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In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Merciful

Introduction

All praise and glory is only for Allah (swt). The First and the Last. The Manifest and the

Hidden. The One Who has Power over all things. The Creator and the Sustainer of all that exists.

The Manager and the Director over all affairs. The One True Sovereign and King Whom all of

creation must obey and submit to for every second of their existence. The One True God Who

has the right to be worshipped and sanctified by all of the creation.

Praise and thanks be to Allah (swt) who has favored us the children of Adam (as) by

giving us a mind and senses with which we can realize His (swt)s Existence from t he signs in the

universe around us. Praise and thanks be to Allah (swt) again who sent to us the prophets and

the messengers with clear proofs and undeniable arguments to guide us to Him (swt) and to

teach us how to worship and serve Him (swt).

I praise and thank Allah (swt) for all of His bounties and I humbly ask Him (swt) to

continue to bless and bestow upon us from His (swt)s Grace, Bounty, and Mercy. I bear witness

that there is none worthy of worship except Allah (swt), the One and Only, Who has no partner or

equal, the Generous and the Forgiving. I bear witness that our leader Prophet Muhammad (saw)

is His (swt)s servant and Messenger, the beloved of Allah (swt) and the very best of all of the

creation of Allah (swt).

Allah (swt) honored the Prophet (saw) by giving him (saw) the Glorious Quran. Every

prophet was given a Miracle by Allah (swt) to prove to the people that he was truly sent from Allah

(swt). The Prophet (saw) was sent as the Final Messenger to all of mankind until the Last Day. So

he (saw) was given an enduring Miracle that lasted throughout the ages. That Miracle is the

Quran, perhaps the greatest Miracle that was given to any prophet.

Allah (swt) says, I have not created the jinn and the men except that they should worship

and serveMe (51:57), this means that the reason why we exist is only to worship and serve

Allah (swt). Allah (swt) has made the Quran a complete guidance for mankind until the Day

Judgment of. Allah (swt) says We have not omitted anything from the Book(6:39), the meaning

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(swt) well pleased with such a person, but also Allah (swt) considers that person to be the best of

the believers. What could be better than that? The Prophet (saw) also said in a hadith qudsi that

Allah (swt) declared If anyone is distracted from asking of Me by the Quran and remembering Me

(with it), I will give him better than what I give the askers. This means that for the one who

occupies himself with the Quran, Allah (swt) will give him better than what He (swt) gives those

who are asking of Him (swt), the ones who are always making duaa to Him (swt). The Prophet

(saw) also said The Excellence of the words of Allah over all other words is like the Excellence of

Allah over his creation. Could there be any comparison between Allah (swt) and the creation?

Similarly there is no comparing the Words of Allah (swt) over all other words. So from these

hadith can we even begin to comprehend how important the Quran must be in our lives?

In another hadith recorded in At-Tirmidhi the Prophet (saw) said There will be trials like

patches of dark night. When he (saw) was asked how the Muslim community could escape these

trials, he (saw) said The Book of Allah, Blessed and Exalted, contains your history, news about

what came before you, news about what will come after you, and correct judgment between you.

It is decisive and not a joke. Allah will destroy any oppressor who abandons it and Allah will

misguide whoever looks for guidance from other than it. It is the Firm Rope of Allah, His Clear

Light and the Wise Reminder. It is the Straight Path. Passions are not misguided by it, tongues do

not become sated with it, and the ones that fear Allah do not become bored with it. It does not

wear out when it is repeated a lot and its wonders never cease. Look at all the descriptions that

the Prophet (saw) gives for the Quran in this hadith. It is clear that the Muslim Ummah today is

going through such trials that the Prophet (saw) described in this hadith as patches of dark

night. He (saw) said this to emphasize and describe the difficulty and the evil of such times. He

(saw) also said that they only way for us to survive such times of trial is with the Quran.

These ayahs and these ahadith are the reasons that have inspired us to start this project

called Quran-Tafsir.org to explain some of the meanings of the Quran. This is a web site where

we plan to post Quran Tafsir PDF Books for everyone to come and read for free. First of all you

should know that this is a work in progress. There are a few Surahs available now, but Insha

Allah with the Permission and Support of Allah (swt), we plan to add more Surahs in the future.

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Insha Allah, with the Help and Support of Allah (swt), we plan to complete the entire Quran. We

only ask for your duaa to achieve that objective.

Allah (swt) gave us the Quran in the Arabic language, and anything that is not in Arabic is

not Quran. Now it is true that you need to be an expert in the Arabic lan guage to learn the deep

and profound meanings of the Quran and it is a duty upon every Muslim to make their best effort

to learn the Arabic language. But until we get there, there is still a large part of this Ummah who

do not have the Arabic language and so have no access whatsoever to the Book of Allah (swt).

Not only is the Quran itself in Arabic but the vast majority of the Tafsirs of Quran that explain the

Quran are also in Arabic. So for those Muslims who do not have the Arabic language, they have

very little access to what their Creator and Master is telling them. We do not feel that the current

translations available do justice to the meaning of the Quran.

That is why we have begun this endeavor; it is to give those in the Ummah, a small

understanding of the deep and profound meanings that are in the Quran. This work by no means

replaces the Arabic Tafsirs that our scholars have written, but rather it simply seeks to explain

some of the meanings of the Quran for those who do not have the Arabic language. We

encourage every one of our readers to make an effort to learn the Arabic language so that they

can understand Quran as it was revealed from Allah (swt), and also because they can read the

classical Tafsir books that our scholars have written. In the meantime we hope that our work

gives you a small taste of the depth of meaning that is in the Book of Allah (swt).

We are by no means scholars, and there is nothing here that is from our own opinion.

What we have done is that we have taken the works of both contemporary and classical scholars

of Tafsir and summarized it into one work. Among the sources we have referred to are the works

of scholars such as Sayyid Abul Ala Mawdudi, Sayyid Qutb, Imam Qurtubi, Imam Ibn Kathir,

Imam Shawkani, Mufti Shafi Uthmani, and others (may Allah (swt) be pleased with all of them).

These men are all great scholars who have contributed a great deal for this Ummah. The life of

this Ummah depends solely on the ink of its scholars and the blood of its martyrs. So we should

respect and honor our scholars simply for the fact that they are scholars and because they have

produced works that help us to better understand our Din.

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We must not reject any scholar completely simply because they may not be part of our

group or movement, nor must we reject them if there is one statement that they may have made

that we do not agree with. If we find what they are saying to be consistent with the Quran and

Sunnah, we can accept what they say but if they say something that contradicts Quran and

Sunnah then we leave it. Because even though they are scholars they are still men and men

make mistakes. So if we see something from them that is good we take it, otherwise we leave it.

Our sincerity and our loyalty must only be for Allah (swt) and His Messenger (saw). So blindly

following scholars without asking for their evidence from the Quran and Sunnah is wrong. But at

the same time we must not discard what the scholars say simply because they may not always

agree with them. We should listen to what each scholar says and ultimately our only loyalty must

be to Book of Allah (swt) and the Sunnah of His Messenger (saw). So please do not discard

everything that is in this Tafsir only because you do not agree with one of the scholars we

mentioned. Simply listen to what they say, if you are convinced that they are giving you the

correct meaning that is in the Quran then you can accept it, otherwise you can leave it. As always

Allah (swt) Knows best and what is important for us is that we make the effort to understand what

is in His (swt)s Book to the best of our ability. This striving to understand the meanings of the

Quran is the action for which we seek the reward from our Creator in the Hereafter, in that eternal

life after this one. May Allah (swt) guide us to only follow that which is correct!

That being said we can tell you that everything in this work is in conformity with the

tenets of the scholars of Ahl-As-Sunna wa Jammah. If you find even one idea that is presented

this work that is not from our scholars, please e-mail us and bring it to our attention. Only Allah

(swt) is Perfect, and we are all prone to errors. We ask Allah (swt) to guide us.

As we mentioned when compiling this Tafsir we have always tried our best to stick to the

meaning of the words that Allah (swt) gives in the ayah and we tried our best not to add anything

of our own opinion. So we can assure you that as you read this Tafsir you will not find anything

that is not given in the language of the ayah or anything that is not supported by another ayah in

the Quran or in a hadith of the Prophet (saw). The only thing we have done in addition to quoting

the opinions of scholars is to try and connect the meaning of the ayah to the present situation that

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our Ummah is facing. Because the Quran is a Book of guidance, and we all need guidance from

Allah (swt). So for every ayah we try to get the guidance that Allah (swt) is giving for our present

day situation. But we never took any meaning that is not given in the language in the ayah, or

supported by another ayah or a hadith of the Prophet (saw), or given by one of the scholars of

Tafsir. Thus we strove to ensure that every single idea that is presented here is in conformity with

this Message that Allah (swt) has sent. But we are not perfect and that is why we say that if there

is anything here that is correct and good then it is from Allah (swt) and if there is anything here

that is wrong then it is from us and we seek forgiveness of Allah (swt) for any misinterpretation we

may have unintentionally done of His (swt)s Book.

