In the name of Allah, All-Merciful, Most Merciful

1 Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds,

2 the All-Merciful, the Most Merciful,

3 the King of the Day of Repayment.

4 You alone we worship. You alone we ask for help.

5 Guide us on the Straight Path,

6 the Path of those You have blessed,

7 not of those with anger on them, nor of the misguided.

It contains four topics.

TOPIC ONE: ITS VIRTUES AND NAMES

There are seven points in it.

At-Tirmidhī related from Ubayy ibn Ka‘b that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘Allah has not revealed anything like the Mother of the Book either in the Torah or the Gospel. It is the Seven Mathānī (Oft-repeated). “It is divided between Me and My slave, and My slave has what he asks for.”’ Mālik transmitted this from al-‘Alā’ ibn ‘Abd ar-Raḥmān ibn Ya‘qūb who said that Abū Sa‘īd, the freedman of ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Āmir ibn Kurayz, reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ called to Ubayy ibn Ka‘b while he was praying; and he mentioned the hadith. Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr said, ‘No further name is known for Abū Sa‘īd. He is counted as one of the people of Madīnah.’ He transmitted from Abū Hurayrah and this hadith is mursal. The hadith is also related from Abū Sa‘īd ibn al-Mu‘allā one of the Companions, whose name is also not known. Ḥafṣ ibn ‘Āṣim and ‘Ubayd ibn Ḥunayn related it from him. This is how it is stated in at-Tamhīd: ‘His name is not found.’ He mentioned the disagreement about his name in the Book of the Companions. Al-Bukhārī transmitted the hadith from Abū Sa‘īd ibn al-Mu‘allā: ‘I was praying and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ called me but I did not answer until I had finished praying. Then I went to him and he asked, “What kept you from coming to me? Does not Allah say, ‘Respond to Allah, and to the Messenger, when He calls you’ (8:24)?” Then he said to me, “I will teach you a sūrah which is the greatest of the sūrahs in the Qur’an before you leave the mosque.” Then he took my hand. When the Prophet ﷺ was about to leave, I said to him, “Did you not say, ‘I will teach you a sūrah which is the greatest of the sūrahs in the Qur’an’?” He said, “Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds, it is the Seven Oft-Repeated ones and the Immense Qur’an that I have been given.”’ Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr and others said that Abū Sa‘īd ibn al-Mu‘allā was one of the esteemed men and masters of the Anṣār. Al-Bukhārī alone has him, and his name was Rāfi‘. It is also said that it was al-Ḥārith ibn Nufay‘ ibn al-Mu‘allā. It is also said that it was Aws ibn al-Mu‘allā and Abū Sa‘īd ibn Aws ibn al-Mu‘allā. He died in 74 AH at the age of sixty-four. He was the first to pray towards the qiblah when it was changed as will be mentioned. There is an isnād of the hadith of Abū Yazīd ibn Zuray‘ from Rawḥ ibn al-Qāsim from al-‘Alā’ ibn ‘Abd ar-Raḥmān from his father from Abū Hurayrah who said, ‘The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out to Ubayy while he was praying.’ He mentioned the gist of the hadith.

Ibn al-Anbārī mentioned in his Kitāb ar-radd from his father from Abū ‘Ubaydullāh al-Warrāq from Abū Dāwūd from Shaybān from Manṣūr that Mujāhid said, ‘Iblīs, may Allah curse him, lamented four times: when he was cursed, when he fell from the Garden, when Muḥammad ﷺ was sent, and when the Fātiḥah of the Book was revealed, and it was revealed in Madīnah.’

Scholars disagree about the relative excellence of some sūrahs and āyahs over others, and some of the Beautiful Names of Allah over others. Some people say that none of them are better than any other because all are the Speech of Allah, and the same lack of preference applies to His Names. Shaykh Abu-l-Ḥasan al-Ash‘arī, Qāḍī Abū Bakr ibn aṭ-Ṭayyib, Abū Ḥātim Muḥammad ibn Ḥibbān as-Sibtī and a group of fuqahā’ believed this, and something to that effect is related from Mālik. Yaḥyā ibn Yaḥyā said that it is an error to consider one part of the Qur’an better than other parts. Similarly Mālik disliked the repetition of one particular sūrah rather than others. In reference to the words of Allah Almighty: ‘We bring one better than it or equal to it’ (2:106), Mālik says that this means ‘one containing judgment rather than one subject to abrogation.’ Ibn Kinānah related the same as all that from Mālik.

Some of them use the following argument: ‘The best is only recognised by comparison with what might be considered slightly less excellent, but the essential nature of all āyahs is one and the same. They are all part of the Speech of Allah and there can be no deficiency in the Speech of Allah.’ As-Sibtī stated: ‘The meaning of the words “Allah has not revealed anything like the Mother of the Qur’an either in the Torah or the Gospel” is that Allah Almighty does not give those who recite the Torah or the Gospel a reward like the one He gives to someone who recites the Mother of the Qur’an, since Allah has favoured this community over other communities and He has given a greater excellence to the recitation of His Words in His Revelation than He gave to others for reciting His Words. It is a favour from Him to this Community. The words of the Prophet ﷺ, “the greatest of the sūrahs”, means that it is the greatest in reward. His words do not mean that some parts of the Qur’an are better than other parts.’

Some people have said that there is a certain kind of superiority which may be seen in such āyahs as in the words of the Almighty, ‘Your God is One God. There is no God but Him, the All-Merciful, the Most Merciful’ (2:163), the Throne Verse, the end of Sūrat al-Ḥashr, and Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ, which are among the proofs of His Oneness and His attributes, and that does not exist, for instance, in such āyahs as ‘Perish the hands of Abū Lahab’ (111:1). Superiority occurs through the wondrous meanings and how numerous they are, not in respect of the quality of the language. This is the truth. Those who said that there was preference included Isḥāq ibn Rāhawayh as well as other scholars and mutakallimūn. It is the position preferred by Qāḍī Abū Bakr ibn al-‘Arabī and Ibn al-Ḥaṣṣār who go by the hadith of Ubayy ibn Ka‘b, in which he said, ‘The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked me, “Ubayy, which of the āyahs of the Book is the greatest?” I replied. “Allah, there is no god but Him, the Living, the Self-Sustaining” (2:255) [i.e. the Throne Verse.] He struck my chest and said, “May Allah give you joy, Abu-l-Mundhir!”’ Al-Bukhārī and Muslim transmitted it. Ibn al-Ḥassār said, ‘I am surprised at those who differ when such texts exist.’

Ibn al-‘Arabī said, ‘He says, “Allah has not revealed its like in the Torah, the Gospel or the Qur’an.” He was silent about other Scriptures, like the Revealed Scrolls, the Psalms and other things because this mentions the best of them. When something is the best of the best, then it is the best of all. It is as you say, “Zayd is the best of scholars,” and so he is the best of all.’

The Fātiḥah possesses attributes which other sūrahs do not possess, to the extent that it is said that the entire Qur’an is contained in it. It consists of twenty-five words which embrace all the sciences of the Qur’an. Part of its distinction is that Allah has divided it between Himself and His slaves, and the prayer is only valid with it, and no action is necessary to gain a reward for it. It is in this sense that it is the Mother of the Immense Qur’an. Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ is considered to be equivalent to a third of the Qur’an. The Fātiḥah contains tawḥīd, judgments and admonition and Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ contains all of tawḥīd. It also explains the words of the Prophet ﷺ to Ubayy, ‘Ubayy, which of the āyahs of the Book is the greatest?’ to which he replied, ‘Allah, there is no god but Him, the Living, the Self-Sustaining.’ (2:255) It is the greatest āyah because it contains every aspect of tawḥīd. In the same way the Prophet’s words, ‘The best of what I and the Prophets before have said is “There is no god but Allah alone with no partner”, indicate that that is the best form of dhikr because they are words which contains all the knowledge of tawḥīd. The Fātiḥah, on the other hand, contains tawḥīd, worship and admonition. That is not impossible in Allah’s power.

‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib related that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘The Fātiḥah of the Book, the Throne Verse, “Allah bears witness that there is no god but Him” (3:18) and “Say: ‘O Allah, Master of the Kingdom’” (3:26): these āyahs are suspended from the Throne. There is no veil between them and Allah.’ Abū ‘Amr ad-Dānī has this in his Kitāb al-bayān.

The Fātiḥah has twelve names:

1. Ṣalāt (the Prayer). Allah Almighty says in a hadith: ‘I have divided the prayer between Myself and My slave.’

2. Sūrat al-Ḥamd (Sūrah of Praise), because praise is mentioned in it. This is similar in the way that other sūrahs are named, such as ‘The Sūrah of the Battlements’, ‘Booty’, ‘Repentance’ and the like.

3. The Fātiḥah (Opener) of the Book. This name is undisputed among scholars. It is called that because it opens the recitation of the Qur’an and the writing of every copy of the Qur’an opens with it, and the prayers also open with it.

4. Umm al-Kitāb (Mother of the Book). There is some disagreement concerning this name. Some allow it while Anas, al-Ḥasan and Ibn Sīrīn disliked it. Al-Ḥasan said, ‘The Umm al-Kitāb is the lawful and unlawful. Allah Almighty says, “Āyahs containing clear judgments – they are the Umm al-Kitāb – and others are open to interpretation.” (3:7)’ Anas and Ibn Sīrīn said that the Umm al-Kitāb is the name of the Preserved Tablet. Allah Almighty says, ‘It is in the Umm al-Kitāb with Us.’ (43:4)

5. Umm al-Qur’ān (The Mother of the Qur’ān). There is also disagreement about this. The majority allow it while Anas and Ibn Sīrīn dislike it. Firm hadiths refute these two opinions. At-Tirmidhī transmitted from Abū Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘“Praise belongs to Allah” is the Mother of the Qur’an, the Mother of the Book and the Seven Mathānī.’ He said that this hadith is ḥasan ṣaḥīḥ. We find in al-Bukhārī: ‘It is called the Mother of the Book because it begins the writing of copies of the Qur’an and one begins with its recitation in the prayer.’ Yaḥyā ibn Ya‘mar said, ‘The Mother of Towns is Makkah, the Mother of Khorasan is Marv, the Mother of the Qur’an is the Sūrah of Praise.’ It is said that it was called the Mother of the Qur’an because it is the beginning of it and contains all its sciences. It is for that reason that Makkah is called the Mother of the Towns because it was the first on the earth and the earth spread out from it. A mother is called ‘mother’ because she is the root of progeny. Earth is a ‘mother’. Umayyah ibn Abī aṣ-Ṣalt said:

‘The earth is our stronghold and our mother.

Our graves are in it and we were born from it.’

A banner of war is called ‘Umm’ because it precedes it and the army follows it. The root of umm is ummahah which is why the plural is ummahāt.

6. Al-Mathānī (the Oft-Repeated). It is called that because it is repeated in every rak‘ah of the prayer. It is said that it is called that because it is exclusively for this Community and it was not revealed to anyone before because it was a treasure stored up for this Community.

7. The Immense Qur’an. It is called that because it contains all the sciences of the Qur’an. That is because it contains praise of Allah Almighty with the qualities of His Perfection and Majesty, the command to perform acts of worship and to be sincere in them, acknowledgement of the inability to do any of it except with Allah’s help, entreaty to Him for guidance to the Straight Path and being spared the states of those who violate the contract, and clarification of the final state of the deniers.

8. Ash-Shifā’ (Healing). Ad-Dārimī related from Abū Sa‘īd al-Khudrī that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘The Fātiḥah of the Book is healing for every poison.’

9. Ar-Ruqyah (the Charm). This name is taken from a hadith of Abū Sa‘īd al-Khudrī in which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to a man who had recited it as a charm for someone with a snake-bite, ‘What taught you that it was a charm?’ He replied, ‘Messenger of Allah, something that came into my heart.’ The imāms transmitted it.

