Tafseer of

Sura Al-Fatiha

Dr Fadhel al Samarrai
Draft Translation
Version 1
 ِ ‫مح ِن ال هر‬
‫حيم‬ ِ‫سم ه‬
ٰ ‫اَّلل ال هر‬ ِ ِ‫ب‬

‫مي‬ ِ‫احلم ُد ِه‬

ِ ‫َّلل َر‬
َ َ‫ب العال‬ َ
ِ ‫مح ِن ال هر‬
‫حيم‬ ٰ ‫ال هر‬
ِ‫كي‬
‫وم الدي ِن‬ ِِ
َ ‫مال‬

ُ َ‫إِّي َك نَعبُ ُد َوإِّي َك نَست‬

‫عي‬

‫قيم‬ ِ
ِ ‫اهد ََن‬
َ َ‫ط املُست‬
َ ‫الصرا‬

ِ َ‫مت َعلَي ِهم غَ ِري امل‬

َ ‫غضوب َعلَي ِهم َوََل الضال‬
‫ي‬ َ ‫َنع‬ ِ
‫صرا َ ه‬
َ ‫ذين أ‬
َ ‫ط ال‬
In the name of Allah, All-Merciful, Most Merciful
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds,
The All-Merciful, the Most Merciful,
Master of the Day of Judgement.
You alone we worship. You alone we ask for help.
Guide us on the Straight Path, the Path of those You have blessed,
not of those with anger on them, nor of the misguided.
(Al-Fatiha)

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 CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 5
PRAISE BE TO ALLAH ‫مد َّلِل‬
ُ َ‫ احل‬...................................................................................................................... 6
1. Why Hamd and not Madh or Shukr? .......................................................................................... 6
2. Why was it not a verbal sentence? ............................................................................................. 7
3. What does the prefix (‫ )ال‬mean? .............................................................................................. 10

4. Is it an informative or non-informative sentence? ................................................................... 11

5. Does it require emphasising with “Indeed” (‫ ?)إن‬...................................................................... 12

6. Should the prepositional phrase be brought first? ................................................................... 12

7. Why was the name ‘Allah’ used and not one of His attributes?............................................... 17
THE LORD OF ALL THE WORLDS ‫ي‬ ّ ّ
َ ‫ب ٱل َْعالَم‬
ِّ ‫ َر‬.............................................................................................. 20
1. What does Al-Rabb (‫ )الرب‬mean? ............................................................................................... 20

What does ‘Aalameen (‫ي‬ ّ

2. َ ‫ )ٱل َْعالَم‬mean? ....................................................................................... 20
3. Why did Allah choose Rabb instead of His other names? ........................................................ 28
THE ALL-MERCIFUL, THE MOST MERCIFUL ‫مح ّن الَرحي ّم‬
ٰ ‫ الَر‬............................................................................. 34

MASTER OF THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT ‫الدي ّن‬ ّ ّ ّ‫ مال‬................................................................................. 36

ِّ ‫ك يَوم‬
ّ ّ ّ‫ مال‬or ‫ك ي ّوم الدي ّن‬
1. Is it recited: ‫الدي ّن‬
ِّ ‫ك يَوم‬ ِّ َ ّ ّ‫ ? مل‬........................................................................................ 36
2. Why did Allah restrict dominion to the day of judgement and not mention the worldly life? 38
3. Why did Allah say: ‫ يوم الدين‬instead of: ‫ ? يوم القيامة‬.......................................................................... 38

4. Why did Allah add Owner/Sovereign to the day while on that day there will be no dominion
and in fact that which occurs on it will be dominated? .................................................................... 39
5. Linking this verse to ُّ‫ ٱ ْل َح ْمدَُُلل‬....................................................................................................... 40

ُ َ‫ إّ ِّّي َك نَعبُ ُد َوإّ ِّّي َك نَست‬........................................ 43

YOU ALONE WE WORSHIP. YOU ALONE WE ASK FOR HELP ‫عي‬

1. Why are the objects before the verbs? .................................................................................... 43

2. Why is ‫ إّيك‬repeated? ................................................................................................................. 44

3. Why is ‫ نستعي‬not restricted to a particular type of help? ........................................................... 45

4. Why was ‘we’ used and not ‘I’? ................................................................................................ 45

5. Why was worship connected to seeking help? ......................................................................... 46
6. Why was worship given precedence over seeking help? ......................................................... 46
7. Why did He say ‘you alone we worship…’ )...‫ (إّيك نعبد‬with the second person address instead
of ‘He alone we worship and He alone we seek help from’ (‫ ? )إّيهنعبد وإّيه نستعي‬.................................. 47

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GUIDE US ON THE STRAIGHT PATH ‫قيم‬ ّ ّ
َ َ‫الصرا َط املُست‬
ِّ ‫ اهد ََن‬................................................................................ 49
1. Transitivity without a particle ................................................................................................... 50
2. Transitivity with the particle laam (‫ )ل‬and the particle ilaa (‫ )إّ َل‬................................................ 51

3. Transitivity with the particle ilaa (‫ )إّ َل‬........................................................................................ 52

4. Transitivity with the particle laam (‫ )ل‬....................................................................................... 53

5. Transitivity without any particles.............................................................................................. 58

6. Why did Allah not bring forward the object with guidance just as He did with worship and
seeking help? .................................................................................................................................... 60
7. How is Allah’s saying ‘guide us to the straight path’ ‫لصَرا َط ٱل ُْم ْستَ ّق َيم‬
ّ ّ
ِّ ‫ ٱ ْهد ََن ٱ‬connected with the
beginning, middle and end of the chapter?...................................................................................... 61
8. Why was path (‫ )صراط‬used? ........................................................................................................ 62

9. Why ‘straight’ path?.................................................................................................................. 63

THE PATH OF THOSE YOU HAVE BLESSED, NOT OF THOSE WITH ANGER ON THEM, NOR OF THE
MISGUIDED. ‫ي‬
َ ِّ‫الضال‬ ّ ‫مت َعلَي ّهم َغ ّري امل‬
ِّ ‫غضوب َعلَي ّهم َوََل‬ َ ‫َنع‬
َ ‫ذين أ‬َ ّ
َ َ ‫ صرا َط ال‬............................................................................. 66
1. Types of people mentioned in the verse .................................................................................. 66
2. Why are there two groups for those rejected i.e. anger and misguidance? ............................ 67
3. Why was the past tense verb ‫ت‬
َ ‫ أَنْ َع ْم‬used? ................................................................................. 69
4. َ ‫ أَنْ َع ْم‬used instead of the noun ‫?املنع ّم‬
Why was the verb ‫ت‬ َ ............................................................ 70
5. ّ ‫ض‬
Why was the noun ‫وب‬ ُ ْ‫ ٱل َْمغ‬used?............................................................................................... 72
6. Why were nouns used for anger and misguidance? ................................................................. 74
7. Why was ‫ َل‬used?....................................................................................................................... 74

8. Why was anger brought before misguidance? ......................................................................... 75

9. How does this verse link to the previous verses in the chapter? ............................................. 77
CONCLUSION......................................................................................................................................... 78

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 ٰ ‫الِلّ الَر‬
‫مح ّن الَرحي ّم‬ َ ‫بّس ّم‬

INTRODUCTION

This book contains a draft translation of Dr Fadhel al Samarrai afseer of the opening chapter of the
Surah Al-Fatiha. Dr Fadhel is a well-known Arabic linguist whose works
give an insight in to the miraculous , with the only conclusion being that this
must have come from an unlimited, all-powerful creator, Allah (Most High).

e
chapter (surah) like it.

ِ‫دون ه‬
‫اَّلل إِن‬ ِ ‫بدَن فَأتوا بِسورةٍ ِمن ِمثلِ ِه وادعوا ُش َهداء ُكم ِمن‬ ٰ ‫يب ِِما نَ هزلنا َع‬
ِ ‫لى َع‬ ٍ ‫َوإِن ُكنتُم يف َر‬
َ َ َ
‫قي‬ ِ
َ ‫ُكنتُم صاد‬
If you have doubts about what We have sent down to Our slave, produce another sura equal to it,
and call your witnesses, besides Allah, if you are telling the truth.
(Al-Baqara, 2:23)

No human being has met this challenge, and none ever will. breaks the
natural law of language in terms of its eloquence, beauty, rhetoric, structure, rhythm, rhyme, grammar,
clarity and depth which is beyond the ability of the best poets and linguistics.

ers a glimpse in to the

language of this miraculous book.

A. K. Newell

5
 PRAISE BE TO ALLAH ‫َّلِل‬ ‫مد‬
ُ َ‫احل‬

1. Why Hamd and not Madh or Shukr?

The meaning of Al-Hamd is, the Thana (praise) upon a beautiful blessing or other than it with love and
reverence. So Al-Hamd is to remember the merits of the other, whether that Thana was for an attribute
from his intrinsic attributes like knowledge, patience, mercy and bravery, or for his giving or courtesy
upon others. Al-Hamd will only be for the living-being with intellect.

It is well known that there is a difference between Al-Thana and Al Madh. So you may thank (Al Madh) an
inanimate thing, and you may thank an animal but you do not praise (Hamd) it. Sometimes you will give a
statement of thanks (Madh) regarding a rooster, cow, dog, gold and a pearl or other than that, but you
will not praise (Thana) it.

It came in the tafseer of Al-Razi: -

you see that whoever sees an extremely beautiful pearl or an extremely beautiful ruby, then indeed he
may thank (Madh) them but it is impossible to praise (Hamd) them. Therefore, it was established that

Also from what was mentioned relating to the difference between the two is:

Indeed (Madh) thanks may happen before the performance of any good (ihsaan) and it may happen after
it. As for (Hamd) praise, it will not happen except after performance of good, because (Hamd) will be for
that which occurs from good merits in qualities or action.

Therefore, the one who does not have characteristics which deserve to be praised (Hamd), will not be
praised (Hamd), and the one who did not do any good actions will not be praised.

As for (Madh) you may thank (Madh) a person who did not do any good merits and friendly acts (jameel).
Therefore (Madh) was forbidden for him as opposed to praise (Hamd) because it is subservient to it. The
Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said:

‫اب يف وجوه املَدهاحي‬

َ ‫احثُوا الرت‬
Throw dust in the faces of those who thank (undeservingly), while he ‫ ﷺ‬said:

ِ ‫من مل ََيم ِد الناس مل‬

‫َيمد هللا‬ َ ْ َْ

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 Hamd

ِ‫ ٱ ْحلم ُد ه‬is that Allah is living and He possesses the most

With that we understand from His (swt) saying: ‫َّلل‬ َْ
beautiful attributes and beautiful acts, so we praised Him for His attributes and for His acts and kindness.
If He had said: ‫املدح هلل‬, it would not have informed any of that.

There is another difference between Hamd and Madh, and it is that in Hamd is glorification, reverence
and love, that does not exist in Madh. Therefore, the choice of Hamd was more suitable than the choice
of Madh.

The Arabs differentiated between Hamd and Shukr, so they said: Indeed, Hamd includes when that
blessing comes to you or to other than you. As for Shukr, it is specifically for a favour connected to you.
So you will thank a person when a blessing reaches you. As for Hamd, it will not be specifically for that,
so you will praise him for his favour for you or other than you. From another angle, indeed Shukr will
happen only for a favour and will not happen for intrinsic qualities because you do not thank (Shukr) a
person for his knowledge or his ability, although you may praise (Hamd) him for that.

It came in Lisan Al Arab:

you praise (Hamd) a person for his intrinsic qualities and for his giving but you will not thank (shukr) him

So the choice of Hamd was more suitable than Shukr because it is more encompassing. So you will
praise (Thana) Him because His blessing has reached you and all creation. You praise Him because of
His most beautiful intrinsic attributes even if nothing was connected from them to you. Therefore, the
choice of Al-Hamd was more suitable than Madh and Shukr.

2. Why was it not a verbal sentence?

ِ‫ ٱ ْحلم ُد ه‬and did not say: I praise Allah ‫ أمح ُد هللا‬or

This is from one angle and from another angle He said: ‫َّلل‬ َْ

We praise Allah ‫ ََنم ُد هللا‬and what He (swt) said is more suitable from many aspects.

Firstly, that our saying "‫ "أَمح ُد هللا‬or "‫ "َنمد هللا‬is restricted with a specified subject. So the subject of ‫ أمحد‬is the

speaker (1st person) and the subject of ‫ َنمد‬are the speakers (1st person plural). Whereas the expression

ِ‫ ٱ ْحلم ُد ه‬is unrestricted, which means you do not specify a determined subject and this is more suitable.
‫َّلل‬ َْ

This is because when you say: ‫أمح ُد هللا‬, you are informing of your Hamd alone, and you don t inform of

anyone other than you praising (Hamd) Him. Also if you say: ‫َنمد هللا‬, you are informing of the speakers (1st

7
person plural) and not informing that anyone other than you are praising Him. Whereas the expression
ِ‫ ٱ ْحلم ُد ه‬is not restricted to a determined subject. So He is praised in a manner without restriction from you
‫َّلل‬ َْ
or from other than you.

Secondly, when you say: ‫ أمح ُد فالَنا‬I am praising (Hamd) such-and-such , it does not mean that he

deserves praise (Hamd). Likewise, you may thank (Thana) a person who does not deserve thanks
(Thana), because maybe a person is ridiculing a person while he does not deserve ridiculing. That is to
say that a person may place praise (Madh) in other than its place and place ridicule in other than its place
and he does actions which does not necessitate for him to do them. Therefore when you say: ‫ أمح ُد هللا‬you

are informing of your action and it does not mean that whoever you are praising (Hamd) is deserving of
ِ‫ٱ ْحلم ُد ه‬, it informs that Allah is deserving of the praise (Hamd) and
praise (Hamd). Whereas when you say: ‫َّلل‬ َْ
it is not connected with a determined subject or doer.

Thirdly, when you say: ‫ أمحد هللا‬or ‫َنمد هللا‬, it is connected with a specified time, because the verb (action and

tense) is an indication of a determined time. Therefore, the imperfect verb will indicate on the present or
future tense. The meaning of which is that the Hamd will not happen in other than these times in which
you praise (Hamd) Him. There is no doubt that the time that a person or persons is able to praise in is
limited. Therefore, every action a person performs will be restricted to time, because the most that he
can do will be connected to his life, and there will be no action before or after it. Therefore, the Hamd will
be less than what is necessary.

Indeed praising Allah should not be interrupted and should not be limited with a subject or time period.
ِ‫ ٱ ْحلم ُد ه‬is absolute without restriction to a determined time period or with a determined
The expression ‫َّلل‬ َْ
subject or doer. Therefore, Al Hamd is continuous without interruption.

It came in Tafseer Al Razi: Indeed, if He had said: ‫أمحدُ هللا‬, then it informs of the existence of that speaker

who is able to praise Him. As for when He said: ‫ٱ ْحلَمْدُ هَِّلل‬, He has informed, that He was praised before

praise of those who praise, and before thanking of those who thank. So those, regardless whether they
praised or did not praise, and regardless of whether they thanked or did not thank. Therefore, He most
exalted, is praised before eternity to the end of time with His eternal praise and with H

ِ‫ ٱ ْحلم ُد ه‬is a nominal sentence and the verbal sentence indicates upon
Also ‫ أمحد هللا‬is a verbal sentence and ‫َّلل‬ َْ
occurrence and renewal, whereas the nominal sentence indicates upon permanency. The nominal
sentence is stronger and more permanent than a verbal sentence. Therefore, you re saying ‫متبصر‬

insightful is more stronger and established than ‫ يتبصر‬he is insightful and ‫ مثقف‬cultured is more stronger

and established than ‫ يتثقف‬he is gaining culture and ‫ متدرب‬trainee is more stronger and established than

8
‫ يتدرب‬he is getting training . So the choice of the nominal sentence is more suitable than the choice of the

verbal sentence here, because it is more indicative of continuity of praise and its continuation.

ِ‫ ٱ ْحلم ُد ه‬praise be to Allah, means that Hamd and Thana is the right for Allah and for
Fourthly, our saying: ‫َّلل‬ َْ
His kingship because He - most exalted - is deserving of Hamd due to the many blessings and many
ِ‫ ٱ ْحلم ُد ه‬its meaning is: Indeed All praise belongs to Allah, the
favours upon mankind. Therefore, our saying: ‫َّلل‬ َْ

right which He deserves for Himself. If He had said: ‫ أمحد هللا‬I praise Allah , it would not have indicated

upon His existence, deserving of Hamd for Himself. Certainly, the word indicating upon His existence,
deserving of Hamd, is more suitable than the expression indicating that one person praised Him.

Fifthly, Hamd is an expression regarding the description of the heart, and it is the conviction of the
existence of the praised one who is kind and who grants favours and is deserving of glorification and
veneration. Therefore, when the human being says with His tongue ‫أمح ُد هللا‬, but his heart was inattentive

regarding the befitting meaning of glorification with reverence of Allah, then he is lying.

As for when he said: ‫احلمد هلل‬, whether he was inattentive or attentive of the meaning of glorification and

veneration, then indeed he will be truthful because of its factual meaning that Hamd is the right of Allah
and His authority. This meaning will occur whether or not the servant was pre-occupied with the meaning
ِ‫ ٱ ْحلم ُد ه‬was more suitable than His
of glorification and veneration. So it was established that His saying: ‫َّلل‬ َْ

saying ‫أمحد هللا‬. Another example is our saying: ‫َل إله إَل هللا‬, because lying does not enter it as opposed to our

saying: ‫أشه ُد أن َل إله إَل هللا‬, because it may be a lie when he says ‫ أشهد‬and this is because He (swt) said

regarding the denial of the hypocrites:

ِ ‫وٱ هَّلل ي ْشه ُد إِ هن ٱلْمنَافِ ِقي لَ َك‬

‫اذبُو َن‬ َ ُ َ َُ َ
Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are liars

ِ‫ ٱ ْحلم ُد ه‬is more suitable than ‫ أمحد هللا‬I praise Allah or ‫ َنمد هللا‬We praise Allah .
So it was established that ‫َّلل‬ َْ

This is from one angle and from another angle, indeed the expression ‫ احلمد‬is possible to be said as

nominative (rafa) (‫ )احلم ُد هلل‬and it is possible to be said as accusative (nasb), that is ‫احلم َد هلل‬. So which of the

two expressions is more suitable?

The answer is that its recitation with nominative is more suitable then the recitation of accusative. The
recitation of nominative indicates upon a nominal sentence, whereas the recitation of accusative

9
indicates upon a verbal sentence with an estimated ،‫ أو امحدوا‬،‫ أو أمحد‬،‫ َنمد‬. The nominal sentence is stronger

and more permanent than the verbal sentence, because it indicates permanence.

It came in Al Bahru Al Muhit:

seven (recitations) unanimously agreed upon it, because it is indicating upon permanence of the Hamd
and its establishment for Allah - most exalted. Therefore, establishing it for Allah had been informed with
the Hamd, - the most exalted, and whoever made it accusative, it is necessary for its estimated
governing agent to be: ‫ أمحد هللا أو محدت هللا‬Therefore Al Hamd is specified to its subject and it informs on

renewal and occurre

It came in the Tafseer al Baidawee:

recitation of accusative not stronger than

nominative, with the meaning: give all praise to Allah ‫امحدوا احلم َد هلل‬, just as your saying: ‫اإلسراع يف األمر‬ The

hastening in the matter - with the meaning of ‫أسرعوا‬ you hasten ?

The answer is no, because the recitation of the nominative is always more suitable. This is because the
command of anything does not mean the one commanded with it is deserving of the action (i.e.
command). So your saying: praise ‫امدح‬
ْ Zaid, does not mean that Zaid deserved to be praised and your

saying ‫اهج خالدا‬

ُ ridicule Khalid, does not mean Khalid deserved to be ridiculed.

The one commanded may not have conviction in what he was commanded with. The human being
might be commanded with something while he is not convinced by it. Just as if you say: ‫اذكر فالَنا خبري‬

mention such-and-such with good , although he to be mentioned with good, or that the
one commanded does not have conviction in that. The nominative on the other hand, informs of the
establishment of the thing and its continuation upon the aspect of worthiness, even if the command
informs upon the aspect of permanence and continuation.

