A detailed explanation of the hadith.

The Shaykh : This long hadith, narrated by the Commander of the Faithful, 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him), from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), states that when he stood for prayer—and the apparent meaning of the hadith is that this applies to both obligatory and voluntary prayers, though its context in the chapter on night prayer indicates that Muslim (may Allah have mercy on him) held that this refers to night prayer, which is more appropriate because this opening supplication is long and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would prolong his night prayer—he said (peace and blessings be upon him): , . "Face" here includes the face of the body and the face of intention, as Allah the Exalted said: . So when a person prays, he directs his physical face toward Allah, and he directs his face to what?
The student: To the intention.

The Shaykh : To the intention toward Allah (Mighty and Majestic). And His saying means He created them without any prior example, so He was the first to create the heavens and the earth. is a description of "I direct," meaning in the state of being a Hanif. The meaning of Hanif is one who turns away from shirk (associating partners with Allah) and is upright in the tawhid (oneness of Allah). He confirmed this by saying .
. This contains the legal and the cosmic delegation. "My prayer and my sacrifice" refers to the legal aspect, meaning my prayer is for Allah and my sacrifice is for Allah. It is said that "sacrifice" here refers to what one draws near to Allah with, such as slaughtered animals, and it is said it refers to all acts of worship. If the first meaning is correct, its conjunction with prayer is an example of connecting the general to the specific. If the second meaning is correct, it is an example of connecting the different to the other. When the matter revolves between generality and specificity, it is preferable to take it as general, so the intended meaning of "sacrifice" is all acts of worship.
. This is the cosmic command, so the life and death of man are entirely for Allah (Mighty and Majestic). He is the One who gives life and causes death, extends life, and shortens life. Yes. . "Others" means everyone other than Allah, because existence is either a Creator or a created being. The Creator is the Lord, and the created being is the one who is lorded over. Accordingly, the intended meaning of "the worlds" is everyone other than Allah. , . "With this acknowledgment and sincerity, I have been commanded," as Allah the Exalted commanded His Prophet: .
. It is said that the intended meaning is the first of the Muslims from this Ummah (community). It is said that "first" here means precedence in rank, not precedence in time, meaning I am the first of the Muslims to enter Islam, due to his (peace and blessings be upon him) strong sincerity and trust in Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Yes?
The student: ... .

The Shaykh : May Allah reward you. The second narration is better because it matches the verse. The verse is , which is before us, and "I am among the Muslims." But the second narration is more appropriate than this because it contains an addition, and an addition from a trustworthy narrator is acceptable, and because it matches what?
The student: The verse.

The Shaykh : The Qur'an. Good. . "King" is tawhid al-rububiyyah (oneness of lordship). is tawhid al-uluhiyyah (oneness of worship). And the meaning of "There is no god but You," my brother, the brother, yes, yes.
The student: There is no worshipped entity with truth except...

The Shaykh : There is no worshipped entity with truth, or there is no true worshipped entity?
The student: ... .

The Shaykh : Except You? Yes. And this phrase is the word of tawhid (the oneness of Allah) by which a person enters Islam. If you say "There is no true worshipped entity except You," it necessitates that you establish all worship for Allah, that you do not follow desires, and that you do not innovate in the religion of Allah what is not part of it. . This is also an acknowledgment of the lordship of Allah the Exalted and the servitude of the slave. Repetition in such cases is good because it serves to strengthen the creed and establish it.
, . Does a person wrong himself? Yes, he wrongs himself if he leads himself into destruction, because your soul is a trust with you, and it is obligatory for you to care for it properly. And if a person is responsible for his family, he is responsible for himself. For this reason, he said . How does a person wrong himself? By one of two things: either by leaving an obligatory act or by committing a forbidden act. Among the forbidden acts is doing what harms the body, for a person is prohibited from doing what harms his body. If he does so, he has wronged himself. means "I acknowledge my sin." The sin is disobedience, whether it is leaving a commanded act or doing a prohibited act. , means "cover it and overlook the punishment," because it is derived from "al-maghfir" (the helmet), which is placed on the head to protect against arrows. And in it, meaning in the helmet, there is covering and what?
The student: Protection.

