SURAH AL - FATIHAH (The Opening) With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful.

With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful. Praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful, the Master of the Day of Judgment. You alone we worship, and from You alone we seek help. Guide us in the straight path the path of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace, not of those who have incurred Your wrath, nor of those who have gone astray. This Surah comprises seven verses. Of these, the first three are in praise of Allah, while the last three contain a request or a prayer on the part of man, which Allah himself has, in His infinite mercy, taught him. The verse in between the two sets has both the features -- there is an aspect of praise, and another of prayer. The Sahih of Muslim reports from the blessed Companion Abu Hurayrah a hadith (Tradition) of the Holy Prophet " Allah has said, 'The Salah (i.e., the Surah Al Fatiha ) is equally divided between Me and My servant. And My servant shall be given what he prays for." The Holy Prophet continued: "When the servant says: Praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds, Allah says: "My servant has paid his homage to Me." When he says: The All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful, Allah says: "My servant has praised Me." When the servant says: The Master of the Day of Judgment, Allah says, "My servant has proclaimed my greatness." When the servant says: You alone we worship, and to You alone we pray for help, Allah says, "This verse is common to Me and My servant. He shall be given what he has prayed for." When the servant says: Guide us in the straight path ..., Allah says: "All this is there for My servant.-He shall be given what he prays for." ( Mazhari ). The Surah begins with the words Al-hamdulillah, signifying that all praise essentially belongs to Allah. Whosoever praises anything anywhere in the world is ultimately praising Allah. The sensible world contains millions of things which compel man's attention and admiration for their beauty and usefulness, but if one tries to look behind the veil of appearances, one would find in each and every thing the manifestation of the same creative power. Admiring anything that exists in the created world is no more than showing one's admiration for a work of art or craft, which in fact is a praise of the artist or the craftsman. This small statement of the Holy Qur'an opens a new perspective for man lost in the labyrinth of multiplicity, and shows him how the many are knit together in the same unity, and how all praise in

reality belongs to One whose power is absolute, and that it is only in our ignorance or indifference that we regard this praise to be due to anyone else. If there is only one Being in the whole universe who inherently deserves all praise, it necessarily follows from it that this Being alone should be Worthy of adoration and worship. Thus we can see that although the phrase, Al-hamdulillah, has been used to signify praise, yet, by implication, it cuts the very root of polytheism or the worship of created beings, and at the same time brings out in a self-evident manner the first and the basic principle of the Islamic creed -- Oneness of God. The next phrase to follow in the Surah speaks of an attribute of Allah -- Lord of the Worlds. Lexically, the word, Rabb signifies 'one who nurtures'. And 'nurture' implies developing a thing by gradual stages in a manner which is conducive to its own good till it attains perfection. The word, Rabb is exclusive to the sacred Being of Allah, and cannot be employed in the case of any created being without adding some qualification, for a created being is itself in need of 'nurture', and cannot nurture anyone else. Al-'alamin is the plural of 'alam (world, universe, kingdom). "The worlds" include all possible forms of -- existence: the sky, the earth, the sun, the moon, stars, wind and rain, the angels, the jinns, animals, plants, minerals, and, of course, men. So, 'the Lord of all 'the worlds" means that Allah alone gives nurture to all the forms of existents that are to be found in this universe, or in the millions of universes that may lie beyond our own universe in the outer space. Imam Razi, the great commentator of the Holy Qur'an, says that the existence of an indefinite space beyond our universe can be proved on the basis of rational argument, and it is also certain that Allah is All-Powerful, so it should not be at all difficult for Him to have created millions of other universes in this endless space. It has been reported from the Companion Abu Said Al Khudri (Rz) that there are forty thousand worlds; our world, stretching from the East to the West, is only one of them, there being many more besides it. According to the wellknown commentator Muqatil, the number of worlds is eighty thousand. (see Qurtubi). As for the objection that no man or animal can live in the outer space owing to the lack of the kind of air which should be compatible with the physical make-up of man, Imam Razi replies that the inhabitants of the worlds in the outer space need not necessarily have the same physical make-up as that of the inhabitants of our world which should make existence in space impossible for them, and suggests that their organic composition and the requirements for its nourishment and sustenance might just be totally different. Imam Razi postulated these possibilities some eight hundred years ago without the help of the modern facilities for observation and exploration, yet the speculations of the scientists in the age of space travel endorse his view. Seen in the light of this short phrase, 'Lord of the worlds', the universe reveals itself to be an incredibly complex, yet perfectly integrated order. From the heavens to the earth, from the planets and the stars to the particles of dust, everything is bound in a chain of being, and is performing the function assigned to it by Divine Wisdom. Man cannot obtain a little morsel of food unless a thousand forces of the sky and the earth work together to produce it. The universal order is there for man to contemplate, and to realize that, if Allah has put millions of His creatures in the service of man, man in his turn cannot be worthless or purposeless or meaningless .The Holy Qur'an is indeed very explicit and very insistent in reminding us that the universe is not absurd: We have not created in vain the heavens and the earth and what lies between them. That is the fancy of the disbelievers. But woe to the disbelievers in the fire of Hell. (38:27) If the universe is not in vain or absurd, man too, whose purposes the universe has been made to serve, cannot be purposeless and meaningless. The Holy Qur'an defines the Divine purpose in creating man and the goal of his existence in these words. I have not created the jinn and mankind except to worship Me. (51:56) It may be said that the phrase 'the Lord of all the worlds' is in a way the proof of the claim made in the earlier phrase ( : all praise belongs to Allah). When Allah alone is the ultimate cause for the nurture of the whole universe, He alone can, in reality, be worthy of praise. Thus, the first verse of the Surah, as