For example, ‫مجيل‬

ٌ ٌ‫ صرب‬beautiful patience , o youth, with the meaning of be patient . Even then ‫ احلم ُد هلل‬is
more suitable than ‫ احلم َد هلل‬with accusative in the notification and the command. It is, I mean: ‫ احلمد هلل‬is more

suitable than ‫محدا هلل‬. That is ‫ احلم ُد هلل‬is a nominal sentence, just as we mentioned and ‫ محدا هلل‬is a verbal

sentence and the nominal sentence is stronger and more established than the verbal sentence, just as
we mentioned previously.

3. What does the prefix (‫ )ال‬mean?

10
Indeed ‫ احلمد‬is made definite with the ‫ ال‬whereas ‫ محدا‬is indefinite. The definite here informs of that which

the indefinite does not. That is that ‫ ال‬maybe a referential (‫ال )العهد‬, so the meaning will be that the known

Hamd is between you and Allah. Perhaps it is ‫ ال‬of genus (‫ )اجلنس‬by way of including all types of Hamd.

Therefore, it indicates inclusion of all types of praising. Some of them preferred the first meaning and
some of them preferred the second meaning with the evidence of the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬saying:

‫اللهم لك احلم ُد كلُّه‬

Allah for you is the Hamd

Therefore, it indicates upon the inclusion of the Hamd, all of it. (i.e. all types of praising.)

The strongest view in what it appears to me, is that both meanings are intended. That is the expression
carries both possibilities together. Therefore, the meaning will be that the known Hamd is between you
and Allah, and by way of inclusion and encompassing i.e. all types of Hamd. Therefore, nothing is
removed from the individual Hamd nor its types.

4. Is it an informative or non-informative sentence?

There is disagreement regarding the sentence Al-Hamd ‫احلم ُد هلل‬. Is it an informative (ٌ‫ )أَخربية‬or non-informative

(‫ )إنشائية‬sentence?

Most of the scholars took that it was an informative sentence, and its purpose is informing the
permanent praise of Allah, just as you say: The wealth is for Zaid and The book is for Khaled. It was
also said, it is non-informative because the purpose is mentioning the aspect of (Madh) thanks and
glorification. Some of them said, it and its examples are informing linguistically, but the legislator has
transferred it to non-informative due to the benefit of rules (ahkham) and some of them said, it is
informing which includes non-informing.

It came in Ruhu Al Maani:

reverence and thanks (Madh). It is informing of the good merits, and due to this Hamd was informing
which is including non-informative and Al-Madh was

This is the strongest view in my opinion, because informative and non-informative are both possible for
glorification. Therefore, the two meanings combine together and the expression of the mentioned Hamd
in the chapter, I mean: ‫ احلمد هلل‬is more suitable than ‫ إن احلمد هلل‬from more than one aspect. That is because

the situation is not a situation of doubt and rejection, therefore it does not require emphasis. Indeed, it is

11
directed to the believers who will establish that and they will not reject it.

5. Does it require emphasising with Indeed ‫?)إن‬

This is from one angle, and from another angle, indeed the expression: ‫احلمد هلل‬, is possible for informing

and non-informing of glorification just as we mentioned, so two meanings are combined. If you said: ‫إن‬
‫احلمد هلل‬, it would have become informative exclusively, and non-informing would not be possible. The

opposite of that is supplication because it is non-informative. Therefore, when ‫ إن‬enters upon it, it leaves

from supplication to informing, because your saying: ‫رمحة هللا عليه‬, and ‫ هللا يغفر له‬is a supplication. Therefore,

when ‫ إن‬enters upon it, you will say: ‫إن رمحة هللا عليه و إن هللا يغفر له‬, and the speech will be informing, not a

supplication. Therefore, ‫ احلم ُد هلل‬is more suitable than ‫ إن احلمد هلل‬since in it exists the two combined meanings

of informing and non-informing.

6. Should the prepositional phrase be brought first?

The expression ‫ احلم ُد هلل‬is more suitable here than ‫ هلل احلمد‬from more than one aspect.

ِ is a specification or removal of doubt from the one claiming that Hamd is for other
The expression ‫هلل احلم ُد‬

than Allah or claiming that there is an entity which shares with Him in the Hamd. So you bring forward the
prepositional phrase (jarr and majroor) to remove this doubt or for the purpose of specification. When the
situation is not a situation of removal of doubt, and there is no one claiming that Al Hamd is for other
than Allah, then bringing forward the prepositional phrase is for the purpose of specification. This is from
one angle, and from another angle, indeed praising in the world is not specific to Allah only. Some of the
people may praise others. So the teacher, he deserves praise from the student, and the just ruler
deserves praise from the citizens. In the hadith:

‫ مل َيمد هللا‬،‫َم ْن مل َيمد الناس‬

The meaning of this is that you recognise for every possessor of virtue his virtue. Allah, exalted, said
regarding censoring some people:

ِ
َ َ‫َو َُيبو َن أَن َُي َمدوا ِِبا َمل ي‬
‫فعلوا‬

12
 and they love to praise with what they did not do
(Aal-Imran, 3:188)

Therefore, they were praised with what they did do, so there is no objection in that.

ِ‫ ٱ ْحلم ُد ه‬and His saying: ‫إِ هّي َك نَعب ُد‬, why did
It came in the tafseer of Al Razi, the difference between His saying: ‫َّلل‬ َْ ُْ

He bring (Allah) first in worshiping? He did not bring ‫ إِ هّي َك نَ ْعبُ ُد‬in Al-Hamd. Indeed, His saying ‫احلمد‬,

carries the possibility of being for Allah or for other than Allah. Therefore, when you say ‫هلل‬, the Hamd is

restricted to Allah. As for His saying ‫نعبد‬, it would have been possible for it to be for Allah and for other

than Allah, and that is disbelief.

The point is that Hamd is permitted for other than Allah in a general manner, just as it is permitted for
Allah. So foregrounding (bringing forward the prepositional phrase) of the Hamd is more appropriate. As
for worshiping, since it is not permitted for other than Allah, then His saying ‫ إِ هّي َك‬was given precedence

over ‫ نعبد‬we worship .

We will say to whoever rejects foregrounding and backgrounding (‫)التقدمي والتأخري‬, that it is only according to

the situation. When the situation requires foregrounding, it will be brought forward otherwise it will not. In
the verses of Sura Al-Jathiya, the situation of foregrounding (‫ )التقدمي‬requires it. In other words, the essence

of foregrounding is deserving of Hamd and it will be specified with it. Sura Al Jathiya has mentioned
categories of disbelievers and detailed their beliefs and their positions regarding the signs of Allah and
His messengers.

It mentioned that they took other than Allah as Supporters and helpers (Ayah 10), and that they took their
desires as a god for them (Ayah 23), and that they attributed life and death to time, not to Allah,

‫وت َوََْنيَا َوَما يُ ْهلِ ُكنَآ إَِله ٱل هد ْه ُر‬ ُّ ‫َوقَالُواْ َما ِه َي إَِله َحيَاتُنَا‬
ُ ُ‫ٱلدنْ يَا ََن‬
and they said there is no life except the life of the world, we will die and we will live and nothi ng will
destroy us except time
(Al Jathiya, 24)

So they did not acknowledge for Allah anything from the attributes of lordship and divinity. They did not
grant to him superiority over the human being. Due to this, Allah reiterated the statement that He is the
one who created the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them. He is the one who gives life
and causes death and that He alone is the superior one in this existence. There is no one superior to him
in reality, so He, glory be to Him, said:

13
 ‫ض بَ ْع َد َم ْوِِتَا‬ ِ ‫سم‬
ِ ‫آء همن ِرْز ٍق فَأ‬ ِ ‫ومآ أَنَز َل ه‬
َ ‫َحيَا بِه ٱأل َْر‬
ْ َ ‫ٱَّللُ م َن ٱل ه‬ َ ََ
that Allah sends the rain from the sky, and revives therew ith the earth after its death
(Al Jathiya, 5)

He said:

ْ َ‫ْك فِ ِيه ِِب َْم ِرهِ َولِتَ ْب تَ غُواْ ِمن ف‬

* ‫ضلِ ِه َولَ َعله ُك ْم تَ ْش ُك ُرو َن‬ ِ
َ ‫هر لَ ُك ُم ٱلْبَ ْح َر لتَ ْج ِر‬
ُ ‫ي ٱلْ ُفل‬ ِ‫ه ه‬
َ ‫ٱَّللُ ٱلذي َسخ‬
ِ َِ ‫ض‬ ِ ‫س ٰم ٰو‬
ِ ‫ت َوَما ِيف ٱأل َْر‬
ُ‫مجيعا م ْنه‬ َ َ ‫هر لَ ُك ْم هما ِيف ٱل ه‬
َ ‫َو َسخ‬
It is Allah who subjected to you the sea so that ships may sail upon it by His command and that
you may seek of His bounty; and perhaps you will be grateful. And He has subjected to you
whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth - all from Him.
(Al Jathiya,12-13)

‫ض بِٱ ْحلَِق‬ ِ ‫س ٰمو‬

َ ‫ٰت َوٱأل َْر‬ ‫َو َخلَ َق ه‬
َ َ ‫ٱَّللُ ٱل ه‬
Allah created the heavens and earth with truth
(Al Jathiya, 22)

‫ب فِ ِيه‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ‫قُ ِل ه‬
َ ْ‫ٱَّللُ َُْييي ُك ْم ُثُه ُُييتُ ُك ْم ُثُه ََْي َمعُ ُك ْم إِ َ َٰل يَ ْوم ٱلْقيَ َامة َلَ َري‬
Say, Allah causes you to live, then causes you to die; then He will assemble you for the Day of
Resurrection, about which there is no doubt
(Al Jathiya: 26)

Allah is the one who created the heavens and the earth and whatever is in it, and no one associates with
Him in that. He is the one who created the human being and He subjected to him whatever exists in the
heavens and whatever exists in the earth, and He was kind enough to bestow him with blessings.
Therefore, He is the one who sent the rain and He extracted the provision from the earth and He
subjected the sea and He did this and He did that. Therefore, He alone is the one who is superior with
regards to the reality. He is deserving of praise by way of exclusivity and restriction. So He brought
forward the essence of divinity and He restricted the praise upon him, because the situation requires
that. This is opposite to Sura Al-Fatiha which is directed towards the believers who restrict their worship
to Allah and seek constancy for guidance.

14
This is from one angle and from another angle, most expressions in Sura Jathiya happened upon the
way of restriction:

ٌ ‫اب ُّم ِه‬

‫ي‬ ٌ ‫ََلُ ْم َع َذ‬
For they will have a humiliating punishment. ( )

ِ ِ
ُ ‫من َوَرآئ ِه ْم َج َهن‬
‫هم‬
Before them is Hell ( )

‫يم‬ ِ
ٌ ‫اب َعظ‬
ٌ ‫َوََلُ ْم َع َذ‬
And they will have a great punishment. ( )

ِ ِ ‫ََلم ع َذ‬
ٌ ‫اب من ِر ْج ٍز أَل‬
‫يم‬ ٌ َ ُْ
will have a painful punishment of foul nature. ( )

‫هر لَ ُك ُم ٱلْبَ ْح َر‬ ِ‫ه ه‬

َ ‫ٱَّللُ ٱلذي َسخ‬
It is Allah who subjected to you the sea ( )

‫ُثُه إِ َ َٰل َربِ ُك ْم تُ ْر َجعُو َن‬

Then to your Lord you will be returned. ( )

‫فِ ِيه ََيْتَلِ ُفو َن‬

concerning that over which they used to differ. ( )

ُّ ‫َوقَالُواْ َما ِه َي إَِله َحيَاتُنَا‬

‫ٱلدنْ يَا‬
And they say, There is not but our worldly life ( )

‫َوَما يُ ْهلِ ُكنَآ إَِله ٱل هد ْه ُر‬

15
 and nothing destroys us except time ( )

‫إِ ْن ُه ْم إَِله يَظُنُّو َن‬

they are only assuming. ( )

ْ‫هما َكا َن ُح هجتَ ُه ْم إَِله أَن قَالُوا‬

their argument is only that they say ( )

‫ٱَّللُ َُْييِي ُك ْم‬

‫قُ ِل ه‬
Say, Allah causes you to live ( )

ِ ‫سماو‬
ِ ‫ات َوٱأل َْر‬
‫ض‬ ِ‫وِه‬
َ َ ‫ْك ٱل ه‬
ُ ‫َّلل ُمل‬ َ
And to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth ( )

‫س ُر ٱل ُْم ْب ِطلُو َن‬ ٍِ

َ ْ‫يَ ْوَمئذ ََي‬
And the Day the Hour appears - that Day the falsifiers will lose ( )

‫ٱلْيَ ْوَم ُُتْ َزْو َن َما ُكنتُ ْم تَ ْع َملُو َن‬

Today you will be recompensed for what you used to do ( )

َ ِ‫َذل‬
ُ ِ‫ك ُه َو ٱلْ َف ْوُز ٱل ُْمب‬
‫ي‬
That is what is the clear attainment. ( )

‫إِن نهظُ ُّن إَِله ظَنا‬

We know nothing beyond conjectures ( )

‫بِ ِه يَ ْستَ ْه ِزئُو َن‬

16
 by what they used to ridicule. ( )

‫نسا ُك ْم‬ ِ
َ َ‫يل ٱلْيَ ْوَم ن‬
َ ‫َوق‬
And it will be said, Today We will forget you ( )

ِ ِ
َ ‫َوَما لَ ُك ْم من َنهص ِر‬
‫ين‬
and for you there are no helpers. ( )

‫فَٱلْيَ ْوَم َلَ َُيَْر ُجو َن ِم ْن َها‬

So that Day they will not be removed from it ( )

‫َوَلَ ُه ْم يُ ْستَ َعتَ بُو َن‬

nor will they be asked to appease [Allah] ( )

‫فَلِله ِه ٱ ْحلَ ْم ُد‬

Then, to Allah belongs [all] praise ( )

ِ
ُ‫َولَهُ ٱلْك ِْرب ََيء‬
And to Him belongs [all] grandeur ( )

Therefore, the situation determines the nature of foregrounding. The deserving of praise is from every
angle in the chapter of Al-Jathiya.

7.

ِ‫ ٱ ْحلم ُد ه‬and He it did not use

Firstly, look how Al Hamd came with His proper name i.e. Allah. So He said: ‫َّلل‬ َْ

a substitute. So, He did not say for example, ‫ احلمد للخالق‬All praise for the creator or the Provider (‫)الرازق‬, or

for the Living (‫)للح ِي‬

َ or for the Capable (‫)للقادر‬, and so on from the attributes of Allah and His characteristics.

More precisely if He had brought any description as a substitute for the word of majesty ‫هللا‬, that would

give the understanding that Hamd is only deserving with this description and not deserving for other than

17
it. If He had said: ‫ احلمد للعليم‬All praise is for the knowledgeable , then Al Hamd would only be deserving

with the description of knowledge, and had He said: ‫ احلمد للقادر‬All praise for the capable , that would

beautiful attributes. Allah is deserving of Hamd due to His existence only, not any other description.
Therefore, it was most suitable.

Secondly, the name ‫ هللا‬is appropriate because in His saying: ‫إِ هّي َك نَ ْعبُ ُد‬, the word ‫ هللا‬is suitable for servitude,

because this word is the most well-known statement taken from the word ‫اإلله‬, in other words the one

worshipped. َ‫ أَلِه‬means he worshiped, so the word ‫ هللا‬was suitable for worshiping. Worshiping has been

interlinked frequently with the word ‫ هللا‬in the noble Qur an. It has been associated with it more than fifty

times. For example, His (swt) saying:

‫رين‬ِ ِ ‫بَ ِل ه‬
َ ‫اَّللَ فَاعبُد َوُكن م َن الشاك‬
Rather, worship [only] Allah and be among the grateful.
(Al Zumur, 66)

ُ ‫قُل إِ هَنا أ ُِم‬

‫رت أَن أَعبُ َد ه‬
َ‫اَّلل‬
I have been commanded to worship Allah
(Al-Raad, 36)

ِ ‫اَّلل ََتمروّن أَعب ُد أَيُّها‬

ِ َ‫قُل أَفَ غ‬
‫اجلاهلو َن‬ َ ُ ُ ‫ري ه‬ َ
Say, is it other than Allah that you order me to worship, O ignorant ones?
(Al Zumur, 64)

Thirdly, if it came with an attribute other than the proper name, then it would not be understood explicitly
that Allah was intended by it. Therefore, if He said: ‫للح ِي‬
َ ‫ احلم ُد‬All praise to the Living , then the living (‫ )احلي‬is

common between Allah and other than Him, and likewise, The knowledgeable (‫)العليم‬, The Capable (‫)القادر‬

and the All Hearing (‫)السميع‬. Even if you bring a description other than Allah it will not be correct. So if you

say for example, ‫ احلمد للبارئ‬or ‫ للقيوم‬or ‫ لفاطر السماوات واألرض‬or other than this, then it would not be understood

explicitly that Allah was intended by it. Therefore, mentioning ‫ هللا‬is more suitable than mentioning another

18
‫‪noun.‬‬

‫‪ is more suitable than:‬ٱ ْحلم ُد هِ‬

‫َّلل ‪Therefore, it was clearly explained from all this that‬‬ ‫َْ‬

‫املدح هلل‬

‫الشكر هلل‬

‫ِ‬
‫أمح ُد هللا أو َنم ُد هللا‪ ،‬أو امحد هللاَ‬

‫احلم َد هلل‬

‫محدا هلل‬

‫إ هن احلم َد هلل‬

‫هلل احلمد‬

‫للح ِي‪ ،‬أو القادر‪ ،‬أو العليم‬

‫احلم ُد َ‬
‫‪and so on from any of His attributes and names.‬‬

‫‪19‬‬
 ّ
THE LORD OF ALL THE WORLDS ‫ي‬
َ ‫ٱلْ َعالَم‬ ِّّ ‫َر‬
‫ب‬

1. What does Al-Rabb (‫)الرب‬

ُّ mean?

Al-Rabb (‫)الرب‬
ُّ is The Owner (‫)املالك‬, The Master (‫)السيد‬, The Sustainer (‫)املرب‬, The Maintainer (‫ )القيم‬and The

Benefactor (‫)املنعم‬.

is The Owner of them, Master of them, Sustainer of them

and Bestower of gifts upon them. The Owner of the individual, his Master, his Sustainer, his Maintainer,
and The Bestower of gifts upon him is more deserving of praise than anyone else.

It begins with Al-Rabb, because for Allah is the right of disposal of affairs in mastership, ownership and
worshipping with whatever He (swt) wishes of good or evil.

Most of the attributes of Allah (swt) fall under His saying: ‫ي‬ ِ ‫ب ٱل َْعال‬
َ ‫َم‬ ِ ‫ َر‬such as The Knowledgeable (‫)العليم‬, The

All Hearing (‫)السميع‬, The All Seeing (‫)البصري‬, The Everlasting (‫)القيوم‬, The one who wills whatever he wishes

(‫)املريد‬, The King (‫ )امللك‬and whatever resembles that, because each of these names and attributes occurs in

‫ي‬ ِ ‫ب ٱل َْعال‬
َ ‫َم‬ ِ ‫ر‬.
َ

َ ‫ )ٱل َْعال َِم‬mean?

2. What does Aalameen (‫ي‬

َ ‫ ٱل َْعال َِم‬is the plural of world (َ‫)عامل‬. It is every existence except Allah (swt). There is difference of
Aalameen ‫ي‬

opinion regarding the meaning of this plural. Some preferred that it is restricted to the possessors of
knowledge or those who are legally responsible ‫ املُ َكلهفي‬from the creation, with the evidence being His (swt)

saying,

‫ي نَ ِذيرا‬ ِ ِ
َ ‫ليَ ُكو َن لل َْعالَ ِم‬
so he can be to the worlds a warner
(Al-Furqan, 1)

and His (swt) saying:

20
 ِ ِ ٍ ‫ك آلّي‬ ِ
َ ‫ت لل َْعال ِم‬
‫ي‬ َ َ ‫إِ هن ِيف ٰذل‬
Indeed in that are signs for the worlds
(Al-Rum, 22)

and that He (swt) is not a warner for livestock and the non-
beings with the evidence being His (swt) saying:

ِ
َ ‫ٱلذ ْك َرا َن م َن ٱل َْعالَ ِم‬
‫ي‬ ُّ ‫أ َََتْتُو َن‬
Do you approach males among the worlds
(Al-Shuara, 165)

and His (swt) saying:

ِ ‫تأ‬ ِ
َ ‫َحدا من ٱل َْعٱلَ ِم‬
‫ي‬ َ ‫آَت ُك ْم هما َملْ يُ ْؤ‬
َ ‫َو‬
and gave you that which He had not given anyone among the worlds.
(Maida, 20)

with. Therefore, there is the world of humans, world of animals, world of insects, and every type and
every class is named a world also.