The Shaykh : And protection. Accordingly, a person's seeking forgiveness from Allah includes two things: First, 'Aqil? Covering, such that no one knows of it except Allah. And second, pardon and overlooking, so that it serves as protection. In this is evidence that a person is naturally inclined to love Allah's covering over him. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . The one who is open about it is the one who commits the sin and then in the morning talks about it to people. So he has sinned against himself, wronged himself, and wronged others as well, because if others see such a man being negligent of obligations or committing forbidden acts, what do they do?
The student: ... .

The Shaykh : They follow his example and become bold. . This is from the category of tawassul (seeking nearness to Allah through a means) by the actions and attributes of Allah the Exalted, that no one forgives sins except Allah, as Allah the Exalted said: . If the entire community gathered to forgive you of one sin, they would not be able to, but Allah is the One who forgives all sins.
. This is while he is the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), the best of people in character, asking Allah the Exalted to guide him. If a person says, "How does he ask Allah to guide him when he (peace and blessings be upon him) has been given it?" We say this includes two things: First, seeking an increase in good character, because he said . And second, steadfastness in good character. So he asks for two things: increase and second.
The student: ... .

The Shaykh : Steadfastness in that. . "Akhlāq" (character) is the plural of "khuluq," which is the hidden image in the soul. As for "khalq," it is the apparent image. means "the one with bad character, none but You can turn away his badness from me." And this is the truth, and it is clear. However much a person tries to acquire good character and avoid bad character, he will not be able to do so except by whom?
The student: ... .

The Shaykh : Except by Allah (Mighty and Majestic). For this reason, he denied that anyone can guide him to the best of it or turn away its badness from him except Allah. Yes, except You . "Labbaik" means responding to You, and the repetition is for the sake of repetition, not for the intention of doubling. Meaning, if you say "Labbaik," it does not mean you respond to Allah only twice, but time after time, as Allah the Exalted said: , meaning wave after wave. So the intended meaning is absolute plurality, not specifically doubling. And "Sa'dayk" means "Your happiness," meaning as if the person says, "I am at your service, O my Lord, so make me happy." "Make me happy" means remove my worry and grief and write happiness for me. So it includes a request for two things: the removal of grief and worry, and the second is the attainment of happiness. All good is in Your hands. You are the One who brings it to whom You will of Your servants. So as if by this praise of Allah, he says, "Give me from Your good." . Evil is not attributed to Allah at all. For this reason, it is not permissible for a person to say, "In Your hand is good and evil," because evil is not attributed to Allah at all. Rather, evil is in the created things, not in the act. The point is that if Allah decrees diseases upon people, the disease is evil for the person, but Allah the Exalted may decree it for good, for the good of the person, because the disease expiates his sins, and with patience and seeking reward, his ranks are raised, and this is good. Because the ultimate outcome of any disease is its removal, as its final outcome is death, and death is the end of every living being. But the reward and reward and elevation of ranks that occur in it is good for the person. Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) may decree drought and famine, drought in the land and famine in the sky, so the rain is withheld and the land becomes barren, and this is for the people.
The student: Evil.

The Shaykh : Evil, but it is good in relation to Allah's decree, as Allah the Exalted said: . So the very decree of Allah, even if it is for what is disliked, or even if it is evil, is considered good. As for the created thing, yes, the created thing is evil. So snakes, scorpions, wasps, mosquitoes, and the like are all evil for the human being, but Allah's creation of them.
The student: Good.

