Sura Al-Fatiha by Al-Shanqeeti (رحمه الله)

[Ayman bin khaled]

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
و الصلاة والسلام على خير المرسلين وعلى أله وصحبه أجمعين
السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

This is part of a translation project ( Translating the book of Adwaa Al-Bayaan by Sh. Al-Shanqeeti رحمه الله) that I worked on some time ago but could not continue due to my tight time. Yet, since it seems it will take some time to get back to it, I thought to post it so others benefit from it instead of keeping it in the closet.

I ask Allah to let others benefit from this and bestows His Mercy upon Sh. Al-Shanqeeti and reward the person who helped me in this translation. Ameen.

Note: I added footnotes and further explaintions and related topics that are relevant to the topic to maximize the benefit, inshallah.

P.S: There is no owrk that is perefect so if there is any mistake that should be corrected, it is much apprecaited to advise us about it, Barak Allahu feekum.

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[الْحَمْدُ للّهِ]

۞ There is a form of generality assigned to the praise mentioned in this Ayaa[1] as there is no reference to time or place at which praising take place. However, the generality of employment of this word is detailed in other places in the Quran such like Sura[2] Al-Roum (The Roman) where praise is been explained in respect of place (heavens and earth) {Unto Him be praise in the heavens and the earth!}[3] And in Sura Al-Qasas where praise is mentioned in reference to time i.e. this life and the here-after. Allah says: {and He is Allah; there is no God save Him. His is all praise in the Dunya (this life) and the latter (here-after)[4]}. Furthermore, He, Allah U, mentions in the beginning of Sura Saba’: {His is the praise in the Hereafter, and He is the Wise, the Aware}[5].

The word praise in this ayaa commences with [AL] [6] which is implemented to bestow significant meaning; as a result of this the word “praise” mentioned here to encompass all meanings attributed to praising and place it in all forms in a perfect manner. This form of praising is an acclamation that Allah U has extolled Himself with to show the perfection of this line of praise and in its context is a command to His slaves to praise Him in like manner.

[Translator Note]

Al-Hamd (The Praising):

It is often for Laypeople to confuse praising [alhamd “الحمد”] with thanking [alshukr “الشكر”] while there is a big difference in both the application and meaning of these terms.

The former term; “alhamd” is practiced by one’s tongue and one’s heart while the latter; “alshukr” is practiced by one’s tongue, heart and limbs. Hence, “alhamd” is more exclusive in its application, although both words share a similar common area of meaning.

With this in mind it is evident as to why adding the word: alshukr to the statement made after rising from ruku’ during Salaah is incorrect. Firstly: It is not mentioned nor even advised by the Prophet r . Secondly, after rising from ruku it is noted that the first half of the said statement is: “Allah has heard those who praised (حمده) Him.” This is a direction by Allah Azza wa Jal to use the term alhamd when praising him and not the term alshukr. It is now apparent as to why it is alhamd only that is used and not alshukr as the former is more exclusive than the latter and it is more befitting of the time and place that it is being recited in.

[رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ]

۞ Allah U does not expound upon what worlds [العالمين] actually refers to in this ayaa however this is expounded upon in Surah As-Shuaraa when Allah U says: {Pharaoh said: And what is the Lord of the Worlds? (Moses) said: Lord of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them}[7].

Some scholars believe the word world [A’lam “العالم”], in Arabic, is derived from the word [A’lama “العلامة”] which means a sign because the existence of the world is undoubtedly a sign of the existence of its Creator, who is ascribed with perfection of attributes and glory. Allah U said: {Lo! In [ايات ] the creation of the heavens and the earth and (in) the difference of night and day are tokens (of His sovereignty) for men of understanding,}[8]. In this ayaa the Arabic word used is ayaa [“اية”] which means a sign.

[الرَّحْمـنِ الرَّحِيمِ]

۞These are two of the attributes of Allah U and are two of His names. Both words are derived from mercy (الرحمة) yet the way each is derived and formed manifests the ultimacy (intrinsic quality) of each attribute. “الرحمن” is stronger and more comprehensive in its meaning than “الرحيم”.

“الرحمن” means the One with comprehensive mercy that covers and includes all creatures in this life in general and exclusively the believers in the here-after while “الرحيم” restricts Allah’s Mercy to believers in the hereafter. This is the adopted opinion by the majority of scholars and in the words of Ibn Jareer[9] (رحمه الله) what can be understood as that such opinion is a matter of agreement among scholars.

Furthermore, some of the salaf’s explanation of these two words supports this opinion as been transmitted by Ibn Katheer. In addition, this understanding is supported by the athar that has been documented by Ibn Katheer in his Tafseer that I’saa (عليه السلام) said: “الرحمن” means the Merciful of the dunya and the akhira and “الرحيم” is the Merciful of the akhira.

