muhammad is pure conjecture.

µ       Abu Hanifa, founder of the Hanafi School, gave permission to his followers to recite bismillahir rahmanir rahim quietly, with al Fatihah, in prayers, because the Holy Prophet (Allahuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) used to recite al Fatihah with bismillahir rahmanir rahim in his prayers, YET IN HIS (Abu Hanifa's) opinion it was not a part of the surah. (Tafsir Kabir - Abdul Hayy).

µ       There are some scholars who admit that al Fatihah consists of seven verses but to insist on their misconceived notion that bismillahir rahmanir rahim is not included in it they split the last verse into two separate verses, although the meaning and the construction of the verse does not justify it.

ACCORDING TO THE HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALI ALA MUHAMMAD WA ALA ALI MUHAMMAD) ANY DEED BEGUN WITHOUT RECITING BISMILLAH GOES BAD AND LACKS EFFECTIVENESS. As al salat is known as the best deed (khayrul amal) and al Fatihah is the inaugurator of the book it is logical that bismillahir rahmanir rahim is the first verse of al Fatihah.

·         Once a man offered prayers in presence of the Holy Prophet (Allahuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) without saying bismillahir rahmanir rahim in his recitation of al Fatihah. The Holy Prophet (Allahuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) told him: “You have rendered your prayer null and void by omitting bismillah from Fatihah. Do you not know that bismillah is the part of al Fatihah?” (Durrul Manthur by Suyuti)

·         On one occasion, Mu-awiyah, while leading a prayer in Madina, recited al Fatihah without bismillah. At the end the participating prayers, made a hue and cry. To pacify the protestations he prayed the same prayer again and recited al Fatihah with bismillah. This event bears out the fact that those who saw and heard the Holy Prophet (Allahuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad), prior to the influx of alterations, knew that if in any prayer al Fatihah is recited without bismillah, it is rendered null and void. (Fakhruddin Razi and Kanzul Ummal)

Bismillahir rahmanir rahim, in addition to al Fatihah, is also the part of Sura al Naml: Verily, it is from Sulayman; and it is 'In the name of ALLAH (SWT), the beneficent, the merciful'. This is the beginning of the letter prophet Sulayman wrote to the queen of Shiba.

Whatever be the point of view of the dissenting scholars, it has been decisively established that the Holy Prophet (Allahuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) always recited bismillahir rahmanir rahim as the part of al Fatihah, therefore, we all should follow him.

BISMILLAH

To start any good deed with "(I begin) in the name of ALLAH (SWT), the beneficent, the merciful" means a supplication unto ALLAH (SWT) for successful completion of the work. It also means that:

1.        The supplicant undertakes the job in the name of and on behalf of ALLAH (SWT) to serve the good in the work as well as achieve his own legitimate purpose. In other words

2.        He dedicates his life to ALLAH (SWT) and employs his self-interest-oriented activity in the service of overall goodness.

3.        He admits his helplessness and relies on the truth that ability to make any work fruitful is exclusively with ALLAH (SWT), and with no one else.

4.        By invoking ALLAH (SWT) in the name of His beneficence and mercy he prays for His aid to achieve success in his undertaking. It is quite logical to believe that the divine beneficence and mercy would bless such a faithful. It does.

IT IS A FACT THAT NOTHING EXISTS OR TAKES EFFECT OUTSIDE THE COURSE OF ALLAH (SWT)'S WILL. The will of ALLAH (SWT) governs the scope of every activity BUT DOES NOT determine the desires and methods of any created being. ANYTHING THAT HAPPENS OR EXISTS WITHOUT SEEKING ALLAH (SWT)'S PLEASURE, IS COVERED BY THE WILL OF ALLAH (SWT), BUT IS NOT BLESSED WITH HIS GRACE. Should an individual begin any work without saying bismillah, it may be completed BUT without earning the divine pleasure. The desires and actions of an individual shall be blessed only when he surrenders them to ALLAH (SWT)'s pleasure. The Holy Prophet (Allahuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) has made it known that anything done without invoking the divine grace by reciting bismillah is not approved by ALLAH (SWT) .

As said earlier anyone can begin any work, without invoking ALLAH (SWT) with bismillah, and it will be executed, if the divine will allows it. However, in this event, it does not earn the divine pleasure, but on the contrary is liable to be punished *according to the degree of evil involved, *the intention of the individual, *the nature and the effect of the work. EVEN if it is not evil in its nature, disciplinary action can be taken because the individual has relied upon his ability and will which is as bad as setting oneself against the almighty Lord.

The very act of any one starting his work in the name of ALLAH (SWT) whom he remembers as beneficent and merciful, eloquently speaks of the individual's obedience to the Supreme Being, who in return would automatically be reciprocal to the devotee's expectation in seeking His pleasure and mercy. In starting a work in the name of ALLAH (SWT), the reciter demonstrates the undernoted aspects of fundamental importance:

1.        Acknowledgement of the Supreme Being as his Lord Master.

2.        Confession of his own helplessness.

3.        Belief in ALLAH (SWT) as the ever-living and all-knowing-almighty.

4.        Reliance on the Supreme Being, seeking His pleasure and mercy, and invoking Him with His mercy-invoking attributes.

5.        Conviction at heart and confidence that if called, the beneficent and the merciful ALLAH (SWT) will certainly not deny him His mercy.

The words of bismillah i.e., in the name of ALLAH (SWT), have wide and discernible implications. The words may mean not only 'in the name of' but also:

1.        For the sake of

2.        To the service of

These and many other implications will serve the supplicant when he sincerely turns to ALLAH (SWT) for obtaining His mercy and blessings.

One of the many unique features and distinguishing factors about the originality of Islam is bismillah which was never before used by or known to any of the other corrupted or falsified creeds of the world.

Rodwell, wrongly informed, states that bismillah, in its Qur’anic form, was taught to the Quraysh for the first time by the poet Umayya (of Tayf). This claim of Rodwell is contradicted by unimpeachable evidence of historic authenticity that the term was totally unknown to the Quraysh to such an extent that they even resented the use of it (see verse 25:60 of al Furqan). BESIDES, even till as late as in the 6th year of Hijra, the Quraysh did not allow the term bismillah, as used in the Qur’an, to be used in the treaty drawn between the Muslims and the Makkans at Hudaybiyah. At the use of the term bismillahir rahmanir rahim Suhayl bin Amru, the delegate of the Quraysh, objected that he did not know what it meant. Ultimately the term used was bis-mika-allahumma which was then current among the Quraysh.

There is no evidence in the usage of the people of other creeds to show that this term was borrowed by the Holy Prophet (Allahuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad). MOREOVER, ISLAM DOES NOT CLAIM TO BE A NEW RELIGION PREACHED FOR THE FIRST TIME TO MANKIND. Islam's claim is that the truth was revealed to mankind, one and all, in various stages, in many languages; the difference is in the presentation of the truth in its fullness, in all its details.

     “We never sent a messenger save with the language of his people.” (IBRAHIM 14:4)

ALLAH (SWT)

There is no fitting equivalent, in the English or any other language, to convey and express the essential essence of the word ALLAH (SWT). In the earlier times the idea of a "supreme being" was conveyed to man by the prophets of ALLAH (SWT), but due to the general low level of knowledge, a single word, containing the all-embracing sense and significance of the supreme, universal and absolute being, was not made known.

"Father" may imply creativeness but, in no way, refers to compassion, beneficence and mercy. The word father implies that the father of the universe had a father and a mother who gave birth to him, because it does not indicate that the father of the heaven and the earth had no father or mother to bring him into being. It also fails to establish his uncreated self-existing eternity, unless explanatory words are added.

THE WORD ALLAH (SWT) is a compound of the definite article al and the noun ilah, meaning "that ALLAH". The literal meaning of ilah is "puzzling" if waliha is the source, and "referred to" if it is derived from aliha; in either sense, it can be used for the Supreme Being unto whom man must surrender.

KNOWN TO EVERYONE, THERE IS ONLY ONE UNIVERSAL ULTIMATE *whom all human beings devotedly worship; and *upon whom they depend and rely. *HE IS UNDEFINABLE, *BEYOND THE REACH OF HUMAN INTELLIGENCE, *UNKNOWABLE TO KNOWLEDGE, *UNIMAGINABLE, YET recognised by one and all.

