Exegesis of the saying of Allah the Exalted: (All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds)
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Exegesis of the saying of Allah the Exalted: (All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds)]
Allah the Exalted began this surah with praise: [Surat al-Fatihah: 2] Al-hamd is describing the one praised with perfection, accompanied by love and magnification. This is because describing another with perfection may be out of fear of him, awe of him, or seeking his favor, and this does not necessarily imply love and magnification.By the evidence: Poets come to kings and ministers and describe them with praise, but they may not have love for them or magnification of them in their hearts; rather, it is seeking favor, fear, or something similar. For this reason, such a thing is called madh (praise) and not hamd (praise). As for hamd, it must be accompanied by love and magnification. Accordingly, hamd—meaning the praise of Allah—is describing Him, Blessed and Exalted is He, with perfection above which there is no perfection.And saying: (Al-hamd) The "al" in it is for comprehensiveness.Meaning: All forms of praise, from every angle, belong to Allah, Mighty and Majestic.And his statement: (Lillahi) The lam here is for exclusivity and deservingness. As for it being for exclusivity, it is because no one is praised with all forms of praise except Allah, Mighty and Majestic. As for it being for deservingness, it is because no one is praised with a praise that he deserves in terms of perfection except Allah, Mighty and Majestic.For this reason, the scholars made the lam in His saying: (Lillahi) is for exclusivity and deservingness. As for Allah, it is a proper name for the Lord of the worlds, (Exalted and Majestic is He), and no other is called by it.
And (Rabb al-'Alamin) (Rabb) means: the Creator, the Owner, the Manager.Meaning: It includes three meanings: The first meaning is the Creator, and there is no Creator except Allah.And Allah the Exalted said, rebuking the idols: [Surat al-Nahl: 17] ,And Allah the Exalted said: [Surat Fatir: 3] .
The second meaning: The Owner: No one has ownership except Allah, Mighty and Majestic. He is the one who possesses complete, absolute, and universal ownership. The ownership of others is limited in terms of scope, so no one owns everything in the heavens and the earth. It is limited in terms of disposal, so no one can dispose of what he owns with exclusive ownership except according to what Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has legislated. But absolute, complete, and universal ownership belongs to Allah alone.
The third meaning: The Manager: So, complete management belongs to Allah, Mighty and Majestic. No one manages except Him. Even the polytheists acknowledge that the one who manages affairs is Allah, Mighty and Majestic. But know that Allah the Exalted does not manage anything in vain or without wisdom. Everything that Allah has decreed, destined, and managed is for a great wisdom. Some of the wisdom we know, and some we do not know, because our minds are too short and too low to encompass the wisdom of Allah, Mighty and Majestic.
Things from the Shari'ah come to a person and he says: How does He judge this?An example of that is: For example, he says: How is it forbidden for a person to exchange a sa' of good wheat for two sa' of bad wheat when the value is the same? This may be difficult for a person to understand. And it is forbidden to give a sa' of wheat for two sa', this is forbidden in all cases.So a person might say: Why is it forbidden?So we say: You are not wiser than Allah. And if it were not for the fact that great harms result from this, Allah would not have forbidden it for the servants. Because Allah wants ease for the servants and does not want hardship for them. It is not possible that He would prevent any transaction except that there is harm in it, either apparent or expected. It is difficult for a person to understand that Allah decrees wars, poverty, drought of the earth, and the sky not sending down water.So he says: What is this? What is the benefit? This is harmful to the servants.So we say: You are not wiser than Allah. If Allah the Exalted does not decree it, it is only for a great wisdom. You may know it or you may not know it. For this reason, it is obligatory for us to submit to the legislative decree just as we submit to the destined decree.The destined decree, everyone is submissive to it: [Surat Al-Imran: 83] Even the disbelievers are submissive to the destined decree, but the legislative decree is not submitted to except by the believers.So it is obligatory for us to submit to the two decrees: The cosmic and the destined.And if you wish, say: That we submit to the legislative decree just as we are submissive to the destined decree. The important thing is that the one who manages affairs is Allah, Mighty and Majestic.
