"IN THE NAME OF GOD the Merciful, the Compassionate." (1). This surah, like all other surahs in the Qur'an with the exception of al-Tawbah, opens in the name of God, Allah SWT - (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala: May He be praised and may His transcendence be affirmed. Said when referring to Allah), the most exalted and holiest of names which, when invoked, provides protection from all harm and evil. As an expression of praise and gratitude to God the surah represents the very heart and soul of the Qur'an and, although it is one of the shorter surahs, it is often considered to be the most illustrious of them all. Al-Fatihah conveys the quintessential ideal of Islam giving expression and definition to the covenant made between human beings and God upon which the mission and task humankind in this world has been founded. It is, moreover, an earnest prayer to God, a heartfelt plea to show humans the right way, give them guidance and make them deserving of His pleasure and benevolence.
People should strive to be clear and correct in their thinking and sincere in their vision and perception. Once shown the truth, people should uphold it, show humility towards God, and kindness and benevolence towards other beings.
God prescribed the recitation of this surah as part of all Muslim prayers, including the obligatory five daily ones. It is a refreshing, regenerative, and intimate communication between people and their Lord. It is a manifesto of fundamental truths and ideals, and an overture of humility from a modest apologetic servant to the All-Powerful Lord and Master. Prophet Muhammad is reported to have quoted God as saying:
(the fruits) of prayer are shared equally between Me and My servant, and My servant will be granted what he had asked for. As he recites: "Praise be to God," God would say: "My servant has praised Me." As he recites: "The Merciful, the Compassionate," God would say: "My servant has thanked Me." As he recites: "Master of the Day of Judgement," God would say: "My servant has glorified Me and surrendered to Me." As he says: "You alone we worship, and You alone we turn to for help," God would say: "This is between Me and My servant, and My servant will receive what he has asked for." And as he says: "Guide us to the straight path, the path of those whom You have favoured, not those who have incurred Your wrath, nor those who have gone astray," God would say: "This is for My servant, and he will be granted his wish."**
We recite these blessed words of supplication and praise for the benefit of our own souls, just as washing regularly is necessary for the health of our bodies. Likewise, human temperament and behaviour are never put right by a short prayer, casually repeated but soon forgetten. One has to stand before God as frequently as possible, because human recklessness and imprudence, as well as Satan's insinuations, never cease nor know any boounds. Prayer, supplication, and submission to God have to be observed and performed as a matter of habit.
People should strive to be clear and correct in their thinking and sincere in their vision and perception. Once shown the truth, people should uphold it, show humility towards God, and kindness and benevolence towards other beings.
God prescribed the recitation of this surah as part of all Muslim prayers, including the obligatory five daily ones. It is a refreshing, regenerative, and intimate communication between people and their Lord. It is a manifesto of fundamental truths and ideals, and an overture of humility from a modest apologetic servant to the All-Powerful Lord and Master. Prophet Muhammad is reported to have quoted God as saying:
(the fruits) of prayer are shared equally between Me and My servant, and My servant will be granted what he had asked for. As he recites: "Praise be to God," God would say: "My servant has praised Me." As he recites: "The Merciful, the Compassionate," God would say: "My servant has thanked Me." As he recites: "Master of the Day of Judgement," God would say: "My servant has glorified Me and surrendered to Me." As he says: "You alone we worship, and You alone we turn to for help," God would say: "This is between Me and My servant, and My servant will receive what he has asked for." And as he says: "Guide us to the straight path, the path of those whom You have favoured, not those who have incurred Your wrath, nor those who have gone astray," God would say: "This is for My servant, and he will be granted his wish."**
We recite these blessed words of supplication and praise for the benefit of our own souls, just as washing regularly is necessary for the health of our bodies. Likewise, human temperament and behaviour are never put right by a short prayer, casually repeated but soon forgetten. One has to stand before God as frequently as possible, because human recklessness and imprudence, as well as Satan's insinuations, never cease nor know any boounds. Prayer, supplication, and submission to God have to be observed and performed as a matter of habit.
** Narrated by Muslim in his Sahih
No comments:
Post a Comment