Quran Garden

In today's Tafsir, you will learn the difference between Allah's gifts of Lordship and His gifts of divinity.  More specifically, we will explain the beautiful meanings behind the phrase رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ "The Lord of the world." 

Session 14

Chapter 1

Verses 2 & 3

a continuation

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)

The verse "All praise be to God, Lord of the worlds" refers to the two types of blessings we enjoy: the first are blessings exclusive to the believers, while the second is blessings shared by all humanity, regardless of their faith.  Let's take them one by one.  

We begin with the first type, which is blessings specific to the believers who recognize God as the one to be worshipped.  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 rewards of following His path in this world and the next.  It is critical to understand that Allah assigns duties and obligations only to those who believe in Him.  He does not assign any duties to the disbelievers; instead, He only invites them to join the faith.  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 second type is God's blessings that everyone enjoys, which are the gifts of His Lordship.  For example, God created all of us, and He provides for us all, regardless of our faith, without any obligation.  The sun rises on all humankind; animals and livestock serve everyone, and the earth yields crops for the believer and atheist alike.  In this context, "All praise be to God" is praise for God's gifts of 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 have embraced His message and enjoyed both His gifts of lordship and divinity.  We should praise the Lord, for He has prescribed what guarantees harmony and peace for all.   

Keep in mind that while the gifts of divinity come attached to duty and obligation in this world, their true and immense reward will be given free in the hereafter.  On that day, Allah's reward and mercy are exclusive to the believers.  He says,

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)

The believer praises God for all His grants in this world and again in the hereafter.  God says,

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 Aya, Allah 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 move our focus to the second part of the verse, which describes the Almighty as "Lord of the worlds."  Have you ever wondered why God used this phrase?  Because He wants you to feel assured that He has complete control of all that is in the universe, so no power serving man can cease from providing its services.  This is precisely why you should not fear the future.  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.  When you encounter a crisis, your heart remains content, for Allah 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.  Nothing is outside His dominion.

As you can see, Allah's favors surround us every minute of our lives, regardless of our faith.  He keeps the universe at our service and does not withhold His blessings.  Sadly, the universe itself and all that is subjected in it to serve us are troubled by our sins.  When we use animals, plants, and objects in actions that are displeasing to God, these creatures feel distressed and angry towards us.  Listen to the following sacred narration (Hadith Qudsi) so you can appreciate God's immense mercy.  The 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."

Allah ensures the functionality 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 the blessings and true meaning all 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 Aya 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)

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 appropriate for 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 comfort and ease they had delighted in!  So it was.  We gave these to another people to inherit.  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 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."