©       Imam Jafar bin Muhammad al Sadiq pointed to the spirit and vision of the word ALLAH (SWT) to an atheist, in the course of a discussion. He said:

"When you are in a ship, sailing in the middle of an ocean, and a wind-storm comes on from every side, and there is no conceivable means of rescue, yet, in this hopeless situation, you make efforts, in hope of deliverance; this ultimate faith is ALLAH (SWT), referred to by ALLAH (SWT)  in verse 10:22 of Yunus."

THE WORD ALLAH (SWT) POINTS TO THAT WHICH IS ALREADY IN THE CONSCIOUSNESS, BUT CANNOT BE ARRESTED BY COMPREHENSION, OR CONCEIVED MENTALLY. IT IS UNIVERSAL, BECAUSE IT IS CONNECTED WITH THE WHOLE AS WELL AS WITH THE PART. Whether the word ALLAH (SWT) is a proper noun or a common noun, because of the article al, is a solvable controversy. The common noun ilah, appropriating definite sense with the definite article al, referring to that which is universally known and **recognised by every conscious being, **unconfinable to form or concept, **never to be two or more save one, becomes a proper noun.

So it is concise in the word ALLAH (SWT), giving it the unique unity of the sense of a proper noun. IT MUST BE NOTED THAT AS THE ABSOLUTE CAN NEVER BE PERCEIVED BY CONSCIOUSNESS, SO IT CANNOT BE DEFINED BY ANY NAME. One can refer to Him by personal pronouns, of which "He" (huwa) is the most suitable. The word ALLAH (SWT) **stands for the absolute self, **the greatest name (ism azam), **the one perfect total of all good and **excellence with no defect.

Ø  In contemporary commentaries it is speculated that the word ALLAH (SWT) might have been derived from the Hebrew uluhim. ALLAH (SWT) umma is closer to uluhim than ALLAH (SWT), because the infidels, very intimate associates of the Jews, were more familiar with ALLAH (SWT) umma than ALLAH (SWT), which was a new development. At any event what has been said earlier is further substantiated by the argument put forward to indicate the etymological development of the word.

IN THE PROCESS OF EVOLUTION, the intellect of man began to make adjustments in the man-god relationship. He had been bowing in adoration to the *powerful, *useful, *harmful, or *unintelligible manifestations of nature which, step by step, developed into worship of imaginary deities. As the pantheon of man-made gods grew, man, in desperation, began to seek a supreme being, over the heads of the mini-gods, serving the chief to administer the destiny of man, in one way or other. SO gradually man started to seek a supreme being with all comprehensive authority. The word ALLAH (SWT), more suitable than the other words, became popular among the people.

Ì  The two possible words ilah is derived from, are alaha and walah meaning astonishment and wonder. The word ALLAH (SWT) is formed by adding the definite article al to alah, which means the one who is beyond the reach of conception, or even imagination, and out of the range of knowledge.

THE QUEST FOR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ALLAH (SWT) COMES TO A CLOSE WHEN THE SEEKER IN ASTONISHMENT CONFESSES THAT WITH ALL HIS SINCERE EFFORTS SUPPORTED BY INTELLECT AND INSIGHT HE CANNOT KNOW HIM.

Ü  Imam Muhammad bin Ali al Baqir said:

Observe and examine the creation of ALLAH (SWT), do not pry into the being of ALLAH (SWT) because no one knows what He is except He.

Ü  Imam Ali ibne Abi Talib said:

He! O’ He whom none knows what He is, nor how He is, nor where He is, nor in what respect He is, but He. (Al Mashlul)

The name ALLAH (SWT) stands for the supreme one who encompasses everything in the universe but nothing can encompass Him. He is the ever-living all-knowing almighty. He has no equal. There is none comparable to Him. He has no associate or partner. All goodly names and ideal attributes belong to Him. He owns and controls that which is in the heavens and that which is in the earth and that which is in between them, the kingdom of the universe. It is only His will that is done. He is the All-seeing, All-hearing, All-just, All-merciful.

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(1:1) In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate *1

*1 One of the many practices taught by Islam is that its followers should begin their activities in the name of ALLAH. This principle, if consciously and earnestly followed, will necessarily yield three beneficial results. First, one will be able to restrain oneself from many misdeed, since the habit of pronouncing the name of ALLAH is bound to make one wonder when about to commit some offence how such an act can be reconciled with the saying of ALLAH's holy name. Second, if a man pronounces the name of ALLAH before starting good and legitimate tasks, this act will ensue that both his starting point and his mental orientation are sound. Third - and this is the most important benefit - when a man begins something by pronouncing ALLAH's name, he will enjoy ALLAH's support and succour; ALLAH will bless his efforts and protect him from the machinations and temptation of Satan. For whenever man turns to ALLAH, ALLAH turns to him as well. [Tafheem ul Quran – www.tafheem.net]

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ {1:2}

[Q1:2] Alhamdu lillaahi Rabbil 'aalameen
[Q1:2] All praise is due to ALLAH (SWT), the Lord of the Worlds.

[Q1:2] Segala puji tertentu bagi Allah, Tuhan yang memelihara dan mentadbirkan sekalian alam.

AL HAMDU

‘Alhamdu’ means that (all) praise, thanks, gratitude, be to ALLAH (SWT) alone, not to anyone else, from the beginning of the universe to its end, not under compulsion, but because He alone, and none else, deserves to be praised, not only for the fulfilment of his particular desires but also, mainly, for all the bounties and blessings made available to man in his existence.

v  THE LOVE OF THE MERCIFUL FOR HIS CREATION IS SO DEEP AND FULFILLING THAT NO COMPENSATION, EVEN IN THE FORM OF GRATITUDE, CAN BE OFFERED TO HIM. IN FACT HE NEEDS NO RETURN. The divine mercy is independent of gratitude. It reaches and covers all the created beings whether the creatures show gratitude or not for the benefits and bounties they make use of and enjoy. The smallest bounty is an unconditional favour. Man does not deserve it, nor has he any right to claim any favour from the Lord. IT IS THE ALL-EMBRACING MERCY OF THE MERCIFUL LORD WHICH REACHES ONE AND ALL, WHETHER ANY CREATURE ASKS FOR IT OR NOT, WHETHER THE RECIPIENT ACKNOWLEDGES IT OR NOT.

A person likes to be praised if he accomplishes or acquires something extraordinary, novel or very important, after investing his best efforts, but the good in ALLAH (SWT) is with Him. He has not acquired it.

ä  HE IS GOODNESS ITSELF IN ITS FULLNESS AND PERFECTION. HE IS NOT IN NEED OF PRAISE. In a prayer, He is praised, only to make the prayer love and cherish the attributes which are praised, BECAUSE AS A MATTER OF COURSE, he would like to possess the attributes which he is praising.

The all-knowing Lord-Nourisher is fully aware of the needs and wants of all His creatures more than they themselves know. He bestows His favours and bounties without receiving petitions from them, YET to *educate, *train and *discipline the mankind, prayer, in which He is praised, is necessary, SO THAT MAN remains attached with the merciful creator, while enjoying the divine bounties, conscious of the absolute sovereignty of the Lord of bounties and grace.

TO FIND OUT THE TRUTH IN CONNECTION WITH THE PRAISE AND THE PRAISING (HAMD) THE QUESTION AS TO WHO PRAISES WHOM, MUST BE ANSWERED.

Ì  Man can praise ALLAH (SWT) if his existence is presumed to be as eternal as ALLAH (SWT), WHEREAS, IN FACT, IT IS ALLAH (SWT) WHO CREATED MAN AND TAUGHT HIM HOW TO PRAISE. TRULY, THE PRAISE AS WELL AS THE PRAISING BOTH BELONG TO ALLAH (SWT). ALLAH (SWT) is the hamid, [the praiser], and also the mahmud, [the praised]. There is none else other than ALLAH (SWT) who is the subject as well as the object of the praise, and in this sense no one can share His praise. This is implied in the preposition li (for), which signifies the exclusive authorisation.

