Surah Abasa (He Frowned): Summary of the 80th Chapter of the Holy Quran

Sūrat ʻAbasa "He Frowned" is the 80th surah of the Qur'an with 42 ayahs, part of the 30th Juz. It is a Meccan surah. The Surah is so titled after the word `abasa with which it opens.

Allah, the Almighty, while praises His chosen ones like prophets and messengers profusely in the holy scriptures He revealed onto some, He also admonishes and cautions His chosen ones if they commit something that is not liked. Surah Abasa was revealed on one such occasion. It so happened one day that a chieftain of Makkah was visiting the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Prophet of Allah was trying to persuade him to embrace Islam. While both them were engrossed in a serious discussion, a blind man , Ibn Umm Maktum was one who had accepted Islam at a very early stage at Makkah, approached the prophet and requested him to clarify one his query about Islam. The Holy Prophet disliked his interruption and ignored him Allah did not like this act of the prophet and sent down this 42 versed surah as a caution against his frown and ignoring others. 

It is to be noted that the word used was Abasa, which refers to 'He'. The Quran doesn't directly impose the frowning on Muhammad, But the Quran says "He frowned away", making it widely open for interpretation. Thus as per another interpretation, it is concluded that that the person that frowned away was not the Prophet of Allah, but an elite from Banu Umayya who was sitting with the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). And these verses were descended Abdullah bin Umm Maktum entered and the Makkah chieftain when saw a poverty stricken man coming close to him, he drew himself aside, not to get his dress dirty and contracted his facial expressions, got uneasy. In those verses the God stated his acts and criticized and condemned it. [2]

In this Surah, thus Allah has expressed displeasure against ill-treatment of any low level man. And when the whole Surah is considered objectively, the displeasure, in fact, has been expressed against the disbelieving Quraish, who because of their arrogant attitude and indifference to the truth, were rejecting with contempt the message of truth being conveyed by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). [2]

Here is a segmented translation of the Surah Abasa:

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ 

"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful"

عَبَسَ وَتَوَلّٰٓىۙ‏ 

1. He frowned and turned away

In the first sixteen verses, the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace), by a subtle method, has been made to realize that it was an act unseemly for him. It has been pointed out to the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) that he had overlooked in the preaching of Islam on that occasion, and for teaching him the same Allah first reproved him on his treatment of Ibn Umm Maktum, and then ' told him what really deserved to occupy his attention as preacher of the Truth and what did not. In fact it is told that seekers of guidance should be given preference in conveying Allah's message

( 2 )   Because there came to him the blind man, [interrupting].
( 3 )   But what would make you perceive, [O Muhammad], that perhaps he might be purified
( 4 )   Or be reminded and the remembrance would benefit him?
( 5 )   As for he who thinks himself without need,
( 6 )   To him you give attention.
( 7 )   And not upon you [is any blame] if he will not be purified.
( 8 )   But as for he who came to you striving [for knowledge]
( 9 )   While he fears [Allah],

Verse 10: This is the real point which the Prophet (peace be upon him) had overlooked in the preaching of Islam on that occasion, and for teaching him the same Allah first reproved him on his treatment of Ibn Umm Maktum, and then told him what really deserved to occupy his attention as preacher of the truth and what did not.

( 10 )  you pay no heed to him

There is a man whose apparent state clearly shows that he is a seeker after truth: he fears lest he should follow falsehood and invite Allah’s wrath; therefore, he comes all the way in search of the knowledge of the true faith. There is another man, whose attitude clearly reflects that he has no desire for the truth; rather on the contrary, he regards himself as self sufficient, having no desire to be guided to the right way. Between these two kinds of men one should not see whose becoming a Muslim would be of greater use for Islam and whose becoming a believer could not be of any use in its propagation. But one should see as to who was inclined to accept the guidance and reform himself, and who was least interested in this precious bargain. The first kind of man, whether he is blind, lame, crippled or an indigent mendicant, who might apparently seem incapable of rendering any useful service in the propagation of Islam, is in any case a valuable man for the preacher to the truth. To him therefore he should attend, for the real object of this invitation is to reform the people, and the apparent state of the person shows that if he was instructed he would accept guidance. As for the other kind of man, the preacher has no need to pursue him, no matter how influential he is in society. For his attitude and conduct openly proclaim that he has no desire for reform; therefore, any effort made to reform him would be mere waste of time. If he has no desire to reform himself, he may not, the loss would be his, the preacher would not at all be accountable for it.

( 11 )   No! Indeed, these verses are a reminder;

That is, you should never do so: do not give undue importance to those who have forgotten Allah and become proud of their high worldly position. The teaching of Islam is not such that it should be presented solicitously before him who spurns it, nor should a man like you try to invite these arrogant people to Islam in a way as may cause them the misunderstanding that you have a selfish motive connected with them, and that your mission would succeed only if they believed, otherwise not, whereas the fact is that the truth is as self-sufficient of them as they are of the truth.

( 12 )   So whoever wills may remember it.
( 13 )   [It is recorded] in honored sheets,
( 14 )   Exalted and purified,
( 15 )   [Carried] by the hands of messenger-angels,
( 16 )   Noble and dutiful.

The Prophet has thus been told that he should never give undue importance to those who have forgotten Allah and become proud of their high worldly position, as this may cause a misunderstanding that the Prophet has a selfish motive connected with them, and that his mission would succeed only if they believed, otherwise not, whereas the fact is that the Truth is as self-sufficient of them as they are of the Truth.

The last verse above indicate towards the Holy Qur'an and it is staid that there is no tinge whatever in these scrolls of the impurities with which the other religious books of the world have been polluted. They have been kept pure and secure from all kinds of human speculation and evil suggestions.

From the 17th verse onward till the 32nd verse, the Divine attention turns towards the nonbelievers. Here the mention of "man" does not imply every individual of the human race but the people whose evil traits of character are intended to be censured. At some places the word "man" is used because the evil traits are found in most of human beings, and at others for the reason that if the particular people are pin-pointed for censure, it engenders stubbornness. Therefore, admonition is given in general terms so as to be more effective.

( 17 )   Cursed is man; how disbelieving is he.

From Verse 17 on, the rebuke turns directly against the disbelievers, who were treating the message of the truth with scant attention. Before this, from the beginning of the Surah to verse 16, the address though apparently directed to the Prophet (peace be upon him), was actually meant to reprimand the disbelievers, as if to say: O Prophet (peace be upon him), why are you ignoring a seeker after truth and paying all your attention to those who are worthless from your mission’s point of view? They do not deserve that a great Prophet like you should present a sublime thing like the Quran before them.

At all such places in the Quran, man does not imply every individual of the human race but the people whose evil traits of character are intended to be censured. At some places the word man is used because the evil traits are found in most of human beings, and at others for the reason that if the particular people are pin-pointed for censure, it engenders stubbornness. Therefore, admonition is given in general terms so as to be more effective.

( 18 )   From what substance did He create him?
( 19 )   From a sperm-drop He created him and destined for him;

 That is, let him first consider out of what he was created, where he was nourished and developed, by what way he came into the world, and from what helpless state he began his life in the world. Why does he forget his such beginning and becomes involved in conceit and haughtiness and why does he feel so puffed up as to resist his Creator and stand before Him as an adversary? (The same theme has been expressed in( Surah Ya Seen, Ayats 77-78).