It was said that every century and generation is also named a world. So the people of every time period
is a world. Therefore He (swt) gathered them, in order to include all generations and peoples of all times.
It was said that the word was possibly pluralised for drawing attention of the mind with the word ‫ العا َمل‬to

this perceptible world. This is because the world is used widely with the meaning of total like existence
such as the existence in the hereafter.

Its usage was mostly used customarily with this meaning in the perceptible world because of the
familiarity of the soul for the perceptible things, so it was pluralised in order to inform of inclusion
absolutely.

It seems that the use of the word ‫ العاملي‬is correct for one generation or generations with the evidence of

His (swt) saying regarding Banu Israel:

21
 ِ
‫مي‬
َ َ‫مت َعلَي ُكم َوأَّن فَضهلتُ ُكم َعلَى العال‬ َ ‫ِت الهِت أ‬
ُ ‫َنع‬ َ ِ ‫عم‬
َ ‫ائيل اذ ُكروا ن‬ ِ
َ ‫ّي بَين إسر‬
O Children of Israel, remember My favor that I have bestowed upon you and that I preferred you
over the worlds.
(Al-Baqara, 47)

because this preference was specific to their time, and His saying (swt) regarding Maryam:

ِ ِ‫ك علَى ن‬
ِ ْ ‫وطَهر ِك و‬
َ ‫سآء ٱل َْعٰلَ ِم‬
‫ي‬ َ ٰ َ ٰ‫ٱصطََف‬ َ َ َ
and purified you and chosen you above the women of the worlds.
(Aal-Imran, 42)

was in her specific time and His (swt) saying:

ِ
َ ‫ٱلذ ْك َرا َن م َن ٱل َْعالَ ِم‬
‫ي‬ ُّ ‫أ َََتْتُو َن‬
Do you approach males among the worlds
(Al-Shuara, 165)

was specific to the males from the people of their time.

Another example is His (swt) saying:

َ ‫ك َع ِن ٱل َْعالَ ِم‬
‫ي‬ َ ‫قَالُواْ أ ََو َملْ نَ ْن َه‬
They said, have we not forbidden you from [protecting] people?
(Hijr, 70)

which was regarding the men specifically of their time. It was used for a group of people of their time and
He also named them (‫)عاملي‬. He (swt) said:

ِ ٍ ‫شةَ ما سب َق ُكم ِِبا ِمن أ‬ ِ

َ ‫َحد من ٱل َْعالَ ِم‬
‫ي‬ َ ْ َ ْ َ َ َ َ ‫أ َََتْتُو َن ٱلْ َفاح‬
Do you commit such immorality as no one has preceded you with from among the worlds?
(Al-Araf, 80)

22
This includes all peoples from the time of Adam until their time.

It may include all the legally responsible or intelligent ones throughout the generations. For example, His
(swt) saying:

ِ
َ ‫ٱَّللُ يُ ِري ُد ظُلْما لل َْعالَ ِم‬
‫ي‬ ‫َوَما ه‬
and Allah wants no injustice for the worlds.
(Aal-Imran, 108)

Some of the people of knowledge restricted it to those people who are legally responsible, but the
response to this is His (swt) saying:

ِ ُّ ‫ال فِ ْر َع ْو ُن َوَما َر‬

َ ِ‫ض َوَما بَ ْي نَ ُه َمآ إِن ُكنتُ ْم ُّموقن‬
‫ي‬ ِ ‫س ٰمو‬
ِ ‫ٰت َوٱأل َْر‬َ َ ‫ب ٱل ه‬
ُّ ‫ال َر‬ َ ‫ب ٱل َْعالَ ِم‬
َ َ‫ي * ق‬ َ َ‫ق‬

earth and what is between the

(al-Shuara, 23-24)

The above verse explains that ‫ رب العاملي‬means that He is the lord of the heavens and the earth and

whatever exists between them. It is general and includes everything that is in existence not just the legally
responsible.

What appears to me is that this is an opinion that has to be tested. He (swt) did not explain the word

َ ‫ب ٱل َْعال َِم‬
‫العاملي‬. Instead this word clarified the description of ‫ي‬ ِ ‫ر‬.
َ Perhaps, it clarified a different expression, all
of which are true regarding Him.

You may say, who is the lord of this house? Then it will be said to you, a merchant or a jurist or an

If Musa (as) responded to the question of Firawn by saying, a lord which is competent over all things,
living and He does not die, nothing weakens him, He rewards good with paradise and the one who
insults with hell fire, Musa would be correct, but undoubtedly this is not an explanation for ‫للعاملي‬. Rather it

Indeed, ‫ العا َمل‬is pluralised upon ‫ العوامل‬upon ‫العاملي‬. What appears to me is that ‫ العوامل‬is used for all worlds from

23
the legally responsible to other than them from the inanimate and animals. However, ‫ العاملي‬is not used

except for those who possess knowledge or upon those in which it combined with the intellect and other
than them. Therefore, it dominated upon those with intellect. ‫ العالَمون‬is not used for those without intellect.

Therefore, ‫ العاملي‬is not used for the insects and birds. ‫ عاملي‬is used for human beings, or all of the people,

or a generation from the people, or for the legally responsible from the creation of Allah from the humans
and jinn ya and nun is
specific to those with intellect.

ِ‫ ٱ ْحلم ُد ه‬will either be, lord of the humans or legally responsible, or lord
َ ‫ب ٱل َْعال َِم‬
Therefore, the meaning of: ‫ي‬ ِ ‫َّلل َر‬ َْ
of all creation predominately those with intellect among them. This specification or preponderance has its
reason which is that the speech in Sura Fatiha is specific to those with intellect. Therefore, the
worshiping, seeking help and request for guidance to the straight path and the classification of the
creation in to those who were given favour upon them, and those are the object of anger and those who
are misguided, are all specifically for the legally responsible. So, this choice was the most suitable, and if
He (swt) had said: ‫رب العامل أو رب العوامل‬, this beauty would not be improved because it would include other than

the legally responsible.

This is from one angle and from another angle, indeed it is a response against those who have earned
His anger, and among them are the Jews who claim that Allah is lord of the Children of Israel specifically,
and He is not the lord of other creations from Mankind. So Allah refuted them with His (swt) saying.
ِ ‫َر‬
Indeed He, lord of all the worlds, includes all Mankind and those legally responsible. So the choice of ‫ب‬

َ ‫ ٱل َْعال َِم‬was the best choice from all aspects.

‫ي‬

You may say, why did He not mention the manifestation of divinity in His explanation, just as He did in
other places. For example, Allah (swt) said:

ِ ‫سماو‬
ِ ‫ات َوٱألَ ْر‬
‫ض َو ُه َو‬ ِ
َ ‫ب ٱل َْعالَ ِم‬
َ َ ‫ي * َولَهُ ٱلْك ِْرب ََيءُ ِيف ٱل ه‬ ِ ‫ض َر‬ ِ ‫س ٰمو‬
ِ ‫ٰت َوَر‬
ِ ‫ب ٱأل َْر‬ ِ ‫فَلِله ِه ٱ ْحلَ ْم ُد َر‬
َ َ ‫ب ٱل ه‬
ِ ِ
ُ ‫ٱلْع ِز ُيز ٱ ْحلَك‬
‫يم‬
Then, to Allah belongs [all] praise - Lord of the heavens and Lord of the earth, Lord of the worlds.
And to Him belongs [all] grandeur within the heavens and the earth, and He is the Exalted in Might,
the Wise.
(al-Jathiya, 37-38)

The response is that every situation requires the mentioned expression in it. The mentioning of the

24
heavens and the earth and whatever is therein was repeated more than once in Sura Jathiya, and the
mentioning of the manifestations of divinity was repeated for it. So He (swt) said:

‫ت لَِق ْوٍم يُوقِنُو َن‬

ٌ َٰ‫ث ِمن َدآبهٍة َءاي‬
ُّ ُ‫ي * َوِيف َخل ِْق ُك ْم َوَما يَب‬ ِ ‫ت لِل‬
َ ِ‫ْم ْؤمن‬ ٍٰ ‫ض‬
ُ َ‫ألي‬
ِ ‫س ٰمو‬
ِ ‫ٰت َوٱأل َْر‬َ َ ‫إِ هن ِيف ٱل ه‬
Indeed, within the heavens and earth are signs for the believers. And in the creation of yourselves
and what He disperses of moving creatures are signs for people who are certain [in faith].
(Al-Jathiya, 3-4)

And He said:

ِ َِ ‫ض‬ ِ ‫س ٰم ٰو‬
ِ ‫ت َوَما ِيف ٱأل َْر‬
ُ‫مجيعا م ْنه‬ َ َ ‫هر لَ ُك ْم هما ِيف ٱل ه‬
َ ‫َو َسخ‬
And He has subjected to you whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth - all from
Him. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought.
(Al-Jathiya, 13)

And He said:

‫ض بِٱ ْحلَِق‬ ِ ‫س ٰمو‬

َ ‫ٰت َوٱأل َْر‬ ‫َو َخلَ َق ه‬
َ َ ‫ٱَّللُ ٱل ه‬
And Allah created the heavens and earth in truth
(Al-Jathiya, 22)

And He said:

ِ ‫سماو‬
ِ ‫ات َوٱأل َْر‬
‫ض‬ ِ‫وِه‬
َ َ ‫ْك ٱل ه‬
ُ ‫َّلل ُمل‬ َ
And to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth
(Al-Jathiya, 27)

And He said:

َ ‫ب ٱل َْعالَ ِم‬
‫ي‬ ِ ‫ض َر‬ ِ ‫س ٰمو‬
ِ ‫ٰت َوَر‬
ِ ‫ب ٱأل َْر‬ ِ ‫فَلِله ِه ٱ ْحلَ ْم ُد َر‬
َ َ ‫ب ٱل ه‬
Then, to Allah belongs [all] praise - Lord of the heavens and Lord of the earth, Lord of the worlds.
(Al-Jathiya, 36)

25
All these verses contain manifestations of divinity regarding the heavens and the earth.

Also He (swt) mentioned the divinity for the intelligent and the rest of other living things, so He (swt) said:

‫ث ِمن َدآبهٍة‬
ُّ ُ‫َوِيف َخل ِْق ُك ْم َوَما يَب‬
And in the creation of yourselves and what He disperses of moving creatures are signs for peo ple
who are certain [in faith].
(Al-Jathiya, 4)

And He said:

‫هر لَ ُك ُم ٱلْبَ ْح َر‬ ِ‫ه ه‬

َ ‫ٱَّللُ ٱلذي َسخ‬
It is Allah who has made the sea subservient to you
(Al-Jathiya, 12)

ِ ‫س ٰم ٰو‬
ِ ‫ت َوَما ِيف ٱأل َْر‬
‫ض‬ َ َ ‫هر لَ ُك ْم هما ِيف ٱل ه‬
َ ‫َو َسخ‬
And He has subjected to you whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth - all from
Him.
(Al-Jathiya, 13)

Therefore, Allah subjected the heavens and the earth and whatever exists in the heavens and the earth
for human beings, and this is from the manifestation of divinity of Him. He (swt) said:

‫ب فِ ِيه‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ‫قُ ِل ه‬
َ ْ‫ٱَّللُ َُْييي ُك ْم ُثُه ُُييتُ ُك ْم ُثُه ََْي َمعُ ُك ْم إِ َ َٰل يَ ْوم ٱلْقيَ َامة َلَ َري‬
Say, Allah causes you to live, then causes you to die; then He will assemble you for the Day of
Resurrection
(Al-Jathiya, 26)

and

‫ات فَ يُ ْد ِخلُ ُه ْم َرُِّبُ ْم ِيف َر ْمحَتِ ِه‬ ِ ‫فَأَهما ٱله ِذين آمنُواْ و َع ِملُواْ ٱل ه‬
ِ ‫احل‬
َ ‫ص‬ َ َ َ
So as for those who believed and did righteous deeds, their Lord will admit them into His mercy.
That is what is the clear attainment.

26
 (Al-Jathiya, 30)

This verse mentioned the divine laws which Allah revealed upon mankind and all of this is for the
manifestation of divinity for the worlds. Therefore, it is in harmony with this explanation in Sura Jathiya,
whereas it did not mention it in Sura Fatiha except the categories of those who are legally responsible.
Then when it specified the mentioning in Sura Fatiha, the classification of creation from the intelligent, He
said, ‫ي‬ ِ ‫ب ٱل َْعال‬
َ ‫َم‬ ِ ‫ َر‬and when Sura Jathiya mentioned the heavens and the earth and whatever exists in terms

of animals and humans, He (swt) said:

َ ‫ب ٱل َْعالَ ِم‬
‫ي‬ ِ ‫ض َر‬ ِ ‫س ٰمو‬
ِ ‫ٰت َوَر‬
ِ ‫ب ٱأل َْر‬ ِ ‫َر‬
َ َ ‫ب ٱل ه‬
Then, to Allah belongs [all] praise - Lord of the heavens and Lord of the earth, Lord of the worlds.
(Al-Jathiya, 36)

Therefore, every speech is suitable for its place.

He (swt) said afterwards in Sura Al-Jathiya:

ِ ‫سماو‬ ِ
ِ ‫ات َوٱأل َْر‬
‫ض‬ َ َ ‫َولَهُ ٱلْك ِْرب ََيءُ ِيف ٱل ه‬
And to Him belongs [all] grandeur within the heavens and the earth
(Al-Jathiya, 37)

Then He mentioned grandeur, in addition to praise and He did not mention anything other than praise in
Sura Fatiha. That is because mentioning of arrogant people without right occurred in this Sura, so
mentioning of the grandeur was suitable for Him (swt), and it is connected to Him.

He said:

ِ‫ت ه‬
ِ ‫ٱَّلل تُ ْت لَ ٰى َعلَْي ِه ُثُه ي‬
‫ص ُّر ُم ْستَ ْكِربا َكأَن هملْ يَ ْس َم ْع َها‬ ٍ ‫ويل لِ ُك ِل أَفه‬
ِ ‫اك أَثِ ٍيم * يسمع ء ٰاي‬
ُ ََ ََُْ ٌ َْ
Woe to every sinful liar, who hears the verses of Allah recited to him, then persists arrogantly as if
he had not heard them.
(Al-Jathiya, 7-8)

And He said:

27
 ‫َوإِ َذا َعلِ َم ِم ْن َء ٰايَتِنَا َش ْيئا هٱَّتَ َذ َها ُه ُزوا‬
And when he knows anything of Our verses, he takes them in ridicule
(Al-Jathiya, 9)

Ridiculing is from the manifestation of arrogance.

And He said:

ِ
َ ‫ٱستَ ْك َْربُُْت َوُكنتُ ْم قَ ْوما ُُّّْم ِرم‬
‫ي‬ ْ َ‫أَفَ لَ ْم تَ ُك ْن َءايَِِٰت تُ ْت لَ ٰى َعلَْي ُك ْم ف‬
Were not Our verses recited to you, but you were arrogant an d became a people of criminals?
(Al-Jathiya, 31)

And He said:

‫َو َحا َق ِبِِم هما َكانُواْ بِ ِه يَ ْستَ ْه ِزئُو َن‬

and they will be enveloped by what they used to ridicule.
(Al-Jathiya, 33)

Mocking is from the manifestation of arrogance.

And He said:

ِ‫ت ه‬
‫ٱَّلل ُه ُزوا‬ ِ ‫َذلِ ُكم ِِبَنه ُكم هٱَّتَ ْذ ُُْت ء ٰاي‬
ََ ُ
gns
(Al-Jathiya, 35)

Therefore, the mentioning of grandeur in the heavens and the earth for Him was suitable here.

3. Why did Allah choose Rabb instead of His other names?

You may say, why did Allah choose the word Rabb instead of another name or attribute from His names
and attributes, just as He did in other places in the mighty book? For example, He (swt) said:

28
 ِ ‫س ٰمو‬ ِ‫ِ ه‬
‫ض‬
َ ‫ٰت َوٱأل َْر‬َ َ ‫ٱ ْحلَ ْم ُد هَّلل ٱلذي َخلَ َق ٱل ه‬
All Praise to Allah the one who created the heavens and the earth
(Al-Anaam, 1)

ِ ‫س ٰم ٰو‬
ِ ‫ت َوَما ِيف ٱأل َْر‬ ِ‫ِ ه‬
‫ض‬ َ َ ‫ٱ ْحلَ ْم ُد هَّلل ٱلذي لَهُ َما ِيف ٱل ه‬
All Praise for Allah the one who possesses that which exists in the heavens and that which exists in
the earth
(Saba, 1)

ِ ‫س ٰمو‬ ِ ِ
ِ ‫ٰت َوٱأل َْر‬
‫ض‬ َ َ ‫ٱ ْحلَ ْم ُد هَّلل فَاط ِر ٱل ه‬
[All] praise is [due] to Allah, Creator of the heavens and the earth
(Al-Fatir, 1)

‫اب َوَملْ ََْي َعل لههُ ِع َو َجا‬ ِ ِِ ِ ِِ

َ َ‫ٱ ْحلَ ْم ُد هَّلل ٱلهذي أَنْ َز َل َعلَ ٰى َع ْبده ٱلْكت‬
[All] praise is [due] to Allah, who has sent down upon His Servant the Book and has not made
therein any deviance.
(Al-Kahf, 1)

The response is that every choice here is suitable for the context of the Sura in which it was mentioned. It
is noted that these openings are perfect. Allah mentions in Sura Fatir that that He is the originator of the
heavens and the earth, and He initiates and causes their existence from purely nothing. Then He
mentioned that He created them i.e. He measured them and fashioned them not based upon any
previous example i.e. from nothing. Khalq in the language means, it will be in the meaning of initiating,
bringing out the object purely from nothing into existence, and this will be only for Allah. It is also possible
for the meaning to be estimating, proportioning and fashioning. This is why the maker of leather ( ‫صانع‬

‫ )األدمي‬was called the Khaliq because of the fact that he measured and proportioned the leather.

He (swt) said upon the tongue of Isa (as):

‫ي َك َه ْي ئَ ِة ٱلطه ِْري‬
ِ ‫ٱلط‬ ۤ ِ‫أ‬
ِ ‫َّن أَ ْخلُ ُق لَ ُكم ِمن‬
َ ْ
that I design for you from clay [that which is] like the form of a bird
(Aal-Imran, 49)

29
Therefore, Allah is the Originator of the heavens and the earth and He is the fashioner and the estimator
of them not based upon any preceding example. He is their owner and the master of what exists in
them. So, after He mentioned that He is the Originator of the heavens and the earth and their creation,
He mentions that to Him also belongs what exists in them. Therefore, a person may own a house but not
own the furniture inside it. As for Allah, He is the owner and the owner of whatever exists in them, and He
mentioned His divinity regarding them i.e. their nurturing, their protection and their maintenance after
creating them and mentioning of His revelation of the Book upon his servant for guidance for the
creation.

Thus, the verses were perfectly and comprehensively integrated. Therefore, He mentioned that He is their
originator, their fashioner, their owner, their master, their protector and the one who is responsible over
them. He revealed the Book to guide the intelligent creation of Allah to the straight path.

Therefore, every verse is integral to other verses.

َ ‫ب ٱل َْعال َِم‬
The scholars said: And His saying: ‫ي‬ ِ ‫ َر‬encompassed all of that. So al-Rabb will include all what He

mentions from the characteristics of Allah of owning and creating, and ‫ العاملي‬will include all that He

mentioned from the heavens and the earth and whatever is in them. Therefore, Sura Fatiha is worthy of

ِ‫ٱ ْحلم ُد ه‬. The reason

َ ‫ب ٱل َْعال َِم‬
It came in the Tafsir Al Razi: that He (swt) did not say: ‫احلمد هلل خالق العاملي‬. Instead ‫ي‬ ِ ‫َّلل َر‬ َْ
for this is that people agree that occurrence of events are in need of an originator and a cause in the
event of their occurrence, but they differed regarding the circumstances of their continuation. Is there a
need for its continuation for the maintainer or not?