This distinguishing between the two words is been pointed out in the Qur’an when Allah U says: {then He [Did istiwaa] the Throne. Al-Rahman!}[10] And says: {Al-Rahman, who [did istiwaa][11] on the Throne}[12]. In these two ayah istiwaa is mentioned in unison with Al-Rahman to indicate that His Mercy covers all His creatures, as stated by Ibn Katheer. Similarly Allah U says: {have they not seen the birds above them spreading out their wings and closing them? Naught upholds them save the Rahman.}[13],which means that this act of upholding birds in the sky is from His mercy. In addition, amongst the most obvious evidences is the ayah of Sura Al-Rahman from 1-13 while in other ayah He says: {and He is Raheem to the believers}[14] at which Allah U restricts His mercy by stating “to the believers.”

It could be argued though, how it possible to match this presented understanding with what was said in the dua’a of the Prophet r : “Rahman Al-Dunya Wa Al-Akhira wa Raheemahuma”[15] which means the Rahman and Raheem of this life and the hereafter.

We reply to this argument by saying; it appears, and Allah knows best, Raheem is exclusive to believers as we previously mentioned but that is not limited to the hereafter but includes this life as well. And hence, it would mean that He is the Raheem of believers in this life and in the hereafter. The proof that He is the Raheem of believers in this life as well is found in the ayah in which Allah says: {He it is who blessed you, and His angels (bless you), that He may bring you forth from darkness unto light; and He is Raheem to the believers.}[16] This ayah shows that His salah and the angels salah as well as bringing them from darkness to light is a mercy that has been shown to them in this life, which due its consequences in the here-after, it will be a form of Mercy in the hereafter as well.

Another ayah says: {Allah hath forgiven the Prophet, and to the Muhajirin and the Ansar who followed him in the hour of hardship. After the hearts of a party of them had almost swerved aside, then turned He unto them in mercy. Lo! He is full of Pity, Raheem for them.}[17] Obviously the forgiveness of Allah is given in this life, which due its consequences, will be as well a form of Mercy in the hereafter.
And Allah knows best.

[Added Note by the Translator]

Ibn Al-Qaiyem said: Al-Rahman is an established attribute in itself that indicate the Mercy of Allah while Al-Raheem is an attribute that is ascribed to Allah that points to those who are being under His Mercy.

[مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ]

۞This “day” is not expounded upon here although it is expounded upon in the following ayaat: Allah U said: {Ah, what will convey unto thee what the Day of Judgment is!, Again, what will convey unto thee what the Day of Judgment is, A day on which no soul hath power at all for any (other) soul.}[18]. The actual meaning of deen in this ayah is judgment i.e. “the outcome of people’s deeds”. This word is used with similar meaning when Allah U says: {on that day Allah will pay them their just (deen) due}[19] which means the reward or the punishment.

[إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ]

۞This is a confirmation of the meaning of oneness symbolized in the phrase,“ There is no deity but Allah”. This ayaa is comprised of both a negation and an affirmation. The negation herein is negating that any deity other than Allah Azza wa Jal should be worshipped in any form.

The affirmation is affirming that Allah alone, Lord of the heavens and the earth, is the One and Only who is worthy of being worshipped

The first word of the Ayaa that is the word [“إيَّاك” = you= Allah] indicates the negation part by placing the word that refers to who is worshipped first and hence it negates this action to be assigned to anything else. This is an established rule in science of Usool[20] that is discussed in section of “Daleel Al-Khitaab”[21]. Furthermore, in section of meanings; it is noted that when the actions that is done is placed a head it becomes a form of exclusivity i.e. the act itself becomes exclusively done for the one it is in the phrase.

The second word “نعبد” points to the statement of affirmation which has been detailed and explained in other parts of the Quran. Allah U says: {O mankind! Worship your Lord, Who hath created you}[22]. In this ayaa Allah affirms that He is the one to be worshipped and in following ayaa Allah U says: {And Do not set up rivals to Allah when ye know (better).}[23] . He U negates the worthiness of every other worshipped being. In other examples: Allah U says: {and verily we have raised in every nation a messenger, (proclaiming): worship Allah and shun false gods.}[24] So He U affirms in the beginning of the ayaa that He must be worshipped and at the end of it He negates that other beings are worthy of worship. Similarly, Allah U says {And he who rejected false deities and believeth in Allah hath grasped a firm hand hold which will never break}[25] In this ayaa we find that Allah U negates that others are worthy of being worshipped when He says: {and he who rejected false deities} and after that Allah U confirms the He alone is worthy of worship when He says: {and believeth in Allah}. There are many other ayaat in the Quran that offer similar indications such as in Surah Al-Zukhruf {and when Abraham said unto his father and his folk: Lo! I am innocent of what ye worship. Save Him Who did create me, for He will surely guide me}[26]

[وإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ]

۞We seek no assistance except from You because You are the controller of everything and only You have the power.

Placing this ayaa after the previous ayaa which is {إيَّاك نعبد} is an indication that reliance must be always only on He who deserves to be worshipped because others have no power or ability to control anything. This meaning is evident and obvious in other ayaat such as when Allah U says: {so worship Him and rely on Him}[27] and in {Now, if they turn away (O Muhammad) say: Allah sufficeth me. There is no God save Him. In Him have I put my trust} [28]and {Lord of the East and the West; there is no God save Him; so choose Him alone for relying upon}[29] and {Say: He is the Rahman. In Him we believe and in Him we put our trust}[30] and many other Ayaat.