HAMD, ADORATION THROUGH PRAISE, TAKES THE PLACE OF GRATITUDE TO BE EXPRESSED FOR GETTING FAVOURS AND BOUNTIES.

ä  Man, by nature, shows his readiness to yield to love and compassion, even to the extent of unconditional surrender. To depend upon the co-operation and help of others is human. When he finds that someone, attached to him, is taking interest in his well-being, he is automatically drawn to him. His desire for a happy life makes him go after that which helps and protects, and avoid that which he finds harmful to his existence and welfare. BY REALISING THAT PRAISE, IN ANY FORM OR CONTENT, MUST BE FOR ALLAH (SWT), AND FOR NO ONE ELSE, AND THAT ALLAH (SWT) ALONE DESERVES EVERY PRAISE AND ADORATION, MAN IS FREED FROM THE FEAR OF AWESOME TYRANNY, CORRUPTION AND SERVITUDE WHICH HE PRESUMED THAT THE DREADFUL AND FALSE ALLAHS WOULD INFLICT UPON HIM. On the contrary now he knows that his real master is the Lord of beneficence and mercy whom he approaches through His praise. He is free to get as near to Him as he likes in order to earn more and more from the bountiful benefactor who Himself is ready to bestow favours and bounties, in abundance, on the sincere seeker and on those on whose behalf He is beseeched.

The Arabic word shukr implies gratitude for some particular favour, whereas hamd, without reference to any particular quality, is an objective gratitude, for all that is good and gracious, profitable and advantageous. It may also involve the idea of free, unrestricted and unqualified admiration. BUT, AGAIN, admiration refers to the Arabic word madh which is used both for the animate as well as the inanimate objects, without necessarily implying that existence of the qualities admired depends on the conscious will of the object, in which case admiration will relate to the qualities admired, not to the possessor of those qualities. ALLAH (SWT) is never praised in this sense.

THE PREFIX AL CONFIRMS THAT HAMD IS FOR NO ONE BUT ALLAH (SWT) WHO ALONE, NOT MERELY ON ACCOUNT OF THE MANIFESTATIONS OF THE DIVINE ATTRIBUTES, BUT BECAUSE HE IS THE SOLE OWNER OF THOSE GLORIOUS QUALITIES, DESERVES TO BE PRAISED; IDENTIFYING HIS SELF-EXISTENT ABSOLUTE SELF. The qualities belong only to Him alone, to none else, and it is so for all times since eternity, and will be so till eternity. So, in this sense the English word "praise" should be understood and used as a translation of hamd.

¥  HAMD (the praise) is ALLAH(swt)'s. It has no beginning and no end. We, the created beings, do our best, within our limitations, to give expression to the "real praise" (hamd). his hamd, as his grace, is unlimited and continuous.

¥  NO ONE CAN PRAISE THE MERCIFUL EVEN FOR A WHOLE LIFE-TIME AND SAY THAT JUSTICE HAS BEEN DONE, BECAUSE every time one gives thanks to ALLAH (SWT) he inhales and also exhales, drawing in the good life-giving air and exhaling the bad air, two bounties he is receiving for which only once can he say "I thank the bountiful Lord".

¥  IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO THANK ALLAH (SWT) FOR THE INNUMERABLE BOUNTIES HE HAS PUT AT THE DISPOSAL OF MAN, RIGHT INSIDE HIS BODY, AND IN THE WORLD WHERE HE LIVES AS AN INDIVIDUAL AS WELL AS A MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY.

¥  EVEN THE THANKS AND PRAISES HE OFFERS TO THE BOUNTIFUL HAVE BEEN TAUGHT TO HIM BY THE LORD OF THE WORLDS. Therefore, every creature is, all the time under the obligation of the bountiful grace of ALLAH (SWT).

BY PRAISING, WE REACH THE STAGE WHERE THE INFINITE GOODNESS OF OUR LORD PURGES OUT OF US THE TASTE FOR EVIL AND CREATES IN US THE EAGERNESS TO GET NEARER AND NEARER TO HIM TO EARN HIS MERCY WHICH PURIFIES US AND REFLECTS IN US THE DIVINE ATTRIBUTES.

RABBUL ALAMIN

Rabb in Arabic stands for nourisher, cherisher, and sustainer. According to Raghib, an Arab lexicologist, the word rabb signifies "the fostering of a thing in such a manner as to make it attain one condition after another until its goal of completion".

     Our Lord is He who gave unto everything its form, and then guided it aright. (TAHA 20:50)

THIS IS RAHMAH, MERCY, FROM THE RABBUL ALAMIN.

ò  The love and mercy of ALLAH (SWT) towards His creatures surpasses, in quantity and quality, the love of both the father and mother put together. From the birth to the last breath everything in the universe depends upon the rububiyat, the nourishing, cherishing, sustaining and protecting aspect of the mercy of the Lord of the worlds.

No single English word to give the meaning of the word rabb could be found, but "Lord" seems to be the only alternative if readers remember the above noted description whenever the word "Lord" appears in our text.

RUBUBIYAT

Rububiyat speaks of another attribute - lutf , meaning TENDERNESS AND REFINEMENT IN DIFFUSING THROUGH EVERY ONE'S MIND AND FEELINGS TO KNOW THE NEEDS AND MAKE AVAILABLE THE NECESSARY MEANS OF SATISFACTION. This position gives authority to exercise legislative powers which, in fact, justifies the establishment of the office of nabuwat and imamat.

ä  By making ALLAH (SWT) known as the rabbul alamin, Islam has disclosed the truth to mankind that He is the Lord of everything in the universe, be that *human, *animal, *vegetable, *mineral, *perceptible or *imperceptible, *visible or *invisible, *near or *far, *in the earth or *in the heavens, or *in between them. With infinite power, able to do all things, the all-wise almighty creator of matter and meaning is a supreme sovereign in every aspect of His absolute authority. His independent will extends to and covers all kinds of the worlds created by Him.

     The five "mystic" classifications of the worlds are as under:

1.        Material or physical NASUT

2.        Metaphysical MALAKUT or supernatural

3.        Spiritual JABARUT

4.        Divine LAHUT

5.        Imperceptible and GHAYBUL GHAYUB unknowable

§  The rububiyat begins to operate as early as the will to create a being takes effect, and continues *to nurture the created being with love, *care and never-ceasing vigilance, *providing all its needs according to the changes it goes through. IT IS LIKE A SELF-IMPOSED DUTY TO GUIDE THE CREATURE TO MAKE CONSCIOUS EFFORTS TO AVOID HARM AND AVAIL PROFIT.

"Verily, We have created everything by (the right) measure". (QAMAR 54:49)

THINGS NECESSARY FOR THE LIVING BEINGS, ALL OVER THE UNIVERSE, IN ALL TIMES, ARE AVAILABLE TO SATISFY VARIOUS WANTS AND NEEDS.

1.        The quality and quantity of the "resources" have been determined according to the collective requirements of all that which has been created.

2.        Some things are rare, some things are plentiful, but at all events nothing is less or more. A thoughtful study of the complex of "things" brings the obvious fact to light that there is only one single owner master who has set the wonderfully harmonious working of the universe in motion, allowed life to be created, and in addition, enabled each and every creation to put into effect the aim of its being brought into existence.

The heat of the sun changes the water into a mass of fog and the wind takes it to the sky in the shape of rolling clouds and drives them over various parts of the earth; and when the stored water in the clouds melts on account of the solar glow, it rains all over the earth. The earth receives the water and grows "food" for all the living beings. Every being finds, all that which serves to maintain life on earth, ready, as soon as it comes into being, duly provided and arranged in the required quantity and quality. The milk, a new-born baby feeds on, is ready in the mother's breasts well in advance of its birth.

The merciful rabbul alamin has provided manifold bounties for the survival and happiness of the incomprehensibly large number of the members of each of the innumerable species in the universe. THERE IS PERFECT HARMONY AND UNDISTURBABLE CONTROL IN THE CONTINUOUS WORKING OF NATURE. EACH CREATURE, PERFECTLY FORMED AND FULLY EQUIPPED, HAS AN INHERENT CAPACITY TO MAKE USE OF THE AVAILABLE "RESOURCES OF THE BOUNTIES", AND OBTAIN ITS OWN MEANS OF SUSTENANCE FROM ONE COMPLETE REGULAR SYSTEM. This orderly arrangement, according to the Qur’an, takes effect by means of taqdir and hidayat.