So a group said: The thing, the case of its survival is free from a cause. The Sustainer (‫ )املرب‬is the

ِ ‫َر‬
maintainer for the preservation of the thing, repairing it in the case of its continuation. So His saying ‫ب‬

َ ‫ ٱل َْعال َِم‬is a notification that all of the worlds are in need of Him in the case of their survival. The meaning
‫ي‬

that their need for the originator in the case of their creation is a matter agreed upon.

As for their need of the Maintainer and the Sustainer in the case of its continuation, regarding which
disputes have happened.

So he specified Him (swt) by mentioning, notifying upon that everything other than Allah, cannot do
without Him, not in the case of its occurrence and nor in the case of its continuation.

30
 ِ‫ٱ ْحلم ُد ه‬. First of them is Sura Al-
Then He (swt) commenced four chapters after this Sura with His saying: ‫َّلل‬ َْ
Anam and it is His saying:

ِ ِ ‫س ٰمو‬ ِ‫ِ ه‬
َ ‫ض َو َج َع َل ٱلظُّلُ َٰمت َوٱلن‬
‫ُّور‬ َ ‫ٰت َوٱأل َْر‬َ َ ‫ٱ ْحلَ ْم ُد هَّلل ٱلذي َخلَ َق ٱل ه‬
[All] praise is [due] to Allah, who created the heavens and the earth and made the darkness and
the light.
(Al-Anam, 1)

Note that the mentioning here is a type from the types of His saying: َُ‫ َربُ ْٱلعَالَمين‬because the expression is
dealing with everything except Allah. The heavens, earth, light and darkness are a type from the types
except Allah. So, mentioning in the beginning of Sura Al-Anam, as if it is a type from the types which was
mentioned in the beginning of Sura Al Fatiha, as well as the mentioning in the beginning of Sura Al-Anam
that He created the heavens and the earth, while mentioning in the beginning of Sura Al-Fatiha that He is
lord of the worlds.

Secondly in Sura Al-Kahf, and it is His saying:

ِ ِِ ِ ِِ
َ َ‫ٱ ْحلَ ْم ُد هَّلل ٱلهذي أَنْ َز َل َعلَ ٰى َع ْبده ٱلْكت‬
‫اب‬
[All] praise is [due] to Allah, who has sent down upon His Servant the Book
(Al-Kahf, 1)

َ ‫ب ٱل َْعال َِم‬
The aim is teaching the humans knowledge and His saying in the beginning of Sura Al-Fatiha: ‫ي‬ ِ ‫َر‬

indicates the general teaching regarding all the worlds. So the mentioning in the beginning of Sura Al-
Kahf was from a type from the types that He mentioned in the beginning of Sura Al-Fatiha.

Thirdly, Sura Saba, and it is:

ِ ‫س ٰم ٰو‬
ِ ‫ت َوَما ِيف ٱأل َْر‬ ِ‫ِ ه‬
‫ض‬ َ َ ‫ٱ ْحلَ ْم ُد هَّلل ٱلذي لَهُ َما ِيف ٱل ه‬
All] praise is [due] to Allah, to whom belongs whatever is in the heave ns and whatever is in the
earth
(Saba, 1)

So he explained in the beginning of Sura Al-Anam that the heavens and the earth belong to Him, and He
explained in the beginning of Sura Saba that all things taking place belong to Him and this is also a type

31
 ِ‫ٱ ْحلم ُد ه‬.
َ ‫ب ٱل َْعال َِم‬
from the types which is within His saying: ‫ي‬ ِ ‫َّلل َر‬ َْ

Fourthly, His saying:

ِ ‫س ٰمو‬ ِ ِ
ِ ‫ٰت َوٱأل َْر‬
‫ض‬ َ َ ‫ٱ ْحلَ ْم ُد هَّلل فَاط ِر ٱل ه‬
[All] praise is [due] to Allah, Creator of the heavens and the earth
(Al-Fatir, 1)

The mentioned thing in the beginning of Sura Al-Anam is that He is the creator of them and creation is
estimation, and mentioning in this Sura is that He is an Originator and Producer for their being. This is not
ِ‫ٱ ْحلم ُد ه‬.
َ ‫ب ٱل َْعال َِم‬
like the first but that it is also a type from the types which is within His saying: ‫ي‬ ِ ‫َّلل َر‬ َْ

Then when He (swt) mentioned in Sura Al-Anaam, that He is a creator of the heavens and the earth, He
mentioned that He is the maker of darkness and light. As for Sura Al-Fatir, when He mentioned He is the
originator of the heavens and the earth, He mentioned He made the angels as messengers, then in Sura
Al-Anam, He mentioned after the creation of the heavens and the earth, He made the light and darkness
and He mentioned in Sura Al-Fatir after Him being the originator of the heavens and the earth, He made
livings beings.

َ ‫ب ٱل َْعال َِم‬
This is from one angle and from another angle that His (swt) saying: ‫ي‬ ِ ‫ َر‬is suitable with His saying in

what follows: ‫يم‬ ِ ِ ‫ٱه ِد ََن‬,

َ ‫ط ٱل ُْم ْستَق‬
َ ‫ٱلص َرا‬ ْ because the first issue for the Sustainer is the guidance and due to that the

guidance is connected with the word of Rabb in the

ٍ ‫ال ربُّنا ٱله ِذ ۤي أَ ْعطَى ُك هل َش‬

‫يء َخ ْل َقهُ ُثُه َه َد ٰى‬ ٰ َ ُ‫ال فَ َمن هربُّ ُك َما ُٰي‬
َ َ َ َ‫وس ٰى * ق‬ َ َ‫ق‬

each thing
(TaHa, 49-50)

‫اب َعلَْي ِه َو َه َد ٰى‬

َ َ‫ٱجتَ بَاهُ َربُّهُ فَ ت‬
ْ ‫{ُثُه‬
But then his Lord chose him and turned to him and guided him.
(TaHa, 122)

‫س هو ٰى * َوٱله ِذي قَ هد َر فَ َه َد ٰى‬ ِ‫ه‬

ْ ‫َسبِ ِح‬
َ ِ‫ٱس َم َرب‬
َ َ‫ك ٱألَ ْعلَ ٰى * ٱلذي َخلَ َق ف‬
32
Exalt the name of your Lord, Most High. Who created and proportioned, And who destined and
[then] guided
(Al- -3)

‫اط ُّم ْستَ ِق ٍيم‬ ِ ِۤ

ٍ ‫صر‬ ِ
َ ‫قُ ْل إنهِين َه َد ِاّن َرِب إ َ َٰل‬
Say, Indeed, my Lord has guided me to a straight path
(Al-Anam, 161)

‫غ قُلُوبَنَا بَ ْع َد إِ ْذ َه َديْ تَ نَا‬

ْ ‫َربهنَا َلَ تُ ِز‬
[Who say], Our Lord, let not our hearts deviate after You have guided us
(Aal-Imran, 8)

‫ب ِم ْن َهٰ َذا َر َشدا‬ ِ

َ ‫س ٰى أَن يَ ْهديَ ِن َرِب ألَق َْر‬
َ ‫َوقُ ْل َع‬
Perhaps my Lord will guide me to what is nearer than this to right conduct.
(Al-Kahf, 24)

‫إِ هن َم ِع َي َرِب َسيَ ْه ِدي ِن‬

Indeed, with me is my Lord; He will guide me.
(Al-Shuara, 62)

‫ب إِ َ َٰل َرِب َسيَ ْه ِدي ِن‬ ِ

ٌ ‫ال إِِّن ذَاه‬
َ َ‫َوق‬
And [then] he said, Indeed, I will go to [where I am ordered by] my Lord; He will guide me.
(Al-Saffat, 99)

ِ ِ‫سب‬
‫يل‬ ‫آء ٱل ه‬‫و‬ ‫س‬ ِ
‫ين‬ ‫ي‬ ِ ‫َعس ٰى رِ ۤب أَن ي ْه‬
‫د‬
َ َ َ َ َ َ َ
Perhaps my Lord will guide me to the sound way.
(Al-Qasas, 22)

33
 THE ALL-MERCIFUL, THE MOST MERCIFUL ‫الَرحي ّم‬ ‫مح ّن‬
ٰ ‫الَر‬

The All-Merciful (‫ )ٱل هر ْمحٰ ِن‬is on the pattern of ‫ فَ ْعالن‬from ‫الرمحة‬, and the Most Merciful (‫ )ٱل هرِح ِيم‬is on the pattern of

‫فعيل‬. The pattern ‫ فعالن‬indicates upon occurrence and renewal in the same manner as the attributes thirsty,

hungry and angry, and it does not indicate upon permanence. The description also informs of the

It came in the Tafseer of al Al-Quail: ee that those who say angry, for those who are full of

The form ‫ فعيل‬indicates upon the permanence of the attribute, such as tall, beautiful and ugly or change of

the attribute to that which draws near to permanence such as orator, eloquent and noble.

of mercy. If He (swt) had described Himself with ‫ رحيم‬only, then this permanent attribute of His would
have occurred in the mind, but there may come a time that He will not be merciful like the noble and the
orator.

If He (swt) said ‫ رمحٰن‬only, then it may be thought that this is a non-permanent attribute like anger and

thirst. This attribute will change, such as the anger which goes and the thirst which disappears. Therefore
with Al-Rahma, He combined between the two in order to indicate upon His permanent and renewed
attribute Al-Rahma. Therefore, His mercy is lasting and does not cease. It is from the best combination
between the two attributes. The description with one of the two does not convey what it conveys when
they are combined.

The occurrence of these attributes after the word Al-Rabb, is the best position. This is because this Lord,
which there is no lord other than Him, and the Master which there no is master except Him, is
compassionate with His servants. Therefore the souls of the servants become happy, and their hope
becomes strong by His compassion. There is also in it an indication that the Sustainer (‫ )املرب‬is necessary

to be adorned with compassion, and that He is not necessary to be harsh upon whom he sustains and
guides. Also, that in it is an indication to the fact that the compassion necessitates the attribute of the
Rabb with all that it carries of meanings.

Therefore, the Owner (‫ )املالك‬is obliged to be merciful with what he owns and who he owns, and the

Sustainer (‫ )املرب‬is obliged to be merciful, and the Master (‫ )السيد‬is obliged to be merciful and the Repairer

(‫ )املصلح‬is obliged to be merciful, and the Maintainer (‫ )القيم‬is obliged to be merciful. So the compassion

34
necessitates that the attribute of Rabb be with all its meanings. Allah described His messenger ‫ ﷺ‬with
compassion, while He (swt) is the greatest caretaker and greatest repairer. He (swt) said:

ِ ِ ِ ٌ ‫سول ِمن أَن ُف ِس ُكم َع‬

‫حيم‬
ٌ ‫ءوف َر‬ َ ‫ريص َعلَي ُكم ِِبملُؤم‬
ٌ ‫ني َر‬ ٌ ‫زيز َعلَيه ما َعنتُّم َح‬ ٌ ‫جاء ُكم َر‬
َ ‫لََقد‬
A Messenger has come to you from among yourselves. Your suffering is distressing to him; he is
deeply concerned for you; he is gentle and merciful to the believers.
(Tawbah, 9:128)

35
 ّ ‫الدي‬
MASTER OF THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT ‫ن‬ ِّ ‫ك يَ ّوم‬
ّ ّ‫مال‬

ِ‫كي‬
1. Is it recited: ‫وم الدي ِن‬ ِِ ِ ِِ
َ ‫ مال‬or ‫? ملك يَوم الدي ِن‬

The meaning of this verse is Owner of the day of recompense (‫)مالك يوم اجلزاء‬. ‫ َم ِلك‬is also recited instead of

ِ ِ‫ مال‬and it is a mutawatir (continuous) recitation. There is difference of opinion in the first of the two
‫ك‬

recitations. Some scholars preferred the recitation of ‫ مالك‬and some of them preferred the recitation of

‫ملِك‬.

The truth is that there is no contention for preference or preponderance between the two recitations.
Both recitations are mutawatir (continuous) from the Messenger of Allah ‫ﷺ‬. Indeed Jibreel (as) brought
down both of them from The Merciful (‫)الرمحن‬, but we say that indeed every recitation has a meaning and

such a matter is known. Every recitation necessitates certain matters that perhaps other recitations do
not.

The Owner (‫ )املالك‬may be a Sovereign (‫ )ملكا‬and he may not be, and the Sovereign may be an Owner and

he may not be. The right of disposal of the Owner is different to the right of disposal of the Sovereign.
From this it was mentioned that there is a difference between the two.

1. Ownership (َ‫ )املالكية‬is a reason for the complete right of disposal. Therefore, the Owner (‫ )املالك‬disposes

of that which he controls, and the Owner disposes of that which the Sovereign does not dispose of
from selling, gifting or renting and so forth, because the Sovereign cannot sell his subjects (‫)رعاّي‬.

2. The Sovereign (‫ )امللك‬controls the subjects and the Owner (‫ )مالك‬owns slaves. The slave is lesser in

position than the subject, so it is necessary for coercion to exist in Ownership (‫ )املالكية‬more than in

domination (‫)امللكية‬. Therefore, it is necessary that the Owner is more superior than the Sovereign. The

creation is dependent upon Allah, and His slaves are not His subjects (citizens).

3. Indeed it is possible for the subjects to leave from being a subject by their own choice, because of
the Sovereign. As for the slave, it is not possible for him to leave from bondage by his own choice,
because of the Owner. Therefore, coercion in Ownership is more complete than in domination.

4. Indeed the Sovereign is obliged to provide guardianship and protection for the subject. He ‫ ﷺ‬said:

36
 ٌ
‫مسؤول عن رعيته‬ ‫كلُّكم ر ٍاع وكلكم‬
of you is a guardian and each of you is questioned over his

It is not an obligation upon the subject to serve the Sovereign. As for the slave, he is obliged to serve
the Owner and he is not independent in any matter, expect by the permission of his master.

5. Indeed the recitation of ‫ املالك‬demands more than the recitation of ‫ امللك‬because the most of which is

ِ is justice and fairness and rescuing of the human by him without

sought from the Sovereign ‫امللك‬

distinction. As for the Owner ‫املالك‬, the slave will seek from him clothes, food, mercy and education,

as if He (swt) is saying:

6. It was said, that ‫ مالك‬is more admirable, because it adds to that which ‫ امللك‬does not. For instance, the

Owner of humans, birds, animals and Owner of inanimate things is more expansive in order to
include those with intellect and other than them and it will not be said he is a Sovereign ُ‫ملك‬.

7. The Owner has more authority and power to act in that which he controls than the Sovereign with
respect to the subject. This means that Ownership remains in the hands of the Owner when he
disposes of that which he controls by way of justice or aggression or excess, and no one is able to
remove the possession from its Owner.

8. Indeed the Owner is more courteous with that which he controls than the Sovereign. This means that
the Owner considers carefully matters that he controls, and he looks after his matters and he repairs
their defects. Therefore, whoever from them will be sick he will cure him, and whoever is weak he will
support him, and whoever is hungry he will feed him, and whoever falls into difficulty he will reduce it.
Indeed, the Owner defends that which he controls and will protect and preserve it from aggression,
and that is something the Sovereign will not do.

The utmost which the Sovereign will do when difficulties happen, will be to rise to establish some
obligations, and if someone under his authority was sick he will wish him well and he will not take
responsibility because of an obligation. As for the Owner, he will deal with it and put it right by his
command.

Therefore, the recitation of ‫ مالك‬is more appropriate with mercy in His (swt) saying: ‫مح ِن ال هرِحي ِم‬
ٰ ْ ‫الر‬
‫ ه‬and
ِ ‫ )ي‬when the creation will be neediest at that time for the Owner
appropriate for the day of judgement (‫وم الدي ِن‬ َ
of their affairs, who will protect them and show them mercy. Ruhu Al Maani said: He is the most

37
courteous with the guilty like me and it is appropriate with what was before it, and it (‫ )مالك‬is added to the

day of judgement in order to break its intensity.

It was said, indeed the Sovereign is not only greater and more supreme than the people, but there is only
one (sovereign) while all the people of the country are owners. So the Sovereign is more noble than the
Owner.

What is apparent, is that the two recitations were revealed in order to combine between the two
meanings of Owner and Sovereign. So He (swt) is an Owner and a Sovereign, and that is like His (swt)
saying:

ِ ‫ك ٱلْمل‬
‫ْك‬ ِ
ُ َ ‫َمال‬
Owner of all dominion
(Aal-Imran, 3:26)

ِ ‫ )ٱلْمل‬is only for the Sovereign and not for the Owner, just as He (swt) said upon the
All the dominion (‫ْك‬ ُ
tongue of Firawn (Pharaoh):

‫ار َُتْ ِري ِمن ََتْ ِ ِۤت‬ ِِ

ُ َ‫ص َر َو َهٰذه ٱأل َْْن‬
ِ ُ ‫أَلَيس ِِل مل‬
ْ ‫ْك م‬ ُ َ ْ
Does not the Kingdom of Egypt belong to me, and these rivers flowing beneath me
(Al-Zukhruf, 43:51)

Here it combines the Owner and the Sovereign, and it informed that the dominion is only for Him (swt)
and that does not happen with one reading alone.

2. Why did Allah restrict dominion to the day of judgement and not mention the
worldly life?

َ ‫ب ٱل َْعال َِم‬
The answer is that He said before this verse, ‫ي‬ ِ ‫ َر‬which included the worldly life. ‫ يوم الدين‬means day of

recompense, and there is no doubt that He (swt) is the Owner of the day of recompense. He is the
Owner of that which was prior to the day from the days of action, otherwise how can He recompense for
that which does not belong to Him?

3. Why did Allah say: ‫ يوم الدين‬instead of: ‫? يوم القيامة‬

38
The answer is because ‫ الدين‬with the meaning of recompense includes all the circumstances of the

resurrection from the beginning of resurrection to the lasting eternity. In fact, it will start first with the
entire creation. ‫ يوم القيامة‬does not give this understanding like ‫يوم الدين‬.

Al-Deen (‫ )الدين‬has several meanings such as recompense, accountability, obedience and coercion. So He

(swt) gathered these in the meaning, so that the day is the day of recompense entirely. Therefore it is a
day of accountability, a day of recompense, a day of obedience and submission to Allah. It is a day in
which the people of obedience will be strengthened and the people of disobedience will be subjugated. It
is a day of recompense, i.e. a day of raising of the deen when its affairs will be manifest just as it is said:
i.e. you are its Owner and manifest therein and , and so
on from the meanings the word deen carries. The

It came in Ruhu Al Maani: anings of deen which are used are obedience and law.
Therefore the mind of the person will go towards every acceptable opinion. It was said, some of them are
from these two meanings, and the meaning at that time will be according to the estimation of the mudaf.
So according to the first, the day of recompense is existing for the deen (obedience) and according to
the second the day of recompense is remaining constant in the deen. It intended in the first for absolute
submission in order that the day manifests outwardly and inwardly. He (swt) made the addition of ‫ يوم‬to

the deen in the second, because between them are a close association with the word of recompense, so

There is another issue and it is that ‫ يوم الدين‬is more appropriate because it is linked to His (swt) saying: ‫رب‬

‫ العاملي‬which is for the worlds of the legally responsible as discussed previously. The day of recompense ‫يوم‬

‫ الدين‬is definitely more appropriate when it links to the legally responsible which the sura mentions from

those who were favoured, those who are the object of anger, and those who are misguided, because the
meaning of ‫ الدين‬is recompense, accountability, obedience and subjugation, and all of this will only happen

to those who are legally responsible. Therefore, deen is more appropriate than the day of resurrection
which cannot be understood from its meaning. The language is what gives the meaning from the day of
deen and its inclusions upon things which are not connected with recompense. So deen is more suitable
than the day of resurrection from every angle.

4. Why did Allah add Owner/Sovereign to the day while on that day there will be
no dominion and in fact that which occurs on it will be dominated?

The answer is that this was for the purpose of generality. So the Sovereign of the day is Sovereign for
whatever is in it and whoever is in it. His Ownership is an Ownership which includes the materialistic and
non-materialistic matters. So the Ownership of the day is the Ownership of everything that has happened

39
and will occur on that day, and of everything of which exists that day, and for everyone on that day.