That is, he was yet developing and taking shape in his mother’s womb when his destiny was set for him. It was determined what would be his sex, his color, his size; the extent and volume of his body, the extent to which his limbs would be sound or unsound, his appearance and voice, the degree of physical strength and mental endowments, what would be the land, the family, the conditions and environments in which he would take birth, develop and be molded into a specific person, what would be the hereditary influences and effects of the surroundings and the role and impact of his own self in the make-up of his personality, the part he would play in his life of the world, and how long he would be allowed to function on the earth. He cannot swerve even a hair-breadth from his destiny, nor can effect the slightest alteration in it. Then, how strange is his daring and stubbornness! He commits disbelief of the Creator before Whose destiny he is so helpless and powerless.

( 20 )   Then He eased the way for him;

That is, He created all those means and provisions in the world, which he could utilize, otherwise all the capabilities of his body and mind would have remained useless, had not the Creator provided the means and created the possibilities on the earth to employ them. Furthermore, the Creator also gave him the opportunity to choose and adopt for himself whichever of the ways, good or evil, of gratitude or ingratitude, of obedience or disobedience that he pleased. He opened up both the ways before him and made each way smooth and easy so that he could follow any way that he liked.

( 21 )   Then He causes his death and provides a grave for him.

That is, not only in the matter of birth and destiny but also in the matter of death he is absolutely helpless before his Creator. Neither can he take birth by his choice nor die by his choice, nor can defer his death even by a moment. He dies precisely at the appointed time, in the appointed place, under the appointed circumstances that have been decreed for his death, and he is deposited in the type of grave destined for him whether it is the belly of the earth, the depths of the sea, a bonfire or the stomach of a beast. Nothing to say of the man. The whole world together cannot change the Creator’s decree in respect of any person.

( 22 )   Then when He wills, He will resurrect him.

That is, he does not either have the power to refuse to rise up when the Creator may will to resurrect him after death. When he was first created, he was not consulted: he was not asked whether he wanted to be created or not. Even if he had refused, he would have been created. Likewise, his resurrection is also not dependent upon his will and assent that he may rise from death if he so likes, or refuse to rise if he does not like. In this matter, he is also absolutely helpless before the Creator's will. Whenever He wills, He will resurrect him, and he will have to rise whether he likes it or not.

( 23 )   No! Man has not yet accomplished what He commanded him.

He commanded him: Implies the duty that Allah has enjoined on every man in the form of natural guidance as well as the duty to which man’s own existence and every particle of the universe, from the earth to the heavens, and every manifestation of divine power are pointing, and also that duty which Allah has conveyed in every age through His Prophets and Books and disseminated through the righteous people of every period. (For explanation, see(E.N. 5 of Surah Ad-Dahr). In the present context the object is to express the meaning that on the basis of the truths stated in the above verses, it was man’s duty to have obeyed his Creator, but, contrary to this, he adopted the way of disobedience and did not fulfill the demand of his being His creature.

( 24 )   Then let mankind look at his food 

That is, let him consider the food, which he regards as an ordinary thing, how it is created. Had God not provided the means for it, it was not in the power of man himself to have created the food on the earth in any way.

( 25 )   How We poured down water in torrents,

This refers to rainwater. Water vapors are raised in vast quantities from the oceans by the heat of the sun, then they are turned into thick clouds, then the winds blow and spread them over different parts of the earth, then because of the coolness in the upper atmosphere the vapors turn back to water and fall as rain in every area in a particular measure. The water not only falls as rain directly on the earth but also collects underground in the shape of wells and fountains, flows in the form of rivers and streams, freezes on the mountains as snow and melts and flows into rivers in other seasons as well than the rainy season. Has man himself made all these arrangements? Had his Creator not arranged this for his sustenance, could man survive on the earth.

( 26 )   Then We broke open the earth, splitting [it with sprouts],

Then We split the earth in clefts: Implies cleaving it in a way that the seeds, or seed-stones, or vegetable seedlings that man sows or plants in it, or which are deposited in it by winds or birds, or by some other means, should sprout up. Man can do nothing more than to dig the soil, or plough it, and bury in it the seeds that God has already created. Beyond this everything is done by God. It is He Who has created the seeds of countless species of vegetable; it is He Who has endowed these seeds with the quality that when they are sown in the soil, they should sprout up and from every seed, vegetable of its own particular species should grow. Again it is He Who has created in the earth the capability that in combination with water it should break open the seeds and develop and nourish every species of vegetable with the kind of food suitable for it. Had God not created the seeds with these qualities and the upper layers of the earth with these capabilities, man could not by himself have arranged any kind of food on the earth. [4]

( 27 )   And caused to grow within it grain
( 28 )   And grapes and herbage
( 29 )   And olive and palm trees
( 30 )   And gardens of dense shrubbery
( 31 )   And fruit and grass -
( 32 )   [As] enjoyment for you and your grazing livestock.

The man is reminded of his creation from a drop of dirty water (sperm) and then his elation and the life made easy for him. He was also given  the opportunity to choose and adopt for himself whichever of the ways, good or evil, of gratitude or ingratitude, of obedience or disobedience, that he pleased. He opened up both the ways before him and made each way smooth and easy so that he could follow any way that he liked. But despite all blessings of Allah, he forgets his creation, not thinking for a minute that one day he has to die and to be graved.

And then man is told that the End Day will finally come one day as promised by Allah. The day when man will be all alone, brothers will be separated and mothers will forget about their children. None will be able to help the other. On that day everyone will be presented his deeds, good or bad, weighed and then awarded or punished for which ever end the scale tilted.

( 33 )   But when there comes the Deafening Blast
( 34 )   On the Day a man will flee from his brother
( 35 )   And his mother and his father
( 36 )   And his wife and his children,

A theme closely resembling to this has already occurred in Surah Al-Maarij, Ayats 10-14. Fleeing may also mean that when he sees those nearest and dearest to him in the world, involved in distress, instead of rushing forth to help them, he will run away from them lest they should call out to him for help. And it may also mean that when they see the evil consequences of committing sin for the sake of one another and misleading one another, fearless of God and heedless of the Hereafter, in the world, each one would flee from the other lest the other should hold him responsible for his deviation and sin. Brother will fear brother, children their parents, husband his wife, and parents their children lest they should become witnesses in the case against them.

( 37 )   For every man, that Day, will be a matter adequate for him.

A tradition has been reported in the Hadith by different methods and through different channels, saying that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: On the Day of Resurrection all men will rise up naked. One of his wives (according to some reporters, Aishah, according to others, Saudah, or a woman) asked in bewilderment: O Messenger of Allah, shall we (women) appear naked on that Day before the people. The prophet (peace be upon him) recited this very verse and explained that on that Day each one will have enough of his own troubles to occupy him, and will be wholly unmindful of others. (Nasai, Tirmidhi, Ibn Abi Hatim,

( 38 )   [Some] faces, that Day, will be bright -
( 39 )   Laughing, rejoicing at good news.
( 40 )   And [other] faces, that Day, will have upon them dust.
( 41 )   Blackness will cover them.
( 42 )   Those are the disbelievers, the wicked ones.

Explaining the last set of verses, Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi in his book "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an"  has shared a hadith attributed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): [1]

As per one hadith the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) has been quoted as saying: "On the Day of Resurrection all men will rise up naked." One of his wives (according to some reporters, Hadrat `A'ishah, according to others, Hadrat Saudah, or a woman) asked in bewilderment: "O Messenger of Allah, shall we (women) appear naked on that Day before the people?” The Holy prophet recited these verses and explained that on that Day each one will have enough of his own troubles to occupy him, and will be wholly unmindful of others. 

So beware of one's own deeds from henceforth, for the message for the End Day is very clear: 'Everyone on his very own." And mend ways so that we do not have to be grieved for what bad did we do in this life. May Allah help us chose the righteous way of believers and forgive us all of our sins before we die. Aameen

You may now like to listen to Arabic recitation of Sūrat ʻAbasa with English subtitles:

You may refer to our post "114 Chapters (Sūrahs) of the Holy Qur'an" for translation, meaning and summary of other chapters (Though not complete but building up from 30th Part backwards for chapters in 30th Part are shorter and easier to understand)

Header Calligraphy: Self | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Holy Qur'an from authentic souses and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. However, the exegesis of the chapters of the Holy Quran are basically based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi. In addition the references of  other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites. 