Since these are the words of Allah (swt) we do not intend by this Tafsir any kind of

comprehensive explanation of the Qurans meanings. Allah (swt) has told us in Quran that if the

trees of the world were pens and if the oceans of the world were ink this still would not be enough

to write His (swt)s words. Ali (ra) is reported to have said If I wished I could load seventy camels

only with the Tafsir of Surah Fatihah. This shows the extent of knowledge and meaning that is

contained in the Quran. So our humble project is by no means an extensive explanation of the

meanings of the Quran. You can think of each ayah as an iceberg and the meaning that we give

in this Tafsir as only the tip of the iceberg. There is still a wealth of knowledge and guidance in

each ayah that we cannot even touch upon here. So do not allow this tafsir to be the only one

that you read, rather you should read more and more so that you can discover more and more of

the meanings in the Book of your Lord.

The one rule that we have to always keep in mind when we read any ayah of the Quran

is how that ayah can be a source of guidance for us. We have already said how the Quran is the

manual or the guidebook for us to know how to worship and serve our Creator. Allah (swt)

created us for the noble purpose of worshipping and serving Him (swt) and the Quran is the

manual on how to accomplish that purpose. So as we read each ayah of the Quran, Insha Allah,

we should try to learn its meaning and we should ask ourselves how the meaning of this ayah

can help us to better worship and serve our Creator. We have to always remember that our

intention in approaching the Quran is for Allah (swt). So we have to try and use every ayah that

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we learn to bring our close to our Lord. If we keep this rule in mind then Insha Allah for every

ayah that we learn we will be fulfilling the purpose for which the Quran was sent down, and that is

to be a light and guidance for those who believe. To show us how to worship and serve Allah

(swt) so that we can earn His (swt)s Pleasure. It is only when we get the Pleasure of Allah (swt)

that we will get the Mercy of Allah (swt) and it is only when we get the Mercy of Allah (swt) that

any of us have a chance to enter the Garden. Nothing matters in this life except that we strive to

please our Lord.

We ourselves are not part of any group or movement. Neither are we affiliated with any

organization or government. We are just trying to learn the Book of Allah (swt) and teach it to

others as the Prophet (saw) has commanded us to do. That is the only objective that we hoped to

achieve when we wrote this tafsir. So we strove to ensure that any idea or thought that you get

from this tafsir is an idea or thought that comes from the ayahs of the Quran and not from

ourselves. We had no ulterior motives whatsoever in writing this work. We only want to explain

the Book of Allah (swt) and call to Allah (swt) with it. This tafsir does not in any way call to acts of

unjustified violence or terrorism. We do not want anyone to harm others or harm themselves as a

result of reading these books. Insha Allah if you read this tafsir we will show you how all acts of

terrorism directed against civilians and non-combatants is wrong and is not permitted in the Law

of Allah (swt). Insha Allah we will show how Islam is a religion of peace and how it was only sent

for the betterment of mankind. Even when it comes to jihad and fighting this Din has specific rules

on how combat should take place. Insha Allah we will show how ji had can only be used as a last

resort and even then according to the rules specified in the Law of Allah (swt). We personally are

not against any government or people. We believe that all people are the children of Adam and

so all people are our brethren in humanity. We believe that all people are good unless they do

something to prove otherwise. So we have nothing against anyone whatsoever. All that we say in

this tafsir is what Allah (swt) Himself has said. All that we do is explain and elaborate on what is

already there in the text. If you think that we have inadvertently said something against someone

that is not supported by the Quran or Sunnah please e-mail us and bring it to our attention. We

want nothing but good for all mankind to come from this work.

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We pray to Allah (swt) to accept this humble work of ours and to forgive its many

weaknesses and shortcomings. We know that there are many shortcomings in this work. We ask

Allah (swt) to allow these books to facilitate a greater understanding of the Quran by our brothers

and sisters in the Muslim Ummah. We ask Allah (swt) to allow these books to allow non -Muslims

to gain insight into the knowledge and wisdom that the Quran contains. If Allah (swt) guides even

one person through our books then we believe that all of our efforts were worth what we did. You

are welcome to print out these books and use them for dawah. You can distribute them to anyone

whom you feel will benefit from them. We hope that these books will allow the Quran to be a

source of guidance and a comfort for all who read it like just it has been for us. We pray to Allah

(swt) to let this Quran be a light for all those of His (swt)s slaves who search for Him (swt) with it.

A beacon that guides to His (swt)s Pleasure and His (swt)s Parad ise. We beg Allah (swt) to

allow this work to be even the smallest of help for the Muslim Ummah on the great mission that

He (swt) has given us on this earth. Ameen!

Edad ur-RahmanQuran-Tafsir.org

October 2007

The following abbreviations are used in this Tafsir.

(swt)Subahana Wa Taala , Perfect and Pure and the Most High

This is used whenever we mention the Name of Allah (swt), our Lord and Master.

(saw)- Sallahu Allahi wa Salam, Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him

This is used whenever we mention the Prophet (saw), our Messenger and Leader.

(as)Allahi Salam - On him be peace

This is used whenever we mention a previous prophet or an angel.

(ra)Radi Allahu anMay Allah be pleased with him

This is used whenever we mention a companion of the Prophet (saw).

These have only been used for the sake of brevity and we do not intend to diminish the meaning

of them in any way. When you read these you should try to pronounce them out loud to show

your respect for your Creator and His Messenger and those whom He (swt) is pleased with.

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1. In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Merciful.

The first ayah of every Surah in the Quran with the exception of Surah Tawbah is this

collection of words that are known as the Basmallah. So this is the first ayah in one hundred and

thirteen out of the one hundred and fourteen Surahs in the Quran. The fact that Allah (swt) in His

infinite Knowledge and Wisdom has decided to repeat this ayah so many times in the Quran

should show us what an important ayah it is. The scholars have said that all of the previous

revelations can be summarized in the Quran, and all of the Quran can be summarized in Surah

Fatihah, and all of Surah Fatihah can be summarized in the Basmallah. So in reality these five

words summarize all of the revelations that were ever sent down from Allah (swt) to mankind.

Can you then even begin to understand the importance of this ayah? Let us now look into each

word of this ayah in the hope that Insha Allah we can derive some of the tremendous meaning

and benefit that it contains. As always we ask Allah (swt) to guide us and we ask Allah (swt) to

open up for us the knowledge and benefit that is in His (swt)s Book.

The first word in this ayah is the Arabic word Ba. This word means with or in. So in

the first part of the ayah Allah (swt) is saying with the name of Allah or in the name of Allah.

This type of sentence is what is known in English as an ellipses or a sentence in which a portion

of the words has been purposely left out. This is clear because we can see that in the ayah Allah

(swt) is teaching us to say In the name of Allah or with the name of Allah but He (swt) is not

telling us what is in His (swt)s Name. The scholars say that the reason why Allah (swt) has left

out a portion of the sentence is so that in its place we can put any action that we do. This way

any action that we do we can do in the Name of Allah (swt). That is why when we make ablution

for prayer we say the Basmallah, when we have our meal or drink water we say the Basmallah,

when we perform our jobs or drive our cars we say the Basmallah. In other words for every single

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action that we do from the time we wake up to the time we go to bed we can say these words.

This way every single action that we do is an action in the Name of our Lord and Master.