The Shaykh : Good. And for this reason, it is authentic from him that he said: . And he did not say "It is not from You," because if he had said "It is not from You," this would agree with the doctrine of the Qadariyyah (a sect that denied divine decree), who say that evil deeds are not created by Allah. But it is not up to Him, so it is not said that You are evil, may Allah protect us, or that Your act is evil. Rather, His act is all good, and He (Glorified and Exalted is He) is the One who bestows blessings upon His servants. But evil is not attributed to Him. Yes, and therefore evil is not attributed to Him, but it is attributed to.
The student: ... .

The Shaykh : Ah? To the created thing. Yes. . I am by You in existence, provision, and preparation. I am by You in creation. Who created you?
The student: Allah.

The Shaykh : Now, regarding provision: Allah provided for you while you were in your mother's womb, and He provided for you while you were in your mother's womb. Who prepared for you the benefits you enjoy? It is Allah. So I created you, and then, Sami?
The student: ... .

The Shaykh : And the third? Preparation. We are all by Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Had Allah not created us, we would not exist; had Allah not provided for us, we would not have remained; and had Allah not prepared us, we would not have known our interests. So we are by Allah.
My affairs return to You, and I am one of the people, and Allah (Mighty and Majestic) says: All affairs return to Allah (Mighty and Majestic). So my affairs also return to Allah. "Blessed" means "You became great, and blessing settled in Your name." That is why His name (Glorified and Exalted is He), when it is mentioned over something, makes it blessed. Have you not seen that if you slaughter a beast of livestock without invoking the name of Allah over it, it becomes carrion? If you invoke the name over it, it becomes good. In the first case, it is corrupt; in the second, it is good. If we say that invoking the name is obligatory in ablution, then if you perform ablution without invoking the name, it is not valid in the Shari'ah; if you invoke the name, it is valid. Also, every place where the name of Allah is mentioned and the Prophet is invoked is better for the person. "Regret" means sorrow and severance. And His saying "Exalted" means "You are elevated above every deficiency." The elevation of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is both essential and attribute-based. That is, He is the Most High in His essence and the Most High in His attributes. That is why when you say "Glory be to my Lord, the Most High" in prostration, what do you perceive? That He is above everything and that He is the Most High in all His attributes: the Most High in His knowledge, the Most High in His hearing, the Most High in His sight, the Most High in His power, the Most High in His wisdom, the Most High in His majesty, and so on. Proceed on this basis. That is, do not think that when you say "Glory be to my Lord, the Most High" in prostration, the meaning is only that He is the Most High in His essence, above everything. That is correct, but it is not the only meaning. Rather, He is the Most High in every one of His attributes. This is summarized by His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He): .
He says: But in the station of supplication, it is appropriate.
The student: ... .

The Shaykh : The repetition and elaboration are for two reasons: First, to increase the reward and to increase one's need for Allah and turning to Him. Second, because in your supplication you are addressing your Lord (Glorified and Exalted is He), and the Beloved loves to prolong the intimate conversation with.
The student: ... .

The Shaykh : His Beloved. Therefore, elaboration in supplication is better. And yet, brevity may occur in supplication, such as: .
He says: "From the sins," "I return to You and I turn back." Repentance and seeking forgiveness, if they are combined, they are separated; and if they are separated, they are combined. "I seek Your forgiveness" means "from the sins, and I abandon them." "I repent" means "I return to You." That is why it is connected with "to": "I return to You" with what? With good deeds and obedience. So in the saying of the one who says: , he abandons the forbidden and turns toward the acts of obedience. And when he bows, he says: "To You." The letter "lam" indicates exclusivity, so it implies sincerity to You alone. I bow to You alone. That is why we say that placing it before its verb implies restriction. Faith in Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is the affirmation that includes acceptance and submission. This is faith: the affirmation that includes acceptance and submission. As for mere affirmation, that is not faith. That is why we say: What about Abu Talib?
The student: ... .