It came in Ruhu Al Maani: specifying the day with the idafa despite the fact He (swt) is the Owner and
Sovereign of everything in all times, is either for veneration or because Dominion and Ownership are two
occurrences in the worldly life for some people. It is apparent that they will disappear, and the creator will
separate them with a visible separation in the hereafter:

‫َوُكلُّ ُه ْم آتِ ِيه يَ ْوَم ٱل ِْقيَ َام ِة فَ ْردا‬

And all of them are coming to Him on the Day of Resurrection alone.
(Maryam, 19:95)

He (swt) will be without parallel on that day, unmatched wherein there will be no secret. Because of this
He (swt) said:

ِ‫س َشيئا وٱألَمر ي ومئِ ٍذ ِه‬ ِ ‫ك نَ ْف‬ِ

‫َّلل‬ َ ْ َ ُ ْ َ ْ ٍ ‫س لنَ ْف‬
ٌ ُ ‫يَ ْوَم َلَ َتَْل‬
It is the Day when a self will have no power to help any other self in any way. The command that
e.
(Al-Infitar, 82:19)

ِ ‫َّلل ٱلْو‬
‫اح ِد ٱلْ َقها ِر‬ ِِ ُ ‫لِ َم ِن ٱل ُْمل‬
َ ‫ْك ٱلْيَ ْوَم ه‬
To whom belongs [all] Sovereignty this Day? To Allah, the One, the Prevailing.
(Ghaafir, 40:16)

5. Linking this verse to ‫ٱ ْلح َْم ُد َّلل‬

The connection of the praise (‫ )ٱ ْحلَ ْم ُد‬with these attributes is the best connection and the most beautiful.

Therefore, Allah is praised with His essence and His attributes, because Allah is the name of the supreme
being described with supreme attributes. So saying: All Praise to Allah (‫ )ٱ ْحلَ ْم ُد هَّلل‬means that He is

deserving of all praise with His essence and His attributes, and He is praised for His divinity by the
worlds. Indeed from the lords are those lords whose divinity is not praised. As for Allah (swt), He is
praised with all meanings of divinity, and He is praised due to Him being merciful and compassionate,
even though every mercy is not praised. So, if mercy is placed in other than its place, then it will be a
defect for its possessor. As for Allah being praised due to His mercy which He placed in its place, and
He obliged it due to it being worthy, and due to that a group from the people was blessed and a group

40
was the object of anger.

He is praised on the day of recompense and praised due to his Ownership and his authority, due to that
entire day.

This praise includes all times. So the praise was when Allah existed while nothing was with Him, and this
is His saying All Praise to Allah (‫)ٱ ْحلَ ْم ُد هَّلل‬. The praise includes when He created the worlds and when He

ِ ‫َر‬
had authority over them and when He established them, and that is His saying: lord of the worlds ( ‫ب‬

َ ‫)ٱل َْعال َِم‬. The praise includes times when mercy will descend and will not be discontinued and that is His
‫ي‬

ِ ‫مح ِن ال هر‬
saying: The merciful and compassionate (‫حيم‬ ٰ ‫)ال هر‬. The praise includes the entire day of recompense,

and the day of recompense will not be completed because recompense is not completed. Therefore the
people of paradise will be there eternally and the people of hell fire will be there eternally. Recompense of
ِ ‫)ي‬. It came in the
every one of them will not end. Therefore that is the day of recompense ( ‫وم الدي ِن‬ َ
commentary of Jurjany on Al-Kashaf, His saying: The Owner of the day of recompense then indeed

Therefore, the praise was included for all times from eternity to all time, and He did not leave anything
from it. So it was like His (swt) saying:

ِ ٰ َ ‫لَه ٱ ْحلم ُد ِيف ٱأل‬

ِ‫ٱآلخرة‬
َ ‫ُوَل َو‬ َْ ُ
To Him is [due all] praise in the first [life] and the Hereafter.
(Qasas, 28:70)

and His (swt) saying:

ِ‫ضي ب ي نَ هم بِٱ ْحل ِق وقِيل ٱ ْحلم ُد ِه‬

ِ
َ ‫ب ٱل َْعالَ ِم‬
‫ي‬ ِ ‫َّلل َر‬ ْ َ َ َ َ ْ ُ ْ َ َ ُ‫َوق‬
And it will be judged between them in truth, and it will be said, [All] praise to Allah, Lord of the
worlds.
(Zumar, 39:75)

and His (swt) saying:

ِ‫َن ٱ ْحلم ُد ه‬ ِ
ِ ُ ‫آخر َد ْعو‬
َ ‫ب ٱل َْعالَ ِم‬
‫ي‬ ِ ‫َّلل َر‬ ْ َ ‫اه ْم أ‬ َ ُ ‫َو‬
be

41
 (Yunus, 10:10)

Therefore, He did not leave anything from the praise except His remembrance, and He did not leave any
moment since eternity to all time, whereby time was not interrupted except He included it. This chapter
was indeed worthy to be named the mother of the Book.

It came in tafseer Al-Qaeem:

upon its content and its requisites is what indicates upon the fact He is praised due to his godship
(Oneness of the Divine nature), praised due to His divinity (Oneness of divine Lordship), praised due to
His mercifulness, praised due to His authority, and that He is a god who is praised, lord of praise and

42
 YOU ALONE WE WORSHIP. YOU ALONE WE ASK FOR HELP ‫إّ ِّّي َك نَعبُ ُد‬

ُ َ‫َوإّ ِّّي َك نَست‬

‫عي‬

1. Why are the objects before the verbs?

The two objects of the verbs ‫( نعبد‬we worship) and ‫( نستعي‬we seek assistance) have been brought forward

for the purpose of specification. The meaning becomes, we stipulate for you worship and we stipulate for
Y
except from You. This is because worshiping is only for Allah, and seeking help is only with Him. It is
similar to His saying:

‫بَ ِل ه‬
‫ٱَّللَ فَٱ ْعبُ ْد‬
Rather, worship [only] Allah
(Zumur, 39:66)

and His saying:

ۤ
ِ ‫وّن أَ ْعب ُد أَيُّها ٱ ْجل‬ ِ‫قُل أَفَ غَ ْري ه‬
‫اهلُو َن‬َ َ ُ ِ ‫ٱَّلل ََت ُْم ُر‬ َ ْ
Say, [O Muhammad], Is it other than Allah that you order me to worship, O ignorant ones?
(Zumur, 39:64)

and His saying:

‫ك تَ َوهكلْنَا‬
َ ‫هربهنَا َعلَْي‬
Our Lord, upon You we have relied
(Mumtahana, 60:4)

and His saying:

ُ ‫َعلَْي ِه تَ َوهكل‬
‫ْت‬
upon him I rely

43
 (Hud, 11:88)

and His saying:

ۤ ِ‫و َعلَى ه‬
ْ‫ٱَّلل فَ تَ َوهكلُوا‬ َ
and upon Allah, then put your trust
(Al-Maida, 5:23)

2. Why is ‫ إّيك‬repeated?

The repetition of ‫ إّيك‬with the verb of seeking help (‫ )نستعي‬specifies the seeking of help to Allah. This is

because if He had said: ‫إّيك نعبد ونستعي‬, it would specify Him with worshipping and it would not specify Him

with seeking help. Also if He said: ‫ إّيك نعبد ونستعي‬it may be understood that no one draws near to Him

except by combining worship and seeking assistance. Therefore, he would not worship without seeking
assistance nor would he seek help without worshipping, and this is not correct. Similar to this is
. This may be understood that warning will be combined
with giving and giving will not happen independently, or warning will not happen independently, and
possibly independence of the actions will be understood in giving and warning.

Therefore, if someone said, to you , it will specify for him the giving and
specify for him the warning from all sides whether giving and warning is combined or not.

It came in Ruhu al-Maani: regarding the secret of the repetition of ‫إياك‬, it is for specification upon the
request of assistance from Him (swt), because had He (swt) said: ‫إياك نعبد ونستعين‬, it would probably inform
of the request of assistance without designating from whom it should be sought from. If he had restricted
upon one, perhaps he will think that he will not draw close to Allah (swt) except by combining between
the two, and the truth is opposite to this. Then indeed in the repetition of ‫ إياك‬is to draw attention and
power, and not that which is

It came in Tafseer Al-Qaeem:

its omiss

Therefore, the repetition is required from every aspect.

44
3. Why is ‫ نستعي‬not restricted to a particular type of help?

From another angle, let us consider how the verb of seeking help (‫ )نستعي‬was used and how it did not

ِ
ُ ‫ َوإِ هّي َك نَ ْستَع‬and He did not say: we seek help for such, or upon such ,
restrict it with anything. So He said: ‫ي‬

and He did not say as an example: we seek help for worshipping , or we seek help for obeying , or
anything like that, which means that the verb of seeking help was intended to include everything which
the human wanted and it did not specify it with anything. So he seeks assistance from Allah for
worshipping and for seeking provision, and for victory against the enemy, and that his affairs become
easy for him, and his needs are fulfilled for him. Therefore, it includes all affairs of the world and the
hereafter.

It is said, if He specified seeking help with worshipping and obedience, then the ruling of seeking help in
other than them will be unknown.

It came in Ruhu Al-Maani: ng the secret of the usage of seeking assistance, then it was said: in
order that it deals with every type of help in it. So the omission here is similar to their saying: such and
such gave, which is an indication of generality. Also, if the aim was seeking of help for his success in the
fulfilment of worshiping, then the ruling of seeking help in other than that will remain unknown in the

4.

Let us discuss from another angle, how the verse used the expression regarding worshiping and seeking
ِ
ُ ‫ إِ هّي َك نَ ْعبُ ُد َوإِ هّي َك نَ ْستَع‬and He did not say: ‫ أعبد وأستعي‬and
help with the plural (we) and not singular (I). So He said: ‫ي‬

this is to indicate the importance of community in Islam. So the Islamic religion is not an individualistic
religion. Rather it is a collective religion, and many of the collective manifestations are clear like
congregational prayer, which is superior to individual prayer by twenty-seven degrees, and the mosque is
but a manifestation of the collective manifestations. This chapter which is repeated in every rakah of
prayer is an indication of the importance of community, with the words: we worship, we seek help and
guide us. The hajj is the biggest manifestation of collective appearance and alms and charity are from the
greatest manifestation of collective responsibility, and fighting in the path of Allah is from the affairs of the
community and the leader of the believers will declare it, and fasting in Islam is not purely an
individualistic worship, rather it is collective worship. Therefore, it is designated with an appointed month,
which all Muslim societies are bound by and it is not just the individual s desire. Therefore, no individual
should be separate from collective manifestations in society. Visiting the sick is a collective matter, and
other than that, are all from the collective manifestations.

It came in in Tafseer Al-Razi: s Nun is the Nun of plurality, and it is notifying first

45
brothers, so if He said: (‫)إياك أعبد‬, then it would have mentioned his worship and not mention the worship
of than him. As for when he said: (‫ )إياك نعبد‬he would have mentioned his worship and the worship of all
believers in the east and west,

5. Why was worship connected to seeking help?

Worship is connected with seeking help in order to indicate that the human being is not capable of
establishing the worship of Allah except with the help of Allah and success granted by Him. He will not
ascend with it except by relying upon Allah. Therefore, it is confirmation of the weakness of carrying this
heavy responsibility. If Allah did not help him, then seeking assistance with Allah is a remedy for the
delusion of man and his arrogance, and both of them are two fatal diseases. Certainly, He combined
between what the servants draw close with to their lord and what they request of him, and what they

6. Why was worship given precedence over seeking help?

Worship was given precedence over seeking assistance for several reasons, among them are:

a. Indeed worship is the reason for the creation of man and jinn

ِ ‫ت ٱ ْجلِ هن وٱ ِإلنس إَِله لِي ْعب ُد‬

‫ون‬ ُ ‫َوَما َخلَ ْق‬
َُ َ َ
I did not create jinn and men except to worship
(Adh-dhariyat, 51:56)

Indeed, it is the goal of their creation and indeed seeking help is only a means to establish it. So worship
was brought first by foregrounding (‫ )التقدمي‬because the objective is given precedent before the means.

It came in the Tafseer al-Qaeem: preceding of the worship over the seeking of help in fatiha is
from a type of forwarding the objectives before the means, because worshiping is the objective of the

b. Worship is a portion belonging to the Lord and His right, and that seeking of help is a desire of the
servant, and naturally the servant will undertake what is necessary to please the Lord and invoke His
response before seeking from Him anything while he self-abases himself before Allah and submits in
His presence with worship. Therefore worshipping is mostly likely where one expects response to
the seeking of help.

46
c. Worship is the right of Allah and His portion and seeking help is the portion of the servant, and the
right of Allah deserves to come first.

ِ ‫ك ي وِم‬
d. Worship is more suitable for recompense. I mean by this, His saying: ‫ٱلدي ِن‬ ِِ
ْ َ ‫ َمٰل‬and the seeking of
help is more suitable for requesting guidance, so it placed every expression with what it will be
appropriate for.

It came in Ruhu Al Maani: - i.e. worshiping - is a more suitable association with the
mentioning of the recompense, and the seeking of help is stronger in terms of gathering with the

‫ إِ هّي َك نَ ْعبُ ُد‬is connected with His divinity and His name is Allah, and ‫ي‬ ِ
e. ُ ‫ َوإِ هّي َك نَ ْستَع‬is connected with lordship

and his name is the Lord (rabb). So ‫ إِ هّي َك نَ ْعبُ ُد‬precedes ‫ي‬ ِ
ُ ‫إِ هّي َك نَ ْستَع‬, just as the name of Allah precedes in

the beginning of the chapter.

f. ‫ إِ هّي َك نَ ْعبُ ُد‬is the portion for Allah, so it was with the portion which is praising Allah (swt), being the most

ِ
ُ ‫ َوإِ هّي َك نَ ْستَع‬is the portion for the servant so it was with the portion which is for him
appropriate with it. ‫ي‬

and it is ‫يم‬ ِ ِ ‫ ٱ ْه ِد ََن‬to the end of the chapter.

َ ‫ط ٱل ُْم ْستَق‬
َ ‫ٱلص َرا‬

And this expression is similar to His saying (swt):

‫فَٱ ْعبُ ْدهُ َوتَ َوهك ْل َعلَْي ِه‬

So worship Him and put your trust in Him.
(Hud, 11:123)

Worship preceded reliance. This in addition to delaying the verb of seeking help, conforms with the
ending of the verses in the chapter. Therefore, bringing forward of worship was required from every
perspective.

7. Why did He say you alone we worship )...‫ (إّيك نعبد‬with the second person

(‫? )إّيهنعبد وإّيه نستعي‬

There is a general benefit in turning from one addressee to another, and also gives benefits which the

47
situation requires of it. As for the general benefits, when speech is transferred from one style to another
style, then that (style) is better in terms of freshness (‫ )تطرية‬to energise the listener, and to awaken listening

to it from its usage over a single style.

The benefits which the situation requires are, when worthiness of the praise was mentioned which these
great attributes were used for, knowledge was connected with certainty for the great matter (worthiness
of the praise). The speech of the objective of submission and seeking help regarding important matters,
are distinctively known with these characteristics. Therefore, it was said: o you alone (‫ )ّي إّيك‬for the one.

than You nor do we seek help from other than Him. Therefore, the second person address will be more
indicative that worship belongs to Allah.

Another benefit is when it was described that He is lord of the worlds, it was known that He is present in
every time and place and He is not absent. That is because He is lord of all the worlds. Therefore, He is
not absent from them, nor are the worlds absent from Him. Therefore, when His presence is known, He
was called upon with the call of the one present and addressed. Similar to this is that you mention a
person characterised with important characteristics while talking about him as if he is absent, but that
person is present with you. So, you say to him: you alone (‫ )إّيك‬which is more direct, so it will be this

address which is from politeness to reach the goal, which will not happen with the word ‫إّيه‬.

Another benefit is that the second person address was mentioned to pave the way for the supplication in
His saying: guide us (‫)اهدَن‬. The request from the present is stronger than the request from the absent.

Another benefit is that the speech from the beginning of the chapter to this verse is praising and the
praise in the absence is more appropriate. From this verse to the end of the chapter is a supplication,
and the supplication in the present is preferred, and Allah (swt) is living and generous.

Certainly He (swt) declared regarding the praise by the method of the third person and worship with the
method of the second person, presenting for each of them that which is from the agreeable
arrangement.

48
 GUIDE US ON THE STRAIGHT PATH ‫املستَقيم‬ ّ ّ
‫الصرا َط‬
َ ُ ِّ ‫اهد ََن‬

The meaning of guidance (‫ )اَلداية‬is counsel, indication, exposition and inspiration. The verb of guidance is

sometimes transitive (with an object) such as His (swt) saying:

‫يل إِ هما َشاكِرا َوإِ هما َك ُفورا‬ِ ‫إِ هَن َه َديْ نَاهُ ٱل ه‬
َ ‫سب‬
We guided him on the Way, whether he is thankful or unthankful.
(Al-Insaan, 76:3)

and His saying:

‫ص َراط ا ُّم ْستَ ِقيم ا‬ َ َ‫َويَ ْه ِدي‬

ِ ‫ك‬

and He guided you on a straight path

(Al-Fath, 48:2)

Sometimes it is transitive with the preposition ‫ إَل‬like His (swt) saying:

ِ ِ ۤ ِ َ ‫وإِنه‬
ٍ ‫صر‬
‫اط ُّم ْستَ ِق ٍيم‬َ ‫ك لَتَ ْهدي إ َ َٰل‬ َ
and Indeed, you are guiding to the straight path
(Al-Shuara, 26:52)

and His saying:

‫ش ٰى‬
َ ‫ك فَ تَ ْخ‬ َ َ‫َوأَ ْه ِدي‬
َ ِ‫ك إِ َ َٰل َرب‬
and I will guide you to your lord so that you may fear
(An-Naziyat, 79:19)

Sometimes it is transitive with the preposition ‫ ل‬like His saying:

ِ‫ٱ ْحلم ُد ه‬
‫َّلل ٱله ِذي َه َد َاَن َِلَٰ َذا‬ َْ

49
 All Praise to Allah the one who guided us to this
(Al-Araf, 7:43)

It was said that the difference between transitivity (verbs requiring an object) with a particle (harf) and
without a particle, is that transitivity with a particle is said when guidance was not regarding him, so he
will connect to guidance through the particle.

1. Transitivity without a particle

Transitivity without a particle, is said for the one who has guidance and for the one who does not have
guidance.

So you will say: I guided him to the road (‫)ه َديتهُ إَل الطريق‬
َ and I guided him to the road (‫ )وهديته للطريق‬to the one

who is not in the road. So you connected him to the road via the particle. You will say:
the road (‫ )هديته الطريق‬to the one who is in the road so you made him realise the road and you clarified it for

him. You will also say it to the one who is not in the road so you connected him to the road.

ِ ‫فَٱتهبِ ْع ِ ۤين أ َْه ِد َك‬

‫ص َراطا َس ِوّيا‬
follow me, I will guide you to a correct path
(Maryam:43)

and his father was not on the path, rather he was far from it. He (swt) said regarding the hypocrites:

‫يل ِم ْن ُه ْم َولَ ْو أَ هْنُ ْم‬ِ ِ ِ ِ ۤ ِ

َ ‫َولَ ْو أَ هَن َكتَ ْب نَا َعلَْي ِه ْم أَن ٱقْتُ لُواْ أَنْ ُف‬
ٌ ‫س ُك ْم أَ ِو ٱ ْخ ُر ُجواْ من د َّي ِرُك ْم هما فَ َعلُوهُ إَله قَل‬
* ‫َجرا َع ِظيما‬ ِ ِ
ْ ‫وعظُو َن بِه لَ َكا َن َخ ْريا هَلُ ْم َوأَ َش هد تَثْبِيتا * َوإِذا ألَتَ ْي ٰنَ ُهم من له ُدنهآ أ‬
َ ُ‫فَ َعلُواْ َما ي‬

‫ص َراط ا ُّم ْستَ ِقيم ا‬

ِ ‫اهم‬
ْ ُ َ‫َوََلََديْ ن‬
And if We had decreed upon them, "Kill yourselves" or "Leave your homes," they would not have
done it, except for a few of them. But if they had done what they were instructed, it would have
been better for them and a firmer position [for them in faith]. And then We would have given them
from Us a great reward. And We would have guided them to a straight path.

(An-Nisaa, 4:66-68)

50
and the hypocrites were not on the path.