The scholars point out at least five benefits that we can derive from saying these words at

the beginning of every single action. The first reason is because it helps us to remember Allah

(swt). Allah (swt) has told us in other ayahs of the Quran that in the remembrance of Allah do the

hearts find solace. Although Allah (swt) is sustaining us for every second of our existence, we

cannot directly sense Him (swt). So saying the Basmallah before each of our actions will help us

to remember Him (swt). The next benefit that we can derive by saying these words is that it

reminds us of the purpose of our existence. We know that Allah (swt) created us to worship Him

(swt) and to serve Him (swt) and when we constantly say these words before each of our actions

and we think about the meaning of these words, then Insha Allah it should remind us of this fact

that we are on this earth to worship and serve Allah (swt). The third benefit of mentioning the

Name of Allah (swt) before every action is that doing so turns that action into a way of

worshipping Allah (swt). Every action that we do can be considered part of our worship of Allah

(swt) if we perform that action with the hope of drawing closer to Him (swt) and with the intention

of abiding by His (swt)s Law in that action. So by saying the Basmallahbefore every action, we

are turning that action into an act of worship to Allah (swt). With that action we can seek to get

closer to Allah (swt) and we hope that action will be a source of reward for us on the Day of

Judgment. The fourth benefit of saying these words before our actions is that we can get Allah

(swt)s help and support in that action. The scholars of language have pointed out that the word

Bain this ayah is the Baof Istiyanna, which means to seek help. So every time we say these

words before any one of our actions not only are we seeking to closer to Allah (swt) with that

action but we are also seeking Allah (swt)s help in that action. The fifth benefit of saying these

words before all of our actions is that it prevents us from doing the forbidden actions. If we are in

the habit of saying these words before every single one of our actions no matter how mundane

that action might be, then whenever our desires might prompt us to do an evil action, Insha Allah

we would say these words and then immediately remember Allah (swt). Insha Allah this should

prevent us from doing that action. These five are only a few of the many benefits that we can

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receive by making it a habit of saying the Basmallah before all of our actions. How beautiful is

that then? How beautiful is it to do each and every one of our actions for Allah (swt)? Allah (swt)

is the One Who created us and He (swt) is the One Who is sustaining us for every moment of our

lives. Do we not then owe it to Him (swt) to dedicate each and every one of our actions for Him

(swt)? This could be one of the reasons why Allah (swt) has made the words of Basmallah an

incomplete sentence, it is so that in the place of the words that are missing we can put any action

that we are going to do.

Although we should say the Basmallah at the beginning of every action, one of the most

important times to say it is before we start to read the Quran. Since we are turning to the Quran

as a source of guidance for us, could there be any time in which need Allah (swt)s help more and

seek Allah (swt)s Pleasure more than at the time when we read and study His (swt)s Book?

Allah (swt) wants us to mention His (swt)s Name and call on Him (swt) as we approach His

(swt)s Book and that may be another reason as to why He (swt) has made this ayah as the first

ayah in almost every Surah. So by making the Basmallah as the first ayah of the Surah, Allah

(swt) is telling us that as we read that Surah we should seek His (swt)s Help and we should

consider that act of turning to the Quran for guidance and reading that Surah as an act of worship

and submission to Him (swt). Another important reason why Allah (swt) begins Surahs of the

Quran with the Basmallah is to declare a promise in His (swt) Name that everything in that Surah

is the Truth. So Allah (swt) is swearing by His (swt)s Own Name that everything the Surah is the

Truth. Everything that Surah has in terms of news must be believed in without a doubt and

whatever that Surah has in terms of laws must be followed without question.

When we do an action in the Name of Allah (swt) it is very important that we bring Allah

(swt) to the forefront of our minds while we are doing that action. When we think about Allah (swt)

and all of His (swt)s Perfect Names as well as remembering all that He (swt) has done for us,

Insha Allah this will make us love Him (swt) and fear Him (swt) and we would do that action

willingly for Him (swt) as part of our total submission to Him (swt). So it is not enough that we do

every action for Allah (swt) but we must also do that action with the recognition of Who Allah (swt)

IS, and why it is that He (swt) needs to be the purpose for all of our a ctions. We should always

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think to ourselves that not only are we doing all of our actions only for the sake of Allah (swt) but

also we must remind ourselves that we are willingly and lovingly doing that action for Allah (swt).

This can be accomplished by always remembering Allah (swt) and all that He (swt) has done for

us. Insha Allah when we think about Allah (swt) in our minds in this way it will make us want to do

that action for Allah (swt) Alone because no one else deserves our actions are for them except

Allah (swt). Our actions should not even by for ourselves instead of Allah (swt) because we are

weak and worthless creatures. Our bodies are nothing more than a container of contaminated

things and we do not provide any real good for anyone. The only good that we can do is in being

a slave of Allah (swt) and doing all our actions for Him (swt). This may seem difficult but when

you think about who you are and what you have done and you think about Allah (swt) and what

He (swt) has done then you will realize Who is more deserving of being the purpose your actions.

We should also note here that the language gives the meaning that not only is the action

done for Allah (swt) but it done onlyfor Allah (swt). This means that when we say these words

before an action then we are doing that action in the Name of Allah (swt) and onlyin the Name of

Allah (swt). We are doing that action for Allah (swt) and for no one else. So we cannot say these

words before an action and then intend by that action anything but the Pleasure of Allah (swt).

This is a very important concept for all Muslims to remember because it prevents pride and

arrogance from surfacing in any of our actions. It is very important that we always strive to protect

ourselves from pride. We as Muslims currently live in an Ummah where although a large portion

of the community is not known for piety, those who are pious are still held in high regard and

looked up to by the community. So when a Muslim does an action of piety in a community that is

not so pious then a small sense of pride and arrogance may also try to come in to the intention of

that action. The Muslim may be doing that action to make himself or herself feel better than the

rest of the community instead of doing that action for Allah (swt). But when the Muslim says the

Basmallah, and remembers that part of the meaning of these words is that the action can only be

for Allah (swt), Insha Allah that should prevent him or her from having any other motive besides

the Pleasure of Allah (swt) in that action. Insha Allah it will ensure that the sincerity is present in

all actions. We all know the terrible punishment in the Hereafter that Allah (swt) has reserved for

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those who do righteous and pious acts with the intention of showing off in front of the people. By

always saying the Basmallah before every action and always reminding ourselves that we are

doing that action for Allah (swt) and Allah (swt) Alone, this should Insha Allah help us to correct

our intention before all of our actions and make the goal of our actions only the Pleasure of Allah

(swt) and nothing else.

So the first part of this ayah gives the meaning that we are doing each and every one of

our actions in the Name of Allah. We know from authentic hadith that Allah (swt) has over

ninety-nine Names and that each Name describes our Lord and Master in a different way. Each

Name is a different way for us to know our Creator. But the Name Allah is most likely the

greatest Name of Allah (swt). It is not the Arabic word for god but rather it is a proper Name. So

unlike the English word god, this Name does not have a plural or feminine equivalent. While you

can say gods and goddess nothing like this can be done with the Name Allah. Allah (swt) is

One and Only and He (swt) is above d ifferentiation between masculine and feminine. Is this not

how the Creator should be? Can you imagine the Creator and Sustainer of this universe to be

limited in any way or to have partners or equals? So we see how the Quran matches the reality

perfectly, it is said that the Quran is a mirror for the universe and the universe is a mirror for the

Quran because they are both from the same Source. So while we know the Creator to be without

partner and to be above the limitation of being male and female, this is also how the Quran

describes Him (swt) to be. The Quran matches what we see from the universe perfectly.

The meaning of the Name Allah is The One that possesses all of the attributes of

perfection". Thus all of the Perfect Names of Allah (swt) are in the Name Allah. So for example

we know that Allah (swt) is All-Powerful in that He (swt) can do anything and everything that He

(swt) does is easy for Him (swt). Allah (swt) does not even need to make any effort whatsoever to

accomplish anything, He (swt) only says Be and it is. So when we refer to Him (swt) as Allah

we are also referring to Him (swt) as the All-Powerful. We also know that Allah (swt) is All

Knowing in that everything is in the Knowledge of Allah (swt). There is not one iota of knowledge

that it outside the Knowledge of Allah (swt) because He (swt) Knows everything. He (swt) knows

the past, present and future. He (swt) Knows what is, what was, what will be and what could have

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been. He (swt) Knows what is in the deepest ocean, and what is in the farthest galaxy as He (swt)

Knows what is in the deepest recesses of our hearts. Allah (swt) is also the All Seeing and the All

Hearing. There is no sight that is hidden from Allah (swt). Allah (swt) Sees everything, even that

which is hidden in layers upon layers of darkness. Similarly there is no sound that does not reach

Allah (swt), even the faintest whisper reaches Him (swt). These are only a few of the Perfect

Names of Allah (swt) and all of these Names are in the Name Allah. This is why it is said that it

is the greatest Name of Allah (swt). It is the Name that best describes Him (swt). So the Name

Allah is the greatest Name of Allah (swt) because it also includes all of the other Perfect Names

of Allah (swt) within it. When you call on Allah (swt) by this Name you are in essence calling on

Him (swt) by all of His Names. This is something that is special only for the name of Allah, when

you call upon Allah (swt) by this Name it encompasses all of the other Perfect Names of Allah

(swt). So where the other Names of Allah (swt) describe only that particular attribute of Allah

(swt), the Name Allah describes all of His (swt)s perfect attributes. It is the most comprehensive

and the most complete of the Names of Allah (swt) and that is why it is the greatest Name of

Allah (swt). All of the Perfect Names of Allah (swt) are captured in this Name, so this is the Name

that best describes Allah (swt).