And his statement: (Al-'Alamin) The intended meaning is everyone other than Allah, for they are the worlds. And this word (al-'alamin) is derived from the sign, because the entire universe is a sign from the signs of Allah, Mighty and Majestic. And in every species of it, type of it, and individual of it, there is a sign from the signs of Allah. Everything you contemplate, you find that it points to the Lord, Mighty and Majestic, and to His wisdom and mercy.And what is more truthful than the saying of the poet:
And in everything He has a sign indicating that He is One
So, the worlds are everyone other than Allah. And they are called worlds from the sign; because the existence of this universe and what happens in it is all a sign and indication of Allah, Mighty and Majestic. And you must know the difference between al-'alamayn with an open lam, and al-'alimin with a kasrah lam.Al-'alamin, we said: Everything other than Allah, and al-'alimin are the people of knowledge.As Allah the Exalted said: [Surat Al-'Ankabut: 43] .
Allah the Exalted began this surah with praise:
[All] praise is [due] to Allah, Lord of the worlds -
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَAnd (Rabb al-'Alamin) (Rabb) means: the Creator, the Owner, the Manager.Meaning: It includes three meanings: The first meaning is the Creator, and there is no Creator except Allah.And Allah the Exalted said, rebuking the idols:
Then is He who creates like one who does not create? So will you not be reminded?
أَفَمَنْ يَخْلُقُ كَمَنْ لا يَخْلُقُ أَفَلا تَذَكَّرُونَIs there any creator other than Allah who provides for you from the heaven and earth?
هَلْ مِنْ خَالِقٍ غَيْرُ اللَّهِ يَرْزُقُكُمْ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِThe second meaning: The Owner: No one has ownership except Allah, Mighty and Majestic. He is the one who possesses complete, absolute, and universal ownership. The ownership of others is limited in terms of scope, so no one owns everything in the heavens and the earth. It is limited in terms of disposal, so no one can dispose of what he owns with exclusive ownership except according to what Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has legislated. But absolute, complete, and universal ownership belongs to Allah alone.
The third meaning: The Manager: So, complete management belongs to Allah, Mighty and Majestic. No one manages except Him. Even the polytheists acknowledge that the one who manages affairs is Allah, Mighty and Majestic. But know that Allah the Exalted does not manage anything in vain or without wisdom. Everything that Allah has decreed, destined, and managed is for a great wisdom. Some of the wisdom we know, and some we do not know, because our minds are too short and too low to encompass the wisdom of Allah, Mighty and Majestic.
Things from the Shari'ah come to a person and he says: How does He judge this?An example of that is: For example, he says: How is it forbidden for a person to exchange a sa' of good wheat for two sa' of bad wheat when the value is the same? This may be difficult for a person to understand. And it is forbidden to give a sa' of wheat for two sa', this is forbidden in all cases.So a person might say: Why is it forbidden?So we say: You are not wiser than Allah. And if it were not for the fact that great harms result from this, Allah would not have forbidden it for the servants. Because Allah wants ease for the servants and does not want hardship for them. It is not possible that He would prevent any transaction except that there is harm in it, either apparent or expected. It is difficult for a person to understand that Allah decrees wars, poverty, drought of the earth, and the sky not sending down water.So he says: What is this? What is the benefit? This is harmful to the servants.So we say: You are not wiser than Allah. If Allah the Exalted does not decree it, it is only for a great wisdom. You may know it or you may not know it. For this reason, it is obligatory for us to submit to the legislative decree just as we submit to the destined decree.The destined decree, everyone is submissive to it:
while to Him have submitted [all] those within the heavens and earth, willingly or by compulsion
وَلَهُ أَسْلَمَ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ طَوْعاً وَكَرْهاًAnd his statement: (Al-'Alamin) The intended meaning is everyone other than Allah, for they are the worlds. And this word (al-'alamin) is derived from the sign, because the entire universe is a sign from the signs of Allah, Mighty and Majestic. And in every species of it, type of it, and individual of it, there is a sign from the signs of Allah. Everything you contemplate, you find that it points to the Lord, Mighty and Majestic, and to His wisdom and mercy.And what is more truthful than the saying of the poet:
And in everything He has a sign indicating that He is One
So, the worlds are everyone other than Allah. And they are called worlds from the sign; because the existence of this universe and what happens in it is all a sign and indication of Allah, Mighty and Majestic. And you must know the difference between al-'alamayn with an open lam, and al-'alimin with a kasrah lam.Al-'alamin, we said: Everything other than Allah, and al-'alimin are the people of knowledge.As Allah the Exalted said: