Discussion of the Opening Invocation in Prayer, Its Formulas, and Their Meanings
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The Shaykh : When he says the takbir, he begins with the opening invocation and supplicates with what was reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the opening invocation. I think you know this dhikr. It has multiple characteristics, among which is:
The student:Sahih Muslim 598a-b.
The Shaykh : O Allah, wash me clean, rest meSunan an-Nasa'i 895Sahih (Darussalam) Look at the order: "Distance me from my sins so that I do not commit them." "Purify me with a complete purification." Perhaps the effect does not disappear with that. "Wash me" — the effect disappears with that. But perhaps a brother asks and says, "Why did he say 'with water, snow, and hail' and not 'with hot water'? Hot water purifies more than cold water, so why did he say 'with water, snow, and hail'?"
The scholars said: Because he is asking Allah to purify him from sins, and the punishment for sins is the Fire, and the Fire is hot. What corresponds to the hot Fire is snow and hail. Therefore, he said "with water, snow, and hail." Is there a second characteristic in the opening invocation? The one behind, please.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Well done.Jami` at-Tirmidhi 243Hasan (Darussalam) Everyone says this, but do they understand its meaning? Yes, they do not understand its meaning except a few.
"Subhanak Allah" means "I glorify You." Tasbih is declaring Allah (Mighty and Majestic) free from everything that does not befit Him. What does not befit Allah is two things: either resembling the created beings or deficiency in His attributes. So it is as if you are saying, "I declare You free, O Lord, from resembling the created beings and from deficiency in Your attributes."
As for his saying "and with Your praise," the preposition "ba" here indicates accompaniment and conjunction. It means, "I add to my glorification and declaration of Your freedom the fact that I praise You with complete attributes." For Allah the Exalted is praised for His complete attributes and for His encompassing, general grace and kindness.
"Tبارak ismuk" (Blessed is Your Name). The scholars said: Its meaning is that blessing is attained by Your Name. Therefore, if a person names [the animal] when slaughtering, it becomes lawful, and if he slaughters it without naming, it becomes forbidden, by the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-An'am 6:121] and the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Sunan Ibn Majah 3178Sahih (Darussalam) Look at the blessing: this sheep, if you slaughter it without naming, becomes carrion, impure, and forbidden. But if you say "In the name of Allah," it becomes lawfully slaughtered, pure, and lawful. This is from the blessing. Also from the blessing is what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) indicated in his saying: Look at the blessing. Therefore, the scholars said: meaning that blessing is attained by Your Name.
"Ta'ala jadduk" (Exalted is Your Majesty). Some of the common people ask, "How can it be said 'Exalted is Your Majesty'?" Allah says:[Al-Ikhlas 112:3] How can it be said "Exalted is Your Majesty"? They think that "jadd" means the father of the father or the father of the mother. But this is a wrong understanding. What does "jadduk" mean? "Ta'ala jadduk" means "Your greatness, Your majesty, and Your self-sufficiency are exalted." "Ta'ala" means "You are raised above being affected by deficiency." So "jadd" of Allah means His greatness, His self-sufficiency, and His majesty, which are above all greatness and above all majesty. Therefore, all kings, in relation to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), are nothing. Therefore, they are nothing. The kings of this world on the Day of Resurrection, and the lowest of their servants, are all equal. No matter how far their kingship extends in this world, on the Day of Resurrection their kingship will vanish. To whom belongs the kingdom today? Allah the Exalted says: [Ghafir 40:16] The beginning of the verse: [Ghafir 40:16] Mighty and Majestic. So "Ta'ala jadduk" means "Your greatness, Your majesty, and Your self-sufficiency are exalted."
"Wa la ilaha ghayruk" (And there is no god but You) means there is no true object of worship other than You. Based on this interpretation, we say that what we hear from some of the common people, "There is no god but You, and there is no object of worship other than You," is not correct, because "There is no god but You" suffices for "there is no object of worship other than You." So say "There is no god but You" and that is sufficient.