[Ayman bin khaled]

[صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنعَمتَ عَلَيهِمْ]

۞It has not been explained who those that have been blessed and favored are in this ayaa although this has been explained in Surah Al-Nisaa where Allah U says: {they are with those unto whom Allah hath shown favor, of the Prophets and the Siddeeqeen and the martyrs and the righteous. The best of company are they!}[31]

Notes:

This noble ayaa can be used as an evidence of the veracity of the leadership of Abu Bakr Al-Siddeeq t because he is included amongst those on the path that we are commanded in the fatiha to ask Allah U to guide us upon. This proves that this path and therefore the path of Abu Bakr Al-Siddeeq is the straight path. In further explanation, the ayaat in Sura Al-Fatiha directs us to supplicate to Allah U to guide us on the right path, the path of those whom He U has favored. He U explained in detail who “those who are favoured” are and this explanation included the siddeeqeen. The Prophet r also told us that Abu Bakr is Siddeeq which proves that he is amongst those whom Allah U has favored. This proves that Abu Bakr is on the right path and accordingly the veracity of his leadership.

It is understood that the “Al-Siddiqeen” are amongst those whom Allah U has favored. Nevertheless, Allah U has clearly said that Maryam Bint Imran is a Sideeqa: {And his Mother is a Siddeeqa}[32] . Therefore the question arises; would Maryam be included in this ayaa {the path of those whom You have favored} or Not?

Answer:

Determining whether she is included in that Ayaa is a matter that is generated from a known disputed fundamental principle, that is: Does everything mentioned in the Quran and the Sunnah in a sound masculine plural[33] form include females or do they require a separated proof to confirm their including in this?

One side said they are included and based on that Mariam is included in the Ayaa. This group based their opinion based on the following evidences:

(1) It is known and agreed on that Arabs when they form plurals they put it in more often in male plurals rather females one.

(2) There are various Ayaat that proves that females are included in male plural forms like when QU says in the Quran speaking about Mariam: {And she put faith in her Lord’s words and His scriptures and was of the obedient (Qaniteen)}[34] and in another place when speaking about the wife of Al-A’zeez {O Yusuf! Turn away from this, and thou, (O woman), ask forgiveness for thy sin. Lo! Thou art of the sinful (Khati’een)}[35] and in the Ayaa talks about Balqees: {and (all) that she was wont to worship instead of Allah hindered her, for she came of disbelieving folk (Kafireen)}[36].

The underlined bolded words are plural nouns that are used for males. However, they have been used for females in these above mentioned examples and hence this proves that such male plural forms should include females as well.

The other group insisted on the need of a having separate evidence to include females in such male plural forms. This group backed up their argument with the following Ayaat:

{Lo! Muslim men and Muslim women…. Allah hath prepared for them forgiveness and a vast reward}[37] and {Tell the believing men to lower their gaze and be modest} and the next Ayaa says: {Tell the believing women to lower their gaze and be modest...}[38]

In the above Ayaat it is clear that when females are mentioned they were distinguished and been joined to males separately. Furthermore, this group has replied to the evidences of the first group that the fact that Arabs tend to use male plural more than females plurals is not a matter of dispute since the actual dispute is about what actually male plurals refer to at the time they are used. In addition, knowing that females have been included in that Ayaat, in which male plurals have been used, is because of meaning of context and what the text refers to. Therefore, based on this opinion, Mariam is not included in the Ayaa.

[غَيرِ المَغضُوبِ عَلَيهِمْ وَلاَ الضَّالِّينَ]

۞The majority of Tafseer scholars said that the “ those who earned Allah’s anger” are the Jews while “those who are misguided and astray” are the Christians. This has been reported from the Prophet r from the narration of U’dai Bin Hatim t.[39] However, although Jews and Christians are common in misguidance and deserving Allah’s anger but each group has been distinguished more in one of these particular remarks.

The Jews were labeled with being the ones who earned Allah anger because they know the truth yet they deny it and follow the falsehood in purpose. On other hand, Christians are far from truth and do not recognize therefore misguidance was a distinguishing trait of theirs.