10. Al-Asās (the Core). A man complained to ash-Sha‘bī of abdominal pain and he said, ‘You must have the Core of the Qur’an, the Fātiḥah of the Book. I heard Ibn ‘Abbās say, “Everything has a core. The core of this world is Makkah because the world spread out from it. The core of the heavens is ‘Arīb, which is the seventh heaven. The core of the earth is ‘Ajīb, and it is the lowest of the seven earths. The core of the Gardens is the Garden of ‘Adn, and it is the navel of the Gardens and on it the Garden is founded. The core of the Fire is Jahannam, which is the lowest level on which the other levels are based. The core of creatures is Ādam. And the core of the Prophets is Nūḥ. The core of the tribe of Israel is Ya‘qūb. The core of the Qur’an is the Fātiḥah and the core of the Fātiḥah is ‘In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, Most Merciful’. When you are ill, you should recite the Fātiḥah and you will be healed.”’

11. Al-Wāfiyah (the Complete). Sufyān ibn ‘Uyaynah said that it is because it may not be halved or broken up. In the case of other sūrahs, if one reads half in one rak‘ah and half in the other rak‘ah, that is allowed. If the Fātiḥah is divided between two rak‘ahs, that does not satisfy the legal requirement.

12. Al-Kāfiyah (the Sufficient). Yaḥyā ibn Abī Kathīr said that it is because it suffices for others while others do not suffice for it. This is indicated by what Muḥammad ibn Khallād al-Iskandāranī mentioned that the Prophet ﷺ said, ‘The Umm al-Qur’ān is a substitute for other than it but other than it is not a substitute for it.’

Al-Muhallab said, ‘The locus of the charm is in the words “You alone we worship and You alone we ask for help.”’ It is also said that the entire sūrah is a charm, based on the words of the Prophet ﷺ to the man, ‘What taught you that it is a charm?’ He did not say that there is a charm in it. This indicates that the entire sūrah is a charm because it is the Fātiḥah of the Book and its beginning and contains all of its sciences, as has already been stated. Allah knows best.

The fact that it bears the names al-Mathānī and Umm al-Kitāb does not prevent other things from having those names as well. Allah Almighty says, ‘A Book consistent in its frequent repetitions (mathānī)’ (39:23) and so He called His whole Book ‘mathānī’ because things are repeated in it. The seven long sūrahs are also mathānī because of the obligations and stories repeated in them. Ibn ‘Abbās said, ‘The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was given the Seven Mathānī.’ He said that they are the seven long sūrahs. An-Nasā’ī mentioned that and said that the six extend from al-Baqarah to al-A‘rāf, but they disagree about the seventh. Some people say that it is Yūnus, some that it is al-Anfāl, and some that it is at-Tawbah. The last is the position of Mujāhid and Sa‘īd ibn Jubayr. A‘shā Hamdān said:

Stay in the mosque and pray to your Lord.

Study these Mathānī and the long sūrahs (ṭuwal).

Mathānī is the plural of mathnā, which is that which comes after the first. Ṭuwal is the plural of aṭwal (longest). Al-Anfāl is called one of the Mathānī because it follows the longest sūrahs in length. It is said that it is that whose āyahs are more than those of the Mufaṣṣal and less than the Hundreds. The Hundreds are sūrahs which have more than a hundred āyahs.

TOPIC TWO: ITS REVELATION AND ITS RULINGS

There are twenty points regarding this.

The Community agree that the Fātiḥah of the Book has seven āyahs except for a report from Ḥusayn al-Ju‘fī that it only has six, which is unusual. There is also a report from ‘Amr ibn ‘Ubayd that ‘You alone we worship’ is an āyah, and so it is eight āyahs, but this is aberrant. Allah’s words, ‘We have given you the Seven Oft-repeated’ (15:87), and the hadith qudsī, ‘I have divided the prayer…’ refute these two statements.

The Community also agree that it is part of the Qur’an. There are those who counter this by saying that if it were truly part of the Qur’an, then ‘Abdullāh ibn Mas‘ūd would have written it in his copy of the Qur’an, and the fact that he did not write it indicates that it is not part of the Qur’an, nor indeed are the two Sūrahs of Refuge. The answer to that was given by Abū Bakr al-Anbārī. He related from al-Ḥasan ibn al-Ḥubbāb from Sulaymān ibn al-Ash‘ath from Abū Qudāmah from Jarīr that al-A‘mash said, ‘‘Abdullāh ibn Mas‘ūd was asked, “Why have you not written the Fātiḥah of the Book in your copy of the Qur’an?” He replied, “If I had written it, I would have written it with every sūrah.”’ Abū Bakr said, ‘He was referring to the way that every rak‘ah is begun with the Umm al-Qur’ān before the sūrah is recited after it.’ He said, ‘I made things shorter by omitting it. It is safely preserved because all the Muslims memorise it and so I did not write it anywhere to avoid having to write it with every sūra since it precedes all of them in the prayer.’

There is disagreement about whether it is Makkan or Madinan. Ibn ‘Abbās, Qatādah, Abu-l-‘Āliyah, ar-Riyāḥī Rufay‘ and others said that it is Makkan. Abū Hurayrah, Mujāhid, ‘Aṭā’ ibn Yasār, az-Zuhrī and others said that it is Madinan. It is said that half of it was revealed in Makkah and half in Madīnah, as is related by Abu-l-Layth Naṣr ibn Muḥammad ibn Ibrāhīm as-Samarqandī in his commentary. The first position is considered sounder because of the words of the Almighty, ‘We have given you the seven Oft-repeated and the Magnificent Qur’an’ from the end of al-Ḥijr and it is agreed that al-Ḥijr is a Makkan sūrah and there is no disagreement that the prayer was made obligatory in Makkah. It has not been recorded anywhere that the prayer in Islam was ever performed without reciting ‘Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.’ This is backed up by the words of the Prophet ﷺ, ‘There is no prayer without the Fātiḥah of the Book.’ This is a report about a ruling.

Qāḍī Ibn aṭ-Ṭayyib mentioned people’s disagreement about the first part of the Qur’an to be revealed. It is said that it was al-Muddaththir (74) or al-‘Alaq (96) or the Fātiḥah. Al-Bayhaqī mentioned in the Proofs of Prophethood from Abū Maysarah ‘Amr ibn Sharaḥbīl that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to his wife Khadījah, ‘When I was alone, I heard a voice calling and, by Allah, I fear that this is an affliction.’ She said, ‘We seek refuge with Allah! Allah would not do that to you. By Allah, you return people’s trusts, maintain ties of kinship and give ṣadaqah…’ When Abū Bakr entered when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was not there, Khadījah mentioned the matter to him and said, ‘‘Atīq, go with Muḥammad to Waraqah ibn Nawfal.’ When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came in, Abū Bakr took his hand and said, ‘Let us go to Waraqah.’ He asked, ‘Who told you?’ ‘Khadījah,’ he answered.

So they went to him and told him the story. He said, ‘When I was alone, I heard a voice calling behind me, “O Muḥammad, O Muḥammad!” and I began to run away from that place.’ He said, ‘Do not do that. When it comes to you, be firm so that you can hear what it says. Then come and tell me.’ When he was alone, he was called and told: ‘O Muḥammad! Say: “In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds … to … misguided.” Say: “There is no god but Allah.”’ So he went and told Waraqah and Waraqah said to him, ‘Good news and good news again! I testify to you that you are the one about whom ‘Īsā son of Maryam gave the good news and you have received the like of the Nāmūs of Mūsā and you are a sent Prophet. You will be commanded to do jihād at some future date. If I am alive, I will strive with you.’ When Waraqah died, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘I have seen the priest in the Garden wearing a silk garment because he believed in me and affirmed me.’ He meant Waraqah. Al-Bayhaqī said, ‘This hadith is munqaṭi‘.’ If it is guaranteed safe from corruption (maḥfūẓ) it may be a report about the revelation of the Fātiḥah after the revelation of ‘Read in the name of your Lord’ (96:1) and al-Muddaththir (74).

Ibn ‘Aṭiyyah said that some scholars think that Jibrīl did not bring down the Sūrah of Praise because of the hadith in which Muslim related that Ibn ‘Abbās said, ‘While Jibrīl was sitting with the Prophet ﷺ, he heard a crack above him. He lifted his head and said, “This is a door of heaven being opened today which has not been opened before now.” An angel descended from it and he said, “This is an angel who has descended to Earth who has not descended before today.” He greeted them and said, “Good news of two lights which you have been given which no Prophet before you was given: the Fātiḥah of the Book and the Seals of Sūrat al-Baqarah (2:285-286). You will not read a single letter of them without being rewarded for it.”’ Ibn ‘Aṭiyyah said, ‘It is not as they think. This hadith indicates that Jibrīl came before the other angel to the Prophet ﷺ to inform him of it and of what he brought down. Accordingly Jibrīl participated in its revelation, but Allah knows best.’

It is clear that this hadith indicates that Jibrīl did not teach the Prophet ﷺ any of the Fātiḥah. We explained that it was revealed in Makkah and that Jibrīl brought it down since Allah says: ‘The Faithful Rūḥ brought it down.’ (26:193) This means all of the Qur’an. So Jibrīl brought down its recitation in Makkah and the angel brought down its reward in Madīnah, but Allah knows best. It is said that it is Makkan/Madinan and that Jibrīl brought it down twice, as ath-Tha‘labī related. What we mentioned is more likely since it combines the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Praise and favour belongs to Allah.

It has already been made clear that the basmalah is not an āyah of the Fātiḥah according to the sound position. Given that, the ruling for those doing the prayer is that, after the takbīr, they begin straight away with the Fātiḥah and are not silent, and do not recite any tawjīh (the du‘ā, ‘I have turned my face…’) or tasbīḥ. This is verified by the hadith of ‘Ā’ishah, Anas and others. There are other hadiths which contain the tawjīh, tasbīḥ, and silence, and a group of scholars follow that position. It is related that, when they began the prayer, ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb and ‘Abdullāh ibn Mas‘ūd used to say: ‘Glory be to You, O Allah, and by Your praise. Blessed is Your Name and exalted is Your Majesty. There is no god but You.’ Sufyān, Aḥmad, Isḥāq and the people of opinion follow that. Ash-Shāfi‘ī used to say what is related from ‘Alī from the Prophet ﷺ, which is that when he began the prayer, he said the takbīr and then ‘I have turned my face…’ (6:79). Muslim mentioned it and it will come in full at the end of Sūrat al-An‘ām. At this point what we have said here is enough concerning this matter, Allah willing.

Ibn al-Mundhir said, ‘It is verified that when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said the takbīr for the prayer, he was silent for a time before starting the recitation, during which time he said, “O Allah, put as much distance between me and my errors as You have put between the east and the west. O Allah, cleanse me of my errors as a white garment is cleansed of dirt. O Allah, wash me of my errors with snow, ice and hail.” Abū Hurayrah acted according to that.’ Abū Salamah ibn ‘Abd ar-Raḥmān said, ‘The imām is silent twice, so take advantage of them with recitation.’ Al-Awzā‘ī, Sa‘īd ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azīz and Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal inclined to the hadith of the Prophet ﷺ regarding this matter.’