He (swt) said upon the tongue of the Messenger of Allah ‫ﷺ‬:

ِ‫وما لَنَآ أََله نَت وهكل َعلَى ه‬

‫ٱَّلل َوقَ ْد َه َد َاَن ُسبُ لَنَا‬ َ ََ ََ
And why should we not rely upon Allah while He h as guided us to our [good] ways
(Ibrahim, 14:12)

and they are on the path. He (swt) addressed his messenger Mohammed ‫ﷺ‬:

‫ص َراطا ُّم ْستَ ِقيما‬ َ َ‫ك َويَ ْه ِدي‬

ِ ‫ك‬ َ ‫َويُتِ هم نِ ْع َمتَهُ َعلَْي‬
His favor upon you and guide you to a straight path.
(Al-Fath, 48:2)

and he ‫ ﷺ‬is proceeding upon the path.

So being transitive to itself (without the particle), is said to the one who is on the path and to the one who
is not on the path.

2. Transitivity with the particle laam (‫ )ل‬and the particle ilaa ( ‫)إِ ََل‬

As for transitivity with the particle laam and the particle ilaa, it will be for the one who is not on the path,
such as His (swt) saying upon the tongue of those disputants who came to Dawud (as) in order that he
judges between them:

ِ ِ
ِ ‫ٱلصر‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ
‫اط‬َ ‫ٱح ُك ْم بَ ْي نَ نَا بٱ ْحلَِق َوَلَ تُ ْشط ْط َو ْٱهد ََن إ َ َٰل َس َوآء‬
ْ َ‫ف‬
So judge between us with truth and do not exceed [it] and guide us to the sound path.
(38:22)

And His saying:

‫قُ ْل َه ْل ِمن ُش َرَكآئِ ُك ْم همن يَ ْه ِد ۤي إِ ََل ٱ ْحلَِق‬

Say, are there of your partners any who guides to the truth?
(10:35)

51
i.e. the particle connects to the truth.

with the meaning of inspire us, or enable us success, or give us

sustenance, or give us:

‫هج َدي ِن‬

ْ ‫َو َه َديْ نَاهُ ٱلن‬
we guided him to the two paths
(Al balad:10)

3. Transitivity with the particle ilaa (‫)إِ ََل‬

Sometimes it is transitive with ‫ إِ َ َٰل‬like His (swt) saying,

ٍ ‫صر‬
‫اط ُّم ْستَ ِق ٍيم‬ ِ ِ
َ ‫ٱجتَ بَاهُ َو َه َداهُ إ َ َٰل‬
ْ
He chose him and he guided him to the straight path
(Al Nahl:121)

ِ ‫صر‬
‫اط ٱ ْجلَ ِح ِيم‬ ِ ِ ُ ‫ٱه ُد‬
َ ‫وه ْم إ َ َٰل‬ ْ َ‫ف‬
They guided them to the path of the fire
(al saffat:23)

and this is with the meaning of guiding and indication. Similar to this is His saying:

ٍ ‫صر‬
‫اط ُّم ْستَ ِق ٍيم‬ ِ ‫ك لَتَ ْه ِد ۤي إِ َ َٰل‬
َ ‫َوإِنه‬
َ
and indeed you guide to a straight path
(Al shura:52)

Sometimes it is transitive with ‫ ل‬like the saying of the people of paradise:

52
 ِ‫ٱ ْحلم ُد ه‬
‫َّلل ٱله ِذي َه َد َاَن َِلَٰ َذا‬ َْ
All praise to Allah, who guided us to this
(Al-Araf, 7:43)

Al Lisan (dictionary) states:

aware

Ibn Bari states:

transitive with two objects, and it said: I guided him to the road, and for the road is with the meaning of I
directed him to it. So it is transitive with a prepositional particle like I guided, he said: it was said: I guided
him (to) the road with the mea

So upon this it will be: he guided him (to) the road )‫ (هداه الطريق‬with the meaning he made him aware of

the road, and he guided him to the road and for the road )‫ (هداه إَل الطريق وللطريق‬with the meaning of I

indicated it to him , and it will be said: he guided (li) to the road ‫ هداه للطريق‬with the meaning of he

demonstrated it to him also.

It seems that guidance is according to types. So the one who is misguided and furthest from the path,
he is in need for a guide who will point to him the path and connect him to it. So here we use
to )‫ (يهدي إَل‬i.e. he connected to and guided to.

The one connecting to the road is in need of a guide who will make him aware of the circumstances of
the road and its different stages, and whatever is in it of fears and places of disaster and safety, and
make him aware of that which the traveller will require in this road. So here we use
the road )‫(هداه الطريق‬.

4. Transitivity with the particle laam (‫)ل‬

As for the laam, then it is used in the language for reason, i.e. to explain the goal of an event, and it may
be used for the completion of a goal also, like your saying
i.e. indeed the seeking of knowledge is the goal of coming and its reason, and with
meaning of

Laam may be used with guidance to explain the goal of the event, so the traveller of the path wants to
reach a goal and the road is not a goal in itself. Therefore, it will come with laam when this is the goal, so

53
you will say: i.e. he made him reach it for the purpose of it
(goal). The goal therefore was the reason for his conduct and movement. The human is in need of all this
guidance, so if he is misguided he will need someone who will guide him to the path. If he is to arrive (to
his goal), he will need someone who will make him aware of the road. If he travels along a path he will
need to reach the goal in order not to be cut off in the road. If the road was cut off, he will need someone
to inform him of his goal, and make him attain his wish and guide him to it.

So you will say just like the people of paradise said, after the end of their path and reaching their goal:

ِ‫ٱ ْحلم ُد ه‬
‫َّلل ٱله ِذي َه َد َاَن َِلَٰ َذا‬ َْ
All praise to Allah who guided us to this
(Al-

i.e. he enabled us to reach this (paradise), eventually and it is the conclusion of guidance.

Because of this, we will not find huda )‫ (هدى‬transitive with laam used in the noble Qur an with way (‫)السبيل‬

or path (‫)الصراط‬. So you will not find for example ‫ هداه لصراط مستقيم‬he guided him to the straight path or ‫هداه‬

‫ لسبيل مستبي‬he guided him to the clear way because the path is not the goal. Rather it is a path which

leads to the goal, so it is sought for other than it. Therefore it is said: he guided him (to) the path ( ‫هداه إَل‬

‫)الصراط وهداه الصراط‬. He (swt) said:

ِ َ‫ٱَّلل َُيُ ُّن َعلَْي ُكم أَ ْن َهدا ُكم لِ ِإلُي‬

‫ان‬ ْ ْ ُ‫بَ ِل ه‬
Rather, Allah has conferred favor upon you that He has guided you to the faith
(Al-Hujuraat, 49:17)

Therefore He made the faith an objective, that is to say that faith is from security, and it is the stability of
the soul and its tranquillity, and most that which burdens the human is the loss of his psychological
security, therefore its achievement is a goal from the greatest of goals.

And He said:

‫ْح ِق‬ ِ ِ ‫قُ ِل ه‬

َ ‫ٱَّللُ يَ ْهدي لل‬
say Allah guides to the truth
(Yunus, 10:35)

54
and He said:

ِ ِ
َ ‫إِ هن ٰه َذا ال ُقرآ َن يَهدي للهِت ه َي أ‬
‫َقو ُم‬
Indeed this Quran guides to that which is straight
(Al-Israa, 17:9)

and He said:

ِ‫ٱ ْحلم ُد ه‬
‫َّلل ٱله ِذي َه َد َاَن َِلَٰ َذا‬ َْ
All praise to Allah who guided us to this
(Al-

and He said:

َ َ‫ٱَّللُ لِنُوِرهِ َمن ي‬

ُ‫شآء‬ ‫يَ ْه ِدي ه‬
Allah guides to his light whoever he wishes
(An-Nur, 24:35)

The saying to the way (‫ )للسبيل‬or any of its methods with laam was not mentioned in the above verses

because all of these are goals. Therefore faith, truth, that which is correct, light and paradise all of them
are desired and demanded goals, and laam was used with them.

Note also that Allah designated this guidance - which is the guidance for the goal and completion of it -
to Himself or the Qur an. So He did not use )‫ (هدى لكذا‬he guided for such and such but for Him (swt) or

for His book. So it is informing of the goals in contrast to (‫ )هداه كذا‬he guided him (to) such and such or

(‫ )هداه إَل كذا‬he guided him to such and such . Therefore He used it for Him and other than Him. He (swt)

said:

ِ ِ ۤ ِ َ ‫وإِنه‬
ٍ ‫صر‬
‫اط ُّم ْستَ ِق ٍيم‬َ ‫ك لَتَ ْهدي إ َ َٰل‬ َ
and indeed you guide to a straight path
(Al shuura:52)

55
and He said:

ِ ‫فَٱتهبِ ْع ِ ۤين أ َْه ِد َك‬

‫ص َراطا َس ِوّي‬
follow me, I will guide to a straight path
(Maryam, 20:43)

indicates upon both of them with one meaning, For example His (swt) saying:

‫سالَِم َو َُيْ ِر ُج ُه ْم ِم ِن‬ ‫ي * يَ ْه ِدي بِ ِه ه‬

ْ ‫ٱَّللُ َم ِن ٱتهبَ َع ِر‬
‫ض َوانَهُ ُسبُ َل ٱل ه‬ ٌ ِ‫اب ُّمب‬ ِ ِ
ِ ُ‫ٱَّلل ن‬
ٌ ‫آء ُك ْم م َن ه‬
ٌ َ‫ور َوكت‬ َ ‫قَ ْد َج‬
ٍ ‫صر‬
‫اط ُّم ْستَ ِق ٍيم‬ ِ ِ ِ ِِ ِِ ِ ِ ُّ
َ ‫ٱلظلُ َمات إ ََل ٱلنُّوِر ِب ْذنه َويَ ْهدي ِه ْم إ َ َٰل‬
There has come to you from Allah a light and a clear Book. By which Allah guides those who
pursue His pleasure to the ways of peace and brings them out from darkness into the light, by His
permission, and guides them to a straight path.
(Al-Maaida, 5:15-16)

then He said:

‫سالَِم‬ ‫يَ ْه ِدي بِ ِه ه‬

ْ ‫ٱَّللُ َم ِن ٱتهبَ َع ِر‬
‫ض َوانَهُ ُسبُ َل ٱل ه‬
Allah guides those who pursue His pleasure to the ways of peace

So he made the action transitive by itself (directly connected to object): ‫سالَِم‬

‫ ُسبُ َل ٱل ه‬ways of peace . Then
ٍ ‫صر‬
He said: ‫اط ُّم ْستَ ِق ٍيم‬ ِ ِ ِ
َ ‫ َويَ ْهدي ِه ْم إ َ َٰل‬and he guides them to a straight path . So He made it transitive with the
particle ‫ اَل‬which indicates both with one meaning.

Another example is His saying:

‫َح ُّق أَن‬

‫أ‬ ِ
‫ق‬ ‫حل‬
ْ ‫ٱ‬ ‫َل‬
َ ِ
‫إ‬ ۤ ‫ٱَّلل ي ه ِدي لِلْح ِق أَفمن ي ه ِد‬
‫ي‬ ‫ه‬ ِ
‫ل‬ ‫ق‬
ُ ِ
‫ق‬ ‫حل‬
ْ ‫ٱ‬ ‫َل‬
َ ِ
‫إ‬ ۤ ‫قُل هل ِمن شركآئِ ُكم همن ي ه ِد‬
‫ي‬
َ َ ْ َ
َ َ َ ْ َُ َ ْ َ ْ ََ ُ َْ ْ
‫يُتهبَ َع أَ همن َله يَ ِه ِد ۤي إَِله أَن يُ ْه َد ٰى‬

56
 -
more right to be followed He who guides to the truth, or he who cannot guide unless he is
guided?
(Yunus, 10:35)

So He made it transitive once with ila and once with laam. So He said:

‫قُ ْل َه ْل ِمن ُش َرَكآئِ ُك ْم همن يَ ْه ِد ۤي إِ ََل ٱ ْحلَِق‬

Say, are there of your partners any who guides to the truth?

So He made it transitive with laam and then He said:

‫ْح ِق‬ ِ ِ ‫ه‬

َ ‫ٱَّللُ يَ ْهدي لل‬
Allah guides to the truth

Therefore, He made it transitive with laam. Then He said:

‫َح ُّق أَن يُتهبَ َع‬

‫أ‬ ِ
‫ق‬ ‫حل‬
ْ ‫ٱ‬ ‫َل‬
َ ِ
‫إ‬ ۤ ‫أَفمن ي ه ِد‬
‫ي‬
َ َ ْ َ ََ
So is He who guides to the truth worthier to be followed?

Therefore, He made both expressions with a single meaning.

The truth is that it is not one meaning, and that here this difference is required, so it links to the first verse
and it is His saying:

ِ ‫سالَِم و َُيْ ِرج ُهم ِم ِن ٱلظُّلُم‬

‫ات إِ ََل ٱلنُّوِر ِبِِ ْذنِِه َويَ ْه ِدي ِه ْم إِ َ َٰل‬ ‫يَ ْه ِدي بِ ِه ه‬
ْ ‫ٱَّللُ َم ِن ٱتهبَ َع ِر‬
َ ْ ُ َ ‫ض َوانَهُ ُسبُ َل ٱل ه‬
ٍ ‫صر‬
‫اط ُّم ْستَ ِق ٍيم‬ ِ
َ
By which Allah guides those who pursue His pleasure to the ways of peace and brings them out
from darkness into the light, by His permission, and g uides them to a straight path.

This is because the one who follows the pleasure of Allah is not misguided and nor is he a deviant from
the path, rather he is on it. Therefore, he is in need of someone to guide him on the path and make him
aware of it, and he is not in need of someone to connect him to it (path). As for the one who is in

57
darkness, he needs someone to take him from it and point him to the path and connect him to it.
Therefore, he is not on the correct path, and due to this Allah said:

ٍ ‫صر‬
‫اط ُّم ْستَ ِق ٍيم‬ ِ ِ ِ ِِ ِِ ِ ِ ُّ ِ
َ ‫َو َُيْ ِر ُج ُه ْم م ِن ٱلظلُ َمات إ ََل ٱلنُّوِر ِب ْذنه َويَ ْهدي ِه ْم إ َ َٰل‬
and brings them out from darkness into the light, by His permission, and guides them to a straight
path.

i.e. he will connect them to it. Therefore, all positions of the expression in which He mentioned it are
required.

5. Transitivity without any particles

We return now to His saying (swt): ‫يم‬ ِ ِ ‫ ْٱه ِد ََن‬guide us (to) to the straight path . Allah made the
َ ‫ط ٱل ُْم ْستَق‬
َ ‫ٱلص َرا‬

action of guidance transitive by itself (without a preposition), and He did not make it transitive with the
particle, and that is to combine several meanings in to one. This means transitivity without a particle is
said for the one who has guidance)and for the one who does not have it. Here we are seeking guidance
for the one who is on the path, so He will make him aware of it and He will enlighten him regarding its
issues.

As for the one who is misguided from the believers regarding seriousness, then Allah will return him to
seriousness, so He included the two types of people.

The one who has belief in the oneness and praising of Allah, the meaning was seeking continuity of the
guidance upon the straight path and constancy upon the guidance and increasing in it, just like His (swt)
saying:

‫اد ُه ْم ُه ادى‬
َ ‫ين ْٱهتَ َد ْواْ َز‬ ِ‫ه‬
َ ‫َوٱلذ‬
those who were guided, He increases them in guidance
(Muhammad, 47:17)

This is because the servant is in need of Allah (swt) in every moment and situation. Allah makes him
realise guidance and He increases him in it and He makes him continue upon it.

Therefore the meaning of is to make us aware of the path of truth and

return us to it with a beautiful return when we are misguided or we have deviated, and make us firm
upon the guidance and increase us in guidance.

58
It came in Al Bahr Al Muhit:
those upon whom Allah has bestowed favour, because the one who declared from him the praise of
Allah and he informs that he worships him and seeks assistance from him, then the guidance has

It came in Ruhu al-M

Firstly: that its meaning is, make us firm upon the deen so that we are not shaken by doubts, and in the
Quran:

‫غ قُلُوبَنَا بَ ْع َد إِ ْذ َه َديْ تَ نَا‬

ْ ‫َربهنَا َلَ تُ ِز‬
our lord do not make our hearts waver after you guided us
(Aal-Imran, 3:8)

and in the hadith:

ْ ِ‫القلوب ثَب‬
‫ت قلوبنا دينك‬ ِ ‫ب‬ ِ
َ ‫اللهم ّي ُمقل‬

Secondly: give us, increasing of guidance, just like He (swt) said:

‫اه ْم‬ ِ‫ه‬

ُ ‫آَت ُه ْم تَ ْق َو‬
َ ‫اد ُه ْم ُه ادى َو‬
َ ‫ين ٱ ْهتَ َد ْواْ َز‬
َ ‫َوٱلذ‬
And those who are guided - He increases them in guidance and gives them their right eousness.
(Muhammad, 47:17)

Thirdly: the rewardable guidance, like His saying (swt):

‫يَ ْه ِدي ِه ْم َرُِّبُ ْم ِبُِِيَاْنِِ ْم‬

their Lord will guide them because of their faith
(Yunus, 10:9)

Fourthly: that the purpose is Allah indicates for us the truth in furthering of our lives, just as He pointed
upon it in its past.

59
6. Why did Allah not bring forward the object with guidance just as He did with
worship and seeking help?

ِ ‫ ( هإّيَن‬just as He said: to you only we worship and to you

Why did He not say: us only you guide )‫اهد‬

ِ
ُ ‫? إِ هّي َك نَ ْعبُ ُد َوإِ هّي َك نَ ْستَع‬
only we seek help ‫ي‬

The reply is that it is not to correct to foreground (bringing forward the object) because restricting the
request for guidance by excluding the rest of mankind is not suitable. Therefore saying:
ِ ‫ (اللهم اهدّن وَل‬or O Allah show me mercy and
me and do not guide anyone else except for me )‫ِتد أحدا سواي‬

do not be merciful to anyone else other than me )‫ (اللهم ارمحين وَل ترحم أحدا غريي‬is not correct. Instead you

should ask for guidance for yourself and not confine it for you, so if you said: us alone you guide )‫(إّيَن اهد‬,

the meaning would have been: guide us and do not guide anyone else except us , and this is not
correct.

Look from another angle, how Allah said guide us )‫ (اهدَن‬and He did not say: guide me )‫(اهدّن‬. This is for

many reasons.

1. It is suitable with the plural in His saying: we worship and you alone we seek help
ِ
ُ ‫)إِ هّي َك نَ ْعبُ ُد َوإِ هّي َك نَ ْستَع‬, because when the speaker informs that he and those with him who are
from (‫ي‬

worshipping Allah and seeking help from him, are asking for guidance for him and those with him to

you see that whoever is not guided to the path which connects him to his goal, then the attainment
of his goal will not materialise for him.

It came in in Tafseer al-Razi:

then when I want to praise you, I mention all the praise, then I

of help, so I

2. Supplication ( ), whenever it was general then it was closer to the response.

60
3. In it is to love for others what you love for yourself. So he cleans what exists in in the soul from the
filth selfishness and tendencies of isolation with good and he spreads love of cooperation among the
Muslims.

4. The spreading of the collective spirit (‫ )الروح اجلماعية‬between the individuals.

5. The gathering upon guidance is stable and strong, and that great numbers of walkers on the road
will cause friendliness and will minimise the difficulty of the trip as opposed to being alone on the trip,
which brings loneliness and attracts boredom. Indeed the human being, when there are travellers
with him, he does not feel lonely, and whenever there are numerous travellers, security spreads and
tranquillity is established. As for the lonely traveller, he may be lonely and he maybe become weak,
and he may fall and be destroyed, and maybe the wolves will eat him. The hand of Allah is with the
group, whereas the wolves will only eat the remote sheep.

This matter will happen to the one travelling on the worldly paths, and to the one travelling on the path s
principles and values without distinction, and it is in the second situation most apparent and dangerous.

7. How is Allah s saying guide us to the straight path ‫يم‬ ِ ِ ‫ ٱ ْه ِد ََن‬connected

َ ‫ط ٱل ُْم ْستَق‬
َ ‫ٱلص َرا‬

with the beginning, middle and end of the chapter?