The identification of the Jews as the one who deserved Allah’s anger can be noted as well from the following Ayaat: {they [Jews] have incurred anger upon anger}[40] and from: {shall I tell thee of a worse (case) than theirs for retribution with Allah? Worse (is the case of him) whom Allah hath cursed, him on whom His wrath hath fallen!}[41] And from the Ayaa {Lo! those who chose the calf (for worship), terror from their Lord and humiliation will come upon them}[42]

The identification of the Christians, as the misguided ones, can be noted from the following Ayaa: {follow not the vain desires of folk who erred of old and led many astray, and erred from a plain road.}[43]


The Virtue of Sura Al-Fatiha from authentic Hadeeths

۩ Narrated By Abu Sa'id Al-Mu'alla t said: Allah’s Messenger r said to me: "Shall I not teach you the most superior Surah in the Qur'an?" He said, '(It is), 'Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. ‘(i.e., Surat Al-Fatiha) which consists of seven repeatedly recited Verses and the Magnificent Qur'an which was given to me”[44]

۩The Authority Of Abu Hurayrah t who said :
“I have heard the Prophet r say: Allah U, had said: I have divided prayer between myself and my servant into two halves and My servant shall have what he has asked for. When the servant says: Al-hamdu lillahi rabbi l-alamin , Allah U says: My servant has praised Me. And when he says: Ar-rahmani r-rahim , Allah U says: My servant has extolled Me, and when he says: Maliki yawmi d-din , Allah U says: My servant has glorified Me - and on one occasion He said: My servant has submitted to My power. And when he says: Iyyaka na budu wa iyyaka nasta in , He says: This is between Me and My servant, and My servant shall have what he has asked for. And when he says: Ihdina s-sirata l- mustaqim, siratal ladhina an amta alayhim ghayril-maghdubi alayhim wa la d-dallin , He says: This is for My servant, and My servant shall have what he has asked for."[45]

۩ Narrated By Abu Said t: Some of the companions of the Prophet went on a journey till they reached some of the 'Arab tribes (at night). They asked the latter to treat them as their guests but they refused. The chief of that tribe was then bitten by a snake (or stung by a scorpion) and they tried their best to cure him but in vain. Some of them said (to the others), "Nothing has benefited him, will you go to the people who resided here at night, it may be that some of them might possess something (as treatment)," They went to the group of the companions (of the Prophetr) and said, "Our chief has been bitten by a snake (or stung by a scorpion) and we have tried everything but he has not benefited. Have you got anything (useful)?" One of them replied, "Yes, by Allah! I can recite a Ruqya, but as you have refused to accept us as your guests, I will not recite the Ruqya for you unless you fix for us some wages for it." They agree to pay them a flock of sheep. One of them then went and recited (Surat-ul-Fatiha): 'All the praises are for the Lord of the Worlds' and puffed over the chief who became all right as if he was released from a chain, and got up and started walking, showing no signs of sickness.
They paid them what they agreed to pay. Some of them (i.e. the companions) then suggested dividing their earnings among themselves, but the one who performed the recitation said, "Do not divide them till we go to the Prophet r and narrate the whole story to him, and wait for his order." So, they went to Allah's Apostle r and narrated the story. Allah's Apostle asked, "How did you come to know that Surat-ul-Fatiha was recited as Ruqya?" Then he added, "You have done the right thing. Divide (what you have earned) and assign a share for me as well." The Prophet smiled thereupon[46]

۩ The Authority Of Abu Hurayrah t: From the Prophet r who said:
"A prayer performed by someone who has not recited the Essence of the Quran during it is deficient (and he repeated the word three times), incomplete. Someone said to Abu Hurayrah t: [Even though] we are behind the imam? He said: Recite it to yourself” [47]

[Ayman bin khaled]

[1][1] Aya refers to a part of the Quran that has a beginning and an end, which both (beginning and end) are distinguished by marks.
[2][2] Sura refers to a group of Ayaat that are placed in order so that it has a beginning and an end that can be noted by marks in the Quran.
[3][3] Sura AR-Roum: Aya 18]
[4][4] Sura Al-Qasas: Ayaa 70]
[5][5] Sura Sabaa: Ayaa 01].
[6][6]It is used to make a noun definite similar to the use of "The" in English but with further in depth meanings and applications.
[7][7] [Sura AS-Shu’araa: Ayaa 23-24]
[8][8] [Sura Al-Imran: Ayaa 190].
[9][9] He is Ibn Jareer
[10][10] Sura Al-Furqaan: Ayaa 59

[11][11] Istiwaa has been translated wrongly in some translated versions. The actual correct understanding of this word as advocated by the companions and the four Imams ( Abu Hanifa, Malik, Al-Shafi’e and Ahmad bin Hanbal)and the Salaf is by confirming the word as it is without further investigation of How it is done or similarize it to creation.

[12][12] Sura Taha: Ayaa Number 5
[13][13] Sura Al-Mulk: Ayaa Number 19
[14][14] [Sura Al-Ahzaab: Ayaa 43]
[15][15] This Athar is documented in Mu’jam Al-Tabarni from the narration of Anas bin malik. Al-Munthiri said its Isnaad is Jaiyyed [good].
[16][16] [Al-Ahzaab: Ayaa 43]
[17][17] [Sura Al-Tawbah: Ayaa 117].
[18][18] [Sura Al-Infitaar: Ayaat 17-19]
[19][19] [Sura An-Nur: Ayaa 25]