     TAQDIR means "consider a thing well; fix in measure and quantity, render possible".

r  Imam Ali ibne Abi Talib had said:

ALLAH (SWT)  had conditioned and circumstanced the operation of all that has been created under precise (self) regulating laws, in the sphere of time and space, made their unlike, complex and diverse dispositions agree and fit well together, implanted and infused rhythm and balance and co-ordination in their nature, to give them the inbuilt discipline that follows an orderly system. (NAHJ AL BALAGHA)

The appropriate assignment of a prescribed condition is taqdir, a precise system of laws which cannot be tampered with or led astray outside its logical course by any force except by almighty ALLAH (SWT), who is omnipotent and able to do all things. The perfect working of the well-defined plan under definite laws depends upon His justice. As the 3:26 verse of Ale Imran says: "In Thy hand is all good", the almighty Lord through these precise laws, governing the operation of creation, has provided the living beings all the opportunities to make effort and win success by relying upon them.

Ø  The whole complex of the immeasurable universe is working in perfect harmony, keeping the living beings inhabiting it, and the living conditions and circumstances provided for them, in co-operative accord. No one can make the slightest attempt to disturb the "predestined nature of creation". THE LAW OF CAUSE AND EFFECT CAN NEVER BE MADE TO STOP ITS INEVITABLE FUNCTION. The various elements can never do otherwise than as they have been directed under the divine laws of the nature. In this sense the meaning of the word taqdir should be understood.

HIDAYAT means "right guidance". All the living beings, all over the universe, are motivated to exercise their free choice and do that which is meaningful and profitable, and avoid that which is absurd and harmful, by *discovering, *understanding and making use of the "controlled by precise laws" environment.

TAQDIR GOVERNS EVERY NATURAL PHENOMENON and HIDAYAT DIRECTS ALL THE ACTIVITIES OF THE LIVING BEINGS. THEIR COMBINED APPLICATION IS UNIVERSAL. Every being in the universe is so perfectly designed that each fulfils its own individual needs from one and the same environment. But in order to refer to the particular aspect of sustenance and preservation which the nourishing and preserving Lord justly and mercifully supplies for the benefit of His creatures, a few typical examples are sufficient.

A newly born child at once sucks the mother's breast. The roots of the plants and trees absorb from the earth only that which helps their growth, leaving out the unessential, notwithstanding its presence in the soil. As soon as a fish is born it swims. Every creature functions under the divine guidance.

Glorify the name of your Rabb (the Lord) the most high;

He who creates then fashions in the proportion.

And He who has planned, then guided, (A'LA 87:1, 2, 3)

The whole universe has been designed, created and guided (to function according to the divine laws) by one single authority who is eternal, almighty, all-knowing, all-just, benevolent and merciful.

(1:2) Praise *2 be to Allah, the Lord *3 of the entire universe.

*2. As we have already explained, the character of this surah is that of a prayer. The prayer begins with praise of the One to whom our prayer is addressed. This indicates that whenever one prays one ought to pray in a dignified manner. It does not become a cultivated person to blurt out his petition. Refinement demands that our requests should be preceded by a wholehearted acknowledgement of the unique position, infinite benevolence and unmatched excellence of the One to Whom we pray. Whenever we praise someone, we do so for two reasons. First, because excellence calls for praise, irrespective of whether that excellence has any direct relevance to us or not. Second, we praise one who, we consider to be our benefactor; when this is the case our praise arises from a deep feeling of gratitude. God is worthy of praise on both counts. It is incumbent on us to praise Him not only in recognition of His infinite excellence but also because of our feeling of gratitude to Him, arising from our awareness of the blessings He has lavished upon us. It is important to note that what is said here is not merely that praise be to God, but that all praise be to God alone. Whenever there is any beauty, any excellence, any perfection-in whatever thing or in whatever shape it may manifest itself- its ultimate source is none other than God Himself. No human beings, angels, Demi-gods, heavenly bodies-in short, no created beings-are possessed of an innate excellence; where excellence exists, it is a gift from God. Thus, if there is anyone at all whom we ought to adore and worship, to whom we ought to feel indebted and grateful, towards whom we should remain humble and obedient, it is the creator of excellence, rather than its possessor. 
*3. In Arabic the word Rabb has three meanings: (i) Lord and Master; (ii) Sustainer, Provider, Supporter, Nourisher and Guardian, and (iii) Sovereign, Ruler, He Who controls and directs. God is the Rabb of the universe in all three meanings of the term. 

الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ {1:3}

[Q1:3] Ar-Rahmaanir-Raheem
[Q1:3] The Beneficent, the Merciful.

[Q1:3] Yang Maha Pemurah, lagi Maha Mengasihani.

RAHMANIR RAHIM

[See previous commentary]

(1:3) The Merciful, the Compassionate *4

*4. Whenever we are deeply impressed by the greatness of something we try to express our feelings by using superlatives. If the use of one superlative does not do full justice to our feelings, we tend to re-emphasize the extraordinary excellence of the object of our admiration by adding a second superlative of nearly equivalent meaning.* This would seem to explain the use of the word Rahim following Rahman. The form of the word Rahman connotes intensity. Yet God's mercy and beneficence towards His creatures is so great, so extensive and of such an infinite nature that no one word, however strong its connotation, can do it full justice. The epithet Rahim was therefore added to that of Rahman. 

مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ {1:4}

[Q1:4] Maaliki Yawmid-Deen
[Q1:4] Master of the Day of Judgment.

[Q1:4] Yang Menguasai pemerintahan hari Pembalasan (hari Akhirat).

MALIKI YAWMID DIN

ALLAH (SWT) is the master of the day of faith, or the day of the final judgement.

HE WHO SITS IN JUDGEMENT IS KNOWN AS A JUDGE. The Arabic word is qadi. Here the word qadi is not used because qadi is not the law-giver or lawmaker, BUT ONLY an executor of the law made and enforced by some other authority, and therefore, is restricted by the judicial system in force. THE MALIK OR THE MASTER IS THE LAW-MAKER AS WELL AS THE EXECUTOR OF HIS OWN LAWS. With the supreme powers of a law-maker He uses His discretion not only in passing the judgement but also in carrying it out, according to the merits of each individual case and in view of His own satisfaction, in the light of explanations given by the accused. When an accused is proved guilty, the qadi cannot grant pardon or remission of punishment BUT the malik can grant amnesty to the petitioner at His own independent discretion which cannot be challenged.

A MASTER, WHO IS ALSO THE BENEFICENT, THE MERCIFUL AND THE LORD-NOURISHER, WOULD NATURALLY BE JUST AS WELL AS KIND AND COMPASSIONATE WHEN HE SITS IN JUDGEMENT OVER HIS OWN CREATED, NOURISHED AND PROTECTED CREATURES.

The justice, strict application of law to requite according to the deeds, will be modified by blending mercy with it. Only those, found unpardonable, not deserving to receive the benefit of His benevolence, will suffer the penalty. This aspect of the nature of the master of the day of final judgement has been revealed through the holy name rabb, to keep man alert against the strict justice and at the same time keep him hopefully expectant of the divine mercy.

µ  The maliki yawmiddin gives fair warning to mankind to anticipate strict justice, the rahmanir rahim rabbul alamin gives hope to expect mercy. So Islam prevents terror and cruelty and give currency to love and sympathy in order to change man's conduct for the better. The divine plan had been set in motion through the Holy Prophet (Allahuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) as the "mercy unto the worlds".

"Say: O’ My servants who have been inordinately immoderate in their actions to hurt themselves, despair not of the mercy of ALLAH (SWT). Verily ALLAH (SWT) forgives all sins. Verily He is the oft-forgiving, the merciful." (ZUMAR 39: 53)

Ali, the first holy Imam, has composed several prayers, masterpieces of literature, to be recited to invoke the merciful Lord. One such masterpiece is the well-known Dua al Kumayl.