It is connected with His saying: ‫َمي‬ ِ ‫ َر‬lord of the worlds in the beginning of the chapter, because it is
َ ‫ب العال‬

from the meaning of sustaining master, and the first task of the sustainer is guidance, just as we
mentioned.

ِ ‫مح ِن ال هر‬
It is connected with His saying: ‫حيم‬ ٰ ‫ ال هر‬The Beneficent, the Merciful , because the one who Allah

guides, he has been shown mercy. Therefore, you seek from the Beneficent, the Merciful that He does
not leave you misguided. Indeed mercy is denied for the one who abandons asking Him for
guidance and success from misguidance and loss will be misguided and wasted.

It is connected with His saying: ‫ إِ هّي َك نَ ْعبُ ُد‬you alone we worship , because the worship necessitates to be

on the correct path which Allah is pleased with, and worship is not realised except by guidance to the
straight path. Therefore, it is not possible to worship him with true worship while you are misguided.

ِ
ُ ‫ َوإِ هّي َك نَ ْستَع‬You alone we ask for help because you request from Him
It is connected with His saying: ‫ي‬

guidance and constancy upon it.

61
It is connected with His saying: ‫ت َعل َْي ِه ْم‬
َ ‫ أَنْ َع ْم‬Those You have blessed because those who are blessed are

those proceeding on the straight path.

It is connected with His saying: ‫ي‬ ِ

َ ‫ َوَلَ ٱلضهآل‬Not (those) who are misguided because in other chapters
those who are misguided are straying from the road. The unobstructed are those serious on the truth.

misguidance. He (swt) says:

َ َ‫شآءُ َويَ ْه ِدي َمن ي‬

ُ‫شآء‬
ِ‫ي‬
َ َ‫ض ُّل َمن ي‬ُ
He misguides anyone He wills and guides anyone He wills.
(An-Nahl, 93)

‫ض ُّل بِ ِه َكثِريا َويَ ْه ِدي بِ ِه َكثِريا‬

ِ‫ي‬
ُ
He misguides many by it and guides many by it.
(Baqara, 26)

Any many more.

8. Why was path (‫ )صراط‬used?

The choosing of the word path (‫ )صراط‬instead of the word road (‫ )طريق‬or way (‫ )سبيل‬has its reasons. Path

(‫ )صراط‬is on the pattern of (‫ )فِعال‬from ‫ صراط‬and it is from the patterns indicating inclusion, like connection

and strength. Therefore, it will be inclusive for every traveller, and it will not be narrow for them.
Therefore, it is wide and spacious as opposed to the word ‫ طريق‬because it is ‫ فعيل‬with the meaning of ‫مفعول‬

from ‫ طرق‬with a meaning of well-trodden, and this does not indicate in its form inclusion, so it may be

narrow for the travellers and not contain them.

Likewise, the word way (‫)السبيل‬, is like ‫ فعيل‬with the meaning of the passive particle (‫ )مفعول‬from the road is

lowered when its passers increased , like the judge (‫ )احلكيم‬with the meaning of the arbitrator (‫)املُح َكم‬. The

much-frequented road is the well-trodden road, and is called, a much-frequented path (‫ )سبيل سابلة‬i.e. a

well-trodden road (‫)مسلوكة‬.

62
Path (‫ )صراط‬is singular, defined by two means of defining with alif and lamm and idafah (genitive

construction). It is characterised with correctness which indicates a single path. There is no path other
than it, because between two points there does not exist more than one straight path. So the straight
path, is the path of Islam and the religion of Allah, and He described it with correctness in order to
indicate that it is the shortest road. Therefore, it will not cause difficulty for the traveller. If there was any
crookedness it would hinder him from the road and he will not reach the goal, because he is connected
to more than one straight path between two points.

Indeed, the goal of the travellers on the path is to reach Allah (swt) just as He said:

‫آء هٱَّتَ َذ إِ َ َٰل َربِ ِه َسبِيالا‬ ِ ِِ

َ ‫إِ هن َهٰذه تَذْك َرةٌ فَ َمن َش‬
This truly is a Reminder, so whoever wills should take the Way towards his Lord.
(Al-Insaan, 76:29)

And our Lord is upon the straight path and what connects to Him is a straight path, just as He said:

ٍ ‫صر‬
‫اط ُّم ْستَ ِق ٍيم‬ ِ ِ
َ ‫إ هن َرِب َعلَ ٰى‬
Surely my Lord is on the right path.
(Hud, 11:56)

and He said:

‫يم‬ ِ ِ ‫ال َه َذا‬

ٌ ‫ط َعلَ هي ُم ْستَق‬
ٌ ‫ص َرا‬ َ َ‫ق‬
He said, This is a right Path to Me.
(Al-Hijr, 15:41)

So He assigned the traveller upon the path to reaching him. The meaning of reaching Him is to achieve
His pleasure, because we are all returning to Him and meeting Him.

9.

It came in the Tafseer of Al-Razi: know that the people of geometry said: the straight line, it is the
shortest line that connects between two points. So the result is that the straight path is the shortest from
all the crooked lines. Therefore, the servant was saying: for number of
reasons:

63
Firstly: that it is the closest lines and the shortest of them, and I am incapable, so it is not appropriate
due to my weakness except the straight road.

Secondly: that straight is one and he did not make it crooked, and some of it resembling some in
distortion, so the road is dubious to me. As for the straight, nothing other than it resembled it, so it was
furthest from fear and vice and nearest to safety and protection.

Thirdly: the straight path connects to the goal and the crooked does not connect to it.

Fourthly: The straight does not change while the crooked changes.

It came in Tafseer Al-

with: definite with Al and made definite with genitive construction, and that informs its designations and
its specificity and that it is one path. As for paths of the people of anger and misguidance, indeed He
(swt) pluralised it and isolated it like his saying:

‫ٱلسبُ َل فَ تَ َف هر َق بِ ُك ْم َعن َسبِيلِ ِه‬ ِ ‫صر‬

ُّ ْ‫اطي ُم ْستَ ِقيما فَٱتهبِعُوهُ َوَلَ تَ تهبِعُوا‬ ِ
َ ‫َوأَ هن َهٰ َذا‬
This is My Path and it is straight, so follow it. Do not follow other ways or you will become cut off
from His Way.
(Al-Anaam, 6:153)

ِ ‫)صر‬
So he made the word path (‫اط‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ singular and he made the word ways (‫)ٱلسبل‬
َ and his way (‫)سبيله‬
َ َ ُ ُّ plural as a
contrast to it. This is because the road which connects to Allah is one, and it is what His messenger ‫ﷺ‬
was sent with and His book was revealed for. No one can reach it except from this road, and even if the
people come from every path, and seek to open every door, the road for them will be blocked, and the
doors for them will be locked except from this road only.

ِ ِ‫)سب‬,
or collective as opposed to the way (‫يل‬ َ because he singled it out and he gathered it. That is because
ِ ‫)صر‬
path (‫اط‬ ِ
َ is the broadest of paths, and it is what the ways (‫)ٱلسبُ َل‬
ُّ lead to. He (swt) said:

‫ٱلسبُ َل فَ تَ َف هر َق بِ ُك ْم َعن َسبِيلِ ِه‬ ِ ‫صر‬

ُّ ْ‫اطي ُم ْستَ ِقيم ا فَٱتهبِعُوهُ َوَلَ تَ تهبِعُوا‬ ِ
َ ‫َوأَ هن َهٰ َذا‬
This is My Path and it is straight, so follow it. Do not follow other ways or you wi ll become cut off
from His Way.
(Al-Anaam, 6:153)

64
 ُّ ْ‫ َوَلَ تَتهبِعُوا‬and follow not (other)
Therefore, he made it one path and it is straight path then He said: ‫ٱلسبُ َل‬

ways and He said:

‫سالَِم‬ ‫يَ ْه ِدي بِ ِه ه‬

ْ ‫ٱَّللُ َم ِن ٱتهبَ َع ِر‬
‫ض َوانَهُ ُسبُ َل ٱل ه‬
By it, Allah guides those who follow what pleases Him to the ways of Peace.
(Al-Maida, 5:16)

So He mentioned ways as a plural and it is the paths of numerous goods. He said:

‫هه ْم ُسبُ لَنَا‬ ِ ِ َ ‫وٱله ِذين ج‬

ُ ‫اه ُدواْ فينَا لَنَ ْهديَن‬ َ َ َ
As for those who do jihad in Our Way, We will guide them to Our ways.
(Al-Ankabut, 69)

So He made it numerous paths, whereas for Allah he made it singular and it is the straight path.

65
 THE PATH OF THOSE YOU HAVE BLESSED, NOT OF THOSE WITH

‫مت َعلَي ّهم َغ ّري‬

َ ‫َنع‬
َ ‫ذين أ‬َ ّ
ANGER ON THEM, NOR OF THE MISGUIDED. َ ‫صرا َط ال‬
‫ي‬
َ ِّ‫الضال‬ ّ ‫امل‬
ِّ ‫غضوب َعلَي ّهم َوََل‬
َ

1. Types of people mentioned in the verse

Allah further explained and clarified the straight path, so He said:

ِ َ‫مت َعلَي ِهم غَ ِري امل‬

َ ‫غضوب َعلَي ِهم َوََل الضال‬
‫ي‬ َ ‫َنع‬ ِ
‫صرا َ ه‬
َ ‫ذين أ‬
َ ‫ط ال‬
The Path of those You have blessed, not of those with anger on them, nor of the misguided.

Then He mentioned that it is the path of those Allah has bestowed favours upon and saved from anger
and misguidance. Allah has gathered all the types of people who are legally responsible (‫ )املكلفي‬in this

verse and placed them in a particular order.

So they are either people of happiness, and they are those Allah bestowed favour upon, or they are
people of misfortune and they are of two types.

▪ One who knows the truth and goes against it, and does not act according to its requirements. They
are those who are the object of anger.

▪ One who did not know the truth. They are the misguided ones, because whoever did not know the
truth is misguided. He said:

‫سبُو َن أَ هْنُ ْم‬ ُّ ِ‫ض هل َس ْعيُ ُه ْم ِيف ٱ ْحلَيَاة‬

َ ‫ٱلدنْ يَا َو ُه ْم ََْي‬
ِ‫ه‬
َ ‫س ِر‬
َ ‫ين أَ ْع َماَلا * ٱلذ‬
َ ‫ين‬ ِ ِ
َ ‫قُ ْل َه ْل نُنَبئُ ُكم بٱألَ ْخ‬

‫ص ْنع ا‬ ِ
ُ ‫َُْيسنُو َن‬
whose efforts in the life of the

(Al-Kahf, 103-104)

It came in Tafseer Al Baidawai: His saying: those with anger on them ‫ املغضوب عليهم‬is directed at the

66
rebellious and the misguided ones who are ignorant about Allah. He did not remove these people from
the categories of legally responsible (‫)املكلفي‬. So the happy ones are the people of obedience who

recognise the truth and they act according to its requirements. They are those whom Allah has bestowed
favour upon them, and the wretched ones are the last two types. So he combined with the best
combination and he summarised it.

It came in Tafseer Al Razi: this verse indicates that the legally responsible are three groups:

1. The people of obedience and the indication regarding them is His saying:
upon them ‫ت َعل َْي ِه ْم‬
َ ‫أَنْ َع ْم‬

2. The people of disobedience and the indication regarding them is His saying: those with
ِ ‫ض‬
anger on them ‫وب َعل َْي ِهم‬ ُ ‫َغ ِْري ٱل َْم ْغ‬

3. The people of ignorance in the religion of Allah and disbelief, and the indication regarding them is His
saying: and not the misguided ones ‫ي‬
َ ‫َوََل الضال‬

2. Why are there two groups for those rejected i.e. anger and misguidance?

In the verse there is another question: what is the wisdom (hikmah) in Allah (swt) making one group for
the acceptance i.e. those whom Allah bestowed favour upon, and two groups for those rejected i.e.
those who are the object of anger and those who are misguided?

The reply is that those upon whom the favour of Allah was completed, they are those who have
combined between the knowledge of the truth, and knowledge of the good for the sake of acting with it.
So these people, are intended with the saying: you have bestowed favour upon them ‫مت َعلَي ِهم‬
َ ‫َنع‬
َ ‫أ‬. So if
the stipulation of action weakens or becomes defective, then they are rebellious, and they are those who
are the object of anger, just as He (swt) said:

ُ‫ٱَّللُ َعلَْي ِه َولَ َعنَه‬ ِ ِ ِ ‫ومن ي ْقتُل م ْؤِمنا ُّمتَ ع ِمدا فَجزآ ُؤهُ جهن‬
‫ب ه‬ َ ‫هم َٰخلدا ف َيها َوغَض‬
ُ ََ ََ َ ُ ْ َ ََ
And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his punishment is hell; he shall abide in it, and Allah will
send His wrath on him and curse him
(An-Nisaa, 93)

If the stipulation of knowledge weakens or becomes defective, then they are the misguided ones
because of His (swt) saying:

67
 ‫فَ َما َذا بَ ْع َد ٱ ْحلَِق إَِله ٱل ه‬
‫ضالَ ُل‬
what is there after the truth except misguidance
(Yusuf, 32)

It came in Tafseer al-Qaeem: distinction from the

two groups of anger and misguidance, the people were divided according to the knowledge of the truth
and acting by it to these three types. This is because the servant will either be knowledgeable of the truth
or ignorant of it, and the one knowledgeable of the truth is either acting according to its requisites or
violating it. So these are the types of the legally responsible that are not removed from them (people of
anger and misguidance) whatsoever. So a knower of the truth who is acting according to it, is the one

who received anger upon him. And the one who is ignorant, is misguided, and the one with anger upon
him is misguided from the guidance of action. And the misguided one is one with anger upon him
because of his misguidance regarding the knowledge that requires the action. So everyone from the two
types is misguided and upon him is anger. The one who left the action based on the truth after his

Indeed the sphere of weakness of the hearts and their sickness is based upon two things: corruption of
knowledge and corruption of intent or goal. These two sicknesses, are the basis of all the diseases of the
hearts. Therefore, guidance to the straight path is inclusive of the cure for the sickness of
is knowledge,
awareness, action and situation which includes cure from the sickness of corruption of the heart and

Then, indeed the heart is subject to two great diseases, and if he was not cautious of them (two
diseases), then they will make him fall in to ruin and there will be no escaping, and they are: showing off
and arrogance. So the cure of showing off is with and the cure for arrogance is with

So if he is cured from the disease of showing off with you alone we worship ‫ إِ هّي َك نَ ْعبُ ُد‬and from the

ِ
ُ ‫ َوإِ هّي َك نَ ْستَع‬and from the disease
disease of arrogance and admiration with you alone we seek help from ‫ي‬

of ignorance with guide us to the straight path ‫يم‬ ِ ِ ‫ٱه ِد ََن‬,

َ ‫ط ٱل ُْم ْستَق‬
َ ‫ٱلص َرا‬ ْ then he will be cured from its diseases

and its sicknesses, and he will swagger in the clothes of good health, and upon him the blessing would
have been completed. He would be from those who were blessed and not from those upon whom is
anger. Those with anger on them are the people with corrupt intentions who knew the truth and they
turned away from it, and the misguided are the people of corrupt knowledge who were ignorant of the
truth, and they did not recognise it.

68
3. Why was the past tense verb ‫ت‬
َ ‫ أَنْ َع ْم‬used?

Allah said: The Path of those You have blessed ‫ت َعل َْي ِه ْم‬
َ ‫ين أَنْ َع ْم‬ ِ ‫صرا َ ه‬,
ِ
َ ‫ط ٱ لذ‬ َ so He expressed the blessing upon
them with the past tense verb (‫)الفعل املاضي‬, then He said: not of those with anger on them, nor of the

ِ ِ ‫ض‬
َ ‫وب َعلَْي ِهم َوَلَ ٱلضهآل‬
misguided ‫ي‬ ُ ‫غَ ِْري ٱل َْم ْغ‬. He then expressed regarding them with a nominal sentence. As for

making the verb of blessing (‫ت‬

َ ‫ )أَنْ َع ْم‬past tense, this is for specifying its tense in order to explain that the

purpose of the path of those who the blessing of Allah is upon has been established and it was realised,
and they are the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs and the righteous, just as He (swt) said:

ِ ‫الشه‬ ِ ‫يو‬ ِ ِ ‫َوَمن يُ ِط ِع ه‬

‫داء‬ َ ُّ ‫يقي َو‬
َ ‫الصد‬ َ َ ‫اَّللُ َعلَي ِهم م َن النهبي‬
‫َنع َم ه‬
َ ‫ذين أ‬‫ه‬ َ ِ‫ُولئ‬
َ ‫ك َم َع ال‬
ٰ ‫سول فَأ‬
َ ‫اَّللَ َوال هر‬

َ ِ‫ُولئ‬
‫ك َرفي اقا‬ ٰ ‫ي ۚ و َحسن أ‬ ِ
َ ُ َ َ ‫َوالصاحل‬
Whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger will be with those whom Allah has blessed: the Prophets
and the true, the martyrs and the righteous. What excell ent company such people are!
(An-Nisaa, 69)

If He said: the path of those you bless ‫ط الذين تُ ِنع ُم عليهم‬

َ ‫صرا‬, He would have disregarded everyone who

passed away from the messengers of Allah and the righteous. This is because the imperfect tense verb
(‫ )الفعل املضارع‬for the most part indicates upon the present, but it does not indicate that he bestowed favour

upon anyone in the past.

For example, if you say: give me what you gave to people like me ‫أعطيت أمثاِل‬
َ ‫ أعطين ما‬or give me what you

give to people like me ‫أعطين ما تُعطي أمثاِل‬. The first expression informs that he gave before him to people,

whereas the second expression does not inform that he gave before to anyone. Rather giving will be a
beginning (i.e. start of giving). With regards to the ayah, if the present tense verb blesses (‫ )تُ ِنع ُم‬is used then

there is a possibility that the path of the former people will not be the path of the latter people, and it
does not imply continuation between groups of believers since the time of Adam (as) to the
establishment of the hour, and it implies that this path is not understood. This is not the case. Rather it is
a well- the path
of those he blesses ‫ صراط الذين ينعم عليهم‬is less significant than the path of those he blessed ‫صراط الذين أنعم عليهم‬.

This is because those Allah blessed includes the messengers of strong will, and among them are the
prophets and their followers. As for whoever He blesses (‫ )ينعم‬after that, then a prophet or messenger will

not be among them.

69
The result of using the past tense verb will mean that whenever time passes, the number of those whom
Allah blessed (‫ )أنعم‬will became numerous, because the present is attached to the past. Therefore, the

domain of those who were blessed expands with the passing of time in contrast to saying:
those who Allah blesses ‫صراط الذين ينعم هللا عليهم‬.

َ ‫ أَنْ َع ْم‬used instead of the noun ‫?املنع ِم‬

4. Why was the verb ‫ت‬ َ

ِ ‫ض‬
As for His saying: not (the path) of those with anger on them, nor of the misguided َ‫وب َعل َْي ِهم َوَل‬ ُ ْ‫غَ ِْري ٱل َْمغ‬

‫ي‬ ِ
َ ‫ ٱلضهآل‬using the noun, this is to include the remaining time periods.

So if you ask, why did He not say: the path of those who were blessed ‫املنع ِم عليهم‬
َ ‫ صراط‬to include remaining
time periods also?

The reply is that every expression is perfect and the most beautiful in its place. So if He said:
who were blessed ‫املنعم عليهم‬,
َ it would not demonstrate the benefactor who blessed them, and the
blessing is valued only according to the value of the benefactor. So, if the benefactor was a friend, it will
differ whether he was a prince or a ruler, and from the perspective of the value of the blessing. If the
benefactor was great, his favour will be great, and if he was lower than that, it will be according to the
capability of its owner, and so on with respect to honouring.

So, the one who the ruler bestows favour upon is different to the citizens who bestow favour upon him.
So indeed your saying: such-and-such, the khaleefah bestowed favour upon him ‫فالن أنعم عليه اخلليفة‬,

includes glorification and honouring that is not in your saying: -and-such, the head of a township or
the governor has bestowed favour upon him ‫فالن أنعم عليه رئيس البلدية أو احملافظ‬. Therefore, in His saying: those

you have blessed ‫ت َعل َْي ِه ْم‬

َ ‫ أَنْ َع ْم‬is from honouring and the importance of His favour which does not exist in

the ones who were blessed ‫املنعم عليهم‬.