The Name Allah is said to be derived from the words Al and illah. The word Al is

similar to the English word the and it is used for identifying the definite article in a sentence. So

for example when you say a book you could be referring to any book but when you say The

book there is the specific and definite book that you are referring to. The word illahliterally

means god or an object of worship. However in reality it means more than simply an object of

worship, it means that which the heart of a person is attached to. The illahis what fills the

personsthoughts day and night and is the object of his actions. In other words a persons illahis

the most important thing in that persons life. Throughout the centuries, people have taken as

their illahvarious idols, celestial objects, fire, and even other human beings. In reality however an

illahdoes not need to be an idol or some other physical object but it can be almost anything. For

some it is their wealth, for others it is their family or tribe and for others it is their status or image

in the eyes of the people, and for others it is their desires and lusts. All of these are things that

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preoccupy a persons time because their heart is attached to it and so it is their illah. But when

the word aland the word illahare combined it forms the Name Allah and it gives the meaning

that only Allah (swt) deserves to be illahbecause He (swt) is theillah. So we can see that even

in the linguistic derivation of the Name Allah it gives the meaning that only Allah (swt) deserves

to be the object of all of our actions and the cent erpiece of all our thoughts. He (swt) is the true

illahand everything else is a false illah.

Some may say that to make Allah (swt) as the purpose for all of our actions and the

centerpiece of all our thoughts is an ideal that is difficult for us to live up to. They might bring the

argument that we as Muslims today are so distracted by the life of this world that we are not able

to remember Allah (swt) all of the time and to make the Pleasure of Allah (swt) the objective

behind all of our actions. The response to such an argument is that no one ever said this would

be easy. The worldly life is always in front of our senses and Allah (swt) is hidden from us.

Although the signs of Allah (swt) are in the universe all around us, we still have to make a

conscious effort to look for those signs and ponder and reflect on them. Meanwhile the worldly life

is simply there right in front of our senses and there will always be something there to capture our

attention and distract us away from Allah (swt). So it is understandable if it is difficult for Muslims

to live up to the meaning of the Basmallah that they are saying. But even though it is difficult we

still have to try. We have to remember Allah (swt) and all that He (swt) has done for us. We have

to remember that every second of our existence in this worldly life is a test from Allah (swt). For

every second of our life Allah (swt) is the One Who is keeping us alive and sustaining us. Every

breath that we take is only from Allah (swt). That is why we have to find it within ourselves to

make the effort to remember Allah (swt) constantly and make everything that we do only for the

Pleasure of Allah (swt). If we remember Who Allah (swt) is, all that He (swt) has given us, and the

great reward that He (swt) has prepared for us in the Hereafter then Insha Allah it will not seem

all that difficult anymore to remember Him (swt) at every moment of our life. May Allah (swt) grant

that ability to all of the sincere Muslims in this Ummah!

Since the Name Allah captures all of the other Perfect Names of Allah (swt) within it,

this is one of the reasons why Allah (swt) is One True illahwho deserves all of our worship and all

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of our obedience. When we call on Allah (swt), we are also calling on the All Powerful, the All

Knowing, the Most Merciful, the Most Patient, and we are calling on Him (swt) with all of His

(swt)s Perfect Names. Since only Allah (swt) has these Perfect Names it is only He (swt) Who

deserves all of our worship and obedience. When we know these Perfect Names that describe

Allah (swt), how can we ever call on anyone besides Him (swt)? How can we not be terrified and

humbled by the awesome Power and Majesty that this Name denotes? How can we not be

overflowing with love, adoration and respect for Him (swt)?

There is nothing else and no one else that can have the name of Allah because this

Name denotes perfection and the lack of any weakness. Everything else is weak or imperfect in

some way and so cannot have this Name. So it is a Name that cannot be given to anyo ne or

anything except Allah (swt). Some of the enemies of Islam have said that it is the name of an idol

that the pagan Arabs used to worship, but there is no evidence for this whatsoever. In fact if we

study the history it clearly shows that even when the pagans used this Name they used it to refer

only to Allah (swt). Much like other polytheists they believed in Allah (swt), and they knew that the

idols that they worshipped were not able to create the heavens and the earth. But they used

these idols as intercessors between them and Allah (swt) hoping that they can get closer to Allah

(swt) through these idols. They had names for their idols such as Hubaland Uzzabut when they

mentioned the Name of Allah (swt), they knew it was only the Creator and Sustainer of the

universe that they were referring to.

Now that we have a little bit of an understanding of what the Name Allah means, we can

think about how fortunate we are that we know our Creator and our Sustainer in this way. Every

religion has a concept of there being a Supreme Being, One Who has created everything and the

One Who is the originator of everything. Even the simplest of minds can fathom that there has to

be a source for everything, a source from which the universe originated. Anyone can see that a

universe where everything is in some way limited could not have come into being on its own.

Thus every religion accepts the idea of a Supreme Being that was the first cause for all things.

Another reason why every religion has this idea of a Supreme Being is because Allah (swt) has

sent many prophets and messengers. Every nation has had a prophet or messenger that was

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tenderness. So the two Names of His that Allah (swt) first tells us about are the two Names that

describe His (swt)s Mercy. We could ask ourselves that of all of the many Names of Allah (swt),

why did He (swt) choose to mention these two Names in this ayah that is repeated so many times

in the Quran? Why did He (swt) choose to begin His Book by mentioning these two Names?

What is so important about the Mercy of Allah (swt) that it deserves to be mentioned more than

the other Names of Allah (swt)? Is it not also important to mention that Allah (swt) is the All

Knowing, the All Seeing, the All Powerful? The fact that Allah (swt) has described Himself with

the Name of Mercy in this ayah that is repeated so many times in the Quran and in this ayah that

begins the Quran shows us how important the Mercy of Allah (swt) is. It shows us how Allah (swt)

is constantly reminding us of His (swt)s Mercy. Why is this so? What is so special about the

Mercy of Allah (swt)?

The first aspect of the Mercy of Allah (swt) that is so special is that the Mercy of Allah

(swt) extends to all of the creation. All of the creation is experiencing the Mercy of Allah (swt) for

every second of its existence. The first way in which everything in the universe is experiencing

the Mercy of Allah (swt) is simply from the fact that it exists. Allah (swt) is not in need of anything

so Allah (swt) does not need the creation. Rather every single thing that exists in the universe is

only a manifestation of the Mercy of Allah (swt) because Allah (swt) created everything only out of

His (swt)s Mercy. So all of the rocks, plants, animals, stars and everything else in the universe

have only been created as part of the Mercy of Allah (swt). Their very existence is a manifestation

of the Mercy of Allah (swt). Not only has every thing in the universe been created only as part of

the Mercy of Allah (swt) but also everything is being sustained only by the Mercy of Allah (swt).

So everything that exists in the universe needs Allah (swt) for every moment of its existence. If

Allah (swt) were to neglect the universe for even a single moment then the entire universe would

be completely destroyed. So one way in which we can see why Allah (swt)s Mercy is one of His

most important Names is because the entire universe needs Allah (swt)s Mercy both to be

brought into existence and for that existence to be maintained. Some scholars have even said

that Allah (swt) created the entire universe and continues to maintain this universe only to make

manifest His (swt)s Mercy. This entire universe is nothing but a manifestation of the Mercy of

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Allah (swt). Just the fact that so Powerful and Tremendous a Being has chosen to be so Merciful

shows us how Sublime and Magnificent He (swt) IS.

This Mercy of Allah (swt) extends to every single thing. There is not a single thing except

that it is tasting of the Mercy of Allah (swt) for every single moment of its existence. For example

in the Quran Allah (swt) tells us to look at the birds in flight and how they spread their wings. Allah

(swt) says that nothing keeps them from falling except He (swt). Similarly it is only Allah (swt) that

provides the sustenance for every living thing. Even at this moment He (swt) is providing for the

smallest of ants that walk on the earth and for the fish in deepest of seas. There is nothing in

existence except that it has Allah (swt) as its only Provider and Sustainer. Everything in this

universe constantly needs the Mercy of Allah (swt).