The student:
O Allah, remove my sins from me as Thou hast removed the East from the West. O Allah purify me from sins as a white garment is purified from filth. O Allah! wash away
اللهم باعد بيني وبين خطاياي كما باعدت بين المشرق والمغرب ونقني من خطاياي كما تنقي الثوب الأبيض من الدنس واغسلنيThe Shaykh : O Allah, wash me clean, rest me
Allahuma ba'id bayni wa bayna khatayaya kama ba'adta bayna al-mashriqi wal-maghrib; Allahumma naqqini min khatayaya kama yunaqqa ath-thawb al-abyad min ad-danas; Allahumma ighsilni min khatayaya bil ma'i wa ath-thalji wal-barad. (O Allah, put a great distance between me and my sins, as great as the distance You have made between the East and the West; O Allah, cleanse me of my sins as a white garment is cleansed from filth; O Allah, wash away my sins with water and snow and hail).
اللهم باعد بيني وبين خطاياي كما باعدت بين المشرق والمغرب، اللهم نقني من خطاياي كما ينقى الثوب الأبيض من الدنس، اللهم اغسلني من خطاياي بالماء والثلج والبردThe scholars said: Because he is asking Allah to purify him from sins, and the punishment for sins is the Fire, and the Fire is hot. What corresponds to the hot Fire is snow and hail. Therefore, he said "with water, snow, and hail." Is there a second characteristic in the opening invocation? The one behind, please.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Well done.
Glorious You are O Allah, and with Your praise, and blessed is Your Name, and exalted is Your majesty, and none has the right to be worshipped but You.
سبحانك اللهم وبحمدك وتبارك اسمك وتعالى جدك ولا إله غيرك"Subhanak Allah" means "I glorify You." Tasbih is declaring Allah (Mighty and Majestic) free from everything that does not befit Him. What does not befit Allah is two things: either resembling the created beings or deficiency in His attributes. So it is as if you are saying, "I declare You free, O Lord, from resembling the created beings and from deficiency in Your attributes."
As for his saying "and with Your praise," the preposition "ba" here indicates accompaniment and conjunction. It means, "I add to my glorification and declaration of Your freedom the fact that I praise You with complete attributes." For Allah the Exalted is praised for His complete attributes and for His encompassing, general grace and kindness.
"Tبارak ismuk" (Blessed is Your Name). The scholars said: Its meaning is that blessing is attained by Your Name. Therefore, if a person names [the animal] when slaughtering, it becomes lawful, and if he slaughters it without naming, it becomes forbidden, by the saying of Allah the Exalted:
And do not eat of that upon which the name of Allah has not been mentioned
ولا تأكلوا مما لم يذكر اسم الله عليه(Use) whatever causes the blood to flow, mention the Name of Allah and eat
ما أنهر الدم وذكر اسم الله عليه فكلIf one of you comes to his wife and says, "In the name of Allah, O Allah, keep Satan away from us and keep Satan away from what You have blessed us with," he said: "Then if a child is destined to be between them, Satan will never harm him."
لو أن أحدكم أتى أهله قال بسم الله اللهم جنبنا الشيطان وجنب الشيطان ما رزقتنا قال : فإنه إن يقدر بينهما ولد لا يضره الشيطان أبداBlessed is Your Name
تبارك اسمك"Ta'ala jadduk" (Exalted is Your Majesty). Some of the common people ask, "How can it be said 'Exalted is Your Majesty'?" Allah says:
He neither begets nor is born,
لم يلد ولم يولدAllah will grasp the heavens on the Day of Resurrection with His right hand and then say, "I am the King. Where are the kings of this world?"
يقبض الله السماوات يوم القيامة يمينا ثم يقول أنا الملك أين ملوك الدنياTo whom belongs [all] sovereignty this Day?
لمن الملك اليومThe Day they come forth nothing concerning them will be concealed from Allah. To whom belongs [all] sovereignty this Day? To Allah, the One, the Prevailing.
يوم هم بارزون لا يخفى على الله منهم شيء لمن الملك اليوم لله الواحد القهار"Wa la ilaha ghayruk" (And there is no god but You) means there is no true object of worship other than You. Based on this interpretation, we say that what we hear from some of the common people, "There is no god but You, and there is no object of worship other than You," is not correct, because "There is no god but You" suffices for "there is no object of worship other than You." So say "There is no god but You" and that is sufficient.