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Mention of the Attributes of the Blessed Believers in the Holy Quran

“Life” is a heartbeat and a pulse. One is alive as long as the heartbeats - something that is not in anyone's control. But “living” is something that is contingent upon one's abilities and aspirations to appreciate the Nature and people around. Those who can communicate well with Nature and people, live a happy and meaningful living. The more one is vibrant and communicative, the more one enjoys, caring less and enjoying more. As Katharine Hepburn once remarked " If you obey all the rules, you’ll miss all the fun."

Now here lies the difference. Living with or without rules. We all have been created by Allah Almighty for some specific purpose, though unknown to us. And we have been given certain rules and guidelines to stay within while living and finding a meaning for our lives. Religions always set forth these guidelines to live a living as desired by our Divine omnipotent Creator. For as long as we live as directed, we shall be among the blessed ones and ultimately rewarded. But if we transgress from rules and live a living of fun, laughter and momentary wordily happiness, we are likely to faulter and get astray and draw the Divine displeasure. 

So unlike the quotation of Katharine Hepburn quoted above of obeying the rules and missing the fun, if a person lives a life as commanded by the guidelines set forth by his faith, one may miss the colours and fun as those rule-less people enjoying, but can be rest assured that one would be rewarded with good not only here but in the hereafter. Such are the people who are blessed and shall be rewarded.

Islam, like all other faiths, lays down guidelines to live a blessed living. The way is hard yet immensely rewarding. While we see people of other faiths who have altogether discarded religion from their lives and making merry and living a limitless life, open and free sex without bounds of decency and marriage, boozing to an extent that one loses control over self and then committing acts one is only regretful when the hangover is over, Muslims have been warned of such living and repeatedly cautioned in the Holy Qur'an and through practical living model of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to chose between wordily desires and heavenly rewards. Wordily desires, a life without rules, would have a disastrous end in the hereafter, while those who prefer rules and live a life within the confines of Divine guidelines will flourish in the heavens in the hereafter.

Herein under are some of the attributes of the people who when live a living as prescribed for them in the Holy Qur'an and have been foretold of them being blessed:

15) Indeed, the righteous will be among gardens and springs, 16) Accepting what their Lord has given them. Indeed, they were before that doers of good., 17) They used to sleep but little of the night, 18) And in the hours before dawn they would ask forgiveness, 10) And from their properties was [given] the right of the [needy] petitioner and the deprived. [Surah Adh-Dhariyat 51:15-19] 

By the righteous it implies those people who believe in the Hereafter when they are given the news of it by the Book of Allah and His Messenger, and adopt the attitude and way of life that they are taught for success in the life hereafter, and refrain from the way about which they had been told that it would involve man in the torment of God. And those sped the major part of their nights in the worship of Allah Almighty and sleep little, and did not follow those who spend their nights in immoral and indecent acts and even never thought of seeking Allah's forgiveness. People who are really pious and righteous, remain ever ready to willingly do whatever good they can, do not let slip any opportunity when they can do some good to the people in the world. The people who recognize the true value of goodness, do not think of helping others as burden for whatever they have has been given by Allah and without His help they could not sustain even a single sin-less day.

16) They arise from [their] beds; they supplicate their Lord in fear and aspiration, and from what We have provided them, 17) And no soul knows what has been hidden for them of comfort for eyes as reward for what they used to do. they spend. [Surah As-Sajdah, 32:16 ]

People worship their Lord instead of enjoying sensuous pleasures at night. They are not like the world-worshipers, who seek entertainments in music and dancing, drinking and merry-making, in the night in order to get relief from the day's fatigue and labor and toil. Instead, when they are free from their day's work and duties, they devote themselves to the adoration of their Lord, spend their nights in His remembrance, tremble out of fear of Him, and pin all their hopes on Him. "Who forsake their beds" does not mean that they do not sleep at all at night, but that they spend a part of the night in Allah's worship.]

The following three verses (134-136) of Surah Al e-Imran, Chapter 3, speak of the people who willingly spend to help others both in times of ease hardships for the sake of Allah, and restrain form anger even when being wronged, for anyone who can restrain one's anger and forgives the wrongdoer is far elevated than that who takes revenge and does not forgive, for we also ask forgiveness for ourselves. If we do not forgive others, how can ask the same for us. And then people who commit an immoral act or sin and still are repentant and ask forgiveness from Allah, then who else is there except Allah who can forgive them? Thus here three things are highlighted: Helping others, restraining one's anger and forgiving, and repenting when having sinned. These are the blessed people who will be granted gardens of Paradise where rivers flow underneath with sweet smelling water.

134) Who spend [in the cause of Allah ] during ease and hardship and who restrain anger and who pardon the people - and Allah loves the doers of good; 135) And those who, when they commit an immorality or wrong themselves [by transgression], remember Allah and seek forgiveness for their sins - and who can forgive sins except Allah ? - and [who] do not persist in what they have done while they know. 136) Those - their reward is forgiveness from their Lord and gardens beneath which rivers flow [in Paradise], wherein they will abide eternally; and excellent is the reward of the [righteous] workers. 

In  Surah Ash-Shuraa [42:37-38], those blessed people have been mentioned who are pious and temperate and cool minded: they are not revengeful but forbearing and forgiving by nature. If ever they feel angry at something they control their rage. This characteristic is the best of man's qualities. In fact this attribute has been a major factor of the Holy Prophet's success. According to Hadrat 'A'ishah, 'The Holy Messenger of Allah never avenged himself on anybody, however, when a thing enjoined to be held sacred by Allah was desecrated, he would award the punishment." (Bukhari, Muslim)

37) And those who avoid the major sins and immoralities, and when they are angry, they forgive, 38) And those who have responded to their lord and established prayer and whose affair is [determined by] consultation among themselves, and from what We have provided them, they spend. 

The last verse above imply:

(1) "They spend only out of what lawful provisions We have given them: they do not touch unlawful things for supplementing their expenditure. " (2) "They do not set aside the provisions granted by us, but spend them. " (3) "They spend out of what they have been given in the cause of Allah also: they do not reserve everything for personal use only."

But for him who [the true believer of Islamic Monotheism who performs all the duties ordained by Allah and His Messenger Muhammad , and keeps  away (abstain) from all kinds of sin and evil deeds prohibited in Islam and fears standing before his Lord], says Allah in last portion of Surah Ar Rahman: [1]

There will be two Gardens (i.e. in Paradise). With spreading branches; In them (both) will be two springs flowing (free), In them (both) will be every kind of fruit in pairs. Reclining upon the couches lined with silk brocade, and the fruits of the two Gardens will be near at hand. Wherein both will be those (maidens) restraining their glances upon their husbands, whom no man or jinn before them. (In beauty) they are like rubies and coral. Is there any reward for good other than good? And besides these two, there are two other Gardens (i.e. in Paradise). Dark green (in colour). In them (both) will be two springs gushing forth water.  In them (both) will be fruits, and date- palms and pomegranates. Therein (gardens) will be fair (wives) good and beautiful;  Houris (beautiful, fair females) restrained in pavilions; Whom no man or jinn have ever touched before. Reclining on green cushions and rich beautiful mattresses. 

Wouldn't you after reading this like to induce attributions of the blessed in you to be blessed and awarded Jannah, Paradise?