While the Mercy of Allah (swt) extends to even the rocks and the trees, there is nothing

that has received more of Allah (swt)s Mercy than human beings. Allah (swt) says in the Quran

that He (swt) has created everything on the earth for the human being. Allah (swt) has subjugated

every single thing in this planet for the benefit of the human being. So all of the animals, plants

and inanimate objects of this planet have been created only for the human being. The human is

free to use the animals of this world for food and transportation, to use the trees of this world to

build houses and to use the plants in his garden, and to use whatever else is on this earth for any

purpose he may please. The only condition is that he should not use these things in disobedience

to Allah (swt). Everything on this earth has been made only for the human being. This is an

honor and privilege that has not been given to any other creature. The subjugation of this planet

is part of the Mercy of Allah (swt) for the human being for which the human has done nothing on

his own to deserve. It is only a gift and blessing from the Mercy of Allah (swt).

However the greatest manifestation of Allah (swt)s Mercy for the human being is the

mind of the human. With this mind that Allah (swt) has given us we can communicate with other

human beings, we can learn about the world around us and we can come up with material

advancements and technology to benefit our stay on this planet. Simply look at all of the comforts

and conveniences that you have because Allah (swt) has given the human being this mind. From

the warm meal that you eat, to the shelter your roof provides, to the transportation your car gives

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you, to the information you find on the Internet. All of these are accomplishments of the human

being but they are from the resources that Allah (swt) gave the human being and most

importantly they were devised from the mind that Allah (swt) Alone gave to the human.

Yet despite all that we as a human race have accomplished with our minds and all of the

technological advancements that we have made, the greatest blessing of this mind that Allah

(swt) has given us is that it enables to realize and know Allah (swt). With our minds we can study

the universe around us and realize the Existence of Allah (swt) through the signs that are present

in the universe. All the other creatures of this planet are already aware of Allah (swt) and they are

always in a complete state of submission to Him (swt). But as for humans, Allah (swt) has given

us the ability to study the world around us, reflect on it and realize that it could not have come into

existence without Him (swt). This is only possible with our minds. So the greatest blessing of our

minds is that our minds allow us to know Allah (swt).

But how many humans in todays world use their mind for this purpose? Humans have

used their minds to learn about everything in this world that will benefit them while on this earth,

but how many humans use their minds to think about why they are on this earth? How many

humans reflect on what is the purpose of their existence on this planet? If they did they would

realize that they have been created by Allah (swt) and their purpose in life is to worship and serve

their Creator. So the human being has experienced the Mercy of Allah (swt) more than any other

creature by the fact that Allah (swt) has given them their minds and Allah (swt) has given them

the potential to know Him (swt). But how many humans are aware of that Mercy, how many

humans are thankful to Allah (swt) for that Mercy by using their minds to reflect on Allah (swt) and

to glorify Him (swt)?

Despite the fact that there are so many people who refuse to use their minds to think

about Allah (swt) and to think about the purpose of their existence, the Mercy of Allah (swt) still

extends to these people as well. These are the ones who do not thank Allah (swt) for all of the

bounties that He (swt) has bestowed upon them and some of them even refuse to acknowledge

the Existence of Allah (swt). But still the Mercy of Allah (swt) extends to them. Even for these

ungrateful and evil people Allah (swt) still continues to provide for them the air that they breathe,

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the food that they eat, and Allah (swt) even allows their very bodies to function as He (swt) keep

them alive. These people continue to be ungrateful and unjust to Allah (swt) even though they

need Him (swt) and Allah (swt) continues to be Merciful to them even though He (swt) does not

need them. So despite all the evil and injustice that the people have done to Allah (swt), their

Creator and Sustainer, He (swt) continues to Sustain and Nurture them. Allah (swt) provides for

them everything that they need. Can you then realize how Sublime and Magnificent your Lord is

in that He (swt) would provide for these people even though they do not even acknowledge Him

(swt) let alone worship and serve Him (swt) like they should? Everything that the disbelievers

have is from Allah (swt) and they have done nothing for Him (swt) to deserve it. However despite

the fact that Allah (swt) has given them all of this the greatest Mercy of Allah (swt) for these

people is the time that He (swt) gives them to change their ways, to repent and to return to the

worship and servitude of Allah (swt) for which they were created. In all of these ways the Mercy of

Allah (swt) extends to all people even those who refuse to acknowledge and worship Him (swt).

However there is no one to whom the Mercy of Allah (swt) extends more to than the

righteous believers. The Mercy of Allah (swt) reaches the believers more than any other of His

(swt)s creation. Here in actually is the difference between the two Names of Ar-Rahmanand Ar-

Raheem. Where Ar-Rahmanis the Mercy of Allah (swt) that is present for all of the creation, Ar-

Raheemis a Mercy that is specifically for the righteous believers. The ones who believe in Allah

(swt) and willingly submit to Him (swt) by living their lives in worship and servitude to Him (swt).

So this Name Ar-Raheemdescribes that special Mercy of Allah (swt) that is only for the righteous

believers. In addition to what Allah (swt) does for all of the creation as described in His Name Ar-

Rahman, Allah (swt) does even more for the believers and this is described by His (swt)s Name

Ar-Raheem.

So what is it that Allah (swt) does for the believers that is described by His Name Ar-

Raheem? The first and foremost of what Allah (swt) has done for the believers is that He (swt)

puts the light of guidance in their hearts. He (swt) facilitates for them to believe in Him (swt) and

in the Message that He (swt) sends. Allah (swt) has told us that He (swt) will guide those who

seek guidance from Him (swt). So for those who sincerely search for the Signs of Allah (swt), He

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(swt) will guide them to the Truth of His (swt)s Existence and He (swt) will put in their hearts the

sweetness of Faith that is far better than anything that this worldly life has to offer. The next

Mercy that Allah (swt) gives specifically for the believers is the tranquility that they feel in their

hearts that comes from this Faith. For the ones who truly recognize Allah (swt) and have the

firmest of belief in Him (swt), would they ever feel any sorrow or any fear from anything of this

world? They would not because they know that everything comes from Allah (swt) and that He

(swt) has Power over all things and that He (swt) Sees and Hears everything. Allah (swt) is aware

of any trial or difficulty that they go through in this world and this trial is either a test for them for

which they will be rewarded in the Hereafter or it is a means by which some of their sins are

removed. Even the way of life that Allah (swt) has given the believers, this way of life called Islam

is a Mercy for them. It shows them how to live their lives so that they can achieve true peace and

tranquility in the life of this world. It shows them how they can fulfill the purpose for which they

were created. Islam does this both for the society as a whole and for the people in that society.

Despite all of this Mercy that Allah (swt) has given the believers in the life of this world we

know that the greatest Mercy that Allah (swt) gives specifically for the believers is in the

Hereafter. We know the hadith where the Prophet (saw) has told us how Allah (swt) has divided

Mercy into one hundred pieces and of those ninety nine pieces He (swt) has kept with Himself

and only one piece did He (swt) send down to this world. So any Mercy that we find in this worldly

life, including the mercy of all mothers for their young, is part of this one piece of Mercy. The

remaining ninety-nine pieces of Mercy that Allah (swt) has kept with Himself He (swt) has

reserved specifically for the believers in the Hereafter. So although Allah (swt) showers Mercy for

all of the creation, we can see that this is only a small portion of the total Mercy that Allah (swt)

has. The largest portion of this Mercy is what has been kept for the believers in the Hereafter.

When you see how much Mercy the creation today is experiencing, can you then even begin to

imagine how much Mercy Allah (swt) is saving for the believers in the Hereafter? It is even

beyond our imagination and comprehension. This shows us how wonderful and joyous the

Hereafter will be for the righteous believers and how much Allah (swt) loves them that He (swt)

will grant them such a reward. May Allah (swt) join us in that company!

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So we can see from this ayah that the greatest share of the Mercy of Allah (swt) has

been kept only for the believers in the Hereafter. But we must realize that we are not guaranteed

this Mercy simply by being born into a Muslim family and having a Muslim name. There is no

guarantee that says that you will go straight to Paradise if all that you do is believe and you do not

act on that belief. Rather you must remember that Allah (swt) says in the Quran Obey Allah and

obey the Messenger in order that you may be shown Mercy (3:132). The meaning of this ayah is

that we will only be guaranteed the Mercy of Allah (swt) in the Hereafter if we do our best to obey

the commands of Allah (swt). We obey Allah (swt) by following the Prophet (saw) in all of our

actions. The Prophet (saw) is the role model that Allah (swt) has given us so that we can know

how to worship and serve Him (swt). So we see that the Mercy of Allah (swt) for the believers in

the Hereafter is conditional on obedience to Allah (swt) by following the Prophet (saw). Thus the

only way that we can hope for this Mercy is to sincerely submit to Allah (swt) alone. We submit to

Allah (swt) by trying to follow the Prophet (saw) in everything that we do. May Allah (swt) give us

all the ability to do that!

