The inclusion of many rulings in al-Fatihah
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Fatwa number ( 5658 ):
Q: A man in Pakistan named Muhammad Amin claims that Surat al-Fatihah contains only two rulings. The first ends with the words of Allah the Exalted:, and the second with His words: . The first contains an explanation of tawhid (the oneness of Allah), and the second contains the establishment of taqlid (following a scholar without knowing his evidence). Is this interpretation established from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), or from the Tabi'un (the generation after the Companions), or from their followers? In which book does this interpretation exist? If the second part establishes taqlid, was the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) a follower of taqlid—may Allah protect us from that? Is it permissible to interpret the Qur'an by qiyas (analogical reasoning)? What is the ruling on a man who interprets the Qur'an by his own opinion and qiyas? Is he a Muslim or a disbeliever? The man insists on this
interpretation. I ask for an answer in light of the Qur'an and the Sunnah. May Allah reward you with good.
A: First, Surat al-Fatihah contains many rulings; indeed, in summary, it contains all the rulings found in the Qur'an. For this reason, it was named "The Mother of the Qur'an," and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) named it what Allah named it: "The Great Qur'an." This is in what al-Bukhari narrated from Abu Sa'id al-Mu'alli (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: , and in what al-Bukhari also narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih al-Bukhari 4704 . However, these rulings, despite their number, are divided into three categories, as in the Qudsi Hadith: The first is a pure right belonging to Allah, which is what is contained in
the first three verses regarding oneness of lordship and oneness of the names and attributes. The second is a pure right belonging to the servant, which is what is contained in the verses:[Al-Fatihah 1:6-7] . The third includes both the right of Allah and the right of the servant, which is the verse [Al-Fatihah 1:5] . Both are called oneness of worship. The evidence for this is what Ahmad and Muslim and the authors of the Sunan narrated from Abu Hurayrah from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: . And with this, it becomes clear that he is correct in his statement that the beginning of Surat al-Fatihah up to
the last verse[Al-Fatihah 1:5] is about tawhid (the oneness of Allah). Second, his claim that the rest of the surah is about establishing taqlid (following a scholar without knowing his evidence) is not correct. This has not been established from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), nor from any of the Companions or the Tabi'un (the generation after the Companions) — as far as we know — (may Allah be pleased with them). Rather, the claim that it indicates the establishment of taqlid is a distortion of the intended meaning of these verses and a statement about Allah without knowledge. The intended meaning is to teach the servants how to call upon their Lord and ask Him to guide them to the right path and the straight path, and to grant them success in following it: in belief, in speech, and in action, and to keep them away from the path of those upon whom the anger of Allah is, who are those who knew the truth and turned away from it, such as the Jews, and the path of those who strayed from the truth and whose insights were blinded so they did not follow it, such as the Christians . And with this, it becomes clear that using these verses as evidence for establishing taqlid is from the category of interpretation by pure opinion, which is a statement about Allah without knowledge, and it is forbidden. Allah the Exalted said: [Al-A'raf 7:33] . And success is from Allah. And may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q: A man in Pakistan named Muhammad Amin claims that Surat al-Fatihah contains only two rulings. The first ends with the words of Allah the Exalted:
and You alone we ask for help
وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُand not those who have gone astray
وَلاَ الضَّالِّينَinterpretation. I ask for an answer in light of the Qur'an and the Sunnah. May Allah reward you with good.
A: First, Surat al-Fatihah contains many rulings; indeed, in summary, it contains all the rulings found in the Qur'an. For this reason, it was named "The Mother of the Qur'an," and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) named it what Allah named it: "The Great Qur'an." This is in what al-Bukhari narrated from Abu Sa'id al-Mu'alli (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed by me while I was praying and called me, but I did not come to him until I had finished my prayer. Then I came to him, and he said: What prevented you from coming? I said: I was praying. He said: Did not Allah the Exalted say: O you who believe! Respond to Allah and the Messenger? Then he said: Shall I not teach you the greatest surah in the Qur'an before I leave the mosque? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went to leave the mosque, but I reminded him, and he said: Al-Hamdu lillahi Rabbil 'Alamin (All praise is to Allah, Lord of the worlds), and it is the seven repeated verses and the Great Qur'an which I was given
مر بي النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وأنا أصلي فدعاني، فلم آته حتى صليت، ثم أتيت، فقال: ما منعك أن تأتي؟ فقلت: كنت أصلي، فقال: ألم يقل الله تعالى: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اسْتَجِيبُوا لِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ ؟ ثم قال: ألا أعلمك أعظم سورة في القرآن قبل أن أخرج من المسجد؟ فذهب النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ليخرج من المسجد فذكرته، فقال: الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ، وهي السبع المثاني والقرآن العظيم الذي أوتيتهThe Um (substance) of the Qur'an is the seven oft-repeated verses (Al- Mathaini) and is the Great Qur'an
أم القرآن هي السبع المثاني والقرآن العظيمthe first three verses regarding oneness of lordship and oneness of the names and attributes. The second is a pure right belonging to the servant, which is what is contained in the verses:
(6) Guide us to the straight path - (7) The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray.
اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ (6) صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ الضَّالِّينَIt is You we worship and You we ask for help.
إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُAllah the Exalted said: I have divided the prayer between Me and My servant, and for My servant is what he asks. When the servant says: Al-Hamdu lillahi Rabbil 'Alamin (All praise is to Allah, Lord of the worlds), Allah says: My servant has praised Me. When he says: Ar-Rahmanir-Raheem (The Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate), Allah says: My servant has extolled Me. When he says: Malik Yawmid-Din (Master of the Day of Judgment), Allah says: My servant has glorified Me. When he says: Iyyaka na'budu wa iyyaka nasta'in (You alone we worship and You alone we ask for help), Allah says: This is between Me and My servant, and for My servant is what he asks. When he says: Ihdinas-siratal-mustaqim (Guide us to the straight path) (6) Siratal-ladhina an'amta 'alayhim ghayril-maghdoobi 'alayhim wa lad-dallin (The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have earned Your anger, nor of those who have gone astray), Allah says: This is for My servant, and for My servant is what he asks
قال الله تعالى: قسمت الصلاة بيني وبين عبدي نصفين ولعبدي ما سأل، فإذا قال العبد: الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ، قال الله: حمدني عبدي، فإذا قال: الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ ، قال الله: أثنى عَلَيّ عبدي، فإذا قال: مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ ، قال الله: مجّدني عبدي، فإذا قال: إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ ، قال الله: هذه بيني وبين عبدي ولعبدي ما سأل، فإذا قال: اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ (6) صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ الضَّالِّينَ ، قال الله: هذه لعبدي ولعبدي ما سألthe last verse
It is You we worship and You we ask for help.
إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُSay, "My Lord has only forbidden immoralities - what is apparent of them and what is concealed - and sin, and oppression without right, and that you associate with Allah that for which He has not sent down authority, and that you say about Allah that which you do not know."
قُلْ إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ رَبِّيَ الْفَوَاحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ وَالإِثْمَ وَالْبَغْيَ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَأَنْ تُشْرِكُوا بِاللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَـزِّلْ بِهِ سُلْطَانًا وَأَنْ تَقُولُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ مَا لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.