[20][20] Usool: Fundamentals on which rules and interpretations are based on
[21][21] An established rule in Usool that is used generally: as a concept that implements that when a meaning is established then it negates other opposite meanings
[22][22] [Sura Al-baqara: Ayaa 21]
[23][23] [Al-Baqara: Ayaa 22]
[24][24] [Sura Al-Nah: Ayaa 36]
[25][25] [Al-Baqara: Ayaa 256].
[26][26] [Sura Al-Zukhruf: Ayaat 26-27]

[27][27] [Sura Hud: Ayaa 123]
[28][28] [Sura Al-Tawbah: Ayaa 129]
[29][29][ Sura Al-Muzzamil: Ayaa 9]
[30][30] [Sura Al-Muk: Ayaa 29]
[31][31] [Sura Al-Nisaa: Ayaa 69]
[32][32] [Sura Al-Mai’da: Ayaa 75].
[33][33] It is one in which the singular form of the word remains intact with some addition at the end. This form is used to describe males in form of plural.
[34][34] Sura Al-Tahreem: Ayaa 12
[35][35] [Sura Yusuf: Ayaa 29]
[36][36] Sura Al-Naml: Ayaa Number 43
[37][37] [Sura Al-Ahzaab: Ayaa 35]
[38][38] Sura Al-Nour: 30-31]
[39][39] This Hadeeth is documented in Musnad Ahmad: Hadeeth Number 19400 and Sahih Ibn Habban: Hadeeth Number 7206 and Al-Mu’jam Al-Kabeer: Hadeeth Number 237.
[40][40] [Sura Al-Baqara: Ayaa 90
[41][41] [ Sura al-Mai’da: Ayaa 60]
[42][42] [Sura Al-A’raaf: Ayaa 152].
[43][43] [Sura Al-Mai’da: Ayaa 77]
[44][44] Saheeh Bukhari: Hadeeth Number 4370 and Sunan Abi Dawd: 1458, Sunan Al-Nisaie: 913, Malik’s Muwatta: 186, Sunan Al-Darmi: 1492, Musnad Ahmad: 15768 and others.

[45][45] Saheeh Muslim: 395, Sunan Abu Dawd: 821, Sunan Al-Tirmithi: 2953, Sunan Al-Nisaie: 909, Musnad Ahmad: 7823

[46][46] Saheeh Bukhari: Hadeeth Number 4721, Saheeh Muslim: 2201 and Musnad Ahmad: 11804

[47][47] Saheeh Muslim: 395, Sunan Abu Dawd: 821, Sunan Al-Tirmithi: 2953, Sunan Al-Nisaie: 909, Musnad Ahmad: 7823

[Bassam Zawadi]

May Allah reward you brother Ayman. One may find an abridged tafsir of Surah al Faatiha by Al Shanqeeti here http://www.islaam.net/main/display.p...62&category=28 and you can also find more of Adwa Al Bayyan in English (for Surah Al Baqarah) over here http://www.islaam.net/main/display.php?category=28

[Minhaaj as-Sunnah]

Jazaakum Allaah khayr Shaykh Ayman. I'm looking forward to reading it!

Was-salaamu 'alaykum

[Rasema]

May Alalh reward you abundantly!

Very benefitial as all others, worthy to read. InshAllah you post more and deeds will for sure increase since many benefit from it!

I will share this as I do many benefitial posts from here that have helped a lot of people. Alhamdulillah to see people with knowledge doing more than refuting.

[ahmed frihy]

Baraka Allahu feeka Shaykh Ayman
May I add that alfatihah is the only surat to open the prayer in any religon that has the request from God to lead the believer to the right path.
The Jews and christian opener for prayer {fatiha } do not have the request for Allahs guidence and that is why Alqurqn Mohaymenan on and above all religon,
Wasalamo alikom

[ehab]

Jazakum Allaah khayr Shykh Ayman.

[Siddiq272]

Al-Fatiha is the mother surah of the Quran, everything has a hump, and the hump of the Quran is Surah Al-Baqarah, and ayat Al-Kursi, is mother of all verses. But a commentary on Fatihah in Muhamad Haleems reading "Understanding the Qur'ran" really broke down surah fatihah for me. Subhanallah. Here is some pages from the book