So what is the Mercy of Allah (swt) for the righteous believers in the Hereafter? The

Mercy of Allah (swt) for the righteous believers in the Hereafter includes saving them from the

punishment of the grave. We know that there is punishment for the sinful even in the grave, and

the Mercy of Allah (swt) saves the believers even from this punishment. The Mercy of Allah (swt)

in the Hereafter also includes saving them from the fear, anxiety and terrors of the Last Day. We

know that the Day of Judgment is a Day on which this world as we know it will be completely

destroyed. Those who do not have the Mercy of Allah (swt) on them will be gripped with fear and

apprehension on that Day. So we ask Allah (swt) for His (swt)s Mercy on that Day. Most

importantly however the Mercy of Allah (swt) for the believers is His (swt) saving them from the

torment of the Hellfire. No one can have patience on the Fire, not even for one moment, and the

greatest of the Mercy of Allah (swt) is to be kept away from that awful place. May Allah (swt), in

His (swt)s Infinite and unending Mercy keep us all far away from that place! As bad as your life

may be, just the fact that you are not in that terrible place at this moment is a Mercy from Allah

(swt) for which you should be constantly thanking Him (swt)!

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In addition to this salvation, the Mercy of Allah (swt) for the believers in the Hereafter

also includes allowing them to enter the eternal bliss and tranquility of Paradise. To partake in all

of the pleasures and joys therein. The true pleasure, bliss, and contentment of the Garden is

beyond our limited words so we will not even try. You just have to think that if the Lord and

Master of the universe wanted to make you happy then in how many different ways can He (swt)

make you happy?

But the greatest part of the Mercy that Allah (swt) gives the believers in the Hereafter is

that He (swt) gives them His (swt)s contentment and that He (swt) allows the believers to behold

Him (swt). Insha Allah if we can get this Mercy of Allah (swt) then it would be the very best thing

that could ever happen to us. First Allah (swt) will tell us that He (swt) is pleased with us, and that

He (swt) will never be displeased with us after that. Could there be anything better than that? To

know that your Creator is pleased with you. The only thing that will be better than that is to

actually behold Allah (swt). We do not know how we will see Allah (swt), we just know that we will

and it will the greatest of experiences, something that cannot be described in words. This is what

we must always be thinking about in the life of this world, and all of our actions should be to strive

to attain this. May Allah (swt) give us that determination and ability! Truly we cannot do it unless

Allah (swt) gives us His (swt)s enabling grace!

In addition to knowing that the greatest portion of the Mercy of Allah (swt) is reserved for

us only if we give obedience to all of the Laws of Allah (swt), we must also realize that Allah (swt)

is pleased with us when we show mercy to others. The Prophet (saw) said Allah wil l not show

Mercy to the one who does not show mercy to the people. What the Prophet (saw) means here

by Mercy from Allah (swt) is the Mercy in the Hereafter. So the wording of the hadith clearly

indicates that it is obligatory upon Muslims to show mercy for the people. It is obligatory upon us

to want nothing but the best for all people. This is because the Prophet (saw) linked the action of

us showing mercy to the people with the reward in the Hereafter of Allah (swt) giving Mercy to us.

This is what indicates in this hadith that such an action is not merely a recommended act but it is

an obligation. In other words if we do not do this action of showing mercy to the people then we

will not receive the Mercy of Allah (swt) in the Hereafter. Think about it, how can you invoke Allah

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(swt) by calling on Him (swt) as the Most Merciful over seventeen times every day of your life and

then not show mercy to His (swt)s creation. Showing mercy to the people includes being kind to

the people and always speaking and interacting with them in a pleasant manner. It includes being

just and fair with them and always fulfilling you oaths and obligations to them. Most importantly

however it includes inviting them to Allah (swt). The most important way in which we can show

mercy to the people is to work in the dawahfollowing the example of the Prophet (saw), to invite

the people to Islam by reminding them of their obligations to Allah (swt), their Creator and

Sustainer. So since the true Mercy of Allah (swt) is in the Hereafter we would be inviting the

people to that Mercy and at the same time we would be securing that Mercy for ourselves. Praise

be to Allah (swt) for giving us the opportunity to do this. How Merciful is He (swt)!

Some ignorant people may bring the argument that if Allah (swt) is so Merciful then why

is it that we see so much suffering and misery in the world today. They would say that even the

righteous believers in the world today are being oppressed and are suffering, they ask why this is

happening if Allah (swt) is so Merciful. The ones who ask questions such as these are truly

ignorant as to the reality of this universe and how it operates. They have to be reminded that

Allah (swt) created us only so that we may worship and serve Him (swt). Part of this worship of

Allah (swt) is having patience and steadfastness through the different trials and hardships that we

have to go through in life. Allah (swt) says Do you think that you will enter Paradise before Allah

tests those of you who fought (in His Cause) and (also) tests those who are As-Sabirin (the

patient ones, the steadfast.)?(3:142). This ayah clearly shows that our entering the Garden is

conditional upon our being patient through times of sorrow and hardship, and also on us being

steadfast in completing all of the obligations and responsibilities that we have. So the hardships

and sorrows that the believers have to face in this worldly life is a test for them, if they are patient

and steadfast through these trials then they will be rewarded beyond measure in the Hereafter for

their patience and steadfastness. In addition to being a source of reward in the Hereafter trials

and difficulties in this world can also be a way in which Allah (swt) removes the sins of the

believers. There is no believer outside of the prophets who is completely without sin. It is part of

the nature of the son of Adam that he commits sins and only the prophets have been excluded

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from this rule. Yet it is a Mercy from Allah (swt) that He (swt) gives the believers some trial in this

world so that their sins can be removed. Then after being cleansed of their wrong actions through

the trials and difficulties that they face they can enter Paradise being purified of all the evil that

they did in this world. Some scholars have even said that while it is an obligation for the believers

to be patient through times of sorrow and adversity, it is actually recommended that they be

pleased with such trials because of the knowledge that either they are being tested and rewarded

or their sins are being removed because of their patience. So we see that those who question as

to why the believers are made to suffer in this world are only thinking in terms of the temporary

and fleeting life of this world. They do not realize that once this short life is over, the believers will

be rewarded in full for their patience through all of the suffering and hardship that they had

endure. Allah (swt) loves those who believe in Him (swt) and those who serve Him (swt), so

everything that He (swt) does for them is what is best for them.

These same ignorant people may also bring the argument as to why it is that disbelievers

are suffering in this world. Similar to the question that has been asked above, a question such as

this can only be posed by someone who is truly ignorant of the universe and how it works.

Someone whose thinking is limited only to the narrow existence of this world. How can you

expect a people who deny their Creator and Sustainer, who will not even acknowledge the One

that brought them into existence and the One that is maintaining their existence for every moment

of their lives, to be shown Mercy by Allah (swt)? Their suffering is actually a way of making them

realize the error of their ways and return to the worship and servitude of Allah (swt). These people

are actually suffering more than we can ever imagine. Most of their suffering is from the void in

their hearts that they feel after abandoning Allah (swt). That is why they are so materialistic and

many of them have deep physiological problems. They have another illahin their hearts in place

of Allah (swt), be it their wealth or their desires or some trivial pastime of this world. This illah

leads them to misery because despite the fact that it occupies their hearts for the duration of their

lives, they know deep down inside that it cannot answer their prayers in times of need and it

cannot save them from death. For them death is an unknown and they know they are heading

closer to it with each second of their lives that passes them by. So they live a meaningless

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existence in total misery pursuing after the trivial things of this world, even if they themselves are

not aware of this misery. Still this misery that they suffer is also a Mercy from Allah (swt) because

the pain that they feel is a way in which Allah (swt) is telling them to wake up from their slumber

and intoxication and return to the worship and servitude of their Creator. Those who are sincere

from among them Insha Allah will realize the Truth of Allah (swt) and Insha Allah will try to find the

Messenger (saw) that leads to Allah (swt). It is truly the fault of us Muslims that the Message of

the Prophet (saw) is not present for them. That is why we must return to the dawahfollowing the

way of the Prophet (saw). Then Insha Allah we can invite the people to this special Mercy of Allah

(swt) that comes only from Islam.