O’ my ALLAH (SWT), my master, my RABB!

Can Thou really see that I am thrown into the fire, notwithstanding my belief in Thy unity; in spite of Thy awareness thoughtfully perceived by me,

Thy praise eloquently pronounced by me, my soul abounding with Thy love; and despite my sincere confession and invocation, stooping low before Thy Lordship? Far be it from Thee!

Thou art too generous to abandon him whom Thou has nourished. (AL KUMAYL)

v  The actual malik (master) is He who exercises absolute authority over everything in His possession. Everything owes its existence to Him. He is the absolute. Therefore, the use of the term "master" for the possession and the right of possession (malikiyyat), or power and authority (mulukiyyit) is true and real in the case of ALLAH (SWT) only. For others it would be only figurative and unreal. This is also strictly applicable to all His other attributes.

YAWMIDDIN

What man today, in this life, believes and disbelieves, will be laid bare on the Day of Faith. The believers and the disbelievers will witness the truth manifested before them. His reward to the righteous believers and His punishment to the wicked disbelievers will be announced. Both will thereafter live through the recompense requited by the maliki yawmiddin. Therefore, the Day of Faith, in fact, is the Day of Judgement, or the Day of Reckoning.

THERE WILL BE A DAY OF JUDGEMENT OR REQUITAL, BUT IT DOES NOT EXCLUDE ALLAH (SWT)'S AUTHORITY TO REWARD AND PUNISH WHILE LIFE, PRIOR TO THE PROMISED DAY, GOES ON. It is one of the aspects of the infinite mercy that the act of judging is continuous. This aspect serves as a warning to keep man on the right path, or to encourage him to return to it if he drifts or goes astray. The Day of Judgement is the Day of Final Requital.

THE LIFE AFTER DEATH IS THE CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE IN THIS WORLD, TO BE LIVED IN PARADISE OR HELL, IN VIEW OF THE GOOD OR EVIL DONE HERE. AS YOU SOW SO SHALL YOU REAP? At every stage of existence the divine judgement stays operative.

r  The Holy Prophet (Allahuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) advised his followers:

“Keep on judging your conduct to make yourself ready for the (final) judgement and assess your deeds continuously ahead of the (final) assessment.”

Yawm (day), mentioned in the Qur’an, is not, on every occasion, the day of the earth, from sunrise to sunset. It can be a moment or a period of time extending even to fifty thousand years as per verse 70:4 of al Ma-arij. Therefore, according to the context in which it is used, the day may be of an indefinitely small or long period of time, not what we understand in terms of the orbit of the earth around the sun.

r  A thorough study of the Qur’an shows that whenever movement is mentioned, the downward course, or things descending from ALLAH (SWT) to the terrestrial realm, are described as "night"; and the upward course, or things ascending towards ALLAH (SWT), are described as "day". The descending course is also described as nuzul.

The blowing of the trumpet (nufkhus sur); will breathe (spirits) into forms. All the creatures will take their final shape. The influence of time and space which separate one creature from the other will be removed. All will be brought together. It was He from whom everyone had come forth and unto Him every one shall return through the agency of the grace and guidance of (His) rububiyat. Each shall take up the position he or she is entitled on merit. Din is stipulated as such with reference to the yawmid din. Thus the Master-Dom of the malik assumes complete manifestation.

O man! Verily you are striving unto your Lord (with) a striving and are about to meet Him. (INSHIQAQ 84:6)

And what will make you know what yawmiddin shall be?

And what will make you know what yawmiddin is?

(It is) a day on which no soul shall own anything (helpful) for any (other) soul; the absolute (supreme) command on that day shall be ALLAH (SWT)'s. (INFITAR 82:17-19)

THE ULTIMATE, ABSOLUTE AND REAL AUTHORITY BELONGS TO ALLAH (SWT) WHO IS THE FIRST AS WELL AS THE FINAL CAUSE OF ALL CREATION. All the other authorities are unreal and imaginary. Therefore, the normal course to be adopted by man is that which has been stated above - striving unto the Lord.

This is the day when people will stand before ALLAH (SWT), the Lord cherisher of the worlds (TATFIF 83:6).

This day cannot be taken as a day of any duration. It shall be a day which will not be followed by any night.

The human beings would discard virtue and indulge in evil, employing immorality and tyranny to perpetrate all kinds of heinous crimes and destroy peace and harmony, essential for a normal and orderly life in this world, if they do not know and believe that there is an all-just authority to question, judge and punish the evil-doers. THEREFORE BELIEF IN THE LIFE AFTER DEATH AND THE YAWMIDDIN IS ROOTED IN THE BASIS OF ISLAMIC TEACHINGS.

What! Do those who commit evil suppose that We shall make them as those who believe and do good, that equal shall be their life and their death? Bad is their judgement. And ALLAH (SWT) created the heavens and the earth with truth, and that every soul shall be recompensed (according to) what it has earned. And they will not be unjustly treated. (JATHIYAH 45:21, 22)

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(1:4) The Master of the Day of Recompense *5.

*5. God will be the Lord of the Day when all generations of mankind gather together on order to render an account of their conduct, and when each person will be finally rewarded or punished for his deeds. The description of God as Lord of the Day of Judgement following the mention of his benevolence and compassion indicates that we ought to remember another aspect of God as well-namely, that He will judge us all, that He is so absolutely powerful, that on the Day of Judgement no one will have the power either to resist the enforcement of punishments that He decrees or to prevent anyone from receiving the rewards that He decides to confer. Hence, we ought not only to love Him for nourishing and sustaining us and for His compassion and mercy towards us, but should also hold Him in awe because of His justice, and should not forget that our ultimate happiness or misery rests completely with Him.

إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ {1:5}

[Q1:5] Iyyaaka na'budu wa lyyaaka nasta'een
[Q1:5] Thee do we serve and Thee do we beseech for help.

[Q1:5] Engkaulah sahaja (Ya Allah) Yang Kami sembah, dan kepada Engkaulah sahaja kami memohon pertolongan.

IYYAKA

ALL CREATURES, IRRESPECTIVE OF SOCIAL POSITION OR AUTHORITY, IN LIKE MANNER, MUST SUBMIT TO HIS WILL, AND OBEY AND WORSHIP HIM. They have to seek His help in every activity. No one, not being equal to Him, is left out or exempted from His service. All are His servants. He is the original creator and the supreme law-giver. Everything is created by Him, therefore, it has to abide by the laws He has made. No finite being can claim the rank of a god nor anyone can worship any finite being as a God, and also there is no room for ta-addud, the numeration of the infinite. The infinite is absolute and the finite is composite (a creature).

NA-BUDU

Worship is not mere carrying out some ritual. In thought and action "Thee alone we worship" is an unconditional commitment to the service of ALLAH (SWT), and none else, in order to live and die as it would please the Lord-master. The devotee puts an obligation upon himself to serve only ALLAH (SWT) and none else. IT CREATES AN ESSENTIAL SPIRIT OF FAITHFULNESS TO THE ONLY REAL MASTER, AND SETS HIM FREE FROM THE FEAR AND SUBJUGATION OF ALL THE FALSE AUTHORITIES. The faithful servant, consequently, invokes the master's pleasure to obtain the fulfilment of his needs and wants, because he expects nothing from anyone else except from the real master whom he serves exclusively. This declaration is also a source of total satisfaction, as the devotee vows to live and die as ALLAH (SWT) wills, and not as he himself prefers.

MAN OWES LOYALTY TO NONE BUT ALLAH (SWT), AND TRUE LOYALTY DEMONSTRATES ITSELF BY MAKING HIM DO NOTHING BUT CARRY OUT THE WILL AND COMMAND OF THE MASTER, ABIDE BY HIS INSTRUCTIONS, AND REPRESENT HIS PLEASURE. To pay homage to or bow down before even a stone by His order, or to seek help through the means approved and established by Him is, in fact, His worship, because it is in conformity with the loyalty a servant owes to his master. TO EMPLOY WAYS AND MEANS, IN CONTRAVENTION TO HIS ORDERS, EVEN TO WORSHIP HIM, IS DISLOYALTY.

