page 001 - [001-007]

[001.001] In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.

[001.002] All the praises and thanks be to Allâh, the Lord of the 'Alamîn (mankind, jinns and all that exists).

[001.003] The Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.

[001.004] The Only Owner (and the Only Ruling Judge) of the Day of Recompense (i.e. the Day of Resurrection)

[001.005] You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything).

[001.006] Guide us to the Straight Way

[001.007] The Way of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace, not (the way) of those who earned Your Anger (such as the Jews), nor of those who went astray (such as the Christians).

001

(V.1:2) Lord: The actual word used in the Qur'ân is Rabb. There is no proper equivalent for Rabb in the English language. It means the One and the Only Lord for all the universe, its Creator, Owner, Organizer, Provider, Master, Planner, Sustainer, Cherisher, and Giver of security. Rabb is also one of the Names of Allâh.

We have used the word "Lord" as the nearest to Rabb. All occurrences of "Lord" in the interpretation of the meanings of the Noble Qur'ân actually mean Rabb and should be understood as such.

(V.1:2). Narrated Abu Sa'îd bin Al-Mu'alla: While I was praying in the mosque, Allâh's Messenger [sal-Allâhu 'alayhi wa sallam] called me but I did not respond to him. Later I said, "O Allâh's Messenger, I was praying." He said, "Didn't Allâh say, 'Answer Allâh (by obeying Him) and His Messenger when he [sal-Allâhu 'alayhi wa sallam] calls you.' " (V.8:24).

He then said to me, "I will teach you a Sûrah which is the greatest Sûrah in the Qur'ân, before you leave the mosque." Then he got hold of my hand, and when he intended to leave (the mosque), I said to him, "Didn't you say to me, 'I will teach you a Sûrah which is the greatest Sûrah in the Qur'ân.'?" He said, "Al-Hamdu lillâhi Rabbil-'âlamîn [i.e. all praise and thanks are Allâh's, the Lord of the 'Alamîn (mankind, jinn and all that exists)], Sûrat Al-Fâtihah which is As-Sab' Al-Mathâni (i.e. the seven repeatedly recited Verses) and the Grand Qur'ân which has been given to me."

a) Guidance of Taufîq and it is totally from Allâh, i.e. Allâh opens one's heart to receive the truth (from disbelief to belief in Islâmic Monotheism).

b) Guidance of Irshâd through preaching by Allâh's Messengers and pious preachers who preach the truth, i.e. Islâmic Monotheism.

(V.1:7) i.e. the way of the Prophets, the Siddîqûn (i.e. those followers of the Prophet, who were first and foremost to believe in him, like Abu Bakr As-Siddîq), the martyrs and the righteous, [as Allâh [Subhânahu wa Ta'âla] said: "And whoso obeys Allâh and the Messenger (Muhammad ), then they will be in the company of those on whom Allâh has bestowed His Grace, of the Prophets, the Siddîqûn, the martyrs, and the righteous. And how excellent these companions are!" (V.4:69)].

(V.1:7) Narrated Adi bin Hâtim [radhi-yAllâhu 'anhu]: I asked Allâh's Messenger [sal-Allâhu 'alayhi wa sallam] about the Statement of Allâh: 1." Ghairil-maghdubi 'alaihim [not (the way) of those who earned Your Anger]," he [sal-Allâhu 'alayhi wa sallam] replied: "They are the Jews." And 2. Walad-dâllîn (nor of those who went astray)," he [sal-Allâhu 'alayhi wa sallam] replied: "The Christians, and they are the ones who went astray."

Narrated 'Abdullâh bin 'Umar [radhi-yAllâhu 'anhumaa]: The Prophet [sal-Allâhu 'alayhi wa sallam] met Zaid bin 'Amr bin Nufail in the bottom of (the valley of) Baldah before the descent of any Divine revelation to the Prophet. A meal was presented to the Prophet [sal-Allâhu 'alayhi wa sallam] but he refused to eat from it. (Then it was presented to Zaid) who said, "I do not eat anything which you slaughter on your Nusub* in the name of your idols. I eat only those (animals) on which Allâh's Name has been mentioned at the time of (their) slaughtering." Zaid bin 'Amr used to criticise the way Quraish used to slaughter their animals and used to say,"Allâh has created the sheep and He has sent the water for it from the sky, and He has grown the grass for it from the earth; yet you slaughter it in others than the Name of Allâh." He used to say so, for he rejected that practice and considered it as something abominable. [Sahih Al-Bukhâri, 5/3826 (O.P.169)]

Narrated Ibn 'Umar [radhi-yAllâhu 'anhumaa]: Zaid bin 'Amr bin Nufail went to Shâm (the region comprising Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan), enquiring about a true religion to follow. He met a Jewish religious scholar and asked him about their religion. He said, "I intend to embrace your religion, so tell me something about it." The Jew said, "You will not embrace our religion unless you receive your share of Allâh's Anger." Zaid said, "I do not run except from Allâh's Anger, and I will never bear a bit of it if I have the power to avoid it. Can you tell me of some other religion?" He said, "I do not know any other religion except Hanîf (Islâmic Monotheism)." Zaid enquired, "What is Hanîf?" He said, "Hanîf is the religion of (the Prophet) Abraham ['alayhis-salâm], he was neither a Jew nor a Christian, and he used to worship none but Allâh [(Alone) [Subhânahu wa Ta'âla] Islâmic Monotheism]." Then Zaid went out and met a Christian religious scholar and told him the same (as before). The Christian said, "You will not embrace our religion unless you get a share of Allâh's Curse." Zaid replied, "I do not run except from Allâh's Curse, and I will never bear any of Allâh's Curse and His Anger if I have the power to avoid them. Will you tell me of some other religion?" He replied, "I do not know any other religion except Hanîf (Islâmic Monotheism)." Zaid enquired, "What is Hanîf?" He replied "Hanîf is the religion of (the Prophet) Abraham ['alayhis-salâm] he was neither a Jew nor a Christian, (and he used to worship none but Allâh [(Alone) [Subhânahu wa Ta'âla] Islâmic Monotheism]." When Zaid heard their statement about (the religion of) Abraham, he left that place, and when he came out, he raised both his hands and said, "O Allâh! I make You my Witness that I am on the religion of Abraham."

Narrated Asmâ' bint Abu Bakr [radhi-yAllâhu 'anhumaa]: I saw Zaid bin 'Amr bin Nufail standing with his back against the Ka'bah and saying, "O people of Quraish! By Allâh, none amongst you is on the religion of Abraham except me." She added: He (Zaid) used to preserve the lives of little girls; if somebody wanted to kill his daughter, he would say to him, "Do not kill her for I will feed her on your behalf." So he would take her, and when she grew up nicely, he would say to her father, "Now if you will (wish), I will give her to you, and if you will (wish), I will feed her on your behalf."

[5] (V.1:7): Narrated 'Ubâdah bin As-Sâmit [radhi-yAllâhu 'anhu]: Allâh's Messenger [sal-Allâhu 'alayhi wa sallam] said, "Whoever does not recite Sûrat Al-Fâtihah in his prayer, his prayer is invalid."

[6] (V.1:7): Narrated Abu Hurairah [radhi-yAllâhu 'anhu]: Allâh's Messenger [sal-Allâhu 'alayhi wa sallam] said, "When the Imâm says: Ghairil-maghdubi 'alaihim walad-dâllîn [i.e. not (the way) of those who earned Your Anger, nor of those who went astray (1:7)], then you must say, Amîn, for if one's utterance of Amîn coincides with that of the angels, then his past sins will be forgiven." [Sahih Al-Bukhâri, 6/4475 (O.P.2)]