Scholars disagree about the exact nature of the obligation of reciting the Fātiḥah in the prayer. Mālik and his people say that it is incumbent on the imām and anyone praying alone in every rak‘ah. Ibn Khuwayzimandād al-Baṣrī al-Mālikī said, ‘There is no disagreement about the position of Mālik in respect of someone forgetting it in one rak‘ah of a two-rak‘ah prayer: the prayer is then invalid and does not satisfy the obligation. There is disagreement about his position regarding someone who forgets it in one rak‘ah of a three or four-rak‘at prayer. Once he said that he must repeat the prayer and another time that he should perform the prostration of forgetfulness. This is transmitted by Ibn ‘Abd al-Ḥakam and others from Mālik.’ Ibn Khuwayzimandād said, ‘It is said that he repeats that rak‘ah and then performs the prostration of forgetfulness after the salām.’ Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr said, ‘The sound position is that he discounts that rak‘ah and does another to replace it, like someone who omits a prostration out of forgetfulness. That is what Ibn al-Qāsim preferred.’

Al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī, most of the people of Basra, and al-Mughīrah ibn ‘Abd ar-Raḥmān al-Makhzūmī al-Madanī said, ‘If someone recites the Umm al-Qur’ān once during the prayer, it satisfies the obligation and he does not have to repeat it because it is a prayer in which the Umm al-Qur’ān was recited. It is complete according to the words of the Prophet ﷺ: “The prayer of anyone who does not recite the Umm al-Qur’ān is invalid,” and he recited it.’ It is possible that the prayer of anyone who does not recite it in every rak‘ah is invalid, which is sound as will be mentioned, and it is also possible that the prayer of someone who does not recite it in most of the rak‘ahs is invalid. This is the reason for the disagreement, and Allah knows best.

Abū Ḥanīfah, ath-Thawrī and al-Awzā‘ī said, ‘If it is omitted intentionally throughout the entire prayer and something else is recited instead, that satisfies the requirements,’ although al-Awzā‘ī had some disagreement about that. Abū Yūsuf and Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan said, ‘Its minimum is three āyahs or a long āyah, like the Āyah of Debt (2:282).’ Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan said, ‘Discretion is allowed regarding the size of the āyah and the size of understood words, like “Praise be to Allah.” What is not allowed is a single letter which is not a word.’

Aṭ-Ṭabarī said, ‘Someone who prays should recite the Umm al-Qur’ān in every rak‘ah. If he does not recite it, the requirement is only satisfied by reciting its equivalent in the Qur’an in respect of the number of āyahs and the letters it contains.’ Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr stated, ‘This makes no sense because the specification of it and the text on it specify it and nothing else. It is not permissible for the one for whom it is obliged to do something else in its place and to leave it when he is able to recite it. He must do it and repeat it, just as he must fulfil all other specific obligations in acts of worship.’

If someone following the imām catches the rukū‘ with the imām, the recitation of the imām is considered sufficient for him since there is consensus that when someone catches the rukū‘ he just says his takbīr al-iḥrām and bows without reciting anything else. If he finds the imām standing, he should recite. This is one point.

No one should fail to recite behind the imām in one of the silent prayers. If he does so, he has acted badly but, according to Mālik and his people, he owes nothing. When the imām recites aloud, those following the imām do not recite the Fātiḥah or anything else according to the well known position from the school of Mālik since Allah Almighty says: ‘When the Qur’an is recited, listen to it and be quiet.’ (7:204) The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘Why am I being contended with in the Qur’an.’ He said about the imām, ‘When he recites, be silent,’ and ‘If someone has an imām, the recitation of the imām is his recitation.’

Ash-Shāfi‘ī said in what al-Buwaytī and Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal reported, ‘No one’s prayer is satisfied unless he recites the Fātiḥah of the Book in every rak‘ah, be he an imām or follower, and whether the imām recites aloud or silently.’ In Iraq ash-Shāfi‘ī used to say about the follower, ‘He recites when it is silent but not when it is aloud,’ like the well-known position of the school of Mālik. In Egypt he said that there are two positions about when the imām recites aloud. One is that the follower should recite, and the other is that the requirements of the prayer are satisfied if he does not recite, the recitation of the imām being sufficient. Ibn al-Mundhir related this view while Ibn Wahb, Ashhab, Ibn ‘Abd al-Ḥakam, Ibn Ḥabīb and the Kufans said that the follower should not recite anything, whether the imām recites aloud or silently, since the Prophet ﷺ said, ‘The recitation of the imām in his recitation.’ This is general, It is also because Jābir said, ‘Whoever prays a rak‘ah in which he does not recite the Umm al-Qur’ān has not prayed – except behind an imām.’

What is sound of these views is the position of ash-Shāfi‘ī, Aḥmad, and Mālik in his final view: the Fātiḥah is incumbent in every rak‘ah on everyone in general by the words of the Prophet ﷺ: ‘There is no prayer for the one who does not recite the Fātiḥah of the Book in it,’ and his words: ‘If anyone prays a prayer in which he does not recite the Umm al-Qur’an, it is incomplete,’ three times. Abū Hurayrah said, ‘The Messenger of Allah ﷺ commanded me to call out: “There is no prayer except with the recitation of the Fātiḥah of the Book.”’ Abū Dāwūd transmitted it. As the prostration or rukū‘ of a rak‘ah does not replace that of another rak‘ah, so the recitation of one rak‘ah does not replace that of another. That is stated by ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Awn, Ayyūb as-Sakhtiyānī, Abū Thawr and others among the people of ash-Shāfi‘ī and Dāwūd ibn ‘Alī. The same thing is reported from al-Awzā‘ī and Makḥūl also stated that.

It is related that ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās, Abū Hurayrah, Ubayy ibn Ka‘b, Abū Ayyūb al-Ansārī, ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Āṣ, ‘Ubāda ibn aṣ-Ṣāmit, Abū Sa‘īd al-Khudrī, ‘Uthmān ibn Abī al-‘Āṣ and Khawwāt ibn Jubayr said, ‘There is no prayer except with the Fātiḥah of the Book.’ That is the position of Ibn ‘Amr, and is famous in the school of al-Awzā‘ī. Those Companions are models and examples and all of them made the Fātiḥah obligatory in every rak‘ah.

Imām Abū ‘Abdullāh Muḥammad ibn Yazīd ibn Mājah al-Qazwīnī transmitted something in his Sunan which removes any disagreement or ambiguity. He reported from Abū Kurayb from Muḥammad ibn Fuḍayl, from Suwayd ibn Sa‘īd and from ‘Alī ibn Mushar, all from Abū Sufyān as-Sa‘dī from Abū Naḍrah that Abū Sa‘īd al-Khudrī said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘There is no prayer for someone who does not recite the Fātiḥah and another sūrah in every rak‘ah, be it a farḍ prayer or any other.’ We find in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim from Abū Hurayrah that the Prophet ﷺ told someone to whom he taught the prayer: ‘Do that throughout all your prayer.’

Another proof of that is what Abū Dāwūd related that Nāfi‘ ibn Maḥmūd ibn ar-Rabī‘ al-Anṣārī said, ‘‘Ubādah ibn aṣ-Ṣāmit was late for the Ṣubḥ prayer and the mu’adhdhin, Abū Nu‘aym, did the iqāmah for the prayer and Abū Nu‘aym led the people in the prayer. ‘Ubādah ibn aṣ-Ṣāmit came forward and I along with him until we were in a line behind Abū Nu‘aym. Abū Nu‘aym was reciting aloud. ‘Ubādah began to recite the Umm al-Qur’ān. When he finished, I said to ‘Ubādah, “Did I hear you reciting the Umm al-Qur’ān while Abū Nu‘aym was reciting aloud?” “Yes,” he answered, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ led us in some prayers in which recitation was aloud and it was confusing for him. When he finished, he faced us and said, ‘Do you recite when I am reciting aloud?’ Some of us said, ‘We do that.’ He said, ‘No, I tell you not to contend with me in the Qur’an. When I recite aloud, do not recite anything except the Umm al-Qur’ān.’”’ This is a clear text about someone following the imām. Abū ‘Īsā at-Tirmidhī transmitted the same from the hadith of Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq and said that it is a ḥasan hadith.

The practice is based on this hadith regarding recitation behind the imām among most of the people of knowledge among the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ and the Tābi‘ūn. It is the position of Mālik ibn Anas, Ibn al-Mubārak, ash-Shāfi‘ī, Aḥmad, and Isḥāq. They think that one recites behind the imām. Ad-Dāraquṭnī also transmitted it and said that it has a good isnād and all its men are trustworthy. He mentioned that Maḥmūd ibn ar-Rabī‘ used to live in Jerusalem and Abū Nu‘aym was the first to give the adhān in Jerusalem. Abū Muḥammad ‘Abd al-Ḥaqq said, ‘Al-Bukhārī did not mention Nāfi‘ ibn Maḥmūd in his History nor did Ibn Abī Ḥātim. Neither al-Bukhārī nor Muslim transmitted anything from him.’ Abū ‘Umar said that he is unknown.

Ad-Dāraquṭnī mentioned that Yazīd ibn Sharīk said, ‘I asked ‘Umar about reciting behind the imām and he ordered me to recite. I asked, “Even if it is you?” “Even if it is me,” he answered. I said, “Even if you are reciting aloud?” He replied, “Even if I am reciting aloud.”’ Ad-Dāraquṭnī said that it is a sound isnād. It is related that Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh said that Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘The imām is a guarantor, so do what he does.’ Abū Ḥātim said, ‘This is sound for those who believe that one recites behind the imām. Abū Hurayrah al-Fārisī used it to give a legal decision that he recites to himself when he says, “Sometimes I am behind the imām.” Then he cited as evidence the words of the Almighty, “I have divided the prayer between me and Myself. My slave will have what he asks for” and the Messenger ﷺ said, “Recite. The slave says, ‘Praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the worlds…’”’

As for the evidence that the former use, taking the words of the Prophet ﷺ: ‘When he recites, be silent,’ Muslim transmitted it from the hadith of Abū Mūsā al-Ash‘arī. He said that there is an addition in it from Qatādah in the hadith of Jarīr ibn Sulaymān: ‘When he recites, be silent.’ Ad-Dāraquṭnī said, ‘Sulaymān at-Taymī does not follow these words from Qatādah. The memorisers of the people of Qatādah opposed him and did not mention it. They include Shu‘bah, Hishām, Sa‘īd ibn Abī ‘Arūba, Hammām, Abū ‘Awānah, Ma‘mar, and ‘Adī ibn Abī ‘Ammārah.’ Ad-Dāraquṭnī said, ‘Their consensus indicates that it is weak.’ It is related from ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Āmir from Qatādah, following at-Taymī, but he is not strong and al-Qaṭṭa‘ān abandoned him. Abū Dāwūd also transmitted this addition from the ḥadīth of Abū Hurayrah. He said, ‘This addition, “when he recites, be silent,” is not preserved.’ Abū Muḥammad ‘Abd al-Ḥaqq mentioned that Muslim considered the hadith of Abū Hurayrah sound, saying, ‘I consider it sound.’

Part of what indicates its soundness in his view is its inclusion in his book from the hadith of Abū Mūsā even if there is no consensus about it. Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal and Ibn al-Mundhir considered it to be sound. The words of the Almighty: ‘When the Qur’an is recited, listen to it and be silent’ (7:204) were revealed in Makkah and the prohibition against speaking in the prayer was revealed in Madīnah, as Zayd ibn Arqam said. So it is not an argument. It is the idolators who were meant according to what Sa‘īd ibn al-Musayyab said. Ad-Dāraquṭnī related from Abū Hurayrah that it was revealed about raising the voice when behind the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Āmir said that it is weak.