So far ALLAH (SWT) has been referred to as He, His, and Him, third person singular pronouns. Now one feels that one is standing in the presence of the absolute, so it is time to address Him in the second person singular by using the word iyyaka which means "Thee alone" and none else, the negation of everything else other than Him and the assertion of the Only One. The created being, as an individual, disappears, and makes an appearance as a member of the community of the fellow creatures, a unique characteristic of the religion of Islam which unites individual and collective behaviour in perfect harmony to promote the cause of humanity.

§  NO COMMUNITY OR SOCIETY OF INDIVIDUALS CAN SERVE THE LORD-MASTER without an Imam (guide). It is also true that no one can be installed in this position except the person who represents His universal grace. Therefore the almighty ALLAH (SWT) had sent the Holy Prophet (Allahuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) as the "mercy unto the worlds". The reach and scope of the Holy Prophet (Allahuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad)'s mission is as all-inclusive as ALLAH (SWT)'s rububiyat, which, of course, had established his finality (khatamiyat). 

§  According to some authentic traditions, the Holy Prophet (Allahuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad), during the ascension (mi-raj), led the prayers attended by all the prophets and messengers of ALLAH (SWT), who had been sent, before him, as the representatives of the almighty Lord to guide mankind, together with the angels, which, again, had instituted his supreme leadership (imamat kubra). 

THE INSTITUTION OF A SUPREME LEADER, to guide mankind in its collective obedience to and worship of the Lord of the worlds, is the basis of the essential Islamic form of government, approved by ALLAH (SWT). IT MEANS THAT ABSOLUTE SOVEREIGNTY IS IN THE HANDS OF ALLAH (SWT) AND IT CANNOT BE DELEGATED TO ANYONE BUT TO THE PERSON who represents His universal will and grace, who is in communion with Him, and who knows the relation of the infinite to the finite and the interrelationship between the finite beings.

¥  Seek they other than the religion of ALLAH (SWT), when unto Him submits whosoever is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and unto Him they shall be returned. (ALI IMRAN 3:83)

¥  He is ALLAH (SWT), the creator, the master, the fashioner. His are the most beautiful names. All that is in the heavens and the earth glorifies Him, and He is the mighty, the wise. (HASHR 59:24)

¥  There is none in the heavens and the earth but must come unto the beneficent as a servant. (MARYAM 19:93)

KEEPING TO THE NORM OF THE UNIVERSAL SUBMISSION, MAN MUST ALSO SUBMIT AND SURRENDER HIS WILL TO ALLAH (SWT)'S WILL, AND SEEK HELP FROM NO ONE BUT HIM. THE QUR’AN, in view of the execution and regulation of allah (swt)'s will, in the operation of creation, guides mankind to learn from the "BOOK OF CREATION".

Ë  THIS VERSE THROWS LIGHT ON THE DOCTRINES OF DETERMINISM AND FREE-WILL, a controversial issue in *philosophy, *theology, *ethics and *jurisprudence. THE ACT OF OBEDIENCE AND SEEKING HELP PROVE THAT HUMAN BEING EXERCISE FREEDOM OF CHOICE, AND, THEREFORE, MAN ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS, BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT PASSIVE TARGETS OF ALLAH (SWT)'S ACTIVITY, BUT HAVE BEEN GIVEN FREE-WILL BY ALLAH (SWT) TO MAKE THEIR OWN DECISIONS AND ACT UPON THEM.

1.        Their free-will and its outcome are conditioned by ALLAH (SWT)'s will, order and providence.

2.        The will of ALLAH (SWT) does not directly determine the deeds of creatures, making the creatures' will entirely ineffective, in which case they would not be responsible for their actions, as the determinists say.

IT IS TRUE THAT THE CREATURES CANNOT EXERCISE ABSOLUTE FREE-WILL because their actions and judgements have to abide by the laws created and enforced by the will of ALLAH (SWT) as explained earlier while making clear the meaning of the word taqdir. 

·         As Imam Muhammad bin Ali al Baqir has said: there is no predetermination as far as the activity of the created beings is concerned but every action is conditioned by the laws, made by ALLAH (SWT), operating the creation, so there can be no unbridled use of freedom. It is a conciliation between freedom of action and complying with the will of ALLAH (SWT).

IN THE QUR’AN THE PREDOMINANCE OF ALLAH (SWT)'S WILL IS MENTIONED TO POINT OUT THE OVERALL SUPREMACY OF THE LAWS MADE AND ENFORCED BY ALLAH (SWT); AND ALSO THE FREEDOM OF CHOICE GRANTED TO MAN IS CONFIRMED TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT ALTHOUGH LIVING BEINGS HAVE THE FREEDOM TO DO WHAT THEY WILL, SHOULDERING THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THEIR ACTIONS, THEY CANNOT DO AWAY WITH THE WILL OF ALLAH (SWT).

Ì  In common terminology it is a via media. ALLAH (SWT)'s activity can be described as "action", and the activity of the creature as "reaction".

Ì  There cannot be a "reaction" without an "action". AND IF there is no "reaction" the “action” would be considered unproductive.

Ì  In this sense ALLAH (SWT)'s action operates in the realm of creation to which the creatures, consciously or unconsciously, willingly or unwillingly, react.

The ‘action’ is conditioned by the nature of the "actor". The ‘divine action’, the outcome of ALLAH (SWT)'s boundless grace, can be nothing but pure good, but the ‘reaction’ of the finite creature may take a different course and produce evil for which the bad receptivity of the finite creature should be held responsible. The Qur’an says:

Whatever good befalls you (O man) it is from ALLAH (SWT), and whatever of evil befalls you, it is from yourself; (NISA 4:79)

IT IS LOGICAL AS WELL AS PROFITABLE to seek help only from ALLAH (SWT) whom the supplicant has accepted as his rabb, and has undertaken to serve Him only, BECAUSE the infinite mercy of the merciful Lord will be available to the seeker of help in proportion to the sincerity of his commitment. THROUGH THIS PRAYER, the prayer, in all his prayers, invokes the divine mercy, and even if the desired relief is apparently delayed or withheld, he gets the satisfaction that petition has been put forward to the proper authority who alone knows what is best for the invoker, in his own interest. AS ONLY LIGHT, NOT DARKNESS COMES FORTH FROM THE LIGHT, so the withholding of mercy of the merciful Lord should never be misunderstood as indifference or pitilessness, because inadequate and faulty conjectures cannot comprehend the infinite wisdom of the all-wise Lord.

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(1:5) You alone do we worship *6, and You alone do we turn for help *7

*6. The term ibadah is used in three sense: (i) worship and adoration; (ii) obedience and submission; and (iii) service and subjection. In this particular context the term carries all these meanings simultaneously. In other words, we say to God that we worship and adore Him, that we are obedient to Him and follow His will, and also that we are His servants. Moreover man is so bound to none save God, that none but He, may be the subject of man's worship and total devotion, of man's unreserved obedience, of man's absolute subjection and servitude. 
*7. NOT ONLY DO WE WORSHIP GOD, BUT OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM IS SUCH THAT WE TURN TO HIM ALONE FOR HELP AND SUCCOUR. We know that He is the Lord of the whole universe and that He alone is the Master of all blessings and benefactions. Hence, in seeking the fulfilment of our needs we turn to Him alone. It is towards Him alone that we stretch forth our hands when we pray and supplicate. It is in Him that we repose our trust. It is therefore to Him alone that we address our request for true guidance. 

اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ {1:6}

[Q1:6] Ihdinas-Siraatal-Mustaqeem
[Q1:6] Keep us on the right path.

[Q1:6] Tunjukilah kami jalan yang lurus.

IHDINAS SIRATAL MUSTAQIM

A TRUE BELIEVER IN THE TRUTH, HOWEVER LEARNED AND WISE HE MAY BE, HAS TO PRAY FOR THIS BLESSING FROM THE ALL-KNOWING AND ALL-WISE LORD. *Man needs guidance not only to have knowledge of the theory and practice of the doctrine he believes in, but *also to perceive the extraordinary truths which open up new spiritual horizons.

