Quran Garden

Did you notice that three of God's names are mentioned and then repeated in the first three verses of Surah Al-Fatiah?  Today, we will uncover how each word precisely serves a divine purpose, guiding us closer to God.  Let's begin.

Session 11

Chapter 1

Verses 2 & 3

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

 الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

All praise is due to God, Lord of the worlds; the Most Merciful, the Most Benevolent.

(Chapter 1:Verses 2 and 3)

When reading these two verses, we immediately note that three of God's names are mentioned and repeated in the first three verses of "The Opening" Chapter.  The names الله ("God"), الرَّحْمَن ("the Most Merciful"), and الرَّحِيم ("the Most Benevolent") are mentioned in the first verse and then repeated in the second and third.  Always remember that the Quran is God's word, so there is no pointless repetition in its words: when something is repeated, it serves a specific purpose each time.  God employs every word in its proper place to carry a precise meaning.  So, let's look at how God's names are presented in these verses.

We start with the phrase "In the name of Allah."  In the first Aya of Al-Fatiha, Allah teaches you to begin every action in His name.  You request support from the One Who subjected the universe to your service.  Thus, when in the second verse we say, "All praise is due to Allah," we express our gratitude to Him for what He has done for us.  The sun gives you light and warmth; the soil provides food and minerals; the animals give you food and clothes, and so much more.   

When we seek assistance or express gratitude to God, we use the name "Allah" because it is all-inclusive of His attributes.  More specifically, there is no need to say, "All praise is due to the Sustainer," "All praise is due to the All-Giver," "All praise is due to the Most Merciful," and so on.  In fact, "In the name of Allah" in the first aya is a request for help from God with all the perfection of His attributes, and "All praise is due to Allah" in the second shows gratitude to God with all the perfection of His attributes.

Similarly, the repetition of "the Most Merciful, the Most Benevolent" in the first verse and then in the third carries different meanings.  Let's take them one by one.

The first Aya reminds you of God's mercy and forgiveness, so you do not shy away from seeking His help if you sinned.  God wants you to seek Him in all your actions and know that His doors of compassion and mercy are wide open.  We always want to take refuge and appeal to God's mercy, not His justness, because God's justness does not spare sins, big or small, while His mercy pardons all.  He says:

The Book will be set in place, and you will see the evildoers fearful of what is in it.  They will say, "Alas for us!  What is this Book which does not pass over any action, small or great, without recording it?" They will find there everything they did, and your Lord will not wrong anyone at all.  (18:49)

If God's mercy did not prevail over His justness, we would have all perished for our sins as stated in this Aya,

If God took people to task for the evil they do, He would not leave one living creature on earth.  But He reprieves them until an appointed time:  when their time comes, they cannot delay it for a moment, nor can they bring it forward.  (16:61)

Our beloved Muhammad, peace be upon him, said, "None of you will enter Paradise by his deeds alone unless God showers you with mercy." The Companions asked, "Not even you, Messenger of God?" He replied, "Not even me." In another narration, He said, "All children of Adam make mistakes, and the best of those who make mistakes are the ones who repent."  We often find ourselves weak, impatient, and falling short in various ways.  Whether in judging others, making assumptions, or speaking, we might act unjustly, think negatively, or engage in gossip.  None of us can claim perfection, even with our best efforts in mindfulness.  Perfection belongs to God alone.  He says:

He has granted you from all that you ask Him. Were you to attempt to count God's blessings, you could not compute them.  But for sure, humankind is much prone to wrongdoing and to ingratitude.  (14:34)

However, Allah does not want sin to prevent you from carrying on with your life in His name.  Thus, He taught you in the very first verse of the Quran to say, "In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Benevolent," so that you remember that the door is always open for seeking His help.

In the third verse, "the Most Merciful" and "the Most Benevolent" follow the phrase "Lord of the worlds." This is a clear indication of God's Lordship.  Allah is the One Who created us from non-existence and provided us with countless bounties.  He is the Lord of everyone: the believer and the disbeliever.  He created and brought both to existence, and to both, He grants sustenance and bounties:  the sun rises on the believer and the disbeliever alike, and rain falls on those who worship God and those who worship idols.  These and countless many more are from the grants of lordship.  They are for all God's creation in this world, and that is truly an immense mercy.  Thus, when you recite, "All praise is due to God, Lord of the worlds; the Most Merciful, the Most Benevolent," you should recall Allah's mercy and lordship towards all creations, not just the believers. 

It is through God's mercy that He made it effortless for us to pay Him gratitude with two simple words:  الْحَمْدُ لِلَّه ("all praise is due to God"). Think about when you want to show sincere appreciation to a person for a favor that he or she has done for you. You may spend hours preparing the words of praise. You edit, omit a word here, add one there, and consult others until you finally prepare a letter or speech that adequately expresses your gratitude.  If you take a moment to think about God's favors, you will quickly realize that they cannot be counted or comprehended.  So no matter how much eloquence you may have, you cannot compile expressions of praise that befit God's grandeur and bounties.  Then, how can you praise Him while you cannot count His favors or encompass His mercy?  The Messenger, peace be upon him, portrayed this picture for us in this statement:  "Dear Lord, I am unable to find sufficient words of praise that befit You. All I can say is, 'You are as You have praised Yourself.'"

Thus, one of God's greatest bounties is that He taught us to express our gratitude to Him in these simple words:  الْحَمْدُ لِلَّه.  And by specifying these words, Allah made it equal for all human beings; otherwise, the degree of praise among people would differ based on their abilities.  For example, an illiterate person who cannot read or write would be unable to find proper words to praise God. A scholar of literature, on the other hand, would express his or her gratitude with eloquence.  But God's fairness granted all of us this equal expression, and He placed these words in the first few verses of the first chapter of the Quran.  Now the learned, the illiterate, the eloquent, and the person with a speaking disability can be equal in expressing their gratitude and say:  الْحَمْدُ لِلَّه.  We thank God Almighty for all He has taught us, and we remain in His praise at all times. 

As a general rule, exaggeration in praise and gratitude to a person is discouraged as it may lead that person to arrogance and transgression.  When we put in perspective that we thank God for all His great bounties with only the two words الحمد لله, it is natural that we lessen and balance our praise to other human beings. 

We are truly grateful for your dedication to understanding the Quran.  We say 'الْحَمْدُ لِلَّه' for allowing QuranGarden to be a part of your journey.  Your commitment is truly inspiring.  We hope to see you in the next session!