As for his words, ‘Do not contend with me in the Qur’an,’ Mālik transmitted that from Ibn Shihāb from Ibn Ukaymah al-Laythī. According to Mālik, his name is ‘Amr, and others said that his name was ‘Āmir, Yazīd, ‘Ammārah or ‘Ubbād. His kunyah was Abu-l-Walīd. He died in 101 AH at the age of ninety-nine. Az-Zuhrī only related one hadith from him. He is trustworthy. Muḥammad ibn ‘Amr and others related from him. The meaning of his hadith is: ‘Do not recite aloud when I recite aloud. That is contending and vying. Recite it inside yourselves.’ It is made clear by the hadith of ‘Ubādah, the legal decisions of ‘Umar al-Fārūq and Abū Hurayrah who related both hadiths. If his words ﷺ, ‘Do not contend with me in the Qur’an’, had been understood to entail a total prohibition, he would not have given a legal decision contrary to it and to the words of az-Zuhrī in the hadith of Ibn Ukaymah. So people stopped reciting with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ recited aloud when they heard that from him.

As for the words of the Prophet ﷺ, ‘If someone has an imām, the imām recites on his behalf,’ the hadith is weak. Al-Ḥasan ibn ‘Ammārah gives its isnād, and he is abandoned, and Abū Ḥanīfah, who is weak, both relating from Mūsā ibn Abī ‘Ā’ishah from ‘Abdullāh ibn Shaddād from Jābir. Ad-Dāraquṭnī transmitted it and said, ‘Sufyān ath-Thawrī, Shu‘bah, Isrā’īl ibn Yunus, Sharīk, Abū Khālid ad-Dālānī, Abu-l-Aḥwaṣ, Sufyān ibn ‘Uyaynah, Jarīr ibn ‘Abd al-Ḥamīd and others related it from Mūsā ibn Abī ‘Ā’ishah from ‘Abdullāh ibn Shaddād mursal from the Prophet ﷺ. That is correct.’ As for the statement of Jābir, ‘Whoever prays a rak‘ah in which he did not recite the Umm al-Qur’ān has not prayed’, it is related by Mālik from Wahb ibn Kaysān from Jābir, and Jābir has it from the Prophet ﷺ. Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr said that Yaḥyā ibn Salām, the author of the Tafsīr, related it from Mālik from Abū Nu‘aym Wahb ibn Kaysān from Jābir from the Prophet ﷺ. What is correct is that it is mawqūf, stopping with Jābir, as is stated in the Muwaṭṭa’. Part of the fiqh taken from it is that a rak‘ah in which the Umm al-Qur’ān is not recited is invalid. It attests to the soundness of what Ibn al-Qāsim believed. He related it from Mālik regarding the invalidation of the rak‘ah and building on other rak‘ahs and the person praying does not repeat a rak‘ah in which he did not recite the Fātiḥah of the Book. Also part of that is that the imām recites on behalf of those behind him. This is the school of Jābir and others disagreed with him about it.

Ibn al-‘Arabī said, ‘He said, “There is no prayer for the one who does not recite the Fātiḥah of the Book.” People disagree about this principle and whether the negation applies to the entire prayer or to a part. The fatwā varies according to the different states of those who investigate. The best-known and strongest opinion is that the negation is general. The strongest comes from the transmission of Mālik that the prayer of someone who does not recite the Fātiḥah is invalid. Then we look at its repetition in every rak‘ah. Whoever reflects on the words of the Prophet ﷺ, “Do that in all your prayer” obliges him to repeat the recitation as he repeats the rukū‘ and prostration, but Allah knows best.’

The hadiths and ideas mentioned about this that specify the Fātiḥah refute the statement of the Kufans about the Fātiḥah not being specified and other āyahs of the Qur’an being the same as it. The Prophet ﷺ specified it when he said what we mentioned. It is clear from Allah Almighty that it is meant in His words, ‘Establish the prayer.’ Abū Dāwūd related that Abū Sa‘īd al-Khudrī said, ‘We were commanded to recite the Fātiḥah of the Book and what is easy.’ This hadith indicates that the words of the Prophet ﷺ to the Bedouin, ‘Recite what is easy for you of the Qur’an,’ mean not more than the Fātiḥah. It explains the words of the Almighty: ‘Recite as much of the Qur’an as is easy for you.’ (73:20) Muslim related from ‘Ubādah ibn aṣ-Ṣāmit that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘There is no prayer for the one who does not recite the Umm al-Qur’an,’ and added ‘and more’, and that he ﷺ said, ‘it is incomplete’ three times. This means that it does not satisfy the legal requirement by the aforementioned proofs. ‘Khidāj (incomplete)’ means deficient and unsound. Al-Akhfash said that the verb khadija is used of a she-camel miscarrying before the foetus is completely formed.

Investigation makes it clear that the prayer is not permitted with that deficiency because the prayer is not complete. If someone leaves his prayer without completing it, he must repeat it as he is commanded according to its ruling. If someone claims that it is allowed while affirming that it is incomplete, then he must provide evidence, but there is no way to do so in a binding way. Allah knows best.

It is related from Mālik that recitation is not obliged in any part of the prayer. That is like what ash-Shāfi‘ī used to say in Iraq in respect of someone who forgets it. Then he retracted that position in Egypt and said, ‘If someone can recite the Fātiḥah of the Book well, the prayer is only achieved by it and he is not allowed to omit a single letter of it. If he does not recite it or omits a single letter of it, then he must repeat the prayer, even if he recited something else.’ This is the sound view regarding this question. As for what is related about ‘Umar praying Maghrib and not reciting in it and when that was mentioned to him, he asked, ‘How were the rukū‘ and prostration?’ ‘Good,’ they answered. He said, ‘There is no harm then.’ The hadith is munkar in its words and its isnād is broken because it is related from Ibrāhīm ibn al-Ḥārith at-Taymī from ‘Umar, but sometimes Ibrāhīm related it from Abū Salamah ibn ‘Abd ar-Raḥmān from ‘Umar. Both are broken and provide no evidence. Mālik mentioned it in the Muwaṭṭa’. Some transmitters have it, but it is not found with Yaḥyā and a group along with him because Mālik removed it from his book at the end. He said, ‘There is no action based on it because the Prophet ﷺ said, ‘Any prayer in which the Umm al-Qur’ān is not recited is incomplete.’

It is related that ‘Umar repeated that prayer, and that is sound. Yaḥyā ibn Yaḥyā an-Naysābūrī related from Abū Mu‘āwiyah from al-A‘mash from Ibrāhīm an-Nakha‘ī from Hammām ibn al-Ḥārith that ‘Umar forgot to recite in Maghrib and repeated the prayer with them. Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr said, ‘This hadith is connected and Hammām was witness to it from ‘Umar. That was related by various paths.’ Ashhab related what Mālik said: ‘Mālik was asked about someone who forgot to recite, “Do you approve of what ‘Umar said?” He answered, “I do not acknowledge what ‘Umar did,” and he did not acknowledge the hadith. He said, “People relate that ‘Umar did this in Maghrib and they did not say, ‘Glory be to Allah!’ I think that someone who does that repeats the prayer.”’

Scholars agree that there is no prayer without recitation and they agree that there is no particular amount specified beyond the Fātiḥah of the Book, although they recommend that only one sūrah should be recited with the Fātiḥah because that is the maximum which has come from the Prophet ﷺ. Mālik said, ‘The sunnah of recitation is to recite the Umm al-Qur’ān and a sūrah in the first two rak‘ahs and only the Fātiḥah in the last two.’ Al-Awzā’ī said, ‘You should recite the Umm al-Qur’ān. If you do not recite Umm al-Qur’ān and recite something else instead, that satisfies the requirements.’ He said, ‘If he forgets to recite in three rak‘ahs, he repeats it.’ Ath-Thawrī said, ‘In the first two rak‘ahs, you recite the Fātiḥah and a sūrah, and you can glorify in the last two if you wish, or if you wish, you may recite. If you neither recite nor glorify your prayer is still allowed.’ That is the position of Abū Ḥanīfah and the rest of the Kufans. Ibn al-Mundhir said, ‘We related that ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib said, “Recite in the first two and glorify in the last two.”’

An-Nakha‘ī reported that Sufyān said, ‘If someone does not recite in three rak‘ahs, he must repeat the prayer because the recitation in a single rak‘ah is not sufficient.’ He said, ‘The same applies if someone forgets to recite in one rak‘ah in the Fajr prayer.’ Abū Thawr said, ‘A prayer is only satisfied by the recitation of the Fātiḥah in every rak‘ah, which was the Egyptian position of ash-Shāfi‘ī, and a group of the people of ash-Shāfi‘ī also say that.’ Ibn Khuwayzimandād al-Mālikī said the same. He said, ‘We consider recitation of the Fātiḥah to be mandatory in every rak‘ah. This is the sound position regarding this question.’ Muslim related that Abū Qatādah said, ‘The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to lead us in the prayer and he would recite the Fātiḥah of the Book and two sūrahs in the first two rak‘ahs of Ẓuhr and ‘Aṣr. Sometimes we would hear the āyah. He was long in the first rak‘ah of Ẓuhr and short in the second, and did the same in Ṣubḥ.’ One variant has: ‘He used to recite the Fātiḥah in the last two rak‘ahs.’ This is a clear text and sound hadith supporting what Mālik believed and a text for specifying that the Fātiḥah is recited in every rak‘ah. The definitive proof is in the Sunnah, not in what opposes it.

The majority believe that what is additional to the Fātiḥah in the recitation is not mandatory according to what Muslim related from Abū Hurayrah. He said, ‘There is recitation in every prayer. What the Prophet ﷺ made us hear, we make you hear, and what he hid from us we hide from you. If anyone recites the Umm al-Qur’ān, it is enough for him. If someone recites more, that is better.’ Al-Bukhārī said, ‘If there is more, it is good.’ Many of the people of knowledge reject abandoning reciting the sūrah, with or without necessity, including ‘Imrān ibn Ḥusayn, Abū Sa‘īd al-Khudrī, Khawwāt ibn Jubayr, Mujāhid, Abū Wā’il, Ibn ‘Umar, Ibn ‘Abbās and others. They said, ‘There is no prayer for the one who does not recite the Fātiḥah in it and something of the Qur’an along with it.’ Some of them stipulate two āyahs, or one āyah, and some do not set a limit. He said, ‘Something of the Qur’an with it.’ In any case, all of this obliges learning what is feasible of the Quran along with the Fātiḥah of the Book based on the ḥadīth of ‘Ubādah, Abū Sa‘īd al-Khudrī and others. We find in al-Mudawwanah: ‘Wakī‘ related from al-A‘mash that Khaythama said that someone heard ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb say, “The requirement of the prayer is not satisfied if someone does not recite the Fātiḥah of the Book and something with it.” The School has three different positions about the recitation of the sūrah: sunnah, meritorious and mandatory.’

If someone finds it impossible, after his best efforts, to learn the Fātiḥah or anything of the Qur’an, he should mention Allah in place of the recitation using whatever formula he can: takbīr, ‘lā ilaha illā’llāh’, praise, glorification, magnification or ‘lā hawla walā quwwata illā bi’llāh’ when he prays alone or with an imām in a silent prayer. Abū Dāwūd and others reported that ‘Abdullāh ibn Abī Awfā said, ‘A man came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, “I cannot learn any of the Qur’an, so teach me what will compensate that for me.” He said, “Say: ‘Glory be to Allah and praise be to Allah. There is no god but Allah and there is no strength or power except by Allah.’” He said, “Messenger of Allah, this is for Allah. What is for me?” He answered, “Say: ‘O Allah, show mercy to me, protect me, guide me and provide for me.’”’

If someone is unable even to learn any of these expressions, he should not fail to try to pray with the imām. The imām will bear that responsibility for him if Allah wills. He must, however, always persevere in trying to memorise the Fātiḥah of the Book and more of the Qur’an until death intervenes. He is engaged in striving and so Allah will excuse him. If someone cannot speak Arabic, the Arabic supplication is translated for him into a language which he understands so he can perform his prayer. That will satisfy the requirement, Allah willing.