Photo: Jalal HB | References: | 1 | 2 | 

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Misleading Concept of Moon god Allah

Since emergence of Islam as one of the dominant religion, the people of the earlier Divine Books and faith, specially the Jews and Christians have started to feel a threat to their faiths as more and more people of other faiths are converting to Islam everyday that passes. For this very reason, we usually come across abject propaganda by them in the shape of hate literature and caricatures.

In one of our earlier posts "Jewish perception of Islam as Idolatrous" we put across a misleading perception by the Jews labeling Islam as Idolatrous by contending that the Muslims worshiped Muhammad (The revered last prophet of Allah) rather than the God the Jews worshiped. Please read our post on the subject with reference given below.

Today, I came across yet another concept, this time by the Christians, in which they believe that Muslims believe in the "moon god" as was done in the times before Islam. The idea was proposed by archaeologist Hugo Winckler in 1901. It was proliferated in the United States in the 1990s, first via the publication of Robert Morey's pamphlet The Moon-god Allah: In Archeology of the Middle East (1994), eventually followed by his book The Islamic Invasion: Confronting The World's Fastest-Growing Religion (2001). Morey's ideas were popularized by cartoonist and publisher Jack Chick, who drew a fictionalized cartoon story entitled "Allah Had No Son" in 1994. [1]

Many websites of Bible Societies and even otherwise of individual Christians have tried to prove that the moon-god found in the pre-Islamic era, both in Arabia and otherwise is in fact the same Allah that Muslims worship after Muhammad (peace be upon him, the Prophet of Allah) introduced "his" religion to come up with a religion to contest that of Jews and Christians. And have thus tried to present many photos of artifacts and relics showing worship of moon. They also content that Allah is the name derived from the moon-gods.

Then there is yet another question posed by the Christians: "Why is Allah never defined in the Qur'an? Why did Muhammad assume that the pagan Arabs already knew who Allah was?" Muhammad was raised in the religion of the Moon-god Allah. But he went one step further than his fellow pagan Arabs. While they believed that Allah, i.e. the Moon-god, was the greatest of all gods and the supreme deity in a pantheon of deities, Muhammad decided that Allah was not only the greatest god but the only god. My only reaction here is from my Christian friends: Has God been "defined" in the Old or New Testaments or an other holy scriptures before Islam? They wont find an answer to this but Holy Qur'an very clearly defines Allah in Allah's own words in the Holy Qur'an. In fact, one of the main themes of the Quran is to describe Allah and his oneness his attributes and actions. Here are some excerpts from the Holy Qur'an:

إِنَّنِي أَنَا اللَّـهُ لَا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا أَنَا فَاعْبُدْنِي وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ لِذِكْرِي 

Allah Himself tells who He is: "Indeed, I am Allah. There is no other god except Me. So, worship Me and establish prayer for My remembrance." [Al Quran, Surah Ta Ha, Chapter 20, verse 14]

Allah - there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of [all] existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great. [Al Qur'an, Chapter 2, Surah Albaqarh, 255]

[All] praise is [due] to Allah , who created the heavens and the earth and made the darkness and the light. Then those who disbelieve equate [others] with their Lord. It is He who created you from clay and then decreed a term and a specified time [known] to Him; then [still] you are in dispute. And He is Allah , [the only deity] in the heavens and the earth. He knows your secret and what you make public, and He knows that which you earn. [Al Quran, Surah Al-An'am Chapter 6 verses 1-3] 

It is He who made the sun a shining light and the moon a derived light and determined for it phases - that you may know the number of years and account [of time]. Allah has not created this except in truth. He details the signs for a people who know. {Al Quran Surah Yunus Chapter 10, verse 5] 

There can be no more proofs that Christians would want, as these are just three references that define Allah.

It is very amazing that the Christians have tried to correlate the word Allah with moon-god while forgetting that Allah is an Arabic word and in the lands of Arab the Arabic language has been there since centuries. They object to word Allah as if Muhammad (peace be upon him, the Prophet of Allah) had coined it. It may be recalled that name "Allah" was in use even  before the birth of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).  A proof of that is his father was named as Abdullah (meaning: servant of Allah). Therefore it should not be misunderstood that the name of Allah was introduced by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

The word Allah as translation of God also appears in countless Bibles translated into Arabic, but strangely then no Christian objects to it. Sarah Lynn Johnson, a Christian Woman married to Muslim Man also substantiate this contention in an question -answer session on "Why do some non-Muslims say Allah was the moon god of Arab polytheists before Islam?" says: 

Allah is the Arabic word for God. Arab Christians also call God, “Allah.” Anyone who speaks Arabic will do this because that is the word in Arabic. My husband is Egyptian; when he refers to God while speaking English, he calls him God. When he is speaking Arabic, he calls him Allah. [2]

I came across an interesting revelation in one of the Christian sites which claimed that "The reader must know that Islam, Judaism, and organized Christianity all worship a trinity of gods." Now this is the most absurd statement I have ever come across. I as a Muslim know that all Muslims squarely and flatly reject the concept of Trinity (Father, son and the holy ghost) as all Muslims strictly believe in one monotheist Allah and reject all forms of polytheism. 

In order to be a Muslim, one must surrender oneself to God, and believe in the oneness of God, in the sense of His being the only Creator, Preserver and Nourisher. Having believed in oneness of Allah, a Must also acknowledge the Allah alone deserves to be worshiped, and thus abstains from worshiping any other thing or being.

Now coming back to the concept of moon-god Allah. In the Holy Qur'an, Allah makes it very clear that all landmarks like sun, moon and stars and every celestial object are His signs of creation and are NOT to bow down to:

"And from among His Signs are the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. Do not bow down (prostrate) to the sun nor to the moon, but only bow down (prostrate) to "Allah" Who created them, if you (really) worship Him." [Holy Quran Surah Fussilat, 41st Chapter, verses 37-43]

If this commandment does not satisfy the proponents of moon-god Allah, then they may like to read the following verse regarding the status of moon:

"They ask you about the new moons. Say: These are signs to mark fixed periods of time for mankind and for the pilgrimage." [Holy Quran Surah Al Baqarah Chapter 2, verse 189]

The above two verses, thus clearly and amply make it clear that the celestial landmarks are signs of Allah's creation and to mark fixed periods of time (through sun) of the day and days and months (through moon).

Now as for the usage of moon on most of the flags of the Islamic countries does not mean that Muslims revere moon. In fact in the early days of Islam and of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Islamic armies and caravans flew simple solid-colored flags (generally black, green, or white) for identification purposes. In later generations, the Muslim leaders continued to use a simple black, white or green flag with no markings, writing, or symbolism of any kind.

In fact the use of the crescent symbol on Muslim flags and roof finial on Islamic buildings originated when the Ottoman Empire won over the city of Byzantium (later known as Constantinople and Istanbul) and adopted the crescent moon and star of the Byzantium's existing flag and symbol. Thereafter other Muslim countries too started using the crescent and star combination in their flags and roof finial on masjid. [3]

No matter what idols related to the moon god have been discovered of the pre-Islam era, this does not have any effect on the post Islam era. In fact right from the day the message of Allah dawned on to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), there was no doubt as to the oneness of Allah, the one true God that was henceforth to be followed and worshiped. And with the capture of Makkah, the first thing that the Prophet of Allah dis was wipe out all 360 plus idols kept in and outside of Ka'aba and restored it as a pure and clean house of Allah as was built by Prophet Abrahim (Abraham) and his son Ismael (peace be upon them both). And thus from that day on, Islam wiped out all traces of idolatry and pagan practices from Arabia. Did any idol of moon-god figured out thereafter?

