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بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Friday Sermon
HAZRAT KHALIFATULLAH AL-MASSIH AL-MA’OUD
Munir Ahmad Azim
(06 Shabaan 1432 Hijri)
(Summary of Friday Sermon)
After having greeted everybody with the Salutations of Peace, the Messiah (Massih’ullah) read the Tashahhud, Taouz and Surah Al Fatiha and he said:
The word Al-Fatiha comes from the verb ‘Fatiha’ which means, in the present context, “To Open”. ‘Al’ is a definite article and ‘Fatiha’ (feminine here because it refers to Surah which is feminine in the Arabic language) would imply the Surah that opens, that starts the Quran because it is the Surah which comes first in the Quran. Furthermore, it is the first Surah that we have to obligatorily recite in our every Salat (prayer).
Fatiha does not mean raising the two hands; although it is recommendable to raise the hands to invoke Allah (dua) for each and every of our needs, problems or even happiness and to start it (dua) with the recitation of the Surah Al-Fatiha. Surah Al-Fatiha has several other names such as the “Mother of the Book”, “the cure”, “the praise”, “that which is sufficient”, “the root of the Quran” and some other names. There is cure in this Surah.
Once some companions of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) reached a place and asked its inhabitants for permission to stay, but they refused to give the companions hospitality. So they went to stay out of the place. But it so happened that the chief of the inhabitants fell ill. They tried everything they could to cure him but they did not succeed. So finally they approached the Muslims and asked them to give a treatment to their chief to cure him. The Muslims came to the sick man and recited Surah Al-Fatiha on him and the man was cured by the help of Allah.
The inhabitants gave a sheep (or more than one) to the Muslims. They accepted the sheep, but before eating the sheep, they thought that it was better for them to ask the Prophet (peace be upon him) whether it was permissible for them to do so. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) answered them that it was permissible and they could even keep a morsel for him. Of course, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) did not say that because he actually wanted some meat but because he wanted to show them that it was permissible to eat of that meat. (Bukhari, Muslim, and Abu Dawood)
The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) says in the meaning of an authentic Hadith: “It (Surah Al-Fatiha) is the mother of the Quran, it is the seven verses which are often repeated (recited in Salat in every Rakah) and it is the heart of the glorious Quran.” (Ahmad)
There is another Hadith where Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “There is no Salat for someone who does not recite Surah Al-Fatiha, the opening chapter of the Quran.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
Meaning of Al-Hamdu means praise; praise being more than thanks. To say “thanks to Allah” is good but “all praises be for Allah” is far better. Lillaahi means ‘to Allah; to Allah only’ because Allah is the origin of everything. Rabbil means Lord (of); the One Who creates, Who gives life, Who nourishes, Who gives death, Who gives life after death, Who brings to account and Who gives reward or punishment. Aalamin means the worlds. Al-Aalamin or Al-Alamun comes from the word Al-Alam which means the worlds (Al-Alam being itself a plural word, having no singular form) and Rabbil-Aalamin means Lord of the worlds : the world of man, that of the angels and that of the Jinns, the animals, the vegetal and the mineral worlds. Allah is the Lord of everyone, everything, everywhere and everytime. The whole creation has no other Lord except Allah. He is the Lord of the living and of the dead. He has power over everything.
Ar-Rahman-ir-Rahim means the ‘the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful’. Allah Almighty is the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. But it must be remembered that He is also quick in taking into account and severe in punishment. There is an authentic Hadith in which the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) says: “Had a believer known what kinds of punishment Allah has, he would not have had any hope of entering paradise. And had a disbeliever known how much mercy Allah has, no one would have despaired of Allah’s mercy.” (Muslim)
Maalik means ‘Master’. Yawmid-Deen means ‘Of the Day of Judgement’. Allah is the Master of the Day of Judgement. Allah forgives whom He wants, He rewards whom He wants and punishes whom He wants. His status is higher than that of a judge as He may forgive a sinner, but this is however conditional to the sinner’s not having committed Shirk (not having given partners to Allah – not having worshipped other than Allah). The Day of Judgement is the Day when we will have to appear before Allah to answer for every one of our deeds.
Iyyaka naghbudu wa iyyaaka nasta-iin means ‘You (Allah) alone we worship and from You (Allah) alone we ask for help’. Allah, through his infinite wisdom has sent many prophets throughout the ages. Some prophets has He (Allah) sent with books such as : prophet Ibrahim (upon him be peace) came with As-Suhuf, prophet Dawood (upon him be peace) received Az-Zabour prophet Moosa (upon him be peace) received at-Taurat, prophet Isa (upon him be peace) came with Injil and finally the seal of the prophets of Allah, Muhammad (peace be upon him) received the Quran.
The messages of all the prophets are enclosed in the Revealed Books. The messages of all the revealed books are enclosed in the Quran. The message of the Quran is enclosed in Surah Al-Baqara. The message of Surah Al-Baqara is enclosed in Surah Al-Fatiha, and the message of Surah Al-Fatiha is enclosed in the verse Iyyaka naghbudu wa iyyaaka nasta-iin.