1. The invocation: Bismillåhi al-Ra?mån al-Ra?ím: In the name of God, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful The invocation ‘In the name of Allah’, is a dedication to God. In Arabic it is also an expression on the part of the reader that s/he begins his/her act with the invocation of God, so that the act begins with, and is accompanied by, His name. The Arabic preposition bi has several meanings: beginning, dedication, accompaniment, and instrumentality. In this passage all these are applicable, so the preposition has multiple meanings. Unfortunately there is no equivalent word in English that carries the same range of meanings, and consequently, there is an inevitable loss in translation: the translator has to opt for one word that carries only one of these. Coming at the beginning, the preposition bi demonstrates one of the major problems in translating the Qur’an: the limited possibilities of conveying the wealth of the original that resides even in the smallest word. There are several examples of this even in this short sïra. In Islam, ‘Allah’ is the name of God in the absolute sense, the only ‘personal’ name. All other ‘beautiful’ names are adjectives or attributes. In this Qur’anic verse we meet the first description of God as al-Ra?mån al-Ra?ím, in Arabic, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. They are the most frequently recurring attributes of God in the Qur’an. Both are intensive forms of the adjective in Arabic. Al-Ra?mån in particular is used in Arabic exclusively for God. Translators give a variety of renderings: Gracious and Merciful, Compassionate and Merciful, Beneficent and Merciful, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Both words derive from the same root in Arabic r-?-m the general meaning of which is ‘mercy’. From the same root comes the word ra?im – ‘womb’. Thus there is a ?adíth in which God says: I have created the ra?im and given it a name derived from my name. Whoever keeps the bond (of the womb/kinship) connected I will keep him connected to me and whoever severs it I will sever him from me. Because ra?mån and ra?ím derive from the same root, translating them into two words with different roots, like ‘Compassionate and Merciful’ loses the connection. Exegetes of the Qur’an have given different opinions of the meanings of these words. Some take ra?mån as ‘showing mercy in this world and the next’, with ra?ím applying only to the next. Others see ra?mån applying to believers and non-believers, and ra?ím to believers only; or ra?mån as ‘Provider of Mercy’ in relation to large-scale things and ra?ím to small scale things; or ra?mån as provider of mercy which only God can provide while ra?ím can also be provided by humans. In my opinion, the most likely meaning of al-Ra?mån can be derived from Sïra 55 named alRa?mån 1 where manifestations of God’s beneficence and bounty are illustrated.

In any case, the combination al-Ra?mån al-Ra?ím – frequent in the Qur’an – is used only for God and together they encompass all meanings of mercy and are therefore the most fitting first attributes of God in the Qur’an. 2. Al-Óamdu li-Llåhi, Rabb al-‘ålamín: Praise belongs to God, the Sustaining Lord of all the Worlds Following the dedication, the reader’s relationship with God is shown as one of praise. The generic alin Arabic makes the word ?amd encompass all praise. The Qur’an explains elsewhere: The seven heavens, the earth, and all who dwell in them glorify Him – All creatures celebrate His praise. Yet you cannot understand their praises. 17:44 In such a compact passage as the Fåti?a, used at the beginning of the Qur’an and the ritual prayer, the choice of this word, al-?amd, is very fitting. This is reinforced in Arabic by the choice of the nominal rather than verbal sentence which would have limited it to a certain person or tense. Alwhich has this generic, general sense can also be understood as referring to a pronoun ‘my or our’ i.e. my praise is to God. Óamd is followed by li, the first meaning of which is ‘belongs to’, but it can also mean ‘is due to’. It is a declaration, an affirmation, rather than a tentative wish like the subjunctive ‘be’ in ‘praise be to him’. The literary multiplicity of meaning observed in the very first word of the passage is discerned here too, as ?amd in Arabic means both ‘praise’ and ‘thanks’. The reader of Arabic understands both meanings, whereas the English translation again narrows the word to one single sense. Praise belongs to God who has three attributes: 1. Rabb al-‘ålamín Rabb is normally translated as ‘Lord’ but this is rather limiting, since the Arabic word carries within it the root meaning of ‘caring’ and ‘sustaining’. Again there is no equivalent single word in English carrying all these meanings. Al-‘ålamín is translated as ‘the worlds’ being the plural of ‘ålam. The exegetes state that God is the Lord of the worlds of humans, plants, earth, heavens, this world and the next, the physical and spiritual, etc.

In short, He is the Lord of everything: Rabbu kulli shay’ (6:164). Al-‘ålamín occurs sometimes in the Qur’an meaning only ‘all human beings’. Again, whoever reads the words in Arabic understands a multiplicity of meaning. Through praising the Cherishing Lord of all beings, one becomes aware that one is, like everything else, part of this vast creation of God, under the Lordship and care of God. The word ‘ålam, is defined in Arabic and Islamic theology as meaning må siwå Allåh (what is other than God). Therefore Rabb al-‘ålamín singles God out as the one and only God, encapsulating in a short compact phrase this most central belief in Islam, for which the Qur’an gives many proofs. 2. al-Ra?mån al-Ra?ím (the Most Beneficent the Most Merciful) repeats, for emphasis, this important epithet which is central to the description of God in this sïra. All sïras (except for 9) begin with Bismillåh al-Ra?mån al-Ra?ím but here the description is also incorporated into the sïra itself. Placing mercy in the middle makes it extend to encompass His Lordship and His mastery of the Day of Judgement. 3. Måliki Yawm al-Dín – Master/Sovereign/King/Ruler/Owner/Wielder of the Day of Judgement. Here again the central theme of oneness is emphasised since no sovereignty will stand on the Day of Judgement other than God’s (40:16). Dín is translated variously as judgement, reckoning, requital, doom, recompense. This last attribute of God is so fundamental in the Qur’an and Islamic theology and so frequently recurring (see ‘Life and Beyond’ below), that a prominent place was reserved for it in this brief sïra. It is natural that ‘Master of the Day of Judgement’ comes chronologically as the last of the three attributes of God. Adjectives are prominent in the structure of this sïra. We have three attributes of God here in this first part of the sïra. There will be two adjectives describing the path or the ‘way’ in the latter part of the sïra, and three describing the followers of that path. This adjectival scheme is important for the progression of ideas. The passage (like others in the Qur’an) has its own internal logic: God is praised, because He is Lord of all the Worlds, Most Beneficent, Most Merciful, Master of the Day of Judgement. Who, then, should be more worthy of praise than the One described in this way?