The Shaykh : He was not a believer, even though he affirmed. He affirmed in Allah, in the Messenger of Allah, and in the truthfulness of the Messenger of Allah. But because he did not accept and did not submit, he was not a believer. So faith, in the Shari'ah, is what? It is the affirmation that necessitates acceptance and submission. Also, submission alone is not sufficient; acceptance is necessary. That is, it is not enough for a person to stand and pray and give zakah unless that is accompanied by acceptance and satisfaction with what Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has made obligatory. Now, "I submitted," and Islam and submission mean the same thing: "I submitted to You completely." Here, faith and Islam are combined, so faith is what?
The student: ... .

The Shaykh : It is internal, and Islam is external. . The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said this: "Every one of his powers submitted to Him." Every one of his powers submitted to Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). And this is the ultimate state of humility. And khushu' (humility) is meekness and humility. And his saying: "O Allah, make it a source of blessing." This is its source, but the "ya" of the vocative was deleted and replaced with the "mim," and it was moved from its place. Pay attention. So you are now moving it from one place to another, and we have substitution and replacement. The "ya" of the vocative was deleted because of frequent usage, and it was replaced with the "mim" because of the collective meaning it contains, which implies the gathering of the heart upon Allah (Mighty and Majestic). And it was placed at the end to seek blessing by beginning with the name of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). He says: . The scholars differed on the meaning of this "assembly." Some said the meaning is: if praise were bodies, it would fill these places: the heavens and the earth and what is between them, and what is more than that. This is based on his saying: . It was also said that the meaning is that everything in the heavens and the earth is a sign of Your praise and glorification of You, because everything in existence contains praise of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). And this is closer to the truth: that the meaning is that the person should keep in mind the heavens and the earth and what is between them, and whatever Allah wills beyond that, and that all of this is praise of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), filled with the praise of Allah. Then he said: , . Prostration is well known; it is falling down on the forehead and nose. So a person prostrates to the One who created him, because He is the one who deserves this prostration for having created him. The second saying is that He formed him. He formed him in the best form. That is why there is no form better than the form of the human being. And his saying "and He opened his hearing and his sight": as for opening his sight, it is apparent, because sight is in the face. But opening his hearing is from the category of associating a thing with its neighbor, because hearing is not from the face. The evidence is that the ear is not washed with the face in ablution, nor is it wiped with the face; rather, it is with the head. And a hadith has been reported regarding this: . But this is from the category of mentioning a thing or associating a thing with its neighbor. . The discussion on his saying "Blessed" and its meaning has already taken place.
The student: ... .

The Shaykh : Yes, His blessing became great. The scholars say that "creation" is bringing into existence after determination. That is, it does not happen by chance; rather, there must be a determination first, then creation. And from this is His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He): . There is a difference of opinion on his saying "He determined it": is the intended meaning the determination that precedes creation, or is the intended meaning the formation after creation? There are two opinions. If we say the first, then its composition after creation is from the category of masculine composition, like the saying of the one who says:
"Indeed, one who ruled, then his father ruled, *** then his grandfather ruled after that".
And if we say it means formation, then the order is according to the actual order. And supporting this last opinion is His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He): . He says "He created it." So, the best of creators is who? The creator is the one who what? He brings into existence after determination, and then it is the last thing to occur between the tashahhud and the taslim. . Then the author mentioned the second phrase in the hadith, which is his saying: . The word "kabbir" (magnify) was dropped from the first wording because he said: . So, do we say "he magnifies" and then "he says"?
The student: Yes.

The Shaykh : Do you answer?
The student: Yes.

The Shaykh : Yes, because it is an addition of knowledge, and in it also he says: . And he said: . The discussion on this has already taken place. . In it, "O Allah" is dropped, because the wording here says: , and here it says: . In it, a word is dropped and a word is added. The addition is the "waw" (and). And he also said: . And in it, there is an addition: . And he says: . And he said: to the end of the hadith. And he did not say "between the tashahhud and the taslim." The correct narration is the first one: "between the tashahhud and the taslim," because this is the place where the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) indicated supplication to Allah. Where he mentioned the tashahhud, he said: .