Tafseer From al-Adwaa‘ul-Bayaan
[Sooratul-Faatihah]
Imaam Muhammad al-Ameen ash-Shanqeetee
Version 1.0
1) In the Name of Allaah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. 2) All the praises and
thanks are for Allaah the Lord of the Universe. 3) The Most Beneficent, The Most
Merciful. 4) Master of the Day of Recompense. 5) You Alone we worship, and You Alone
we ask for help. 6) Guide us to the Straight Path. 7) The Path of those on whom You have
bestowed your grace, not the Path of those who earned your Anger, nor of those who went
astray.
- · The saying of the Exalted, ‘all the praises and thanks are for Allaah’: there is no
mention here as to when this praise is said or from where this praise comes from,
but in Surah Rum there is mention that from amongst the ‘where’s’ are the heavens
and the earth – in His saying, ‘and His is all the praises and thanks in the heavens
and the earth.’ (30:18). And in Surah Qasas there is mention that from amongst the
‘when’s’ are in this world and in the Hereafter – in His sayings,
‘And He is Allaah, none has the right to be worshipped besides Him. To Him belongs all
praise in the beginning (i.e. this world) and in the end (i.e. the Hereafter).’ (28:70).
And He said in the beginning of Surah Saba’a,
‘His is all the praise in the Hereafter, and He is the All-Wise, All-Aware.’ (34:1).
The Alif and Laam (i.e. the definite article ‘the’) in al-Hamd is so as to include all the
different manners of praise, and it is an extolling with which Allaah has praised Himself
and ordered His servants to praise Him with.
- · The saying of the Exalted, ‘the Lord of the Universe (Aalameen)’: there is no
explanation here as to what al-Aalameen is but this is explained in another place
with His saying,
‘Pharaoh said: and what is the Lord of the Aalameen? He (Moses) said: the Lord of the
heavens and the earth and what is between them.’ (26:23-24)
2
Some of the scholars stated that al-Aalam (world, pl. aalameen) is derived from al-Allaamah
(sign) because the existence of the world is a sign, without doubt, of the existence of it’s
Creator who is described with perfect and magnificent Attributes. The Exalted said,
‘Indeed in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the change of the night and day
are signs (Aayaat) for the people of understanding.’
And in the language ayah means allaamah.
- · The saying of the Exalted, ‘The Most Beneficent (ar-Rahmaan), The Most
Merciful (ar-Raheem)’: these are two descriptions of Allaah the Exalted, and two of
the Names from amongst His Beautiful Names, derived from ar-Rahma (Mercy) in a
way to express intense and exaggerated meanings. And ar-Rahmaan is more intense
than ar-Raheem because ar-Rahmaan is the one endowed with Mercy which extends
to all of the creations in this world and to the believers in the Hereafter, and ar-
Raheem is the One endowed with Mercy which extends to only the believers on the
Day of Judgment - this being the understanding of the majority of the scholars.
And from the discussion of ibn Jareer (at-Tabaree) one can understand that there is
an agreement on this, and the tafseer of some of the salaf lends weight to this
understanding as was stated by ibn Katheer, and the narration reported from Eesa,
as mentioned by ibn Katheer and others, also indicates this – that he (upon him and
our Prophet be peace and blessings) said, ‘ar-Rahmaan: the One who shows Mercy in
this world and the Hereafter. Ar-Raheem: the One Who shows Mercy in the Hereafter.’1
And Allaah the Exalted also points to what we have mentioned when He said, ‘then He
rose over the Throne, ar-Rahmaan’ (25:59) and when He said, ‘ar-Rahmaan rose over the
Throne’.(20:5) so he mentioned the Istawaa (Rising over the Throne) with His Name ar-
Rahmaan so as to embrace the whole of His creation with his Mercy as was stated by ibn
Katheer.2 and likewise is His saying, ‘Do they not see the birds above them, spreading out
their wings and folding them in? None upholds them except ar-Rahmaan’ (67:19)
meaning: from his Mercy to His creation is his kindness to the birds and His holding them
in the sky while they are spreading out their wings and folding them in. And from the
clearest evidences pertaining to this is His saying, ‘ar-Rahmaan. He taught the
Qur’aan…so which of the favours of your Lord will you two deny?’ (55:1-13)
And He said, ‘and He is Ever Most Merciful (Raheem) to the believers’ (33:43) and hence
particularised His name ar-Raheem to them. So if it said: ‘how is it possible to reconcile
what you have thus far established with his (SAW) saying in the du’aa, ‘the Rahmaan of the
1 Ibn al-Jawzee includes this hadeeth in his ‘Mawdoo’aat’ (1/204) saying, “it’s (chain of narration) contains
Ismaa’eel bin Ayaash who was declared to be da’eef by an-Nasaa’ee. It also contains Ismaa’eel bin Yahya about
whom ad-Daaruqutnee said: a liar, abandoned.” It also contains Atiyyah bin Sa’d who is a Mudallis, a
Shee’ee, truthful but has many mistakes. [the footnotes of Muqbil bin Haadee to ibn Katheer (1/37 fn.1)
2 This is because the Throne of Allaah is far greater than the expanse of the Heavens and the Earth, and
Allaah is Above the Throne. So His mentioning His Name of ar-Rahmaan with respect to the Throne is
implying that the effects of this name are true for the whole of creation - Muslim or non-Muslim.