If someone recites the prayer in Persian when he has good Arabic, it is not allowed according to the position of the majority. Abū Ḥanīfah said, ‘Recitation in Persian satisfies it, even if he is good in Arabic, because the goal is to grasp the meaning.’ Ibn al-Mundhir said, ‘That does not satisfy it because it is contrary to what Allah commanded and contrary to what the Prophet ﷺ taught, and contrary to what the Community of the Muslims do. We do not know of anyone agreeing with this statement of his.’

If someone begins the prayer as he is commanded without knowing Arabic and then he suddenly knows Arabic while in the prayer – and that is conceivable if he hears someone reciting it and he retains it by simply hearing it – he does not start the prayer anew because he performed in the past according to what he was commanded and there is no way to invalidate it. That is said in the book of Ibn Saḥnūn.

TOPIC THREE: SAYING ‘ĀMĪN’

There are eight points connected with it.

It is sunnah for the reciter of the Qur’an to say ‘āmīn’ when he finishes the Fātiḥah, after a moment of silence following the nūn of ‘ḍāllīn’ to distinguish what is part of the Qur’an from what is not part of it.

It is established in the primary sources from the hadith of Abū Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘When the imām says “āmīn”, say “āmīn”. If someone’s āmīn coincides with that of the angels, he will be forgiven his past wrong actions.’ Our scholars say that the forgiveness of wrong actions is dependent on four conditions which are contained in this hadith. The first is the imām saying āmīn, the second is those with him saying āmīn, the third is the āmīn of the angels, and the fourth is the coinciding of the āmīns. Some say that the coinciding refers to the answer, some that it is about the time, and some say that it is about sincerity in supplication as is made clear by the words of the Prophet ﷺ, ‘Call on Allah and be certain of the answer. Know that Allah does not answer the supplication of a heedless negligent heart.’

Abū Dāwūd related that Abū Muṣabbaḥ al-Maqrānī said, ‘We used to sit with Abū Zuhayr an-Namīrī, one of the Companions, and he related the best statement about this. When one of us made a supplication, he said, “End it with āmīn. Āmīn is like the seal on the page.” Abū Zuhayr continued, “Shall I tell you how I know that? One night we went out with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and came to a man who was intense in asking [of Allah]. The Prophet ﷺ stood listening to him and said, “It is guaranteed if he seals it.” Someone there asked him, “With what is it sealed?” He answered, “With āmīn. If he seals with it with āmīn, it is guaranteed.” The man who asked the Prophet ﷺ went to the man and asked, “Did you seal it, so-and-so” and he gave him the good news.’ Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr said, ‘The name of Abū Zuhayr an-Namīrī was Yaḥyā ibn Nufayr. He related from the Prophet ﷺ: “Do not kill locusts. They are the greatest army of Allah.”’

Wahb ibn Munabbih said, ‘Āmīn consists of four letters. Allah creates an angel from every letter which says, “O Allah, forgive the one who said āmīn!”’ In a report we also find: ‘Jibrīl taught me āmīn when I finished the Fātiḥah of the Book and said that it is like a seal on the Book.’ We find in another hadith: ‘Āmīn is the seal of the Lord of the worlds.’ Al-Harawī said that Abū Bakr said, ‘Its meaning is that Allah puts a seal on His servants because by it He averts from them ruin and afflictions. So it is like the seal of the book which protects it and prevents it from being ruined and showing what it contains.’ We find in another hadith: ‘Āmīn is a degree in the Garden.’ Abū Bakr said, ‘It means that it is a letter by which the one who utters it obtains a degree in the Garden.’

The meaning of āmīn according to the people of knowledge is: ‘O Allah, give us an answer!’ which acts as a kind of supplication. Some people say that it is one of the Names of Allah. That is related from Ja‘far ibn Muḥammad, Mujāhid and Hilāl ibn Yasāf. Ibn ‘Abbās is also said to have related it from the Prophet ﷺ, but the transmission is not sound. Ibn al-‘Arabī said that as well. It is said that the meaning of āmīn is ‘Let it be like that.’ Al-Jawharī said that. Al-Kalbī related from Abū Ṣāliḥ that Ibn ‘Abbās said, ‘I asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about the meaning of āmīn. He answered, “Lord, do it!”’ Muqātil said, ‘It strengthens the supplication and asks for the descent of blessing.’ At-Tirmidhī said, ‘It means: “Do not disappoint our hopes.”’

There are two ways of pronouncing āmīn: with both vowels long like Yāsīn, and with the first vowel short like yamīn. Doubling the mīm is an error, according to al-Jawharī. The doubling is related from al-Ḥasan and Ja‘far aṣ-Ṣādiq. It is the position of al-Ḥusayn ibn al-Faḍl, who derived it from amma meaning to aim for something, which gives it the meaning, ‘we aim for You.’ This occurs in Allah’s words: ‘or those heading (āmmīn) for the Sacred House…’ (5:2). Abū Naṣr ‘Abd ar-Raḥīm ibn ‘Abd al-Karīm al-Qushayrī related it. Al-Jawharī said, ‘It is based on the fatḥah as is “ayna” and “kayfa” because of joining of two silent letters.’

Scholars disagree about whether the imām says it at all and, if he does, whether he says it out loud. Ash-Shāfi‘ī and Mālik believe in the transmission of the Madinans regarding that whereas the Kufans and some Madinans say that it should not be said out loud. That is the view of aṭ-Ṭabarī. Among our scholars, Ibn Ḥabīb said that. Ibn Bukayr said that there is a choice. Ibn al-Qāsim related from Mālik that the imām does not say āmīn but those behind him do. That is the position of Ibn al-Qāsim and the Egyptians among Mālik’s followers. Their evidence is the hadith of Abū Mūsā al-Ash‘arī: ‘The Messenger of Allah ﷺ addressed us, made our sunnah clear to us and taught us our prayer. He said, “When you pray, then make your rows straight. Then let one of you lead the prayer. When he says the takbīr, say the takbīr. When he says, ‘not of those with anger on them nor of the misguided,’ say āmīn and Allah will answer you.”’” Muslim transmitted it. It is like the hadith of Sumayy from Abū Hurayrah that Mālik transmitted. The first is sound because of the hadith of Wā’il ibn Hujr who said, ‘When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ recited, “nor of the misguided,” he said, “Āmīn,” raising his voice.’ Abū Dāwūd and ad-Dāraquṭnī transmitted it. He added that Abū Bakr said that only the people of Kufa have this sunnah. This is sound. Al-Bukhārī has a chapter on ‘The imām saying āmīn out loud.’

‘Aṭā’ said that āmīn is a supplication. Ibn az-Zubayr and those behind him said it until the mosque reverberated. At-Tirmidhī said, ‘That is the position of more than one of the people of knowledge among the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ and those after them. They related that a man should raise his voice with āmīn and not say it silently.’ Ash-Shāfi‘ī, Aḥmad and Isḥāq said that. In the Muwaṭṭa’ and the two Ṣaḥīḥ Collections Ibn Shihāb said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to say, ‘Āmīn.’ We find in the Sunan of Ibn Mājah that Abū Hurayrah said, ‘People have abandoned the āmīn. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “not of those with anger on them nor of the misguided,” he would say, “Āmīn” so that the people of the first row heard it and the mosque would reverberate with it.’ The point in the hadith of Abū Mūsā and Sumayy is defining the place where āmīn is said. It is when the imām says, ‘nor of the misguided’ so that they say it together and do not get ahead of it by saying ‘Āmīn’ as we mentioned. Allah knows best. The Prophet ﷺ also said. ‘When the imām says, “Āmīn”, then say “Āmīn”.’ Ibn Nāfi‘ said in the book of Ibn al-Ḥārith: ‘The one following the imām does not say it unless he hears the imām say, “nor of the misguided.” When he is so far away that he does not hear it, he does not say it.’ Ibn ‘Abdūs said, ‘He estimates the amount of the recitation and then says, “Āmīn”.’

The people of Abū Ḥanīfah said that it is more appropriate to say āmīn silently rather than out loud because it is supplication and Allah Almighty says, ‘Call on your Lord humbly and secretly.’ (7:55) They said, ‘The evidence for it is what is related about the interpretation of the words of the Almighty: “Your request is answered.” (19:89)’ They said, ‘Mūsā and Hārūn used to make supplication using āmīn and so Allah called them both supplicators.’ The answer is that making supplication silently is better in order to avoid any showing-off. As for the group prayer, attending it is in order to publicise an outward obligation and to promote a duty which people are recommended to observe. The imām has to articulate the recitation of the Fātiḥah, which contains supplication and āmīn at the end of it. When supplication is of the sort which it is sunna to say aloud, then āmīn follows at the end of the supplication and is also sunnah. This is clear.

The word ‘Āmīn’ was not found before us except with Mūsa and Hārūn. At-Tirmidhī al-Ḥakīm related in Nawādir al-uṣūl from ‘Abd al-Wārith ibn ‘Abd aṣ-Ṣamad from Razīn, the mu’adhdhin of the mosque of Hishām ibn Ḥassān, from Anas ibn Mālik that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘Allah has given three things to my Community that He did not give to anyone before them: the greeting of the people, the rows of the angels, and Āmīn, except for what was said by Mūsa and Hārūn.’ Abū ‘Abdullāh said, ‘It means that Mūsa prayed against Pharaoh and Hārūn said, “Āmīn.”’ Allah – blessed is His Name – said when He mentioned the supplication of Mūsa in the Revelation: ‘Your request is answered.’ (10:89) He did not mention what Hārūn said. Mūsa said, ‘Our Lord’ and Hārūn said, ‘Āmīn.’ So he is called a supplicator in the Revelation because that amounted to a supplication on his part.

It is said that ‘Āmīn’ is particular to this community since it is related that the Prophet ﷺ said, ‘The Jews do not envy you for anything as they envy you for the salām and saying āmīn.’ Ibn Mājah transmitted it from Ḥammād ibn Salamah from Suhayl ibn Abī Ṣāliḥ from his father from ‘Ā’ishah that the Prophet ﷺ said…’ It is also transmitted from the ḥadīth of Ibn ‘Abbās that the Prophet ﷺ said, ‘The Jews do not envy you for anything as much as they envy you for the amīn. So say “Āmīn” often.’ Our scholars say that the People of the Book envy us because the beginning of the Fātiḥah is praise of Allah, lauding Him, then humility and humbleness to Him, and then praying to guide us to the Straight Path and then invocation against them with saying ‘Āmīn.’

TOPIC FOUR: THE MEANINGS OF THE FĀTIḤAH, ITS RECITATIONS AND

SYNTAX, AND THE EXCELLENCE OF THOSE WHO PRAISE

There are thirty-six points in it.

Praise be to Allah.

Abū Muḥammad ‘Abd al-Ghanī ibn Sa‘īd related from Abū Hurayrah and Abū Sa‘īd al-Khudrī that the Prophet ﷺ said, ‘When someone says, “Praise be to Allah,” Allah says, “My slave has praised Me.”’ Muslim related from Anas ibn Mālik that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘Allah is pleased with the slave who eats and praises Him for it or takes a drink and praises Him for it.’ Al-Ḥasan said, ‘There is no blessing but that the words, “Praise be to Allah” are better than it.’ Ibn Mājah related from Anas ibn Mālik that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘When Allah gives someone a blessing and he says, “Praise be to Allah”, what he says is better than what he receives.’

