Quran Garden

Session 14

Chapter 1

Verses 2 & 3

A continuation

The second verse in "The Opening" Chapter states, "All praise be to God, Lord of the worlds."  We will examine the first part of the verse, "All praise is due to God," by referring to the two types of blessings we enjoy: the first type comprises blessings specifically meant for the believers, while the second comprises blessings generalized to all humanity. Let's take them one by one.  

We start with the first type of blessings which are gifts exclusive to the believers who recognize God as the One to be worshipped.  So, "All praise be to God" is meant to be a praise for God's gifts that come from the recognition of His divinity.  The believers entrust the Lord with their way of life and adhere to the obligations of faith and the duties of worship.  As a result, they enjoy the bounties of God's message and the fruits of adhering to His path in this world and the next. Keep in mind that God assigns duties and obligations only to those who believe in Him. He does not assign any duties to those who do not believe; instead, He only invites them to join the faith. 

The second type of blessings are God's gifts that everyone enjoys, that is, gifts that come from His lordship.  For example, God created all of us, and He provides for all of us regardless of our faith and without any obligation.  The sun rises on all humankind, animals and livestock serve everyone, and the earth yields crop for the believer and disbeliever alike.  In this context, "All praise be to God" is praise for God's gifts that come from His lordship.

While we all enjoy the bounties of lordship, the obligations that come with faith are difficult for some to accept, so many people disregard religion. If people truly appreciated the value of God's instructions and guidance, they would adhere to His message and enjoy both His gifts of lordship and His gifts of divinity.  We should praise the Lord, for He has ordered what guarantees harmony and peace in life for the benefit of everyone.   

Keep in mind that the gifts of divinity come attached to duty and obligation in this world; however, their true and immense reward will be given free in the hereafter, where God's reward and mercy are exclusive to the believers as mentioned in this verse:

Say: "Who has made unlawful God's beautiful things of adornment and elegance, which He has produced for His servants and the delicious and pure things of His providing?" Say: "They are primarily meant for the believers –and for the disbelievers too– in this present life, but exclusively for the believers on the Day of Resurrection." In this way do We explain the messages for the people of knowledge. (7:32)

So the believers praise God for all His grants in this world and in the hereafter.  God says in the Quran:

They will say, "Praise be to God Who has fulfilled His promise to us and made us the inheritors of this land, letting us settle in the Garden wherever we want. How excellent is the wage of those who work!" (39:74)

And, in another verse, He describes the residents of Paradise:

Their prayer in it will be, "Glory be to You, God!", their greeting, "Peace!", and the last part of their prayer, "Praise be to God, Lord of the worlds!" (10:10)

Let's now move to the second part of the verse: "Lord of the worlds."  Have you ever wondered why God used this phrase?  We answer that God wants all of us to feel assured that He is the Lord of all that is in the universe, so no power serving man can cease from providing its service.  This is why you should not fear the future.  And how can you worry about it while Allah is the Lord of the worlds?  If you are going through hardship, you remain confident that God will provide for you because He is the Lord of the worlds.  And, if you encounter a crisis, your heart is content that God will reward you for your patience and remove your distress because He is the Lord of the worlds.  And, if a blessing graces you, you thank God because He is the Lord of the worlds.

As you can see, God's favors surround us every minute of our lives regardless of our faith.  He keeps everything at our service and does not withhold His blessings.  Sadly, the universe itself and all that is subjected in it to serve us is troubled by our wrongful deeds.  When we use animals, plants, and even objects in actions that are displeasing to God, these creatures feel distressed and anger towards us.  You can appreciate this and, more importantly, you can appreciate God's mercy when you listen to the following sacred narration (Hadith Qudsi).  God Almighty says:

"Not a day passes by in which the sun rises, except that the sky calls out and says, 'Lord! Allow me to fall in pieces on the son of Adam, for he has enjoyed Your bounties but showed ingratitude in return.'  And the oceans say, 'Lord! Grant us permission to drown the son of Adam, for he has enjoyed your abundance but showed ingratitude in return.'  The mountains say, 'Lord! Allow us to clamp down on the son of Adam, for he has enjoyed Your bounties and then showed ingratitude.'  God Almighty replies, 'Leave them, let them be. If you had created them, you would have had mercy upon them.  They are My servants. If they repent to me, I will be there for them with love.  And if they do not repent, then I know what ails them and what cures them."

God ensures the survival of everything that serves us in the universe despite our constant transgressions.  Now, when you stand in prayer and recite, "Lord of the worlds, the Most Merciful, the Most Benevolent," you can appreciate its true meaning and benefit in the world around you.  

You are probably wondering, do the animals, plants, and inanimate objects actually speak? The answer is yes, they speak a language that only their Creator understands, as mentioned in the following verse describing the beginning of creation:

Then He turned to the sky, which was smoke. He said to it and the earth, "Come into being, willingly or not," and they said, "We come willingly." (41:11)

Hence, the earth and the sky understood their Lord and replied, "We come willingly."  Similarly, God taught Prophet Solomon, peace be upon him, the language of the birds and the ants.  And when Prophet David spent his nights praising God, the mountains used to exalt with him.  In fact, every creation has a level of perception and emotion that befits it.  When God Almighty spoke of the people of the Pharaoh of Egypt, He said:

How many gardens and fountains they left behind, and fields and stately mansions, and the bounties wherein they rejoiced. So it was. Yet We bequeathed these things to another people. Neither heaven nor earth shed any tears for them, and they were granted no reprieve. (44:25-29)

As you can see, both the heavens and the earth have emotions that may reach the degree of weeping.  And while they did not weep over Pharaoh and his people, they do weep out of sadness when a true believer who adheres to God's path departs them in death.  Ali ibn Abi Talib –the Prophet's cousin, may God be pleased with him– said, "When a believer dies, two places weep over him, one on earth and another in the heavens.  The place on earth where he used to pray weeps for him, and so does the place where his good deeds used to ascend to in heaven."