3. Affirmation: Iyyåka na‘budu wa iyyåka nasta‘ín: It is you we worship and it is you we ask for help This comes at the centre of the passage, and follows logically from the earlier part. Only when the first part has been conceded can the second follow naturally. Who is more worthy of being singled out for worship, and in seeking help, other than the caring Lord of all the Worlds, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful, the Master of the Day of Judgement? Because there is judgement, the judgement should be prepared for by worship. Placing the object ‘you’ (iyyåka) before the verb singles God out for worship and makes Him the only source of help, again the essence of worship and religion in Islam. In the first part of the sïra, praise in general is affirmed as belonging to God, whether the specific reader or worshipper is there or not. It is confined neither to a verbal subject nor a tense. It can be affirmed by humans, the angels or even by God Himself, at the beginning of the Qur’an. Moving to the second section, however, the reader or the servant has to affirm that s/he worships God exclusively and seeks His help. The first section prepares him for this and brings him nearer to God, to address Him. Here we have the shift from the third person to the second person – an example of iltifåt as an important feature of the style of the Qur’an discussed later under ‘Dynamic Style’. In this central section, God is worshipped, but He also provides help. A remote God from whom help cannot be expected is not the Islamic conception of God. This is also psychologically helpful to those who are inclined to always expect something for anything they give. 4: The petition: Ihdinå ?irå† al-mustaqím: Show us the right way Having invoked God and affirmed His attributes, and His worship, and sought His help, the reader can naturally move on to seek that help more specifically in the final part of this sïra. Here we have one single, but crucial, request – guidance – and who can give it better than God whose praise and worship have already been affirmed? The request is not for worldly gain, but relates fundamentally to the function of the Qur’an – guidance (2:2). The single request is for guidance to the right way, and this is expressed in the concrete, tangible and definite image of ?irå† (path or way). This image shows the believer to be moving forwards and coming to a crossroads, where only one road leads to the desired destination – God and His pleasure. It thus connects the text and leads the believer to God. The believer is active in searching and praying for divine guidance to show him that path.

The path is not described as that of Islam but it has two attributes: firstly, it is straight/right, this is the surest and shortest way to the destination; secondly, it has been tested before and proved right, taking the person to the good company of ‘those whom you have blessed’; these are described elsewhere in the Qur’an (4:69) as the prophets, those who do not deviate from the Truth, martyrs and the righteous ones, ‘and how goodly a company are these!’ (an illustration of the principle, ‘Different parts of the Qur’an explain each other’). The sequence of material makes the sïra convincing throughout. Who is more worthy of being praised than the Lord of the Worlds, the Merciful, the Master of the Day of Judgement? Who is more worthy of being worshipped and asked for help than Him? In the same way, who would reject a path described as being straight, leading to proven success with excellent company? The followers of the path are described in three ways: (i) they are blessed/ favoured by God. Consequently, (ii) they are not the object of anger and (iii) they are not astray. This is the persuasive nature of Qur’anic language, which in this passage does not include anything repellent or discouraging. Every section, in the way it is presented, is acceptable in itself and leads naturally to the subsequent section. The request of the believer, then, appears to be significant and perfectly acceptable to right-minded people. Blessing the followers of the path is attributed to God: ‘the way of those You have blessed’. Being the object of anger and being astray are not related to God in this way. The second group is those who incur anger. Anger can be from God, the angels, human beings or other creatures. It is wrong to say, ‘With whom you are angry or wrathful’, as many translators do, since this deviates from the original Arabic and adds a quality of God which does not appear anywhere in this passage. In fact the entire picture of God in Sïrat al-Fåti?a is benign and beautiful, the Most Beneficent, Most Merciful, Caring Lord. Even as the Master of the Day of Judgement, 2 He is the Source of Help, who gives guidance and blessings. He is not said to be angry or leading people astray. Non-Muslim believers can without difficulty appreciate such a picture of God, and the sentiments expressed throughout the sïra are equally acceptable to believers in God whether they are Muslims or non-Muslims. Some translators render v.6 as ‘Guide us into/along the straight path’ meaning Islam. This is a possible meaning, with the believer (already guided to Islam as a religion) asking to be confirmed within that path, and guided along it, but it does not have to be confined to that meaning. Hidåya, or guidance to the right course, is required at any moment in any person’s life. It is not only moral or religious guidance but the correct way of taking