The right path, mentioned here, is neither any particular path nor the doctrines of the religion. There are several angles of human life in this world. The *physical, *mental, *moral and *spiritual aspects of living, together with its many divisions, need guidance to find the right path. The guidance to the right path mentioned in the Qur’an encompasses all aspects of the various paths open to the human soul in this life. To fulfil the purpose of his creation, which is the ultimate purpose of man's existence in this world, he prays to the creator for spiritual assistance to keep him on the right path.

‘ilyyaka na-budu wa iyyaka nasta-in’ is the norm of human activity. Man must obey ALLAH (SWT)'s will, and seek His help, which also is obedience to Him. Human life is a striving to reach the absolute perfection, ALLAH (SWT). HOWEVER PERFECT MAN'S ATTAINMENT BE IN THIS DIRECTION, IT WILL STILL BE FINITE. Only the infinite is absolute perfection. THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE INFINITE AND THE FINITE IS INFINITE. Man's effort and strive in the way to perfection, by perpetual obedience and quest for help and guidance, should be continuous, then alone he can keep to the right path which leads to ALLAH (SWT).

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(1:6) Direct us on to the Straight Way *8,

*8. We beseech God to guide us in all walks of life to a way which is absolutely true, which provides us with a properly-based outlook and sound principles of behaviour, a way which will prevent our succumbing to false doctrines and adopting unsound principles of conduct, a way that will lead us to our true salvation and happiness. This is man's prayer to God as he begins the study of the Qur'an. It is, in short, to illuminate the truth which he often tends to lose in a labyrinth of philosophical speculation; to enlighten him as to which of the numerous ethical doctrines ensures a sound course of conduct; to show which of the myriad ways and by-ways is the clear, straight, open road of sound belief and right behaviour. 

صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ {1:7}

[Q1:7] Siraatal-lazeena an'amta 'alaihim ghayril-maghdoobi 'alaihim wa lad-daaalleen

[Q1:7] The path of those upon whom Thou hast bestowed favors. Not (the path) of those upon whom Thy wrath is brought down, nor of those who go astray.

[Q1:7] Iaitu jalan orang-orang yang Engkau telah kurniakan nikmat kepada mereka, bukan (jalan) orang-orang yang Engkau telah murkai, dan bukan pula (jalan) orang-orang yang sesat.

SIRATAL LADHINA AN-AMTA ALAYHIM

The right path has been clearly defined, unmistakable in meaning, positive in application. ANY PATH, FANCIED AND CHOSEN BY MAN, INDIVIDUALLY OR COLLECTIVELY, ACCORDING TO THIS VERSE, IS NOT THE RIGHT PATH. THE RIGHT GUIDANCE, IDENTIFIED BEYOND DOUBT, HAS BEEN MADE AVAILABLE TO MANKIND. TO FOLLOW THE PATH OF THE DIVINELY GUIDED GUIDES, ON WHOM ALLAH (SWT) HAS BESTOWED HIS BOUNTIES, IS THE RIGHT GUIDANCE. Their path leads to the divine grace. It satisfies the essential fulfilment of those who desire to always remain rightly guided. Attached with the rightly guided guides, man must rely upon their model righteousness to give form and meaning to the life spent in this world. The rightly guided guides are only those whom ALLAH (SWT) Himself has thoroughly purified:

Verily, ALLAH (SWT) intends but to keep off from you uncleanness O you Ahlul Bayt, and purify you with a thorough purification. (AHZAB 33:33)

The essential prerequisite for following the path of an ideal, worthy of imitation, is to love the cherished model with heart and soul. To serve this necessity the almighty ALLAH (SWT) and His Holy Prophet (Allahuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) have enjoined the love of the Ahlul Bayt, the thoroughly purified and divinely chosen guides, who show the right path.

Say you (O Muhammad): "I ask of you no recompense therefore, save love of (my) relatives (Ahlul Bayt)." And who earns good, We increase for him (more) good therein, verily ALLAH (SWT) is oft-forgiving, thankful. (SHURA 42:23)

Love and attachment with the chosen guides, the Ahlul Bayt, is known, in the religious doctrines of the original Islam, Shi'ism, as tawalla.

Wherever you turn you shall find (only) His manifestation. (BAQARAH 2:115)

Therefore, it may be said that all paths lead to Him, whether the path is straight or curved. Though it is true that every creation, in some way or the other, is His manifestation, YET THAT WHICH is closer to His essence in comprehensiveness and gives a better vision of His unity, absoluteness and omnipotence, is more effective in making clear His supreme being. To follow the track of such manifestations is, in fact, itself the right path, which has been instituted by the almighty ALLAH (SWT) as the true guidance.

Ü  A sure and clear view of the straight path is possible when there is a model or a guiding example. The Qur’an identifies it as the path of those on whom ALLAH (SWT) has bestowed His bounties.

Who so obeys ALLAH (SWT) and the messenger (Muhammad), they are with those upon whom ALLAH (SWT) has bestowed favours, of the prophets, and the truthful, and the witnesses, and the righteous; and the best are they as companions! (NISA 4:69)

Whereby ALLAH (SWT) guides him who follows His pleasure, into the ways of peace, and brings them out of darkness unto light by His grace (will), and guides them to the right path. (MA-IDAH 5:16)

Though His bounties are the outcome of His universal grace (rahmaniyat), encompassing all His creatures,"My grace (mercy) embraces all things", (ARAF 7:156), YET out of His rahimiyat He has chosen *the prophets, *the truthful, *the witnesses, *the righteous, and *those who follow their footsteps, in letter and spirit, as His friends. Even those who had been thoroughly purified by ALLAH (SWT) and whose path has been described as an ideal for the whole mankind, had always turned to ALLAH (SWT) because the (two bows' length or nearer) distance, between theirs and the infinite beings' perfection, was visible to them only. So man must aspire to rise higher and higher, then only he becomes aware of the distance and submits unconditionally to the ‘supreme being.’

ò  The gift of mental, moral and spiritual perfection, the real favour and true bounty, which enables man to avoid sin, is indicated in this verse. It also identifies the perfect beings whose purity had never been corrupted by any evil of any kind, from the beginning to the end of their life on this earth. Such men of ideal purity, who knew why and how the universe was created by ALLAH (SWT) and the laws which govern its operation, therefore, did not commit any mistake, in thought and action, are called ma-sumin (infallible). They are only fourteen in Islam - the Holy Prophet (Allahuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) and his divinely chosen twelve successors, and Fatimah, the daughter of the Holy Prophet (Allahuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad). In addition, the prophets and the messengers of ALLAH (SWT), who had been sent before the Holy Prophet (Allahuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad), are also ma-sum (infallible).

When ALLAH (SWT) asks mankind to necessarily follow the path of those upon whom He has bestowed His bounties, it is a must that there always should be, till the end of the world, people on whom He bestows His bounties, who are destined to be the ideal, testified models of righteousness, on the earth.

v  These men cannot be but those who should, of course, be like and comparable to the Holy Prophet (Allahuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) in purity, wisdom and that which made the Holy Prophet (Allahuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) the khayrul bashr, [the best among mankind]; otherwise without the availability of the model, the command to follow in its footsteps would be an injustice. THIS VERSE PROVES, beyond doubt, the existence of an Imam in every age, until the Day of Judgement.

v  To know about whom the Qur’an says "he who is the best in knowledge and wisdom", the divinely guided guide, read the following verses: VERSE 2:269 IN BAQARAH; VERSE 5:55 IN MA-IDAH; VERSE 10:35 IN YUNUS; VERSE 13:16 IN RA'D; VERSE 39:9 IN ZUMAR; VERSE 67:26 IN MULK.

THESE VERSES GUIDE THE SEEKER OF TRUTH TO FIND OUT THE ESSENTIAL QUALITIES A RELIGIOUS LEADER OR A SPIRITUAL GUIDE MUST POSSESS, AND THEN TO SELECT HIS LEADER, WITHOUT FEAR OR FAVOUR, BECAUSE, "THERE IS NO COMPULSION IN RELIGION" (BAQARAH 2:256).

r  FREEDOM OF CHOICE HAS BEEN GIVEN TO MAN AS A TEST AND A TRIAL, after revealing the truth which teaches to distinguish between good and evil. The Qur’an does not mention names but only describes qualities in order to give the seeker of truth an open opportunity to exercise his freedom of choice.