َ

This is from one angle, and from another angle, indeed Allah (swt) attributed good and kindness to
Himself, and He did not attribute to Himself evil and wickedness. He (swt) said:

‫اد ِبِِ ْم َرُِّبُ ْم َر َشدا‬ ِ ‫َوأ هََن َلَ نَ ْد ِر ۤي أَ َش ٌّر أُ ِري َد ِِبَن ِيف ٱأل َْر‬
َ ‫ض أ َْم أ ََر‬
We have no idea whether evil is intended for those on the earth, or whether their Lord intends
them to be rightly guided.

70
 (Al-Jinn, 72:10)

So He made the evil for the unknown and linked the virtues of goodness to Himself. He said:

‫ش ُّر َكا َن يَئُوس ا‬ ‫ض َو ََنَى ِِبَانِبِ ِه َوإِذَا َم ه‬

‫سهُ ٱل ه‬ ِ ‫وإِذَآ أَنْ عمنَا َعلَى ٱإلنْس‬
َ ‫ان أَ ْع َر‬ َ َْ َ
When We bless man, he turns away and draws aside. When evil touches him, he despairs.
(Al-Israa, 83)

Therefore, He attributed blessing to Himself, and He did not attribute evil to Himself. So He did not say:
and when we touch him with evil ‫ وإذا مسسناه ِبلشر‬just as the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said:

‫ والشر ليس إليك‬،‫واخلريُ كلُّه يف يديك‬

The blessing (‫ )النعمة‬is courtesy and goodness, so He attributed them to Himself and no one is a

benefactor of any blessing in reality except Allah, just as He said:

ِ‫وما بِ ُكم ِمن نِعم ٍة فَ ِمن ه‬

‫ٱَّلل‬ َ َْ ََ
and whatever favour is (bestowed) on you it is from Allah
(An-Nahl, 16:53)

and because He attributed all the blessings to Himself, and the action of blessing was not attributed to
other than Allah in the Noble Quran. He said:

‫ٱَّللُ َعلَ هي إِ ْذ َملْ أَ ُك ْن هم َع ُه ْم َش ِهيدا‬

‫قَ ْد أَنْ َع َم ه‬
Allah has blessed me in that I was not there with them.
(An-Nisaa, 4:72)

and He said:

ِ ‫ت علَ هي فَ لَن أَ ُكو َن ظَ ِهريا لِل‬

َ ‫ْم ْج ِرم‬
‫ي‬ ُ ْ َ َ ‫ب ِِبَآ أَنْ َع ْم‬
ِ ‫ال َر‬
َ َ‫ق‬

71
 (Al-Qasas, 28:17)

and He said:

‫إِ ْن ُه َو إَِله َع ْب ٌد أَنْ َع ْمنَا َعلَْي ِه‬

He is only a slave on whom We bestowed Our blessing
(Al-Zukhruf, 43:59)

And the action of the blessing was not attributed to anyone other than Allah, except in His saying (swt):

ۤ ‫ول لِله ِذ‬

‫ك‬
َ ‫ك َزْو َج‬ ْ ‫ت َعلَْي ِه أ َْم ِس‬
َ ‫ك َعلَْي‬ َ ‫ٱَّللُ َعلَْي ِه َوأَنْ َع ْم‬
‫َنع َم ه‬
َ ‫أ‬ ‫ي‬ ُ ‫َوإِ ْذ تَ ُق‬
When you said to him whom Allah has blessed and you yourself have greatly favour ed, Keep your
wife to yourself
(Al-Ahzab, 33:37)

So in this ayah He attributed blessing to the Messenger ‫ ﷺ‬after it was attributed to Allah first, and it is a

specific favour which the Messenger of Allah ‫ ﷺ‬bestowed upon Zaid bin Haritha who he raised, and took

him in the position of his son. So the connection of the blessing and kindness to Allah is ideal and
perfect.

ِ ‫ض‬
5. Why was the noun ‫وب‬ ُ ْ‫ ٱل َْمغ‬used?

ِ ‫ض‬
As for those who are the object of anger, Allah built it (‫وب‬ ُ ‫ )ٱل َْم ْغ‬with the passive particle in order to

generalise the anger upon them i.e. the anger of Allah, and the anger of those who are angry for the sake
of Allah. He did not designate a specific angry person, so they are the object of anger from every
direction. For these people, soon their sincerest of friends, and closest of companions will be angry with
them. This is on a day (qiyamat) when the rope of every friendship in the hereafter will be severed except
the rope of friendship with Allah, and every affiliation except the affiliation with Allah will be severed, just
as He said:

‫لََقد ته َقطه َع بَ ْي نَ ُك ْم‬

certainly the ties between you are now cut off
(Al-

72
And He said:

‫ض ُك ْم بَ ْعضا‬
ُ ‫ض َويَل َْع ُن بَ ْع‬ ُ ‫ُثُه يَ ْوَم ٱل ِْقيَ َام ِة يَ ْك ُف ُر بَ ْع‬
ٍ ‫ض ُك ْم بِبَ ْع‬
then on the resurrection day some of you shall deny others, and some of you shall curse others
(Al-Ankabut, 29:25)

Therefore, some of them will be angry against others and some of them will be absolved. Even the
human being will be absolved from his skin and his extremities (end part of limbs such hands and feet)
which will bear witness against him. Therefore, upon them is anger from everything and from everyone.

ِ ‫ض‬
It was said, that Allah built it (‫وب‬ ُ ‫ )ٱل َْم ْغ‬with the passive participle because linking anger to the one from

whom guidance is sought and blessing linked to, is not appropriate. This
friendliness and gentleness and being humble for the seeking of goodness, and this encounter is not
suitable with the description of revenge.

It came in the Tafseer of Al-Qaeem: and He added the blessing to Him and He omitted the doer (subject)
of the anger for many reasons.

Firstly, that the blessing is a good and favour, and anger is from the subject of revenge, and justice and
mercy overcomes anger. So He added to Himself the perfection of the two matters, and their
precedence and their strength. This is the way of the Quran and attributing good and blessings to Allah,
and He omits the doer in their counterparts like the easing of the believing jinns:

‫اد ِبِِ ْم َرُِّبُ ْم َر َشدا‬ ِ ‫َوأ هََن َلَ نَ ْد ِر ۤي أَ َش ٌّر أُ ِري َد ِِبَن ِيف ٱأل َْر‬
َ ‫ض أ َْم أ ََر‬
We have no idea whether evil is intended for those on the earth, or whether their Lord intends
them to be rightly guided.
(Al-Jinn, 72:10)

Secondly, indeed Allah (swt) alone possesses the blessings:

ِ‫وما بِ ُكم ِمن نِعم ٍة فَ ِمن ه‬

‫ٱَّلل‬ َ َْ ََ
And whatever favor is (bestowed) on you it is from Allah
(An-Nahl, 16:53)

Therefore He is the possessor of the blessings and it was linked to Him, and if it was linked to other than

73
Him, then it will be a path to the blessing. As for the anger upon His enemies, then the anger is not
specific to Allah. Rather His angels, His prophets, His messengers and His friends, they will be angry
ِ ‫ض‬
because of His anger. Therefore in the utterance those upon whom is anger ‫وب َعل َْي ِهم‬ ُ ْ‫ ٱل َْمغ‬included the

sharing of His followers in the anger. This indicates that He is the giver of blessings and that the absolute
blessing is from Him alone. He is the possessor of it, which is not in the utterance
(‫)املنعم عليهم‬.

Thirdly, indeed in the omission of the doer of anger (‫ )فاعل الغضب‬there is an indication of contempt for the

ِ
mentioning the doer of the blessing (‫)فاعل النعمة‬ of honouring the one who received the blessing and

praising his mentioning. To raise his position is not like its omission. So when you see the one that a king
honoured and dignified, and raised his position, then you will say: this is the one the sultan honoured and
bestowed favour upon, and he gave him what he deserved. That is more eloquent in the praise and
glorification than your saying
was given ‫وخلع عليه و ُشرف وأُعطي‬
ُ ‫هذا الذي أُكرم‬.

6. Why were nouns used for anger and misguidance?

Look from another angle, how Allah made everyone who is the object of anger and who are misguided, a
noun. This is for indicating permanence, so the anger on them is permanent and it will continue, and He
also described them with misguidance from the perspective of permanence. So no good or any
guidance is expected from them. Therefore He did not say
have gone astray ‫يقل صراط الذين غُضب عليهم وضلوا‬. He made the anger and misguidance in a time without a time.

Indeed this description is necessary for them until the establishment of the day of resurrection and it will
continue. So, upon them is anger in the worldly life and the hereafter just as He (swt) said:

ِ ‫ومن َكا َن ِيف هٰ ِذهِ أَ ْعم ٰى فَ هو ِيف‬

َ ‫ٱآلخ َرةِ أَ ْع َم ٰى َوأ‬
‫َض ُّل َسبِيالا‬ َُ َ َ ََ
Those who are blind in this world will be blind in the Next World and even further off the Path.
(Al-Israa, 17:72)

7. Why was ‫ َل‬used?

ِ ‫ض‬
Look how Allah said: not (the path) of those with anger on them, nor of the misguided ‫وب‬ ُ ْ‫غَ ِْري ٱل َْمغ‬
ِ ِ ‫ض‬ ِ
َ ‫عل َْي ِهم َوَلَ ٱلضهآل‬,
‫ي‬ َ where He mentioned ‫ َل‬between the words ‫وب‬ ُ ْ‫ ٱل َْمغ‬and ‫ي‬
َ ‫ٱلضهآل‬, and He did not say not (the

path) of those with anger on them, and the misguided ‫غري املغضوب عليهم والضالي‬. This is so it s not understood

74
that the one who is combined with anger and misguidance, is liked less than the one who was not
combined with them.

So when He mentioned laa, He differentiated between each category (anger and misguidance). This is
similar to your saying: I don t like the one who is arrogant and stingy ‫ أَن َل أحب َم ْن تكرب وخبل‬or I don t like the

one who is arrogant, nor the one who is stingy ‫أَن َل أحب من تكرب وَل من خبل‬. The first sentence carries the

possibility that he does not like these two attributes, and the possibility that the one who was combined
with these two attributes, is liked less than the one who was not combined with them. So whoever is
arrogant bu
your saying: I don t like the one who is arrogant, nor the one who is stingy ‫أَن َل أحب من تكرب وَل من خبل‬.

characterised with either attribute from the two.

8. Why was anger brought before misguidance?

You may ask, why did Allah introduce anger over misguidance, where He said: not (the path) of those
ِ ِ ‫ض‬
َ ‫وب َعل َْي ِهم َوَلَ ٱلضهآل‬
with anger on them, nor of the misguided ‫ي‬ ُ ‫غَ ِْري ٱل َْم ْغ‬, and why did He not introduce the

misguided over those with anger on them?

In answer to this, the situation requires foregrounding (‫ )تقدمي‬of those with anger on them for several

reasons.

1. The one with anger on him is more severe in terms of misguidance, sin and punishment because he
knew and he denied. The one who knows is not like the one who does not know, and due to that it
is said in matters of creeds, a knowledgeable person who did not act according to his knowledge is
tortured before the worshipper of the idols. So he is more worthy to be questioned first and to be
distanced away from Allah, because when the misguided one knows the truth, then maybe he will
on them.

2. It came in the saheeh hadith:

‫أن املغضوب عليهم اليهود والضالي النصارى‬

The Jews came before the Christians, therefore it was suitable to begin with them.

75
3. The ones with anger on them are attributed with the first sin which appeared in existence absolutely,
and it is the sin of Iblis, who was knowledgeable of the truth and acknowledged it. Then he
disobeyed his lord and went against His command. Therefore Allah was angry with him and He
cursed him, so Iblis took a pledge upon himself to misguide the children of Adam, so he said:

ُ ‫هه ْم َوأل َُمنِيَ ن‬

‫هه ْم‬ ِ ‫وأل‬
ُ ‫ُضلهن‬ َ
And most certainly I will lead them astray and excite in them vain desires
(An-Nisaa, 4:119)

It was appropriate to begin with mentioning the first sin absolutely, and to follow what Iblis pledged
upon himself is to do it while he is misguided.

4. The attribute of those with anger on them, is the first sin which appeared on the earth, when the son
of Adam killed his brother, after having been closely related. Allah accepted from one of them and He
did not accept from the other, so the son of Adam killed him intentionally, oppressing him. Due to
that Allah made it clear that the attribute of anger on them ‫املغضوب عليهم‬, is the oldest attribute from the

attributes of sin. It appeared in the highest assembly and after it upon the earth, therefore it was
suitable to begin with it.

5. The one with anger on him, is compared with the one who is blessed, and he is not compared with
the misguided. This is because you will say:
and such and such he was angry with him ‫ وفالن غضب عليه‬،‫ فالن أنعم عليه اخلليفة‬and you will not say: such

and such, the Khaleefah bestowed favour on him and such and such was misguided ‫فالن أنعم عليه اخلليفة‬

‫وفالن ضل‬. Therefore, the anger on them was suitable to be placed next to those Allah bestowed favour

upon.

6. Foregrounding those with anger on them, is appropriate linking to the opening of the chapter and
what is after it. That is to say that the one who praises Allah is knowledgeable of His characteristics,
and dedicates worship and seeking help to Him alone. When he deviates, he will be from those who
are the object of anger. This is because he knows and then went against it. Therefore, it was
appropriate to ask Allah that he be removed from that attribute (anger) first as opposed to the one
who does not know, and was misguided. Asking for guidance after that saying uide us to the
straight path ‫يم‬ ِ ِ ‫ٱه ِد ََن‬,
َ ‫ط ٱل ُْم ْستَق‬
َ ‫ٱلص َرا‬ ْ was suitable to the question of being removed from misguidance.

So when he introduced the praise and whatever is to Him, then the question was suitable for being
removed from the anger, and when he sought after that guidance, it was suitable to mention after

76
 that, the removal from misguidance.

7. It is suitable for the endings of the verses also.

It came in Al Bahr Al Muhit: result

of misguidance, them he strayed from the truth. So He was angry with him for overstepping the favour,
and the suitability of mentioning it is an indication (‫)قرينة‬, because the favour is opposite to reprisal and not

opposite to misguidance. So favour is the connection to good. It is also compatible with rhymed prose
because His saying: and not the misguided ‫ وَل الضالي‬is completion of the chapter. Therefore it was

9. How does this verse link to the previous verses in the chapter?

ِ ِ ‫ض‬
َ ‫وب َعل َْي ِهم َوَلَ ٱلضهآل‬
Look how His saying: not of those with anger on them, nor of the misguided ‫ي‬ ُ ْ‫غَ ِْري ٱل َْمغ‬
ِ‫ٱ ْحلم ُد ه‬. This
َ ‫ب ٱل َْعال َِم‬
was compatible with His saying All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds ‫ي‬ ِ ‫َّلل َر‬ َْ
is because the praise is absolute without any restriction of time, nor any determined doer and it is
constant and permanent. While those people, upon whom there is anger and those who are misguided,
are also constant and permanent. This is from one angle and from another angle, the one who does not
praise Allah, he is the object of anger and misguided, and one who did not acknowledge that Allah is the
lord of the worlds, then he is the object of anger and misguided.

The one who the mercy of Allah, The Merciful, The Most gracious did not reach, then he is the object of
anger and misguided.

The one who did not believe in the day of recompense, where Allah is the owner of that day, then he is
the object of anger and misguided.

The one who did not restrict himself to Allah with worship and seeking help, then he is the object of
anger and misguided.

The one who was not guided to the straight path, the path of those whom Allah granted favour, then he
is the object of anger and misguided.

So how splendid is this connection!

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 CONCLUSION

This chapter has gathered the foundations of the Islamic belief as follows:

1.
praise. This is because from existence and attributes, is the conformation of oneness, and His

َ ‫ب ٱل َْعال َِم‬
saying: lord of the words ‫ي‬ ِ ‫ َر‬and: you alone we worship and you alone we seek help

ِ
ُ ‫إِ هّي َك نَ ْعبُ ُد َوإِ هّي َك نَ ْستَع‬, Therefore indeed He is lord of all the worlds, which means there is no lord
from ‫ي‬

except Him, and that He has been specified with the worship and seeking help from means that
there is no God except Him. Therefore it contains oneness (‫ )توحيد‬of divinity (‫ )األلوهية‬and lordship (‫)الربوبية‬.

ِ ‫ك ي وِم‬
2. His saying: owner of the day of recompense ‫ٱلدي ِن‬ ِِ
ْ َ ‫ َمٰل‬means the confirmation of the last day and
the recompense.

ِ
ُ ‫ َوإِ هّي َك نَ ْستَع‬, means the confirmation of His power which there
3. His saying: and you alone we worship ‫ي‬

is no limit.

4. His saying: - The Path of those You have blessed, not of those
with anger on them, nor of the misguided. ‫ت َعل َْي ِه ْم‬
َ ‫ين أَنْ َع ْم‬ ِ ‫صرا َ ه‬
ِ ِ ِ ‫ ْٱه ِد ََن‬means confirmation
َ ‫ط ٱلذ‬ َ * ‫يم‬
َ ‫ط ٱل ُْم ْستَق‬
َ ‫ٱلص َرا‬

of the messengers and whatever was revealed to them of the books.

Therefore, indeed the straight path which Allah desires, is only known from the path of the prophets
and messengers. The worship which Allah is pleased with is not to be adopted except via the path of
the messengers. It is not for the human to worship Allah as he desires, but rather as Allah desires
and loves. Therefore, the chapter includes the foundations of the creed and its mothers. It includes
the religion of Islam and its pillars, the belief and righteous actions.

5. As for the belief, its pillars have been mentioned, from belief in Allah, his messengers and the last
day. As for good actions, it enters in His saying:
ِ
ُ ‫ إِ هّي َك نَ ْعبُ ُد َوإِ هّي َك نَ ْستَع‬until the end of the chapter.
help from ‫ي‬

ِ‫ ٱ ْحلم ُد ه‬indicates upon the existence

It came in the tafseer of Razi: So his saying All Praise to Allah ‫َّلل‬ َْ
of the maker, and His knowledge, His power and His being worthy for the praise, the appreciation
and the veneration. As for His saying: lord of the worlds ‫ي‬ ِ ‫ب ٱل َْعال‬
َ ‫َم‬ ِ ‫ر‬,
َ it is indicating upon the fact that
God is one, and that all worlds are in His dominion and possession, and there is no god except Him
in the world and none to be worshipped except Him.

78
6. As for His saying: The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful ‫ ٱل هر ْمحٰ ِن ٱل هرِح ِيم‬it indicates upon one

god, which there is no god except Him, and it is characterised with complete mercy, generosity,
virtue and excellence.

ِ ‫ك ي وِم‬
7. As for His saying: owner of the day of recompense ‫ٱلدي ِن‬ ِ ِ it indicates His wisdom and His
ْ َ ‫مٰل‬,
َ
mercy, that happens after this day. This is the last day in which the distinction of the doers of good
from the disobedient will be made apparent, and the justice will appear in it for the oppressed from
the oppressors. If this resurrection and gathering did not happen, then His existence in terms of
being merciful and compassionate would have been rebuked.

8. His saying: lord of the worlds ‫ي‬ ِ ‫ب ٱل َْعال‬

َ ‫َم‬ ِ ‫ َر‬is indicating upon his oneness.

9. His saying: The most merciful and the most gracious ‫ ٱل هر ْمحٰ ِن ٱل هرِح ِيم‬is indicating upon His mercy in the

worldly life and in the hereafter.

ِ ‫ك ي وِم‬
10. His saying: owner of the day of recompense ‫ٱلدي ِن‬ ِِ
ْ َ ‫ َمٰل‬is indicating upon the perfection of His
wisdom and mercy due to the creation of the home of the hereafter.

11. As for the actions which the servant performs, there are two pillars. Firstly, his performance of the
worship and it is indicated with his saying: you alone we worship ‫ إِ هّي َك نَ ْعبُ ُد‬and secondly his

knowledge that the performance of it is not possible except with the assistance of Allah, and it is
ِ
ُ ‫وإِ هّي َك نَ ْستَع‬.
indicated with his saying: and you alone we seek help from ‫ي‬ َ

Therefore, this chapter is truly the mother of the book!

79