From our Tafseer Lessons in the National Mosque, Abuja, delivered every last Wednesday of the month.
Today, we meet Faatihatul Kitaab; our meeting today is with A Piece of Treasure; our meeting today is with Salah; our meeting today is with the Mother of the Book. Our meeting is with the Mother of the Qur’an. Our meeting is with the Seven of the Oft-Repeated Verses and the Great Qur’an. Our meeting is with the Healing. Our meeting is with the Most Adequate, the Surah of Praise!
This Surah has 12 names. It is the Mother of the Qur’an because it contains the entire Book.
Ab Huraira said: When God’s Messenger once asked Ubayy b. Ka’b how he recited in the course of the prayer and he recited Umm al- Qur’n (Al-Qur’n 1), he said, “By Him in whose hand my soul is, nothing like it has been sent down in the Torah, the Injl, the Zabr, or the Qur’n, and it is seven of the oft-repeated verses and the mighty Qur’n (Qur’n, 15: 87) which I have been given.”
Abu Sa’id Ar-Rafi’ bin Al-Mu’alla (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said, “Shall I teach you the greatest Surah in the Qur’an before you leave the mosque?” Then he (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam), took me by the hand, and when we were about to step out, I reminded him of his promise to teach me the greatest Surah in the Qur’an. He (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said, “It is ‘Alhamdu lillahi Rabbil ‘Alamin (i.e., Surat Al-Fatihah) which is As-Sab’ Al-Mathani (i.e., the seven of the oft-repeated (verses) and the great Qur’an which is given to me.” [Al-Bukhari].
Riyad as-Salihin 1009
Ibn ‘Abbas said that while Gabriel was sitting with the Prophet, he heard a creaking sound above him, and after raising his head, he said, “This is a gate opened in heaven today which has never been opened before.” Then when an angel descended through it, he said, “This is an angel come down to earth who has never come down before.” He gave a salutation and said, “Rejoice in two lights brought to you which have not been brought to any prophet before you: Ftihat al-Kitb (Qur’n, 1) and the last verses of sra al-Baqara (Qur’n, 2). You will not recite a phrase of them without being given the blessing it contains.”
Muslim transmitted it.
Mishkat al-Masabih 2124
Al Faatihah is a cure, healing. It could be read on a sick person, and they will recover. I will revert to that later.
Suratul Faatihah is a Makkan Surah with seven verses, and bismillah is a verse in it as in every Surah in the Qur’an except for Surah Baraa’ah (at-Taubah). It is also said that it is a verse in al-Faatihah only, not in other surahs. Another position is that it is not a verse in any Surah, Faatihah or not, but they are unanimous that it is a verse in Surat an-Naml.
They said it was revealed as a distinct demarcation between Surahs and a source of seeking Allah’s Barakah.
The Sahaabah used to say: “We didn’t know the end of a Surah until Bismillaah was revealed”.
The disagreement among scholars continues whether Bismillaah is a verse in al-Faatihah and whether the imam, in his recitation, will utter it aloud or not. If an imam utters Bismillaah aloud, he regards it as part of Faatihah. Whoever does not include Bismillaah in his recitation or silences it, then he does not deem it part of Faatihah. In that case, the last verse of the Surah is divided into two: (Siraat alladheena) ‘The path of those’.. will be a verse, and (Ghairil Magdubi) ‘Not of those’… another verse. So, even without Bismillah, there will still be seven verses in al-Faatihah.
The position that surpasses any other is that of those who said that Bismillaah is part of Faatihah for the fact it is written in the Book because the scribes of the Qur’an were so meticulous and wary of writing anything that is outside the Book to such an extent that they did not write Aameen at the end of Faatihah because it is unanimously agreed that Aameen is not part of the Qur’an, it is only a word that signals the end of a prayer, and a grace with which Allah concludes the du’aa of His creatures. So, Bismillah, from what we have seen so far, is either a verse in Faatihah and every Surah, or it is there as a source of seeking Allah’s Barakah, not a verse.