He to whom wisdom is given, he truly has received abundant good. (BAQARAH 2:269)

BESIDES, "I and Ali are of the 'one and the same' light", and "I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its gate", there are several traditions which clearly make known the unique position of Ali in Islam. Through these traditions Muhammad and Ali have been proved to be the same in physical and spiritual purity. The meaning of this verse, in the light of other verses, is that to be guided aright, one should, in the absence of the Holy Prophet (Allahuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad), follow Ali, and the divinely chosen genuine guides among his progeny, because while departing from this world the Holy Prophet (Allahuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) gave his last and final guidance to all his followers, for all times:

I will soon be called back, so I will have to go away from you, but I leave behind, among you, the thaqalayn (two weighty indispensable influential authorities), the book of ALLAH (SWT) and my Ahlul Bayt. Should you be attached to these two, never, never shall you go astray, after me, for verily these two will never be separated from each other; and, joined together, they shall meet me at kawthar.

THE HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALI ALA MUHAMMAD WA ALA ALI MUHAMMAD) AND THE HOLY IMAMS ARE THE MODELS. Their personal purity, according to verse 33:33 of al Ahzab, from the moment of their arrival in this physical world to their departure, had been the unquestionable manifestation of the glory of the divine purity. Through verse 2:177 of al Baqarah, man is directed to follow the path of those whose piety has been described therein. They are the Ahlul Bayt.

"My Ahlul Bayt are like the ark of Nuh. Who so gets into it is saved; and who so stays away is drowned and lost," said the Holy Prophet (Allahuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad).

The privilege of receiving direction by means of wahi, or revelation, a special medium of communicating the divine will, through the agency of an angel-messenger (Jibra-il) to the prophets and messengers of ALLAH (SWT), who had to convey the divine message in verbatim, was brought to an end after the Holy Prophet (Allahuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad), the last of ALLAH (SWT)'s messengers. No angel did ever come to any one after the last prophet, Muhammad, with any message whatsoever from ALLAH (SWT).

Ø  Wahi, through the messenger-angel, had been sent only to a messenger of ALLAH (SWT), endowed with a thorough purity, which alone could sustain, carry and convey it. No human being, who does not possess the essential cleanliness, is in a condition to bear the divine revelation conveyed through angelic agency, UNLESS ALLAH (SWT) Himself purifies him with a thorough purification. Only that substance which is inherently pure in its innate genesis and particularly moulded, with a purpose in view, can hold up the energy and reproduce it in the same tone.

ALL THE PROPHETS WERE THE TRUE MESSENGERS OF ALLAH (SWT) BUT EACH HAD A DIFFERENT RECEIVING CAPACITY, therefore, the Holy Prophet (Allahuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) was not only the last of the prophets of ALLAH (SWT) but also stood high and distinguished amongst the divinely chosen messengers, because in purity, strength and wisdom he was the ultimate model designed by ALLAH (SWT).

These messengers, We have exalted some of them above some others; of them are some unto whom ALLAH (SWT) has spoken, and some He raised many degrees, (BAQARAH 2:253)   

Now, a new school of thought, in an attempt to make up an excuse for the continuation of prophethood, puts forward several untenable arguments based upon conjectures. It is said that the divine favours of guiding a human soul, through wahi, can be bestowed on any one up to the Day of Judgement. No one can deny that the divine guidance through revelation may continue as long as ALLAH (SWT) wills. The word wahi literally means a mental awakening to an idea. Also any one may conceive any idea but this wahi cannot be said to have been revealed to him from ALLAH (SWT).

And verily Satans do inspire (yuwhuna) their friends to dispute with you. (AN-AM 6:122)

SO SHAYTAN also, through his own methods, "inspires" his friends, but the confused simpletons are led to believe that the wahi is from ALLAH (SWT).

The wahi from ALLAH (SWT), known as ilham, through inspiration, guides those whom He chooses. The chosen being may be a man, or even a bee.

And your Lord inspired (awha) the bee: Choose habitations in the hills and in the trees and in that which they thatch; (NAHL 16:69)

It cannot be a sensible argument to say that by receiving wahi from ALLAH (SWT), a bee becomes the messenger of ALLAH (SWT). Only when a meaningful message is conveyed through the agency of the messenger-angel, Jibra-il, a person can claim to be the messenger of ALLAH (SWT). This method of divine communication had been terminated after the Holy Prophet (Allahuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad), Muhammad, therefore, he is the last messenger of ALLAH (SWT).

This day I have perfected for you, your religion, and have completed My favour on you, and chosen for you Islam (to be) the religion; (MA-IDAH 5:33)

When ALLAH (SWT), the Qur’an, as the source of the law and practice of the faith, the procedure of prayers, and the qiblah are the same, and ALLAH (SWT) has perfected the religion, completed the favour and finally named the religion, why should anyone feel the necessity of a new messenger, and for what purpose ALLAH (SWT) would summon the messenger-angel to go to any person if there is no new message to be added to His already perfected, completed and final book? Although many impostors have come and gone with false claims to prophethood, but, in truth, as explained above, there is no necessity of a messenger after the Holy Prophet (Allahuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad), Muhammad, nor will any messenger come, in future, till eternity.

GHAYRIL MAGHDUBI ALAYHIM WALADDALLIN

"Not (the path) of those inflicted with Your wrath, nor (the path) of those gone astray" is an explanatory clause of the 7th verse. The supplicant gives expression to his dislike and aversion for those who have rebelled against the divine authority and gone astray, and earned the wrath of ALLAH (SWT).

ä  There is no need to take ghayril maghdubi as the qualifying adjectival clause for the personal pronoun alayhim, or the relative pronoun alladhina, as Zamaqshari says, because an-amta alayhim is a restriction. Therefore, these two clauses should be taken as appositional clauses in the negative form. Ghayril maghdubi and waladdallin are those who have deviated from the right path, to follow which has been made obligatory by ALLAH (SWT), and by overstepping the prescribed limits have gone astray. By doing so they have earned the wrath of ALLAH (SWT).

Those who neither fall short of and lag behind (taqsir), nor overstep the boundaries (ghulu), in fact, walk on the right path of the Holy Prophet (Allahuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad). The Jews are said to be in the category of maghdubi, as an example of taqsir, and the Christians in the category of dallin, as an example of ghulu, BUT TRULY, those who fall short of and lag behind in the matter of carrying out ALLAH (SWT)'s commands are included in the maghdubi and those who overstep the boundaries and transgress the limits, laid down by ALLAH (SWT), are included in the dallin.

     The Holy Prophet (Allahuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) who, according to the Qur’an, "neither errs, nor is deceived, nor he speaks of (his own) desire", positively asked his followers to adhere to and abide by the guidance his Ahlul Bayt (Ali and his descendants) would reveal and demonstrate, after him, as his divinely chosen successors. Who so, among his ummah, makes less their divinely set up position, renders himself liable to be grouped with the maghdubi; AND WHO SO elevates and exalts the men of ordinary character to higher status of spiritual guides, not confirmed by ALLAH (SWT) and His prophet, renders himself liable to be joined with the dallin. 

(1:7) The way of those whom You have favoured *9, who did not incur Your wrath, who are not astray *10.

*9. This defines the 'straight way' which we ask God to open to us. It is the way which has always been followed by those who have enjoyed God's favours and blessings. This is the way which has been trodden from the beginning of time by all those individuals and communities that have unfailingly enjoyed God's favours and blessings.
*10. This makes it clear that the recipients of God's favour are not those who appear, briefly, to enjoy worldly prosperity and success; all too often, these people are among those whom God has condemned because they have lost sight of the true path of salvation and happiness. This negative explanation makes it quite clear that in'am (favour) denotes all those real and abiding favours and blessings which one receives in reward for righteous conduct through God's approval and pleasure, rather than those apparent and fleeting favours which the Pharaohs, Nimrods and Korahs (Qaruns) used to receive in the past, and which are enjoyed even today by people notorious for oppression, evil and corruption.

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