The verse encloses the essence of the unicity of Allah. Allah is unique in His name and attributes. He is unique in His Lordship and He is unique in His Divinity. There is no other divinity except Allah. The fact that somebody believes in the unicity of Allah, in His names and attributes is not enough to make him a Muslim. The fact that he also believes in the unicity of Allah, in his Lordship is still not enough to make him a Muslim. He must necessarily believe in the unicity of Allah as Divinity (the only One who deserves worship). Relying on Allah only and always asking Him alone is essential, towards worshipping Allah.
There are many people who believe that Allah is unique in His names and attributes and that He is unique in his Lordship but they give partners to Allah in worship. They thus disqualify themselves as Muslims and fall into the category of those who commit Shirk (worshipping other than Allah) and Shirk leads to hell if there is no repentance and the pardon of Allah.
Ihdinas Siraatwal Mustaqim means ‘Guide us to the straight Path’ – the Path of Islam (total submission to the will of Allah), the path of Iman, the path of Ihsan (to worship Allah as if we are seeing Him and if we cannot reach that stage we, at least, realise that He, Allah is seeing us), the path of piety – At-Taqwa (to be present in what Allah has ordered us to do and absent in what Allah has forbidden us to do with our mind, eyes, ears, mouth, hands, feet and sex. Allah teaches us to ask Him such a path so that we may be successful in this world and in the next.
Siraatwal-lazinaa an am’ta alayhim means ‘The path of those on whom You (Allah) have bestowed Your favours.’ It being the path of the prophets and the faithful servants of Allah, those who enjoy the protection of Allah, those on whom there is neither fear nor sorrow.
Ghayril Magzuubi alayhim means ‘not the way of those on whom is Your anger.’ Reference here is made to those whom received the Taurat but do not follow it but commit injustice, immoralities and atrocities. The anger of Allah is upon them because they have killed many of the prophets of Allah.
Walaz zwaliin means ‘nor those who lose the straight path and go astray’. Those are people who received the Injil but not follow it and approve directly and indirectly injustice, immoralities and atrocities. Those who call Jesus: ‘the son of God’, when in fact Jesus, son of Mary, is a prophet of Allah. He never told people to worship him but he always taught them to worship Allah alone without ever giving Him partners and false gods (in worship).
In an authentic Hadith brought by Muslim, Abu Huraira is reported to have narrated that the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Allah (the Most High) says “I have divided prayer between Myself and My servant into two halves – half for Me and half for My servant and My servant will receive what he asks: When the servant says Al-Hamdu lillahi Rabbil ‘Aalameen – Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, Allah says : “My servant has praised Me”. When he says (Ar-Rahman-ir-Rahim) – The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful, Allah says : “My servant has glorified me” and when the servant says (Malik-i-Yawmid-Deen) – Master of the Day of Judgement, Allah says : “My servant has praised me” and when he says (Iyyaka naghbudu wa iyyaaka nasta-iin) – ‘You (Allah) alone we worship and from You (Allah) alone we ask for help’, Allah says : ‘This is between Me and My servant and My servant will receive what he has asked’ ; when he says (Ihdinas Siraatwal Mustaqim Siraatwal-lazinaa an am’ta alayhim Ghayril Magzuubi alayhim Walaz zwaliin) – ‘Guide us on the straight path, The path of those on whom You (Allah) have bestowed Your favours, not the way of those on whom is Your anger nor those who lose the straight path and go astray.’ Allah says: ‘This is for My servant and My servant will receive what he has asked’.” (Muslim)
In the meaning of another authentic Hadith, the prophet says: “When the Imam (in Salat) says: “Ameen”, you too (who are behind him) say “Ameen” because he whose “Ameen” coincides with the “Ameen” of the Angels is forgiven his sins. This means that Allah forgives him whose “Ameen” coincides with the “Ameen” of the Angels when the Imam ends the recitation of the Surah Al-Fatiha in Salat. These are some of the first rays of light that Surah Al-Fatiha provides. There are, of course deeper explanations for different levels of study – like I have detailed in my Holy Quran Commentary – from the lowest to the highest, but here I have restricted myself so that many brothers, sisters and children could understand the great important of Surah Al-Fatiha and they can read Surah Al-Fatiha not only in prayer, but where they are sitting, walking, before sleeping etc.
So may Allah Almighty accept our prayers and rewards us in this world and in the next. Ameen.
“The perfect mind comprehends not imperfection. It derives pleasure from Source Divine It shelters faith in the furthest compartment, Willing the heart to be pleased with love anew; From the start of the Swell of submission The mind comprehends not the Purpose Divine. Of the world it knows no other, Except the one whom God makes him see through the wonders of his capabilities; Islam is his ideal Islam is his focus Perfection over perfection!”
(Munir Azim ~ Received on 22 June 2011) |