any action. It occurs in this sense in certain verses of the Qur’an. It is those who are already Muslims who plead to God in their prayers, seventeen times spaced throughout the day, to be shown the right way in any situation. In the same way as a believer at the beginning of the sïra is aware of the whole creation of God, at the end of the sïra he is aware of the company he prays to be joined with, but also aware of others with whom he does not wish to be joined. His vision is not confined simply to his own group, and the three groups at the end of the sïra actually encompass all people, since anyone is either blessed on the right course or not blessed and astray from the right course. The Fåti?a opens the Qur’an and contains its Essence. The Prophet called it Umm al-Qur’ån (the Mother/Essence of the Qur’an). It is seen by Muslim scholars as encapsulating the Qur’an’s whole message – on God and his attributes, the relationship between Him and the world, the message that comes from Him through prophets and is to be followed, and the variety of responses and destinations of the different groups. It is natural, therefore that this ‘table of contents’ comes at the beginning of the Qur’an, to open it. The request, ‘Show us the right way’ in this first sïra is answered immediately at the beginning of the second: ‘This is the book, there is no doubt about it, a guide for all the God-conscious’ (2:2), and the rest of the Qur’an goes on to explain this. With the Fåti?a at the beginning, the Qur’an does not begin chronologically like the Old Testament or genealogically like the New Testament.

Haleem, Muhammad A. Understanding the Qur.

[wanazahar]

JazakaAllahu khairan kathira for your effort my dear brother

[Faizal_ Rakhangi]

Assalaam alaikum Shaikh,

Can you or some brother here on the forum assist and help everybody with a pdf conversion of the Article.

Shaikh May Allaah reward you emmenseley in your scales and Make it easier for you to write more of such beneficial article for us laymen. Aameen

[Ibn Saeed]

Originally Posted by Faizal_ Rakhangi

Assalaam alaikum Shaikh,

Can you or some brother here on the forum assist and help everybody with a pdf conversion of the Article.

Shaikh May Allaah reward you emmenseley in your scales and Make it easier for you to write more of such beneficial article for us laymen. Aameen

Im working on it

Here is the Cover for the PDF, the article is half way done. i will complete the rest by tomorrow inshaAllah.

[Ibn Saeed]

Here is the PDF, need someone to proof read it.

Download Link:

http://www.mediafire.com/?d9r2l8xsr2brba0

[Mohib-Ullah]

Originally Posted by Ibn Saeed

Here is the PDF, need someone to proof read it.

Download Link:

http://www.mediafire.com/?d9r2l8xsr2brba0

AOA WR BR to all at Multaqa Ahl al Hadeeth : brother i wish to ask a question about Riba to Multaqa Ahl Al Hadeeth's Moderators preferably brother EFFENDI . One of Investment companies in Karachi - Pakistan who works / deals in Public Shares / Gold / Edible Oil etc but doesn't involve in any Riba / Interest type of business.

People invest their money in their company and company gives them 4-5% each month against their total amount ( e.g. if we invest Rs. 100,000 then they will pay us either Rs, 4,000 or Rs. 5,000/= per month depends what mutually and initially agreed, at initial stage they make a agreement in which they clearly mention that profit amount will be variable, previously they were paying Rs.7,000/= against Rs. 100,000/= investment, but gratually it has been down fallen to either Rs.4,000 to Rs. 5,000 Per month. They also mention in agreement that if the invester wish to return back their amount then they will need one month notice.

The point is usually experienced that if they pay Rs. 4,000 per month they pay this amount on regular basis (without any variation), company people says that usually company absorb the loss amount and whenever they find more profit whatever they are paying then they keep it theirselves to compensate their previous losses, if any, because they don't suffer the lossess to their invester, they also agree to show their all documentation / paper work relating to their business which also shows their loss and profit details.

Actually my mother has invested some amount with this company just to financial support our late brother's family which has left 6 children and one wife, and pakistan prevailing situation is very bad due to speedy inflation rate.

So brother my concern is that is it forbidden or halal to invest the money with this company. Would greatly appreciate to receive your answer as quick as possible.

If my question made at wrong place or timing, then please excuse me and guide me how and where ask such questions at Multaqa Ahl-al-Hadeeth.

Wassalam - Toqeer Sarwar Bhatti

[Bilal Memon]

Originally Posted by Mohib-Ullah

If my question made at wrong place or timing, then please excuse me and guide me how and where ask such questions at Multaqa Ahl-al-Hadeeth.

This question is related to fiqh. Question related to fiqh are posted in Fiqh of Ahlulhadeeth & Comparative Fiqh

[Mohib-Ullah]

Originally Posted by Bilal Memon

This question is related to fiqh. Question related to fiqh are posted in Fiqh of Ahlulhadeeth & Comparative Fiqh

Jazzak Allah and Thanks for the brother Bilal, ok, i will paste this question at your stated section.

[faheemkamran]

Mashallah it was nice to read the virtue of surah AL Fatiha

[fardyazad]

oh...... very nice

[Muhammad Ibn Ali]

as-sallamu 'alaikum,

Shaikh Ayman may Allah (عز وجل) reward you with the best reward.

Jazakallahu khairan Br. Ibn Saeed for transforming the translation into a nice book.