3
This world and the Hereafter and the Raheem of them’?3 The obvious reply - and Allaah knows best -is that ar-Raheem is specific to the believers as we have mentioned, but it is not specified to them in the Hereafter alone, rather His Mercy to them is included in this world as well. So the meaning of ‘the Raheem of them’ would be ‘His Mercy to the believers in them’. And the evidence that He is Raheem to the believers in this world as well (as the Hereafter) is that this is the literal meaning of His, the Exalted’s saying,
‘He is the One who sends His Blessings (salaah) upon you, and His Angels so as to lead
you out of the darkness to the light, and He is Ever Most Merciful (Raheem) to the
believers.’ (33:43)
Because His salaah upon them, the salaah of His Angels and His leading them out of the
darkness to the light is Mercy to them in this world, even though it be the reason for Mercy
in the Hereafter as well. And similar to this in meaning is His saying,
‘Allah has forgiven the Prophet, the Muhaajiroon and the Ansaar who followed him in
the time of distress after the hearts of a group of them had nearly deviated (from the
Right Path), but He accepted their repentance. Certainly He is Full of Kindness to
them, Most Merciful (Raheem).’ (9:117)
For the Mercy is linked to the event that befell the Prophet, the Muhaajiroon and the
Ansaar, and also His forgiving them was Mercy in this world even though it be the reason
for Mercy in the Hereafter as well. And the Knowledge (of what is correct) lies with Allaah.
- · The saying of the Exalted, ‘Master of the Day of Recompense (Deen)’: There is no
explanation here (as to what the Day of Deen is), but this is explained in His saying,
‘And what will make you comprehend what the Day of Deen is? Again what will make
you comprehend what the Day of Deen is? It is the Day when no person shall have
power (to do) anything for another.’ (83:17-19).
And the meaning of Deen in the verse is recompense, as can be seen in His saying, ‘on that
Day Allaah will pay them their deen in truth’ (24:25) meaning: the recompense of their
actions with complete justice.
- · The saying of the Exalted, ‘You Alone we worship’: Indicating in this noble verse
to the realisation of the meaning of Laa ilaaha illaa Allaah (there is none worthy of
worship except for Allaah) for it’s meaning is comprised of two matters: negation
and affirmation. So the negation aspect means to remove every single object of
3 Al-Haakim declared this to be saheeh in ‘al-Mustadrak’ (1/515) and adh-Dhahabee followed this up saying,
"al-Hakm (one of the narrators) is not trustworthy." Al-Haafidh al-Mundhiree said in ‘at-Targheeb wa at-
Tarheeb’ (2/616), "reported by al-Bazzaar, al-Haakim, al-Asbahaanee all via the route of al-Hakm bin
Abdullaah al-Aylee and al-Haakim said, ‘saheeh chain of narration’. How can this be when al-Hakm is
abandoned and accused." [Ibid. 1/43 fn.1]
4
The worship apart from Allaah in all the actions of worship, and the affirmation aspect
means to single out the Lord of the heavens and the earth Alone for all matters of
worship in the way that has been legislated by the Sharee’ah.
This negation in the laa ilaaha illaa Allaah was indicated by placing the object of worship
first in the verse hence, ‘You Alone’, and it is established in ‘al-Usul’ under the discussion
on ‘Daleel al-Khitaab Alladhee huwa Mafhum al-Mukhaalafa’, and in ‘al-Ma’aanee’ under the
discussion of ‘al-Qasr’: that placing the object first (in a sentence) is one if the ways of
confining (the meaning of the verb to the object alone).
And the affirmation part of the kalima was indicated in His saying, ‘we worship’.
And He, the Exalted, explained this meaning which is indicated here in detail elsewhere.
For example His saying,
‘O Mankind! Worship your Lord who created you’ (2:21)
Clarifying the affirmation aspect with his words, ‘worship your Lord’ and the negation
aspect at the end of this noble verse with His words, ‘so do not set up rivals with Allaah
while you know’ (2:22). And for example His saying,
‘We have indeed sent a Messenger to every people saying: worship Allaah and leave all
that is worshipped besides Allaah’ (16:36)
Clarifying the affirmation with His words, ‘worship Allaah’ and the negation with His
words, ‘and leave all that is worshipped besides Allaah’. And for example His saying,
‘And whosoever rejects all that is worshipped besides Allaah and believes in Allaah has
held onto the most trustworthy handhold’ (2:256)
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