we said before, combines in itself the praise of Allah and a subtle indication of the first and basic principle of the Islamic creed -- the oneness of God. The second verse speaks of the Divine quality of mercy, employing two adjectives Rahman and Raheem Both of which are hyperbolic terms in Arabic, and respectively connote the superabundance and perfection of Divine mercy. The reference to this particular attribute in this situation is perhaps intended to be a reminder of the fact that it is not through any external compulsion or inner need or any kind of necessity whatsoever that Allah has assumed the responsibility of nurturing the whole of His creation, but in response to the demand of His own quality of mercy. If this whole universe did not exist, He would suffer no loss; if it does exist, it is no burden to Him. The third verse pays homage to Allah as 'the Master of the Day of Judgment or Requital The word Milik has been derived/from the root, 'milk' ( )which signifies possessing a thing in such a manner that one has the right and power to dispose of it as one likes (See Qarnus). The word Din signifies 'Requital'. So, the phrase 'Master of the Day of Requital' implies total mastery on the Day of Requital. But there is no mention of the thing or things to which this mastery or possession would apply. According to the commentary, 'al-Kashshaf,the phrase makes a general reference to cover everything. That is to say, on the Day of Requital the mastery over everything that exists will belong to Allah alone.

Punishment of The Grave Due to Impurity.