His advice, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam on Bismillaah:
Abu Sa’id al-Khudri said Gabriel came to the Prophet and asked, “Have you a complaint, Muhammad?” When he replied that he had, he said, “In the name of God, I am applying a charm to you from everything which may harm you, from the evil of every evil eye, or eye of an envious one. God heals you. In the name of God, I am applying a charm to you.”
Muslim transmitted it.
Mishkat al-Masabih 1534
Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu’minin:
The Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said: When one of you eats, he should mention Allah’s name; if he forgets to mention Allah’s name at the beginning, he should say: “In the name of Allah at the beginning and at the end of it.”
Sunan Abi Dawud 3767
Ibn ‘Umar said that when the dead was placed in the grave, the Prophet said, “In the name of God, by God’s grace, and following the religion of God’s messenger.” A version has “And following the sunna of God’s messenger.”
Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it, and Abu Dawud transmitted the second version.
Mishkat al-Masabih 1707
Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s messenger as saying that if anyone who means to have intercourse with his wife says, “In the name of God. O God, keep us away from the devil and keep the devil away from what Thou hast provided us,” should it be ordained that a child be born to them thereby, no devil will ever harm it.
(Bukhari and Muslim.)
Mishkat al-Masabih 2416
Uthman b. Abul ‘As said, he complained to God’s messenger of a pain he had in his body, and he told him to put his hand on the part of his body which was sore and say three times, “In the name of God,” and seven times, “I seek refuge in God’s might and power from the evil of what I am experiencing and trying to avert.” He said he did so, and God removed his trouble.
Muslim transmitted it.
Mishkat al-Masabih 1533
Bismillah is a verse containing Tauheed and Allah’s attributes. It is Barakah; it is everything.
Whenever you utter Bismillaah, there is that conviction in you that you are commencing whatever it is you are doing in the name of Allah. It is as if you said, I start this recitation in His name, seeking His Barakah, or I begin this undertaking in the name of Allah, hoping that He will grant me success because, without His Grace, there will not be a success.
Ar-Rahman is a name also unique to Allah.
- Say (unto mankind): Cry unto Allah, or cry unto the Beneficent, unto whichsoever ye cry (it is the same). His are the most beautiful names. (al-Israa)
- And when it is said unto them: Adore the Beneficent! They say: And what is the Beneficent? Are we to adore whatever thou (Muhammad) biddest us? And it increaseth aversion in them. (al-Furqaan)
- And ask those of Our messengers whom We sent before thee: Did We ever appoint gods to be worshipped beside the Beneficent? (az-Zukhruf)
ar-Rahmaan is like Allaah, none is so named, but ar-Raheem is possible for another person to be so named. The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam –
- There hath come unto you a messenger, (one) of yourselves, unto whom aught that ye are overburdened is grievous, full of concern for you, for the believers full of pity, merciful. (at-Taubah) ar-Rahmaan and Allah have no dual or plural forms, but ar-Raheem has dual form – Raheemaani – and plural – Ruhamaa’u.
ar-Rahmaan and ar-Raheem are closely related in meaning, but there is a great difference even in that. ar-Rahmaan shows beneficence in the world to those who obey Him and those who reject Him. But ar-Raheem grants mercy to believers in the Hereafter.
….and He is Merciful to the believers. (al-Ahzaab:43)
Bismillah is Rahman that was not revealed to any after Sulaiman, alayhis salaam except to the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam.
Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds;
All praise is due to Him. He knows that we are unable to praise Him as is His due, so He praised Himself, by Himself, and for Himself. That is why the Chief Praiser of Allah, Muhammad, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam said:
O Allah, I seek refuge with Your Pleasure from Your anger. I seek refuge in Your forgiveness from Your punishment. I seek refuge in You from You. I cannot count Your praises; You are as You have praised Yourself.