In Nawādir al-uṣūl, Anas ibn Mālik reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘If the entire world, lock, stock and barrel, were to be in the hand of a man of my Community and then he said, “Praise be to Allah,” his praise of Allah would be greater than everything he possessed.’ Abū ‘Abdullāh said, ‘We find that its meaning is that he has been given this world and then is given these words to say after it. Then the words are better than all of this world because this world will end while the words will remain, being one of the enduring good actions. Allah says: “In your Lord’s sight, right actions which are lasting are better both in reward and end result.” (19:76) It is said in some variants, ‘What he was given was greater than what he took.’ So ‘was given’ refers to the slave and this world is taken from Allah. This is about management. That is how this statement is said to be from the slave and this world is from Allah while, in reality, both are from Allah. This world is from Allah and the words of Allah are also from Him. He gave him this world and made him rich, and He gave him the words and honoured him by them in the Next World.’

Ibn Mājah related from Ibn ‘Umar that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to them, ‘One of the slaves of Allah said, “O Lord, praise is Yours as befits the majesty of Your face and the immensity of Your power.” His two recording angels were perplexed by it. They did not know how to record it, so they rose to heaven and said, “Our Lord, Your slave said something we do not know how to record.” Allah Almighty, Who knows better what His slave said, asked, “What did My slave say?” They replied, “O Lord, he said, ‘O Lord, praise is Yours as befits the majesty of Your face and the immensity of Your power.’” Allah said to them, “Continue to write it as My slave said it until He meets Me and I will replay him for it.”’

Scholars disagree about which is better: the words, ‘Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds,’ or the words, ‘There is no god but Allah’. One group said that ‘Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds’ is better because it incorporates the tawḥīd contained in ‘There is no god but Allah’. It thus contains both tawḥīd and praise whereas ‘There is no god but Allah’ contains tawḥīd alone. Another group say that ‘There is no god but Allah’ is better because it repels disbelief and idolatry and because people are fought for refusing to say it. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘I was commanded to fight people until they say, “There is no god but Allah.”’ Ibn ‘Aṭiyyah preferred this and said that this view is entailed by the words of the Prophet ﷺ: ‘The best of what I and the Prophets before me said is, “There is no god but Allah alone with no partner.”’

The Muslims agree that Allah is praised for all His blessings and that one of Allah’s blessings is faith. This indicates that faith is both an action and a creation. The evidence for that is found in His words, ‘Lord of all the worlds.’ ‘‘Ālamīn (worlds)’ is the total of all creatures, and faith is part of that whole. The Qadariyyah claim of it being their own creation is false, as will be explained.

The word ‘praise (ḥamd)’ in the Arabic language means comprehensive praise. The definite article is used since the category includes all forms of praise. Allah deserves all praise since He has the Most Beautiful Names and Sublime Attributes. The expression ‘ḥamd’ has a plural of paucity as in the words of the poet:

I have singled out the brightest of the praised

with my best words and best praise (aḥmadī).

Praise is the opposite of blame. You say, ‘I praised the man’ and he is praiseworthy (ḥamīd, maḥmūd). Taḥmīd from Form II is more extensive than ḥamd. Praise is more universal than gratitude. The name ‘Muḥammad’ which is derived from it means the one who has many praiseworthy qualities. That is why the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is called that. A poet said:

It is derived for him from His Own Name to esteem him.

The Possessor of the Throne is praised (maḥmūd) and this is Muḥammad.

Praiseworthy is the opposite of blameworthy.

Abū Ja‘far aṭ-Ṭabarī and Abu-l-‘Abbās al-Mubarrad believed that praise and gratitude have the same meaning and that it does not mean ‘approval’. Abū ‘Abd ar-Raḥmān as-Sulamī related that in his Kitāb al-ḥaqā’iq, quoting Ja‘far aṣ-Ṣādiq and Ibn ‘Aṭā’ ’llāh. Ibn ‘Aṭā’ ’llāh said, ‘It means “Thanks be to Allah” since there is a blessing from Him in teaching it to us so that we praise Him.’ Aṭ-Ṭabarī deduced that they mean the same by the validity of the words, ‘Praise be to Allah in gratitude.’ Ibn ‘Aṭā’ ’llāh said, ‘In reality, it is evidence for other than what he believed because the word “gratitude” is specific to praise because it is one of the blessings. Some scholars say that “gratitude” is more general than praise because it is shown with the tongue, the limbs, and the heart whereas praise is made only with the tongue. It is said that praise is more general because it contains the meaning of gratitude and the meaning of praise and is therefore more universal than gratitude because praise can include gratitude but gratitude does not include praise.’

It is related that Ibn ‘Abbās said, ‘“Praise be to Allah” is the statement of every grateful person. When he sneezed, Ādam said, “Praise be to Allah.” Allah said to Nūḥ, “Then say: ‘Praise be to Allah Who has rescued us from the people of the wrongdoers!’ (23:28)” Ibrāhīm said, “Praise be to Allah Who, despite my old age, has given me Ismā‘īl and Isḥāq!” (27:15) Dāwūd and Sulaymān said, “Praise be to Allah Who has favoured us over many of His slaves who are believers. (27:15)” He said to His Prophet ﷺ, “Say: ‘praise be to Allah Who has no son.’ (17:111)” The people of the Garden will say, “Praise be to Allah Who has removed all sadness from us (35:34)” and “The end of their call is: ‘Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds!’ (10:10)” These are the words of everyone who is grateful.’

The sound position is that the word ‘praise’ is used for the qualities of a person praised without the need of any prior act of charity on that person’s part. Thanks is praise for the one thanked because of some good that he has done. Based on this definition, our scholars say that praise is more universal than gratitude because it comprises both praising and thanking. Thanks is particular, being directed towards someone who did good to you. So the word ‘praise’ is more general and is used in the āyah because it is more than thanks. ‘Praise’ is also used with approval. It is said, ‘I tested him and approved (ḥamdatu) of him.’ Part of that is the words of the Almighty: ‘A praiseworthy (maḥmūd) station.’ (17:79) The Prophet ﷺ said, ‘I approve (aḥmadu) of you washing the urethra.’

It is mentioned that Ja‘far aṣ-Ṣādiq said, ‘“Praise be to Allah” is a way of praising Him with the attributes with which He has described Himself, and the word ḥamd is used because it is made up of the letters ḥā’, mīm, and dāl. Ḥā’ is from oneness (waḥdāniyyah), mīm is from dominion (mulk), and dāl is everlastingness (daymūmiyah). This is the real meaning of “al-ḥamdu lillāh”.’ Shaqīq ibn Ibrāhīm said in the explanation of ‘Praise be to Allah’ that it has three aspects. The first is that when Allah gives you something, you acknowledge the One Who gave it to you. The second is that you show you are pleased with what He has given you. The third is that, as long as there us still strength in your body you do not disobey Him. These are the preconditions of praise.

Allah Almighty praised Himself and began His Book with praise of Himself and did not allow that for anyone but Himself. Indeed, He forbade that in His Book and on the tongue of His Prophet ﷺ. The Almighty says: ‘Do not claim purity for yourselves. He knows best those who are godfearing.’ (52:32) The Prophet ﷺ said, ‘Throw dust in the faces of those who praise.’ Al-Miqdād related it and it will be discussed in al-Mā’idah, Allah willing.

The meaning of the words ‘Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds’ is ‘My prior praise of Myself before any created being praises Me. My praise of Myself before time does not have a cause while praise of Me by My creatures is sullied by causes.’ Our scholars said, ‘It is repugnant for a creature who has not been given perfection to praise himself for bringing benefits and repelling harms.’ It is said that since He knew His slaves’ inability to praise Him, He praised Himself by Himself for Himself before time. No matter how much His slaves try, they are unable to praise Him sufficiently. Do you not see how the Master of the Messengers ﷺ displayed inability when he said, ‘I cannot number Your praises.’ They said:

When we praise You for good,

You are as You are praised and above the one who praises.

It is said that Allah praised Himself before time because He knew the great number of His blessings would be more enjoyed by them since He removed the burden of praising Him from them.

All seven readings and the majority of people agree that there is a ḍammah on the dāl of ḥamd, making it ḥamdu. Ḥamda is related from Sufyān ibn ‘Uyaynah and Ru’bah ibn al-‘Ajjāj. This is based on an implied elided verb. Sībuwayh says that, grammatically, if someone uses the nominative ḥamdu, it has the meaning of “I praise Allah greatly.” Praise is from Him and from all of creation for Allah. If someone uses the accusative ḥamda, he is saying praise is from him alone for Allah. Those other than Sībuwayh say that saying this is alluding to Allah’s pardon and forgiveness and proclaiming Him great and magnifying Him. So it has a different meaning than a report: it is a request. We find in a hadith: ‘If someone is distracted from asking of Me by remembering Me, I will give him more than I give those who ask.’ It is said that His praise of Himself is to inform His slaves of it. What is implied, according to this, is: ‘Say: “Praise be to Allah.”’ Aṭ-Ṭabarī said, ‘“Praise be to Allah” is praise by which He praises Himself. It contains a command for His slaves to praise Him and so it is as if He were saying, “Say: ‘Praise be to Allah.’”’

The Lord of all the Worlds

‘The Lord of all the Worlds’ is their Master. Every kingdom has its lord and the Lord is the Master (mālik). We find in aṣ-Ṣiḥāḥ: ‘“Lord” (rabb) is one of the Names of Allah Almighty. It is only used of someone else in a relative sense. They used to use it to designate a king in the Jāhiliyyah period.’

The word ‘Rabb’ means ‘master’. That is demonstrated by the words of the Almighty in Sūrat Yūsuf: ‘Mention me when you are with your lord.’ (12:42) We find in a hadith: ‘When the slave-girl gives birth to her mistress (rabbah).’ We have explained it in Kitāb at-tadhkirah. The Lord is the one who puts things right, manages, compels and preserves. Al-Harawī and others said that it is used of the one who tries to put a thing right and complete it. He sees to its fulfilment (rabba) and so he is a lord (rabb, rābb) to it. Rabbāniyyūn (divines) are so called because of their guarding of the Revealed Books. We find in a hadith: ‘Do you have a blessing which you tend to (tarubbuhā)?’ i.e. to which you attend and put in order. The Lord is the One Who is worshipped. Part of that is the words of a poet:

Is he a lord on whose head

the male fox urinates?

Some scholars say that Rabb is the greatest name of Allah because of the large number of those who make supplication using it. Consider its use in the Qur’an as at the end of al-Baqarah and Āl ‘Imrān, and in Sūrat Ibrāhīm and other sūrahs. By this quality of Lordship we are made aware of the quality of the relationship between the Lord and the slave which involves kindness, mercy, and need in every state.

There is disagreement about the derivation of the word rabb. Some say that it is derived from tarbiyah (upbringing). So Allah Almighty manages His creation and nurtures them. We find that borne out in the words of the Almighty: ‘Your foster daughters in your care.’ (4:23) He called a foster daughter rabībah because the husband cares for her. On the basis that Allah manages His creation and nurtures it, Rabb reflects an attribute connected to Divine Action, and, in as far as Rabb means king and master, it is an attribute of the Divine Essence.

When the definite article is affixed to ‘Lord’ on its own it can only mean Allah Almighty because it is defined, but if it is elided, it can be shared between Allah and His slaves. It is said, ‘Allah is the Lord of the slaves, Zayd is the lord of the house, and Allah is the Lord of the lords.’ Allah owns both the owner and what is owned. He created him and provides for him. No lord except for Allah can be either a creator or provider. A slave can become an owner after he was not an owner and ownership can also be removed from him. He can own one thing and not own another. The attribute of lordship when it is applied to Allah is different from this. He everlastingly knows and owns everything in existence. This is the difference between the attribute of the Creator and the created.

There is great disagreement among interpreters about he meaning of the word ‘worlds (‘ālamīn)’. Qatādah said that it is the plural of ‘ālam, and means every existent thing except Allah. It has no singular form, like raht (group) and qawm (people). It is said that the people of every age are ‘a world’. Al-Ḥusayn ibn al-Faḍl said that, based on the words of Allah: ‘Of all beings (‘ālamīn), do you lie with males’ (26:165), he means people. Al-‘Ajjāj said:

Khindif is the head of this world.