And last point to end up the useless discussion originated by the Christians to find a lame excuse to propagate against the Muslims. Over the years, the crescent moon has become a symbol of Muslim faith, like the Star of David for Jewish people, and the Cross for Christians. Muslims don’t worship the moon, nor do Jewish people worship stars or Christians worship the letter t. Please ponder over it !!

Please read a detailed Reply to Robert Morey's Moon-God Allah Myth: A Look At The Archaeological Evidence

You may read more posts on countering / responding to lies / misinformation and disinformation about Islam: The Rebuttal: Countering disinformation being spread about Islam (Reference Page)

Photo | References: | Jewish perception of Islam as Idolatrous | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

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Surah Al-Fatiha - The Opener: The Exegesis of First Surah / Chapter of Qur'an

Alhamdolillah, this is our second post on the series of posts that we shall be undertaking, In Sha Allah, to present to our readers the exegesis / tafsir of the all 144 surahs of the Qur'an. The exegesis / Tafsir of each surah will be based on the lifelong work of some of the greatest and eminent Muslim scholars so that our viewers can compare the work of each scholar and accrue maximum benefit in understand the Qur'an. We will also embed the videos of recitation of each surah in Arabic with English subtitles in the summary of each surah, while we add videos of scholars explaining their viewpoint in the posts covering the exegesis / tafsir of the surahs.

In our first post we presented the Summary of the First Surah of the Qur'an. Now in this post we present the detailed explanation / tafsir and exegesis of the first Surah of the Qur'an: Surah Al-Fātiḥah, The Opening. This has seven verses and is a Makki/Meccan surah, meaning by this this surah was revealed on to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in Makkah before his Hijrah / migration to city of Medina. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has been oft been quoted as saying: "By Him in Whose Hand is my soul! Allah has never revealed in the Tawrah (Torah), the Injil (Bible), the Zabur  (Psalms) or the Furqan a Surah like Sūrah al-Fātiḥah. It is the seven repeated verses that I was given."

Surah Al Fatihah is said to be the first COMPLETE surah to have been revealed completely in one go.

This Surah is in fact a prayer which Allah has taught to all those who want to make a study of His book. It has been placed at the very beginning of the Qur'an to teach this lesson to the reader: if you sincerely want to benefit from the Qur'an, you should offer this prayer to the Lord of the Universe.

Please read the summary of Sūrah al-Fātiḥah which will reveal to you that the this Sūrah is divided into three parts. Let us now begin with the exegesis / tafsir of each ayah / verse by eminent Muslim scholars whose names are given at the end of this post.

بِسۡمِ اللهِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِيۡمِ 

( 1 )   In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

Islamic culture requires a man to commence everything with the name of Allah. If this is done consciously and sincerely, it will surely produce three good results. First, it will keep him away from evil, because the very name of Allah will impel him to consider whether he is justified in associating His name with a wrong deed or an evil intention. Secondly, the very mention of the name of Allah will create in him the right attitude of mind and direct him to the right direction. Thirdly, he will receive Allah's help and blessing and will be protected from the temptations of Satan, for Allah turns to a man when he turns to Him.

The Virtue of Bismillah: Ibn-Kathir quotes Imam Ahmad in saying that it is recorded in his Musnad, that a person who was riding behind the Prophet said, "The Prophet's animal tripped, so I said, `Cursed Shaytan.' The Prophet said,

(Do not say, 'Cursed Shaytan,' for if you say these words, Satan becomes arrogant and says, 'With my strength I made him fall.' When you say, 'Bismillah,' Satan will become as small as a fly.)

Further, An-Nasa'i recorded in his book Al-Yawm wal-Laylah, and also Ibn Marduwyah in his Tafsir that Usamah bin `Umayr said, "I was riding behind the Prophet...'' and he mentioned the rest of the above Hadith. The Prophet said in this narration,

(Do not say these words, because then Satan becomes larger; as large as a house. Rather, say, 'Bismillah,' because Satan then becomes as small as a fly.)

This is the blessing of reciting Bismillah.

Muhammad Asad Explanation: According to most of the authorities, this invocation (which occurs at the beginning of every surah with the exception of surah 9) constitutes an integral part of "The Opening" and is, therefore, numbered as verse {1}. In all other instances, the invocation "in the name of God" precedes the surah as such, and is not counted among its verses. - Both the divine epithets rahman and rahim are derived from the noun rahmah, which signifies "mercy", "compassion", "loving tenderness" and, more comprehensively, "grace". From the very earliest times, Islamic scholars have endeavoured to define the exact shades of meaning which differentiate the two terms. The best and simplest of these explanations is undoubtedly the one advanced by Ibn al-Qayyim (as quoted in Manar I,48): the term rahman circumscribes the quality of abounding grace inherent in, and inseparable from, the concept of God's Being, whereas rahim expresses the manifestation of that grace in, and its effect upon, His creation - in other words, an aspect of His activity.

Yusuf Ali  Explanation: The Arabic words "Rahman" and "Rahim" translated "Most Gracious" and "Most Merciful" are both intensive forms referring to different aspects of God's attribute of Mercy. The Arabic intensive is more suited to express God's attributes than the superlative degree in English. The latter implies a comparison with other beings, or with other times or places, while there is no being like unto God, and He is independent of Time and Place. Mercy may imply pity, long-suffering, patience, and forgiveness, all of which the sinner needs and God Most Merciful bestows in abundant measure. But there is a Mercy that goes before even the need arises, the Grace which is ever watchful, and flows from God Most Gracious to all His creatures, protecting the, preserving them, guiding them, and leading them to clearer light and higher life. For this reason the attribute Rahman (Most Gracious) is not applied to any but God, but the attribute Rahim (Merciful), is a general term, and may also be applied to Men. To make us contemplate these boundless gifts of God, the formula: "In the name of God Most Gracious, Most Merciful": is placed before every Sura of the Qur-an (except the ninth), and repeated at the beginning of every act by the Muslim who dedicates his life to God, and whose hope is in His Mercy.

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation: This verse occurs at the start of every sūrah except Sūrah 9. al-Tawbah in the same manner as it occurs here. Consequently, though it is certainly a verse of the Qur’ān and was revealed in this manner at the beginning of its sūrahs and written at the behest of the Almighty, it is not a part of any sūrah including Sūrah Fātiḥah. It has an independent status at all these places. The words اِقْرَاْهُ عَلَي النَّاس are understood to be implied in it in accordance with linguistic principles. The overall rendering would thus be: “In the name of God, the Most Gracious the Ever Merciful, read out this sūrah before the people O Prophet!” Viewed thus, the particle ب indicates authority and the verse itself is a manifestation of a prediction made in the Old Testament regarding the Prophet Muhammad (sws). According to this prediction, he would present the words of God before people in the very name of God:

 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put My words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. If anyone does not listen to My words that the prophet speaks in My name, I myself will call him to account. (Deuteronomy, 18:18)

اَلۡحَمۡدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الۡعٰلَمِيۡنَۙ‏ 

( 2 )   [All] praise is [due] to Allah, Lord of the worlds -

It has been stated in the Introduction to this Surah that AI-Fatihah is a prayer. It begins with the praise of Allah to Whom it is addressed in order to teach us the right way of making a supplication. We should not put forward our request bluntly and abruptly without an appropriate introduction. The right way is to acknowledge the excellences and the favors and the high position of the One to Whom we address our prayer. That is why we begin our prayer with the praise of Allah, for He is the perfection of all excellences and .is also our Benefactor. We pay homage to Allah to show that we sincerely acknowledge His excellences and also are grateful to Him for His countless favours. It should also be noted that not only Praise is for Allah but also Praise is only for Allah. This distinction is very important because it cuts at the root of the worship of any of His creation. As none of them is worthy of praise, none is worthy of worship. No man, no angel, no prophet, no so-called god, no star, no idol, in short. none of His creation inherently possesses any good quality. If one has any, it is given by Allah. Hence the Creator of these qualities alone deserves devotion, worship, gratitude, and none of His creation.

