The Meaning of "All Praises, Prayers, and Good Things Belong to Allah"

Question:
He asks: What is the meaning of "All praises, prayers, and good things belong to Allah"?

Answer:
"Tahiyyat" (praises) means expressions of glorification. These are glorifications of Allah in accordance with the attributes that befit Him: that He is the Ever-Living, that He is the Self-Sustaining, that He is the Owner, that He is the All-Powerful, that He is the Most Holy, that He is the Source of Peace, that He is All-Powerful over everything, and that He is the One Who is above His creation. The tahiyyat are the expressions of glorification that befit Him, necessitated by His names and attributes. "Salawat" (prayers) means the five daily prayers, and all prayers; all of them are called the five prayers, the voluntary prayers, and supplication, all of which are part of prayer. "Tayyibat" (good things) means all good words and good deeds, which are the prescribed acts. The good things are the good words and deeds among the prescribed acts, and from good earnings, they are called good things. All of this is for Allah. As for what is not good, the foul words and foul deeds, they are not accepted and do not reach Allah, such as committing haram (forbidden acts) and the various types of shirk (associating partners with Allah), and foul words. All of these are invalid; Allah does not accept them, but rather He punishes for them. We ask Allah for safety from this.