Ibn ‘Abbās said that ‘ālamīn means the jinn and human beings. The evidence for his position is the words of the Almighty: ‘So that he can be a warner to all beings (‘ālamīn)’. (25:1) He was not a warner to animals. Al-Farrā’ and Abū ‘Ubaydah said, ‘The word “world (‘ālam)” designates all who have understanding and they constitute four communities: mankind, jinn, angels and shayṭāns. “World” is not used for beasts, because it is a word only used for those with intelligence.’

Zayd ibn Aslam said, ‘They are those who are provided for.’ It is like what Abū ‘Amr ibn al-‘Alā’ said: ‘They are those with a rūḥ.’ That is the same idea that Ibn ‘Abbās expressed: ‘It means everything with a rūḥ crawling on the earth.’ Wahb ibn Munabbih said, ‘Allah has eighteen thousand worlds. This world is just one of them.’ Abū Sa‘īd al-Khudrī said, ‘Allah has forty thousand worlds, and this world from east to west is just one of them.’ Muqātil said, ‘There are eighty thousand worlds, forty thousand are on the land and forty thousand on the sea.’ Ar-Rabī‘ ibn Anas related that Abu-l-‘Āliyah said, ‘The jinn are a world and mankind is a world. Beyond that the earth has four corners and there are fifteen hundred worlds in each corner. He created them to worship Him.’

The first view is the soundest of these, because it includes every creature and existent thing. Evidence for it is found in the words of the Almighty: ‘Pharaoh said, “What is the Lord of all the worlds?” He said, “The Lord of the heavens and the earth and everything between them.”’ (26:23-24) The word is derived from ‘alam (sign) and ‘alamah (token) because it indicates the One Who brought it into existence. That is like what az-Zajjāj said: ‘The word “worlds” refers to all that Allah created in this world and the Next.’ Al-Khalīl said, ‘‘Alam, ‘alāmah and ma‘lam are what indicates a thing, so ‘ālam indicates that it has a Creator and Director. This is clear.’ It is mentioned that a man said in the presence of al-Junayd, ‘Praise be to Allah.’ He told him, ‘Complete it as Allah did. Say: “the Lord of all the worlds.”’ The man said, ‘What are these worlds that they should be mentioned with the Real?’ He said, ‘Say it, my brother. When the temporal is connected to the timeless, no trace of it remains.’

Although the word ‘Lord’ is usually considered to be genitive (Rabbi) in this context, it can also be read as nominative (Rabbu) or accusative (Rabba). If it is read as accusative, it becomes the object of the praise, and if it is as read as nominative it is the beginning of a new sentence, implying, ‘He is the Lord of all the worlds.’

The All-Merciful, Most Merciful

After calling Himself ‘the Lord of all the worlds’ Allah then describes Himself as ‘the All-Merciful, Most Merciful’. Because His description as ‘the Lord of all the worlds’ causes fear, He follows it by ‘the All-Merciful, Most Merciful’ since that contains reassurance, so that His qualities induce both awe of Him and the desire for Him. This helps people in their obedience to Him. He does the same in several places in His Book. He says: ‘Tell My slaves that I am the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful, but also that My punishment is the painful punishment.’ (15:49-50) He says elsewhere: ‘The Forgiver of wrong action, the Accepter of repentance, the Severe in retribution, the Possessor of abundance.’ (40:3) In Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim we find a hadith in which Abū Hurayrah reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘If the believers knew the punishment of Allah, no one would hope for His Garden. If the unbelievers knew the mercy of Allah, no one would despair of His Garden.’ The meanings of these two Names have already been given in the introduction.

The King of the Day of Repayment.

Muḥammad ibn as-Samayqa‘ has ‘King’ in the accusative, and there are four readings of it: mālik, malik, malk and malīk. It is related from Nāfi‘ that there is ishbā‘ on the kasrah of malik and so he recited, malikī. Scholars disagree about which is the more comprehensive: malik (king) or mālik (master). Both readings are transmitted from the Prophet ﷺ, Abū Bakr, and ‘Umar رضي الله عنهما. At-Tirmidhī mentioned both readings. It is said that ‘King (malik)’ is more general and intensive than ‘Master (mālik)’ since every king is a master but not every master is a king, and because a king has authority over the property of a master so that he can only dispose of it according to the directives of the king. Abū ‘Ubaydah and al-Mubarrad also held that opinion. It is said that ‘Master is more comprehensive because He is the Master of people and other creatures and so it is more far reaching and greater in His power of disposal since He sees to the imposing of the laws of the Sharī‘ah. So he has greater mastery.’

Abū ‘Alī said that Abū Bakr ibn as-Sirāj transmitted from some of those who preferred to recite mālik that Allah describes Himself as being the Master of everything in His words, ‘Lord of all the worlds’, so there is no point in the recitation mālik because that would be a repetition. Abū ‘Alī said, ‘This is not a valid argument because the Revelation contains many similar instances, where the general comes first and then the particular. One example is Allah’s words: “He is Allah, the Creator, the Maker, the Giver of Form.” (59:24) Creator is general, and the Giver of Form is mentioned because it calls attention to what is created and the existence of wisdom. Another instance is when the Almighty says: “They are certain about the Next World’ after saying ‘those who believe in the Unseen.” (2:3) The Unseen contains the Next World and other things, but He mentioned it because of its immensity and to call attention to the obligation to believe in it and to refute the unbelievers who deny it. Yet another example, of particular relevance to the Fātiḥah is the formula, “the All-Merciful, Most Merciful” when Raḥmān is general for all existence and Raḥīm is mentioned after it to make it specific to the believers in the Next World, something made explicit by His words, “merciful to the believers” (33:43).’

Abū Ḥātim said that mālik is more intensive when praising the Creator than malik, and malik is more intensive when praising creatures than mālik. The difference between them is that a master in the case of creatures can be other than a king. But when Allah is master, He is also a king. This position was chosen by Qāḍī Abū Bakr ibn al-‘Arabī. He mentioned three reasons. One is that it can be applied to both the particular and the general and so you can say ‘master of a house, land and garment’, in the same way that you say ‘master of a kingdom’. The second is that it is applied to the master of a little or a lot. When you reflect on these two statements, you find that they are the same. The third is that you say, ‘Master of the Kingdom (mālik al-mulk)’, not ‘King of the Kingdom (malik al-mulk)’. Ibn al-Ḥaṣṣār said that that is the case because the word ‘master’ indicates property (milk) and does not necessarily entail a kingdom (mulk). Property comprises both matters and so it is more intensive. It also entails completeness. That is why malik is more entitled than others.

Have you not seen the words of the Almighty: ‘Allah has chosen him over you and increased him greatly in knowledge and physical strength’ (2:247)? And that is why the Prophet ﷺ said, ‘The imamate is in Quraysh,’ and Quraysh is the best of the Arab tribes and the Arabs are better and nobler than the non-Arabs. It contains power and choice, which is something which is necessary for a king. If he were not powerful, possessing choice and having his judgments and commands carried out, then his enemies would overpower him and his subjects would be held in contempt. It also contains force, promise and threat. Do you not see that Sulaymān said: ‘How is it that I do not see the hoopoe? Or is it absent without leave? I will certainly punish it most severely’ (27:20-21)? There are other extraordinary matters and sublime meanings which are not found in mālik. Some of them argue that mālik is more intensive because it has an extra letter and so its reciter receives ten more good actions than the one who reads malik. This is looking at form rather than meaning. The recitation of malik is established and it has meanings that mālik does not have, and Allah knows best.

It is said that it is not permitted to give anyone the name nor to call other than Allah Almighty by it. Al-Bukhārī and Muslim related from Abū Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘Allah will seize the earth on the Day of Rising and roll up heaven in His right hand and then say, “I am the King. Where are the kings of the earth?”’ Abū Hurayrah also reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘The most abased man in the sight of Allah is a man who calls himself “the King of Kings”.’ Muslim added, ‘There is no king except Allah Almighty.’ Sufyān said, ‘Like the Persian title Shahanshah.’ Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal said, ‘I asked Abū ‘Amr ash-Shaybānī about the meaning of “akhna‘” and he said, “lowly”.’ He said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘The man with whom Allah will be angriest is a man who calls himself “the king of kings.” There is no king except Allah.’ Ibn al-Ḥaṣṣār said, ‘It is like that with “King of the Day of Judgment” and “Master of the Kingdom.”’ There is no disagreement that this title is forbidden to all creatures in the same way that ‘king of kings’ is forbidden. It is, however, permitted to be described as king or master if what is intended is what is customarily understood by those terms. Allah Almighty says: ‘Allah sent you Ṭālūt as a king.’ (2:247) The Prophet ﷺ said, ‘Some people from my community were shown to me raiding in the way of Allah, riding the middle of this sea like kings on thrones.’

It may be asked why does Allah say ‘Master of the Day of Repayment’ when the Day of Judgment has not yet arrived? How can He describe Himself as being the Master of something He has not yet brought into existence? The response to this is that the word used is an active participle from the verb malaka, and the active participle in Arabic can be used to indicate something which is still to come. That is a correct, sound, intelligible use of language, like ‘I will hit (ḍārib) Zayd tomorrow,’ using the active participle. The form can be used for the future, and that is the case in the words, ‘Master of the Day of Repayment,’ meaning that He will be the Master on the Day when it comes.

A second point is that the interpretation of the phrase refers to power, meaning that Allah has power on the Day of Judgment or over the Day of Judgment and is bringing it about because the king of a thing can dispose of a thing as He wills and has power over it. Allah Almighty is the King of all things and disposes of them as He wills. Nothing is impossible for Him. The first aspect is close to Arabic and more effective. Abu-l-Qāsim az-Zajjāj said that.

A third point is to ask why Allah singled out the Day of Repayment when He is King of that Day and all other days. The answer is because, in this world, there is contention about who has sovereignty, as is displayed in what Pharaoh, Nimrod and other tyrants did. On that Day no one will contend with Him for sovereignty and all of them will be humbled to Him, as He says: ‘To whom does the kingdom belong today?’ (40:16) The answer of all creatures will be: ‘To Allah, the One, the Conqueror.’ (40:16) Glory be to Him! There is no god but Him.

If the reading malik (King) is employed, it is one of the attributes of the Divine Essence. If mālik (Master) is used, it is one of the attributes of Divine Action.

The word ‘day’ normally designates the time from the rising of dawn until the moment when the sun sets. It is used metaphorically here for the time from when the Resurrection takes place until the time when the people of the Next World take up their respective abodes. The word ‘day’ can apply to a time in it, as when Allah Almighty says: ‘Today I have completed your dīn for you.’ (5:3) The plural of yawm is ayyām. The root is awyām and there is assimilation. Sometimes they describe hardship as ‘a day’.

‘Repayment (dīn)’ here means requital for actions and reckoning for them. That is what Ibn ‘Abbās, Ibn Mas‘ūd, Ibn Jurayj, Qatādah and others said. This understanding is related from the Prophet ﷺ. It is indicated by the words of the Almighty: ‘On that Day Allah will repay them what is due to them.’ (24:25) This is their reckoning. He says: ‘Every self will be repaid today for what it earned.’ (40:17) ‘Today you will be repaid for what you did.’ (45:28) ‘Will we face a reckoning?’ (37:53)

Linguists report that dayn is debt and dīn is repayment. Another aspect of it is the term ad-Dayyān as an attribute of the Lord, meaning ‘the Repayer’. A ḥadīth states: ‘The clever one is he who calls himself to account (dāna).’ It is said that it means judgment and this is also related from Ibn ‘Abbās. These three meanings are similar. Dīn can also mean obedience. So the word is one which has several meanings. Tha‘lab said, ‘The verb dāna is used for a man when he obeys, when he disobeys, when he is exalted, when he is abased, and when he is overcome, and so it is one of the words with opposite meanings, also used for custom and affair. Dīn can be used for the policy of a king. Dayn can be a malady.’