(40412) Abdullah Ibn Abbas has narrated that as the Messenger of Allah happened to pass by two graves, he remarkes: "The two persons who are buried in these graves are being punished and the punishment is not owing to a sin that was a difficult matter (i.e., hard to avoid. Both of them, on the other hand, are receiving the chastisement for a misdeed from which it was quite easy to keep away). The sin of one of them was that he never tried to save himself from being soiled with urine, and the other used to speak ill of others in their absence." The Prophet then, took a green branch of date-palm, spilt it into two and fixed one piece (of it) on each grave. The Companions (therepuon) enquired: "0 Messenger of Allah Why have you done that?" "It is hoped," replied the Prophet, "that the punishment of these persons will be abated till such time as the two pieces bacom completely dry." (Bukhari and Muslim) Commentary: A doctrinal discussion on the punisment of the grave has already been attempted in the preceding chapters. In the course of it we also took up the Traditions in which it was revealed Book that the sharp cries of agony rising from the graves of those who are being punished were heard by all creatures that were around save men and jinn. The wisdom of it, too, was explained by us in the commentary. A Tradition contained in Sahih Muslim which showed how the sacred Prophet became aware of the punishment that was being sent down to some of the graves was, also, included in it. The incident referred to in the above report is of an identical nature. The Lord makes it possible for His Messengers to see things of the unseen world and hear sound that are, generally, not seen or heard by mortals like us. In this Tradition the Prophet has indicated the specific sins and transgressions of the occupiers of the two graves. The fault of one of them was that he was given to tale-bearing which is a grave moral offence and has been condemned in the Qur'an as a paganish habit and a sign of the hyporcrites. It says: "Neither obey thou each feeble oath-monger, detractor, spreader abroad of slanders. (68: 10-11) About the other person the Prophet disclosed that punishment was being inflicted upon him because he did not take proper care to obeserve cleanliness and save himself from being polluted with his urine. It shows that to protect oneself against the impurity of urine (as of other foul and dirty things) i.e., to save one's body or clothes from being soiled with them is one of the principal commands of Allah and negligence in these matters is a sin of such a high order as to entail the chastisement of the grave. As for the concluding part of the Tradition indicating that the holy Prophet took a green branch of a date-palm and broke it into two parts and fixed a piece of it on each of the two graves, it has been explained in various ways by the Commentators but, in our humble opinion, the most plausible explanation is that the Prophet prayed reduction in the punishment of the occupiers and he was bidden to do what he did with the assurance that the chastisement would remain abated as long as the two pieces did not dry up altogether. A long report, appearing at the end of Sahih Muslim, and related on the authority of Sayyidina Jabir also speaks of two graves but it refers to another event. Sayyidina Jabir narrates that the Messenger of Allah once ordered him to cut two branches from two particular trees and to throw them at such-and-such a place. He goes on to relate, "I carried out the command and when I enquired from the Prophet about it he said, 'There are two graves over there upon which punishment is being sent down. I prayed to God for reduction in the chastisement and He granted the prayer to the extent that the punishment would stay lowered in degree as long as the branches remained green.' Be that as it may, Sayyidina Jabir's narrative distinctly shows that the branches of the trees or their freshness had nothing to do with the abatement of chastisement. It had been made known by the Lord to the Prophet that as a result of his supplication the punishment would be lessened for a certain time. The real things, thus, was the prayer of the Prophet and its acceptance. Those who seek it a justification for laying flowers on the graves, surely, do a great injustice to the spirit of Islam. Comentators, also, have raised the point whether the graves upon which the sacred Prophet had fixed the branches of the date-palms were of Muslims or non-Muslims and referred the view that these

were of Muslims. An indirect suggestion of it is conveyed by the Tradition itself when it tells that the Prophet had ascribed their punishment to the habits of backbiting and carelessness in purification after passing the urine. Had the graves been of the infidels, infidelity or polytheism would have been stated as the cause of chastisement. Moreover, a Tradition quoted in Musnad Ahmad, on the authority of Sayyidina Abu Hurairah shows that the graves were situated in Baqui'e and the Prophet had felt the infliction of punishment on them while passing through it and Baqui'e is exclusively the graveyard of Muslims in Madinah. The moral of the above Tradition is that utmost care should be taken to protect oneself from being soiled with urine and abstain from vicious and polytheistic habits like backbiting, otherwise the chastisement of the grave is certain.