So whenever Shaitan makes us think as to where is the Mercy of Allah (swt) after seeing

all of the oppression and injustice in this world, we have to always remind ourselves that this

world is not the end of existence for any human soul. Allah (swt) created every single human soul

to live forever. The short and temporal existence in the life of this world is only the smallest

fraction in the existence of that soul. This world is only a place of testing. The real life for every

single soul begins only in the Hereafter. In the Hereafter if there any souls that are deserving of

the Mercy of Allah (swt), you can be certain that they will be shown that Mercy. The only ones

who will be far away from the Mercy of Allah (swt) are those who have willingly chosen to turn

away from Him (swt). May Allah (swt) save us from ever being among such people!

So we see that in this first ayah of the Surah Allah (swt) calls on us to begin all of our

actions in His (swt)s Name. We have seen the many benefits that come from starting all of our

actions in the Name of our Lord. Among these benefits is that it makes that action a way of

worshipping Allah (swt) and we get the help of Allah (swt) in that action. So we read the Quran

and we do our actions in the greatest Name of our Lord and Master. It is a Name that cannot be

given to anyone besides Allah (swt). It is also the Name that has all of the perfect attributes of

Allah (swt) because it has all of the other Names of Allah (swt) in it. Of those Names, the two that

Allah (swt) mentions in this very ayah describe how Merciful He (swt) is. So from the fact that

Allah (swt) has chosen to mention these two Names we can say that Allah (swt) wants to be

known for His (swt)s Mercy more than anything else.

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This then is how Allah (swt) begins Surah Fatihah, by mentioning over it His (swt)s

Name. This tells us the enormity and importance of this Surah because the Name of Allah (swt) is

over it. The same can be said for the Quran as a whole because the Name of Allah (swt) is over

almost all of the Surahs of the Quran. The Qurans words are a miracle the like of which no

human mind has ever been able to reproduce. The news that it gives us is the Truth with

absolutely no doubt in it. Of all of the Mercy that Allah (swt) has sent down for mankind there is

nothing greater than the Quran because these are the Words of Allah (swt) that lead to Him (swt).

It is a guidance that will guide us on how to fulfill the purpose of our existence and it will guide us

on how to serve Our Creator. Could there then be any greater treasure that a human beings

possesses then this? We should approach this Surah and all of the Surahs having this in mind.

Always remembering that we have been created to be the slaves of Allah (swt) and to dedicate

our lives to Him (swt). We will be rewarded for this effort in the life that comes after this one, and

the greatest pleasure and happiness in that life is knowing that Allah (swt) is pleased with us and

to be given the chance to see Allah (swt). The only thing that guides to that pleasure is this

Quran. So how valuable is this Quran?

May Allah (swt) make us worthy this Quran! May Allah (swt) make every ayah that we

read a source of light for us in this world of darkness in which we live! May Allah (swt) make us

realize the importance of the Quran! Now that the Prophet (saw) has passed away, the Quran is

the only link that we have with Allah (swt). You can see that our community is very different today

than it was at the time of the Prophet (saw). Today our situation has deteriorated into a far worse

condition than how we were when the Prophet (saw) was with us. We cannot say the reason why

we have come into this terrible condition is because the Prophet (saw) is no longer with us when

he (saw) clearly told us that Allah (swt) has left us this Quran and his (saw)s Sunnah in his

(saw)s place. So the reason why we have gone astray and come into this terrible situation is

because we have abandoned this guidance that our Lord has sent us. May Allah (swt) forgive us

for that and make us worthy to carry this Message once again! The method on how to carry this

Message is in the Sunnah of the Prophet (saw) and in this Quran. Only by following that can we

attain happiness and tranquility in this life and salvation in the next. May Allah (swt) grant us that!

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2. The Hamd is Only for Allah, the Rabb of al-Alaimin.

Surah Fatihah is a prayer that we read every day of our lives. If we make the minimum

obligatory Salah that we are supposed to then we would be making this prayer at least seventeen

times a day. The fact that Allah (swt) has obligated us to make this prayer at least seventeen

times a day should show us how important it is. How important then must it be for you to learn

this Surah and always reflect on this Surah since your Lord has commanded you to recite it at

least seventeen times a day? So Insha Allah we must strive to learn as much of the meanings of

this Surah as we possibly can. In the previous ayah we saw how Allah (swt) told us to begin this

Surah in His (swt)s Name. Allah (swt) also told us of two of His (swt)s Most Beautiful Names and

we saw how they both described His (swt)s unending Mercy. In this ayah Allah (swt) teaches us

that before we ask anything of Him (swt) we first have to praise Him (swt) and we first have to

thank Him (swt) for all that He (swt) has given us.

Allah (swt) begins this second ayah of Surah Fatihah by telling us that all of the Hamdis

only for Him (swt). The word Hamdmeans praise and it also means thankfulness and

appreciation. Both of these meanings are present in this word. Allah (swt) is the One who

deserves all of the praise just as He (swt) deserves all of the thanks and appreciation. How can

we not thank Allah (swt) when we think about all that He (swt) has given us? How can we not

praise Allah (swt) when we realize Who He (swt) IS? What we are going to give here is only a few

examples of why Allah (swt) deserves all of the praise and all of the thanks. But if you were to

think about it, you will find many more reasons as to why Allah (swt) deserves all of the praise

and all of the thanks. You will find that the words of this ayah are truer than the heavens and the

earth. Allah (swt) is the One Who should always constantly be thanked and He (swt) is the One

Who should always constantly be praised.

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First of all Allah (swt) deserves the praise because He (swt) has all of Perfect Names.

How can you not praise Allah (swt) when you see that He (swt) is Perfect in every way? You

would praise someone when you see something in that person that is commendable. You would

praise a warrior for being brave, a woman for being beautiful, a scholar for being intelligent, a

judge for being wise and so forth. But now think about Allah (swt) and think about all of His (swt)s

Perfect Names. He (swt) is the All-Powerful in that He (swt) can do anything. He (swt) is the All-

Knowing in that He (swt) Knows about every single thing. He (swt) is the All-Seeing in that

nothing escapes His (swt) Vision and He (swt) is the All -Hearing in that He (swt) hears every

single sound. He (swt) is also the Most Wise and the Most Kind and He (swt) is the Most Merciful

and the Most Just. So because Allah (swt) has all of the Perfect Names that is why He (swt)

deserves all of the praise. The creation is nothing when compared to the Creator. Who is there in

this entire universe that can see everything or hear everything? Is there anyone in this world who

knows everything or can do all things? So we see that the Perfect Names of Allah (swt) make

Him (swt) the most Praiseworthy, to the point that nothing else in the creation deserves any

praise when compared to Him (swt).

Even if you want to praise the creation you really have to praise All ah (swt). All praise

that is given to the creation must actually go to the Creator. For example if you want to praise a

warrior for being brave or a woman for being beautiful, you have to ask yourself Who is that

created that warrior and that woman? Who is that gave them their bravery, their beauty, their

intelligence, their wisdom? So ask yourself now who really deserves the praise? Then realize that

any praise that is given to the creation should really be given to Allah (swt). He (swt) is the One

Who created that person and He (swt) is the One Who gave that person that ability or attribute

about them which we praise. So instead of praising the creation we should praise Allah (swt). The

next time that you want to praise anyone for anything, remember the One Who gave them

everything that they have. Even when Shaitan comes and makes you praise yourself and tries to

make you arrogant, you have to remember the One Who gave you everything that you have. So

instead of praising yourself and becoming arrogant and proud, you should praise your Creator

and your Sustainer and you should dedicate yourself to worshipping and serving Him (swt).

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The other meaning that the word Hamdgives is gratefulness and appreciation. So when

you say that the Hamdbelongs to Allah (swt), you also giving thanks and appreciating to Allah

(swt) for all that He (swt) has given you. Allah (swt) is the One Who created you and He (swt) is

the One keeping you alive at every second of your life. Everything that you have in your life is

from Him (swt). From the air that your breathe to food that you eat to the water that you drink to

the clothes that you wear to the homes that shelter you to the transportation that carries you.

Even your family is something that Allah (swt) has given you. Your parents that looked after you

when you were young, and your wives that you take comfort in and the children that delight you in

are all from Allah (swt). Your hearing, your sight and your mind are all from Allah (swt). For all

these that your Creator has given you when you say Al-Hamd is only for Allah you are

thanking Him (swt) for giving it to you.

We can also notice that the Arabic word lamthat Allah (swt) uses in this ayah is what is

known as the lam of possession and exclusiveness. This word gives the meaning that both the

praise and the thanks are only for Allah (swt). All praise and thanks are for Allah (swt) and for no

one else. No one and nothing in this world deserves to be praised and no one and nothing in this

world deserves to be thanked except Allah (swt). Only Allah (swt) is Perfect and so only He (swt)

deserves to be praised. Everything that you have is only from Allah (swt) and so only He (swt)

needs to be thanked.