You alone we worship and You alone we ask for help

With ‘You alone we worship’ the third person changes to the second person based on a grammatical shift (talwīn). From the beginning to this point the sūrah has been a description of Allah and praise for Him as is the case in other examples in Allah’s Book: ‘Their Lord will give them a pure drink’ which then changes to ‘This is your reward.’ (76:21-22) We find the reverse in ‘When some of you are on a boat, running before a fair wind’ which changes to ‘and then a violent squall comes upon them.’ (10:22)

‘We worship’ means ‘We obey’. Worship is obedience and humility. A smooth (mu‘abbad) road is one which is easy for travellers to travel on. Al-Harawī said, ‘When those subject to the Sharī‘ah say this they are acknowledging Allah’s Lordship and affirming the worship of Allah alone since other people worship other than Him in the form of idols and other things.’ The meaning of ‘ask for help’ (ista‘āna) is to seek aid, support and success. As-Sulamī says in al-Ḥaqā’iq: ‘I heard Muḥammad ibn ‘Abdullāh ibn Shādhān say that he heard Abu Ḥafṣ al-Farghānī say, “Whoever recites ‘You alone we worship and You alone we ask for help’ cannot be considered guilty of espousing either the doctrine of fatalism or that of absolute free will.’”

If it is asked why the object is put before the verb, the answer is that it is put first because of its importance. The Arabs tend to put the most important thing first. It is mentioned that a Bedouin cursed another and so the cursed man turned away from him and the curser exclaimed, ‘You (iyyāka) from me!’ And the other replied, ‘From you I turn.’ They put the object of emphasis first. It also ensures that the created slave and worship is not put before the object of worship. So it is not permitted to say ‘na‘buduka’ and ‘nasta‘īnuka’, nor is it permitted to say ‘na‘budu iyyāka’ and ‘nasta‘īnu iyyāka’, putting the verb first before the object. One follows the wording of the Qur’an.

Most reciters and scholars double the yā’ in iyyāka in both places, although ‘Amr ibn Fā’id recited it as iyāk. That is because he disliked the doubling of the yā’ since it is heavy and because there is a kasra before it. One turns away from this reading. ‘You alone we ask for help’ is adding one sentence to a prior one. Yaḥyā ibn Waththāb and al-A‘mash recite ‘nista‘īn’. That is the dialect of the tribes of Tamīm, Asad, Qays and Rabī‘ah.

Guide us on the Straight Path

The words ‘guide us’ are a supplication, implying that this is something desired by the speaker from their Lord. It means: ‘Direct us to the Straight Path and guide us to it. Show us Your guidance which will lead us to intimacy with You and nearness to You.’ Some scholars say that Allah made this sūrah a model for all supplication. Half of it comprises His praise and half comprises our needs. The supplication which is in the sūrah is the best which one can use for supplication because these are words spoken by the Lord of the worlds. When you use it you make supplication using His words which He spoke. We find in a hadith: ‘There is nothing Allah considers more noble than supplication.’

It is said that it means: ‘Guide us to follow the Sunnah in performing all the obligations we owe you.’ It is said that the root of the word ‘guide’ is inclination towards something. That can be seen in the words of the Almighty: ‘We have truly turned (hudnā) to you’ (7:156), meaning ‘we have inclined towards You,’ and the Prophet ﷺ went out leaning (yatahādī) between two men. Another facet of its meaning can be gleaned from the word hadiyah (gift) because it moves from one owner to another. Yet another aspect of its meaning can be inferred from the word hady which is the term used for an animal driven to the Ḥaram. From all this we can see that the meaning is: ‘Incline our hearts to the Truth.’

Al-Fuḍayl ibn ‘Iyāḍ said the the Straight Path is the path of the ḥajj. This is a very specific meaning and a general meaning is far more likely. Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥanafiyyah said about the words, ‘Guide us to the Straight Path’, that they mean to the dīn of Allah and that no other kind of worship is accepted. ‘Āṣim al-Aḥwal said that Abu-l-‘Āliyah said, ‘The Straight Path is the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his two companions after him.’ ‘Āṣim said, ‘I said to al-Ḥusayn that Abu-l-‘Āliyah said that the Straight Path was the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his two companions after him. He said, “He spoke the truth and was faithful.”’

The root meaning of ṣirāṭ (path) in Arabic is ‘a way’. ‘Āmir ibn aṭ-Ṭufayl said:

We chased through their land with horses

until we left them more abased than the way (ṣirāṭ).

An-Naqqāsh said that ṣirāṭ means road in Greek. Ibn ‘Aṭiyyah said, ‘This is very weak indeed.’ It is also sometimes recited with a sīn rather than a ṣād, from istirāṭ, meaning ‘swallowing’, implying the swallowing up of the Path by the one who travels on it, and it is enunciated between a zāyy and ṣād. It is also recited as a pure zāyy, but sīn is the root. Salamah related that al-Farrā’ said that zirāṭ with a pure zāyy is the dialect of ‘Udhrah, Kalb and Banū al-Qayn. He mentioned that they say ‘azdaq’ instead of ‘aṣdaq’ as they say ‘azad’ instead of ‘asad’.

Ṣirāṭ is in the accusative as a second object because the verb “guide’ is transitive, taking a second object either with the particle ‘bi’ or without the particle. ‘Straight” is an adjective describing ‘Path’ and it is one which has no crookedness or deviation in it. We find it used in the words of the Almighty: ‘This is My Path and it is straight, so follow it.’ (6:153)

The Path of those whom You have blessed

This ‘Path’ is the same as the first and the meaning is: ‘continue to guide us’. Someone may be guided to the path and then be prevented from going along it. It is also said that it is another path and means knowledge of Allah Almighty and recognition of Him. Ja‘far ibn Muḥammad said that.

There are ten readings of the word normally recited as ‘alayhim used in this phrase. Most recite it as ‘alayhum. It can be recited as ‘alayhum, ‘alayhim, ‘alayhimī, ‘alayhimū, ‘alayhumū, ‘alayhumu. These are the six forms related from the imāms among the reciters. There are four other possibilities transmitted from the Arabs, but not related from the reciters.

‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭtāb and Ibn az-Zubayr recited ṣirāṭa man (the path of him who) instead of ṣirāṭa allādhīna (the path of those who). People disagree about the identity of those who are blessed. The majority of commentators say that it means the Prophets, the people of truth, the martyrs and the righteous. They deduce that from the āyah in Sūrat an-Nisā’ which says: ‘Whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger will be with those whom Allah has blessed: the Prophets and the true, the martyrs and the righteous. What excellent company such people are!’ (4:69) It is clear from this āyah that these are the people who have been blessed by Allah and therefore those who are referred to in the Fātiḥah as following the Straight Path. Everything that has been said on this subject boils down to this and so there is no sense in mentioning all the different positions, and Allah is the One whom we ask for success.

This āyah becomes a refutation of the Qadariyyah, Mu‘tazilites and Shi‘ah because they all believe that the will of a human being alone is enough to initiate his actions, obedience or disobedience. They believe that man is the creator of his own actions and so he does not need his Lord to originate them. Allah refutes them in this āyah since in it we ask Him for guidance to the Straight Path. If the matter had really been theirs and not their Lord’s, they would not need to ask Him for guidance and to repeat that request in every prayer. They also pray to Him to avert from them what is disliked which are those things contrary to guidance. They say, ‘the path of those whom You have blessed, not of those with anger on them nor of the misguided.’ As they ask Him to guide them, they also ask Him not to misguide them. That is how they pray, saying, ‘Our Lord, do not make our hearts swerve aside after You have guided us.’ (3:8)

not of those with anger on them nor of the misguided

There is also disagreement about the identity of ‘those with anger on them’ and the ‘misguided’. The majority say that ‘those with anger on them’ are the Jews and ‘the misguided’ are the Christians. That was explained by the Prophet ﷺ in the hadith of ‘Adī ibn Ḥātim and the story of how he became Muslim, transmitted by Abū Dāwūd aṭ-Ṭayālisī in his Musnad and at-Tirmidhī in his Collection. That explanation is also attested to by the Almighty who says about the Jews: ‘They brought down anger from Allah on themselves’ (2:61, 3:112) and He says: ‘Allah is angry with them.’ (48:6) He says about the Christians that they ‘were misguided previously and have misguided many others, and are far from the right way.’ (5:77)

It is also said that ‘those with anger on them’ are the idolaters and that the misguided are the hypocrites. It is said that those with anger on them are those who omit the obligation of reciting this sūrah in the prayer, and the misguided are those who lose the blessing of its recitation. In al-Ḥaqā’iq, as-Sulamī said – as did al-Māwardī in his commentary – that this is nonsense. Al-Māwardī said that this view is rejected because reports contradict it and a different view about it is widespread. Therefore it is not permitted to apply this judgment to it. It is said that ‘those with anger on them’ refers to people who follow innovations and that the misguided are those who lose the sunnahs of guidance.

This is good. The explanation of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is more appropriate, higher and better. ‘On them’ is in the nominative because it means: ‘anger is on them.’ Linguistically ‘ghaḍab’ (anger) means intensity of feeling. A man who is described as ghaḍūb has a harsh character. Ghaḍūb is also a foul malignant because of its severity. Ghaḍbah is a shield made of camel-hide, one part which is folded over the other. It is called that because of its strength. The meaning of anger when it is attributed to Allah is the will to punish; it is an attribute of the Essence since the will of Allah is one of the attributes of the Essence. It is also said to mean the punishment itself. A corroboration of that view is the ḥadīth: ‘Ṣadaqah extinguishes the anger of the Lord.’ It describes the action.

The word “misguidance” (ḍalāl) in Arabic means ‘missing the target and straying from the path of Truth.’ One way the word is used is to describe when milk dissolves (ḍalla) in water. It is also used in the āyah: ‘When we have been absorbed (ḍalalnā) into the earth’ (32:10), i.e. we disappear by death and become dust. It is said:

Did you not ask so that the houses inform you

about where the disappeared (muḍallal) has gone?

Ḍalḍala is a smooth stone which swater has turned over again and again in a valley. Similarly ghaḍbah is a stone found in the mountains which has various colours.

‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb and Ubayy ibn Ka‘b inserted a second ghayri before ḍāllīn. It is related from the two of them with the rā’ in the accusative and genitive on both letters. If it is in the genitive, it is an appositive for ‘those’ or for ‘hum’ in ‘on them’ or as an adjective of ‘those’ which is definite. Definite nouns do not have indefinite adjectives just as indefinite nouns do not have definite adjectives. However, ‘those’ here can be undefined and general and so the words are like your words, ‘I passed by someone like you and showed honour to him,’ or it is because the word ‘ghayr’ makes something definite because it can only be one of two things without any other possibility, as you say, ‘The living is not (ghayr) the dead’; ‘the one who is still is not (ghayr) the one who is moving’; and ‘the one who is standing is not (ghayr) the one who is sitting.’

There is disagreement about the ‘lā’ in ‘nor (walā) of the misguided’. It is said that it is redundant as aṭ-Ṭabarī says. It is also said that it is for stress and is added so that no one will suppose that ‘misguided’ is added to ‘those’. Makkī and al-Mahdawī related it. The Kufans said that ‘lā’ means ‘ghayr’ and that is the reading of ‘Amr and Ubayy. The root of ‘ḍāllīn’ is ‘ḍālilīn’ and the vowel of the first lām has been elided and then the lām assimilated into the other lām.