LONG SUFFERING AND FORGIVENESS

The long suffering, patience and forgiving nature of the Holy Prophet are the highest qualities of Prophet-hood. According to a tradition, the Holy Prophet never revenged himself for any personal or financial matter. The hardest suffering fell to the lot of the Holy Prophet in the battle of UHUD, when the unbelievers fought against him and caused him severest grief and affliction, he not only contended himself to suffer, be patient and forgive, but taking pity on them also excused them for their misbelief and ignorance, and said, O ALLAAH I Show my people the right path, for they know not. In another tradition, the words;

 (O Allaah! Forgive them) Are also included. When the Companions who felt grieved at this, said, O Apostle of ALLAAH! would that you had cursed them, so that they were annihilated, he replied. I have not been sent to curse, but to call people to the truth, and as a mercy for the creation. (Ash-Shifa, Madarij -unNubuwah).

Fortitude and perseverance

Hadrat Anas narrated that the Holy Prophet said, In the Path of ALLAAH I have been daunted and threatened more than any one else, and also I have been tortured many times. Once I had to pass thirty days and nights in such dreadful want that Bilal and I had nothing that any living being would eat, except what little Bilal had kept hidden under his arm. (Maarif -ul- Hadis, ShamaiI -e- Tirmizi)

Taif incident
The Holy Prophet accompanied by Hadrat Zaid Harisa went to Taif to preach oneness of ALLAAH, and invited the people to Islam, whereupon they got enraged and set about maltreating him. The chiefs instigated the local urchins to mischief. While he was preaching these rowdies pelted him with stones so heavily that he began to bleed profusely; the blood congealing in his shoes making it difficult for him to take out his feet for making ablution. On one occasion the rogues and vagabonds abused him, clapped hands and jeered at him so much that he was forced to seek shelter in a house. Once while preaching in the same town he received so many injuries that he fainted and fell down. Hadrat Zaid lifted him on his back: took him outside the habitation and sprinkled water on his face to bring him round. In spite of the catastrophe and hardships faced in this journey and the sorrow that not a single body embraced Islam, the heart of the Holy Prophet was full of love and glorification of ALLAAH (the Most High). The prayer he made at this time is as follows:

O ALLAAH! To thee I complain of my helplessness, puny strength and of mans haughtiness towards me. O Most Merciful, O Lord of the helpless, Thou alone art my Lord. To whom dost thou entrust me: to strangers who will be outrageous to me, to an enemy who will control my right and wrong? But if Thou art not unhappy with me then I care nothing for all the tribulations for Thy grace as well as comfort is more extensive for me. I seek refuge in Thy countenance - which brings forth light from darkness and adjusts the works of the world and the Hereafter - lest Thy wrath and Displeasure should befall me. Thine is the right to reprove and admonish till Thou art pleased. There is no strength or power except with thee. (Tabari) While returning from Taif the Holy Prophet also said; Why Should I pray for the destruction of these people? I do hope that their posterity will certainly be among the believers in the one ALLAAH. (Sahih Muslim, Rahmat -ul- liI Alamin)

Magnanimity and grace

The Makkan unbelievers persecuted the Holy Prophet and his followers incessantly for twenty one years. They left no stratagem unused to harass and trouble the worshippers of one ALLAAH and compelled them to leave their hearth and home. But when Makkah was conquered, these worst enemies of Islam were completely at the mercy of the Holy Prophet so much so that just a nod from him would have heads rolling on the dust: But what did actually take place? To the mighty chiefs of Quraish who stood before him bowing their head in fear and shame, the Holy Prophet posed a question, Do you know how I am going to deal with you today? They replied in suppressed tones, O Truthful and Trustworthy one! You are our noble brother and a noble brothers son. We have ever found you merciful. The Holy Prophet said, I tell you the same thing today as Yusuf (Joseph) had told his brothers - No reproach shall be on you this day: Go, I set you all free. (Kitab-ush-Shifa: Ibn Hisham)

His impeccable nature

He was free of the major sins in all his words and deeds. Failure to keep a promise, and evasion of truth knowingly or unknowingly, in health or in illness, in a serious mood or in a light disposition of mind, in anger or in pleasure were quite foreign to his nature. (Nash-rut-tib)