The word Rab which has been translated into `Lord' stands for (a) Master and Owner, (b) Sustainer, Provider and Guardian, (c) Sovereign, Ruler, Administrator and Organizer. Allah is the Lord of the Universe in all these senses.

Muhammad Asad Explanation: In this instance, the term "worlds" denotes all categories of existence both in the physical and the spiritual sense. The Arabic expression rabb - rendered by me as "Sustainer" - embraces a wide complex of meanings not easily expressed by a single term in another language. It comprises the ideas of having a just claim to the possession of anything and, consequently, authority over it, as well as of rearing, sustaining and fostering anything from its inception to its final completion. Thus, the head of a family is called rabb ad-dar ("master of the house") because he has authority over it and is responsible for its maintenance; similarly, his wife is called rabbat ad-dar ("mistress of the house"). Preceded by the definite article al, the designation rabb is applied, in the Qur'an, exclusively to God as the sole fosterer and sustainer of all creation - objective as well as conceptual - and therefore the ultimate source of all authority.

Yusuf Ali  Explanation: The Arabic word Rabb, usually translated Lord, has also the meaning of cherishing, sustaining, bringing to maturity. God cares for all the worlds He has created.

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation: "Gratitude" The actual word is: اَلْحَمْد. In the Arabic language, this word is used to acknowledge the qualities and excellence of someone and if the person who expresses this word also benefits from the said qualities and excellence, the element of gratitude automatically enters the meaning of the word. It is evident from verse 43 of Sūrah al-A‘rāf, verse 10 of Sūrah Yūnus and verse 39 of Sūrah Ibrāhīm that in the expression اَلۡحَمۡدُ لِلّٰهِ the word اَلۡحَمۡد is used to connote gratitude. In this particular sūrah, it portrays the sentiments of gratitude and appreciation that one is filled with or should be filled with after viewing the unfathomable providence and profound mercy of the Almighty and the reminder of the prophets of God regarding the reward and punishment that is to take place in the Hereafter.

"is for God only," The word اللّٰه has been constructed by prefixing the article ال to the word اِلَه. Before the revelation of the Qur’ān, in the pre-Islamic Arab society this name was always used for the Almighty specifically as the Creator of the Universe and of every living being. The people of Arabia practiced polytheism, yet they never equated any of their deities with the Almighty.

"the Lord of the universe," The actual words are: رَبِّ الۡعٰلَمِيۡنَ. The word رَبّ means “the Cherisher” and “the Sustainer.” As a natural outcome of this meaning, the word came to be used in the sense of “Lord” and “Master” and such was the predominance of this usage that it no longer came to be used in the Arabic language in its original meaning. The attribute رَبِّ الۡعٰلَمِيۡنَ and other attributes mentioned thereafter are actually the basis for the expression of gratitude with which the sūrah begins. Even so, these attributes have not been mentioned in a corroborative way. They are rather mentioned as an acknowledgement of an obvious reality. The implied meaning being that gratitude is for He who is the Lord of the universe. Since we are His creation, therefore He is our Lord as well. As soon as we enter this world, we are cherished and sustained by Him. Various means and resources have been directed by Him to carry out this task even before our arrival. As long as we remain alive, we witness how fervently the sun, the moon, the winds and various other elements of nature continue to serve our needs. They diligently serve us because He in whose hands are their reins does not let them deviate in the slightest manner from their sphere of activity and from the purpose of their creation. The expression رَبِّ الۡعٰلَمِيۡنَ signifies this very reality.

الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِيۡمِۙ‏ 

( 3 )   The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful,

Although the Arabic word Rahman itself is in the superlative form and denotes the attributes of beneficence and mercy in the highest degree, even this word fails to express the boundless extent of these attributes of Allah. Hence another word Rahim of the same root has been added to make up for the deficiency.

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation: The actual words are: الرَّحۡمٰن and الرَّحِيۡم. Although both these words are attributes from the root word رَحْمَة, there is a great difference in their meanings. While explaining this difference, 

Imām Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī writes:  The noun رَحْمَان (raḥmān) is in the intensive form of فَعْلان (fa‘lān), (eg. سَكْرَان (sakrān) and غَضْبَان (gaḍbān)), while the noun رَحِيْم (raḥīm) is an adjective of the form فَعِيْل (fa‘īl) (eg. عَلِيْم (‘alīm) and كَرِيْم karīm)). A look at the usage of the Arabic language shows that the form فَعْلان (fa‘lān) expresses great fervency and enthusiasm, while the form فَعِيْل (fa‘īl) expresses steadiness and perpetuity. In other words, the first depicts vigour and the second constancy in God’s mercy. A little deliberation shows that the Almighty’s mercy on His creation possesses both these characteristics. The enthusiasm and warmth is complemented by permanence. It is not that His attribute of رَحْمَان (raḥmān) induced Him to create, and He later forgot to foster and sustain His creation. Indeed, He nourishes and takes proper care of them because He is رَحِيْم (raḥīm) as well. Whenever a person invokes His help, He hears his calls and accepts his prayers. Also, His blessings are not confined to this world only. Those who lead their lives according to the path prescribed by Him shall be blessed with eternal life and joy. It must be conceded that all these aspects cannot be comprehended without an integrated understanding of these attributes. (Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī, Tadabbur-i Qur’ān, vol. 1, 48-49)

After a mention of رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ, the reality which both the above attributes reveal is that it cannot be concluded – and certainly cannot be concluded – that the Almighty Who has made such an elaborate arrangement to nourish and sustain this universe has any selfish interests in its creation or is under obligation to someone to fulfil which He has created this universe or needs assistance in sustaining it. When this is not the case, then without any doubt the only reason for our creation is that He is الرَّحْمَان and الرَّحِيْم. It is His fervent mercy that made Him create us, and it is His abiding mercy that we are perpetually benefiting from.

Note: Please read a detailed post on the two attributes  الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ mentioned in the first verse here.

مٰلِكِ يَوۡمِ الدِّيۡنِؕ‏ 

( 4 )   Sovereign of the Day of Recompense.

After saying that Allah is Beneficent and Merciful, it has immediately been added that He is the Master of the Day of Judgment, so that the qualities of mercy and kindness might not mislead anyone into forgetting that on that Day He will gather together all human beings from the first to the last and require each and every one to give an account of all of one's acts to Him. A Muslim should, therefore, always keep in view the fact that Allah is not only Merciful, but He is also Just. He has, however, full authority to pardon or punish anyone He pleases, for He has complete power over everything. Therefore we should have full conviction that it lies absolutely in His power to make our end happy or sorrowful.

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation: The implied meaning being that it is the requisite of His continual and abiding mercy that one day He set up His court of justice in a manner where he wields supreme authority and everyone bows to Him in total submission. He would then decide all cases by Himself and no one would be able to influence His decisions in any manner.

اِيَّاكَ نَعۡبُدُ وَاِيَّاكَ نَسۡتَعِيۡنُؕ‏ 

( 5 )   It is You we worship and You we ask for help.

The Arabic word ibadat is used in three senses: (a)worship and devotion, (b) submission and obedience, (c) subjection and servitude. Here it implies all the three, that is, We are Thy worshipers, Thy subjects and Thy slaves and We keep these relations with Thee and Thee alone and "We make none else the object of our worship in all the three senses."

"You we ask for help" It means, We ask for Thy help because we know that Thou art the Lord of the whole Universe and Thou hast all powers and Thou art the Master of every thing. Therefore we turn to Thee for help for the fulfillment of our needs and requirements.