The lesson that we can take from this first part of the ayah is that we must always be

repeating these words to ourselves to express the gratefulness that we must have to Allah (swt).

Not only should we say these words in our Salah, but even outside the Salah during the course of

our lives. When we are walking, when we are waiting, when we are working. Imam Muslim

records from Abu Musa Al-Ashari (ra) that the Prophet (saw) said Al-Hamdulillahfills the scales.

The meaning of this hadith is that if we simply say that the hamdis only for Allah with sincerity,

then our scale of good deeds will be filled with reward only from the utterances of these words

and our understanding of their meaning in our hearts. How Merciful is Allah (swt) in that He (swt)

has made it so easy for us to earn good deeds for ourselves in the Hereafter? In another hadith

the Prophet (saw) said Allah does not grant a servant a favor for which he says al-Hamdulillah

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except that what offered (of praise and thanks) is better than what he took (of the favor). This

means that if something good happens in your life and you say al-Hamdulillah, then your praising

and giving thanks to Allah (swt) is better for you than that favor you received. This is because you

will only get the benefit of that favor in this world but your praise of Allah (swt) and your

appreciation of the fact that only Allah (swt) gave it to you will be a source of reward for you in the

Hereafter. Every believer knows that what is in the Hereafter is much better than what is in the life

of this world. Furthermore if Allah (swt) grants us something and we do not thank Him (swt) for

that blessing or that favor, then there are at least two dangers. First is that Allah (swt) might take

that blessing or favor away from us, and second is that we will be questioned on the Last Day as

to why we were ungrateful to Allah (swt) for that favor that He (swt) conferred on us. In order to

save ourselves from that we have to try our best to express our gratitude to Allah (swt) for

everything that He (swt) has given us. So just like you are in the habit of saying t he Basmallah

before any action that you take, you should say al-Hamdulillahfor any blessing or favor that you

receive in this world. Since your whole life is a great blessing from Allah (swt) you should be in

the habit of saying al-Hamdulillahall of the time. Try to think of all of the good that Allah (swt) has

given you and try to constantly praise Him (swt) for it. You will find that it is not hard to find much

good in your life if only you would think about. Know that your praising of Allah (swt) is beloved to

Him (swt) and know that you can draw closer to Him (swt) with it. May Allah (swt) give us all the

enabling grace to even try and thank Him (swt) for all that He (swt) has given us!

The way to show your gratitude to Allah (swt) for all that He (swt) has given you is to first

acknowledge that it was Allah (swt) and Allah (swt) Alone Who has given you all that you have.

The first part of gratitude has to be this realization in the heart. Realize that everything that you

have is only from Allah (swt). After this realization in your heart, you then say al-Hamdulillahwith

your tounge. Acknowledge with the tounge that Allah (swt) has given you all of the favors and

blessings that He (swt) has done for you. After that you must strive with your limbs to do the

actions that are pleasing to Allah (swt) and to stay away from the actions that are displeasing to

Him (swt). You show thanks to Allah (swt) with your body by using it in a way that is pleasing to

Him (swt). So we see how our heart, our tounge and our limbs must all express gratitude to Allah

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(swt). Thus we realize that our giving of thanks to Allah (swt) is something that is comprehensive

and covers every fact of our selves.

So we see that these few words of praising and thanking Allah (swt) that make the first

part of this ayah have great blessing and reward. You say these words by remembering all that

Allah (swt) has given you and also by knowing that He (swt) deserves all of the praise and all of

the thanks because of what He (swt) has given you. You also say al-Hamdulilahby remembering

all of the Perfect Names of Allah (swt) and how He (swt) deserves all of the praise because of this

Perfection. You realize how everything else in the universe is weak and dependent in some way,

and so you realize how nothing in the universe deserves any praise. Rather all praise must be for

Allah (swt) Who is Perfect and Independent of all of the creation. You also remember all of the

favors and bounties that Allah (swt) has bestowed on you, you remember how every single thing

that you have is a blessing from Allah (swt), and so you realize that all thanks and gratitude must

be only for Allah (swt).

In the second part of this ayah Allah (swt) describes Himself as Rabb al-Alamin. The

word Rabbcannot be translated into a single English word because it encompasses so much

meaning. When it used without the definite article simply as rabb it could mean the master or

owner of something. However when it used with the definite article as Ar-Rabb it could only refer

to Allah (swt). One of the meanings it gives is the One Who creates everything and the One Who

sustains and nurtures everything. Allah (swt) is the One Who brought everything into existence

and He (swt) is the One Who is constantly maintaining the existence of all things. So not only are

you alive at this moment because Allah (swt) created you but He (swt) is also the One Who is

sustaining you at this very moment. Allah (swt) is giving you the air that you breathe and He (swt)

is making your environment suitable for you to live in and He (swt) is the One that is allowing your

body to function. Allah (swt) is the One Who is making the blood flow through your veins at this

moment and He (swt) is the One Who is digesting the food in your stomach. So Allah (swt) is the

One Who gave you life and He (swt) is the One Who is keeping you alive. This is not only true for

you but it is true for all of the creation. He (swt) is the One Who is constantly maintaining all of the

creation. The entire universe is more in need of Allah (swt) than an infant is of its mother. This

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dependence that we all have on Allah (swt) is captured by this Name Ar-Rabb. So a few of the

meanings that are captured with the Name Ar-Rabbare the Creator, the Sustainer and the

Nurturer. This is because Allah (swt) is all of these for every single thing in this universe.

In addition to giving the meaning of Creator , Sustainer and Nurturer, Ar-Rabbalso

gives the meaning of the Owner and Master of all things. Because Allah (swt) is the Creator

and Sustainer of this universe everything in it belongs to Him (swt) Alone. There is nothing in this

world that belongs to any human being, everything belongs to Allah (swt). Allah (swt) gives to

human beings a small portion of this world to be under their care. How much Allah (swt) gives to

each person is up to Him (swt). What Allah (swt) gives to human beings is only a temporary

ownership on the part of human beings, in reality everything belongs to Allah (swt).

One of the lessons that we can take from this fact is that we must learn to be content with

whatever Allah (swt) has given us. This contentment is also part of our worship and servitude to

Allah (swt). We know that everything really belongs to Allah (swt), so with whatever He (swt) has

given us we are content. We should never question why Allah (swt) has given others more than

He (swt) has given us. Everything belongs to Allah (swt) and He (swt) gives to whomever He

(swt) pleases as He (swt) pleases. As His (swt)s humble slaves we submit to whatever Allah

(swt) chooses to give to His (swt)s creation.

Another lesson that we can take from the fact that everything belongs to Allah (swt) is

that we must never become too attached to the things of this world. Not only does everything

here belong to Allah (swt), but also sometime soon we will have to return everything that we have

back to their real Owner. So we must always remember the temporary and fleeting nature of this

world. How everything that we have will leave us soon. As the Prophet (saw) said the most

truthful word ever uttered by a poet is when he said Verily everything apart from Allah is

falsehood. Here the Prophet (saw) is showing us how everything in this universe that does not

help us to attain the Pleasure of Allah (swt) is falsehood and must be abandoned. As we

remember the worthlessness of this world we must also remember the permanence and the ever-

lastingness of the Hereafter. The scholars have said that this will make our hearts leave this world

and go to the Hereafter even if our bodies are still in this world. Thus we see that one of the

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benefits in remembering how all things belong to Allah (swt) is that it prevents us from becoming

attached to the things of this world. May Allah (swt) save us from the lure of material things of this

world and may He (swt) always keep our hearts attached to Him (swt)!

So we see that one of the meanings of the title Ar-Rabbis the Owner and Master of

all things. As we refer to Allah (swt) with this title everyday in our Salah, we must remind

ourselves of this meaning. Insha Allah this should then make us content with whatever Allah (swt)

has given us and it should remove from us the desire and the greed for the material things of this

world.

In addition the title Ar-Rabbalso gives the meaning that Allah (swt) is the Lord, King and

Ruler of all things. He (swt) is the Authority that needs to be obeyed and the King that needs to

be served. So when Allah (swt) sends you a messenger who tells you to do certain actions and

who tells you to refrain from certain actions then you have to follow that messenger and do

everything that he says. This is true for all human beings and it is true in all aspects of life

because Allah (swt) is the Lord of all people and Allah (swt) is always Lord over a ll aspects of life.

So all of humanity must be obedient t