Hisn al-Muslim 117
That is why He taught us whenever we desire to praise Him to say: al-Hamdu lillah
On the authority of Abu Malik al-Harith bin Asim al-Asharee (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Purity is half of iman (faith). ‘Al-hamdu lillah (praise be to Allah)’ fills the scales, and ‘subhan-Allah (how far is Allah from every imperfection) and ‘Al-hamdulillah (praise be to Allah)’ fill that which is between heaven and earth. And the salah (prayer) is a light, charity is a proof, patience is illumination, and the Qur’an is a proof either for you or against you. Every person starts his day as a vendor of his soul, either freeing it or causing its ruin.”
[Muslim]
Hadith 23, 40 Hadith an-Nawawi
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said, “Any matter of importance which is not begun with Al-hamdu lillah (praise be to Allah) remains defective.” [Abu Dawud].
Riyad as-Salihin 1394
al-Hamdu illah is the word of everyone that desires thankfulness – humankind, angels. Allah Himself mentioned it at the beginning of creation:
- Praise be to Allah, Who hath created the heavens and the earth, and hath appointed darkness and light. Yet those who disbelieve ascribe rivals unto their Lord. (al-An’aam)
And at the end of creation:
- And thou (O Muhammad) seest the angels thronging round the Throne, hymning the praises of their Lord. And they are judged aright. And it is said: Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds! (az-Zamar) And on the Day of Judgement, His servants would answer the summoner with it:
- A day when He will call you and ye will answer with His praise, and ye will think that ye have tarried but a little while. (al-Israa)
Those who are saved would also mention it:
- And they say: Praise be to Allah who hath put grief away from us. Lo! Our Lord is Forgiving, Bountiful, (Faatir)
It is the last word to be uttered by the people of al-Jannah:
- Their prayer therein will be: Glory be to Thee, O Allah! and their greeting therein will be : Peace. And the conclusion of their prayer will be : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds! (Yunus)
Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds;
Most Gracious, Most Merciful;
Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger, saying, “If the believer knew the punishment God has prepared, no one would hope for His paradise; and if the infidel knew the extent of His mercy, no one would despair of attaining His paradise.”
(Bukhari and Muslim.)
Mishkat al-Masabih 2367
He reported God’s messenger as saying, “God has a hundred mercies of which He has sent down one among jinn and men, animals and creeping things. By it, they are kind to one another, by it, they show mercy to one another; and by it, the wild beast is kind to its young. But God has kept back ninety-nine mercies by which He will show mercy to His servants on the day of resurrection.”
(Bukhari and Muslim). A version by Muslim from Salman has something similar, at the end of which he said, “When the day of resurrection comes, He will complete them with this one.”
Mishkat al-Masabih 2365, 2366
Most Gracious, Most Merciful;
Master of the Day of Judgment.
Yes, He controls everything on the Day of Judgement and any other day. This is to depict how great the day will be, thus the specific mention of Allah being the Master of that Day.
This could mean this moment in time:
5-This day (meaning this moment in time) have I perfected your religion for you …(al-Maa’idah)
A day is typically between dawn and sunset. But the Day of Judgement starts when the first trumpet is blown to the end of judgement among the servants of Allah. The length of this day is 50,000 years, and yet it is named a day.
Allah attaches the day to Himself because in the world, there were contenders, false claimants.
- And proclaimed: “I (Pharaoh) am your Lord the Highest.”
he answered: I give life and cause death.
But on the day of judgement,, He scrolls up the heavens, grasps the earth by His right, and says I am the Master! Where are the kings of the world? Who has dominion this day? Whose is sovereignty this day? and where nobody answers Him, He will answer Himself It is Allah’s, the One, the Almighty.
No contenders on this day. He is the King, the Judge, and none can contend with Him.
Yaumuddeen is the day of judgement; even though deen at times takes the meaning of religion and shari’ah as revealed to messengers; it also means adjudication.
Therefore, it denotes that Allah is the Sole Adjudicator on that day. He judges and sentences; He pardons and punishes…
So, since Allah is the Lord that controls everything, One who deserves to be worshipped without partners, I, as His servant, should find ways to reach Him through what He revealed, not by using my mind or intellect.
Thee do we worship, and Thine aid we seek.