Tafsir Ibn Katir: Linguistically, `Ibadah means subdued. For instance, a road is described as Mu`abbadah, meaning, `paved'. In religious terminology, `Ibadah implies the utmost love, humility and fear.

The Merit of stating the Object of the Action before the Doer of the Act, and the Merit of these Negations

"You...'', means, we worship You alone and none else, and rely on You alone and none else. This is the perfect form of obedience and the entire religion is implied by these two ideas. Some of the Salaf said, Al-Fatihah is the secret of the Qur'an, while these words are the secret of Al-Fatihah,

(5 إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ You we worship, and You we ask for help from.)

The first part is a declaration of innocence from Shirk (polytheism), while the second negates having any power or strength, displaying the recognition that all affairs are controlled by Allah alone. This meaning is reiterated in various instances in the Qur'an. 

For instance, Allah said:

 (فَاعْبُدْهُ وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَيْهِ وَمَا رَبُّكَ بِغَـفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ (So worship Him (O Muhammad ) and put your trust in Him. And your Lord is not unaware of what you (people) do.) (11:123),

(قُلْ هُوَ الرَّحْمَـنُ ءَامَنَّا بِهِ وَعَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْنَا Say: "He is the Most Gracious (Allah), in Him we believe, and in Him we put our trust.'') (67:29),

(رَّبُّ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ فَاتَّخِذْهُ وَكِيلاً (He alone is) the Lord of the east and the west; La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He).

So take Him alone as Wakil (Disposer of your affairs)), (73:9), and,

We should mention that in this Ayah, the type of speech here changes from the third person to direct speech by using the Kaf in the statement Iyyaka (You). This is because after the servant praised and thanked Allah, he stands before Him, addressing Him directly; So take Him alone as Wakil (Disposer of your affairs)), (73:9), 

Al-Fatihah indicates the Necessity of praising Allah. It is required in every Prayer.

The beginning of Surat Al-Fatihah contains Allah's praise for Himself by His most beautiful Attributes and indicates to His servants that, they too, should praise Him in the same manner. Hence, the prayer is not valid unless one recites Al-Fatihah, if he is able. 

The Two Sahihs recorded that `Ubadah bin As-Samit said that the Messenger of Allah said,

«لَا صَلَاةَ لِمَنْ لَمْ يَقْرَأْ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ» (There is no valid prayer for whoever does not recite Al-Fatihah of the Book.)

Also, it is recorded in Sahih Muslim that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said; (Allah said, `I divided the prayer into two halves between Myself and My servant, one half is for Me and one half for My servant. My servant shall have what he asks for.' When the servant says,

(الْحَمْدُ للَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ All praise and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of all that exists.), Allah says, `My servant has praised Me.' When the servant says,

(الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful), Allah says, `My servant has praised Me.' When the servant says,

(مَـلِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ  The Owner of the Day of Recompense), Allah says, `My servant has glorified Me.' If the servant says,

 

(إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ You we worship, and You we ask for help), Allah says, `This is between Me and My servant, and My servant shall have what he asked.' If the servant says,

(اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ - صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ الضَّآلِّينَ Guide us to the straight path. The path of those on whom You have bestowed Your grace, not (that) of those who have earned Your anger, nor of those who went astray), Allah says, `This is for My servant, and My servant shall have what he asked.')

Tawhid Al-Uluhiyyah: Ad-Dahhak narrated that Ibn `Abbas said,

(إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ You we worship) means, "It is You whom we single out, Whom we fear and Whom we hope in, You alone, our Lord, and none else.

 Tawhid Ar-Rububiyyah

(وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ And You we ask for help from), to obey you and in all of our affairs.'' Further, Qatadah said that the Ayah,

إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ

(You we worship, and You we ask for help from) "Contains Allah's command to us to perform sincere worship for Him and to seek His aid concerning all of our affairs.'' Allah mentioned,

(إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ You we worship) before,

(وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ And You we ask for help from), because the objective here is the worship, while Allah's help is the tool to implement this objective. Certainly, one first takes care of the most important aspects and then what is less important, and Allah knows best.

 Allah called His Prophet an `Abd

Allah called His Messenger an `Abd (servant) when He mentioned sending down His Book, the Prophet's involvement in inviting to Him, and when mentioning the Isra' (overnight journey from Makkah to Jerusalem and then to heaven), and these are the Prophet's most honorable missions. Allah said,

(الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِى أَنْزَلَ عَلَى عَبْدِهِ الْكِتَـبَ All praise and thanks be to Allah, Who has sent down to His servant (Muhammad ) the Book (the Qur'an)) (18:1),

(وَأَنَّهُ لَّمَا قَامَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ يَدْعُوهُ And when the servant of Allah (Muhammad ) stood up invoking Him (his Lord ـ Allah in prayer)), (72:19) and,

(سُبْحَانَ الَّذِى أَسْرَى بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلاً Glorified (and Exalted) be He (Allah) (above all that they associate with Him) Who took His servant (Muhammad ) for a journey by night) (17:1).

 

Encouraging the Performance of the Acts of Worship during Times of Distress: Allah also recommended that His Prophet resort to acts of worship during times when he felt distressed because of the disbelievers who defied and denied him. Allah said,

(وَلَقَدْ نَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ يَضِيقُ صَدْرُكَ بِمَا يَقُولُونَ - فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَكُنْ مِّنَ السَّـجِدِينَ - وَاعْبُدْ رَبَّكَ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَكَ الْيَقِينُ Indeed, We know that your breast is straitened at what they say. So glorify the praises of your Lord and be of those who prostrate themselves (to Him). And worship your Lord until there comes unto you the certainty (i.e. death)) (15:97-99).

Why Praise was mentioned First: Since the praise of Allah, Who is being sought for help, was mentioned, it was appropriate that one follows the praise by asking for his need. We stated that Allah said,

(فَنِصْفُهَا لِي وَنِصْفُهَا لِعَبْدِي، وَلِعَبْدِي مَا سَأَلَ One half for Myself and one half for My servant, and My servant shall have what he asked.)

This is the best method for seeking help, by first praising the one whom help is sought from and then asking for His aid, and help for one's self, and for his Muslim brethren by saying.

(اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ Guide us to the straight path.)

This method is more appropriate and efficient in bringing about a positive answer to the pleas, and this is why Allah recommended this better method.

Asking for help may take the form of conveying the condition of the person who is seeking help. For instance, the Prophet Moses said,

(رَبِّ إِنِّى لِمَآ أَنزَلْتَ إِلَىَّ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَقِيرٌ My Lord! Truly, I am in need of whatever good that You bestow on me!) (28:24).

Also, one may first mention the attributes of whoever is being asked, such as what Dhun-Nun said,

(لاَّ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ أَنتَ سُبْحَـنَكَ إِنِّى كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّـلِمِينَ La ilaha illa Anta (none has the right to be worshipped but You (O Allah)), Glorified (and Exalted) be You (above all that they associate with You)! Truly, I have been of the wrongdoers) (21:87).

Further, one may praise Him without mentioning what he needs.

Yusuf Ali  Explanation: On realizing in our souls God's love and care, His grace and mercy, and His power and justice (as Ruler of the Day of Judgment), the immediate result is that we bend in the act of worship, and see both our shortcomings and His all-sufficient power. The emphatic form means that not only do we reach the position of worshipping God and asking for His help, but we worship Him alone and ask for His aid only. For there is none other than He worthy of our devotion and able to help us. The plural "we" indicates that we associate ourselves with all who seek God, thus strengthening ourselves and strengthening them in a fellowship of faith.

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation:  The word عِبَادَة is primarily used in Arabic for “humility” and “submission.” In the Qur’ān, it is specifically used for the humility and servility a person shows to His Creator. The basic manifestation of this trait is definitely worship; however, since a person also has a practical life in this world, this “worship” takes a step further and necessarily relates to this practical life as well and in this manner becomes inclusive of obedience. At that time, it requires a person to lower his outer-self before the being before whom his inner-self has also bent down; the ruler of his inner-self should also rule his deeds and actions, leaving no sphere of human activity an exception to this submissiveness. It is this very worship which, according to the verse, a person cleansing it from any slightest tinge of polytheism, should express specifically for the Almighty. Consequently, the verse does not merely say that we human beings worship the Almighty; it emphasizes that we worship only the Almighty and seek His help only. After this confession and acknowledgement, there is obviously nothing that a person can give to others and there is nothing for which he needs to ask of others. Consequently, in matters of worship and in other affairs of life, He asks only the Almighty for help. A little deliberation shows that this seeking of help from the Almighty in the form of this confession and acknowledgement is a natural outcome of the sentiment of gratitude with which the sūrah began.

اِهۡدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الۡمُسۡتَقِيۡمَۙ‏ 

( 6 )   Guide us to the straight path -

That is, "Show us that way which may lead us aright in every walk of life and keep us absolutely free from errors and evil consequences and bring us success in the end." , This is the request which the servant of Allah makes to Him when he begins the study of the Qur'an. He prays to Him to guide him in every walk of life and save him from the labyrinths of doubt and uncertainty, which result from the lack of true knowledge. The servant also requests the Master to show him the right and the straight way of life from among the many by-paths and crooked ways.

Yusuf Ali  Explanation: If we translate by the English word "guide," we shall have to say: "Guide us to and in the straight Way." For we many be wandering aimlessly, and the first step is to find the Way; and the second need is to keep in the Way: our own wisdom may fail in either case. The straight Way is often the narrow Way, or the steep Way, which many people shun (xc.11). By the world's perversity the straight Way is sometimes stigmatized and the crooked Way praised. How are we to judge? We must ask for God's guidance. With a little spiritual insight we shall see which are the people who walk in the light of God's grace, and which are those that walk in the darkness of Wrath. This also would help our judgment.

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation: " Bestow on us the guidance " The verb اِهْدِنَا occurs here without the preposition اِلٰي. Thus, according to linguistic principles, the expression اِهۡدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الۡمُسۡتَقِيۡمَ now does not simply mean “give us guidance.” More aspects are added to this; ie., “set our hearts on this path; instil in us the desire to tread this path, give us the resolve and determination to stay on this path and guide us in its ups and downs, and forever give us the urge to tread on it in this manner.”

" of the straight path " The actual words are: اِهۡدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الۡمُسۡتَقِهۡمَ. The article ال signifies عهد (definition). That is the straight path which has been explained in the next verse.

صِرَاطَ الَّذِيۡنَ اَنۡعَمۡتَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ ‏ غَيۡرِ الۡمَغۡضُوۡبِ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا الضَّآلِّيۡنَ‏ 

( 7 )   The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray.

The straight way for which we are praying is the way which has always been followed by the people favored by Thee and which has always brought Thy favors and blessings.

This is to show that the favored people are not those who go astray and incur the wrath of Allah, though apparently they might be enjoying the transitory good things of life. The really favored people are those who receive blessings on account of their righteous living. From this it also becomes clear that by favors are meant those real and permanent rewards, which result from righteous living and from winning the pleasure of Allah, and not those transitory good things of life which have been enjoyed even by the tyrants and worshipers of mammon and which are being enjoyed even today by all sorts of evildoers who have gone astray from the straight way.

Muhammad Asad Explanation: " the way of those upon whom Thou hast bestowed Thy blessings " I.e., by vouchsafing to them prophetic guidance and enabling them to avail themselves thereof.

"not of those who have been condemned [by Thee], nor of those who go astray!" According to almost all the commentators, God's "condemnation" (ghadab, lit., "wrath") is synonymous with the evil consequences which man brings upon himself by wilfully rejecting God's guidance and acting contrary to His injunctions. Some commentators (e.g., Zamakhshari) interpret this passage as follows: "...the way of those upon whom Thou hast bestowed Thy blessings - those who have not been condemned [by Thee], and who do not go astray": in other words, they regard the last two expressions as defining "those upon whom Thou hast bestowed Thy blessings". Other commentators (e.g., Baghawi and Ibn Kathir) do not subscribe to this interpretation - which would imply the use of negative definitions - and understand the last verse of the surah in the manner rendered by me above. As regards the two categories of people following a wrong course, some of the greatest Islamic thinkers (e.g., Al-Ghazali or, in recent times, Muhammad 'Abduh) held the view that the people described as having incurred "God's condemnation" - that is, having deprived themselves of His grace - are those who have become fully cognizant of God's message and, having understood it, have rejected it; while by "those who go astray" are meant people whom the truth has either not reached at all, or to whom it has come in so garbled and corrupted a form as to make it difficult for them to recognize it as the truth (see 'Abduh in Manar I, 68 ff.).

Yusuf Ali  Explanation: Note that the words relating to Grace are connected actively with God; those relating to Wrath are impersonal. In the one case God's Mercy encompasses us beyond our deserts. In the other case our own actions are responsible for the Wrath, the negative of Grace, Peace, or Harmony.

Are there two categories? - those who are in the darkness of Wrath and those who stray? The first are those who deliberately break God's law; the second those who stray out of carelessness or negligence. Both are responsible for their own acts or omissions. In opposition to both are the people who are in the light of God's Grace: for His Grace not only protects them from active wrong (if they will only submit their will to Him) but also from straying into paths of temptation or carelessness. The negative gair should be construed as applying not to the way, but as describing men protected from two dangers by God's Grace.

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation: " – the path of those you have blessed,"  The implied meaning being: “O Almighty guide us to the path which you showed those whom you blessed with your guidance – those who whole heartedly accepted this guidance in such a manner that they received all your favours.” It is evident from verse 69 of Sūrah Nisā’ that the reference is to the noble group of messengers, the truthful, the witnesses to the truth and pious Muslims.

"who have neither earned your wrath " This refers to people who rejected divine guidance because of arrogance and haughtiness or if they accepted, did so without the willingness of the heart and always insisted on deviating from it. They rejected God’s servants who tried to reform them and at times went as far as to torture and even kill them. Consequently, they became worthy of the wrath of God in retribution of these sins. This is in fact a reference to the Jews who in the next sūrah, Sūrah al-Baqarah, are conclusively communicated the truth.

You may like to listen to an in Depth Analysis and Tafseer of Surah Fatiha by eminent Muslim scholar Nauman Ali Khan:

I hope this post adequately explains the opening chapter of the Holy Qur'an, its meaning and purpose and how to easily learn to recite it.

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

Please refer to our Reference Page "114 Chapters (Sūrahs) of the Holy Qur'an" for translation, explanation and exegesis of all other chapters of the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Quran.

Reading the Holy Quran should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Holy Qur'an from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that:

• The plain translation and explanation has been taken from the Holy Quran officially published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [1]
• The exegesis of the chapters of the Holy Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.  [2]

In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided by [2], additional input has been interjected from following sources (links to Reference Pages given below):  

• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Muhammad Asad Translation
• Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
• Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
• Qur'an Wiki
• Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle
• Tafsir Nouman Ali Khan
• Towards Understanding the Quran

In addition the references of  other sources which have been explored have also been given below. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites:

Photo | References | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis the surahs of the Holy Qur'an from authentic souses and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. However, the exegesis of the chapters of the Holy Quran are basically based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi. In addition the references of  other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites. 

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