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(1:1) When Praise is more than a Phrase

(1:1) When Praise is more than a Phrase
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March 21, 2018
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How to address nobility

When we communicate with Allah Almighty, how do we start? How can we express our needs to Him without being rude or gauche?

 

All praise (and thanks) belong to Allah, Lord of all the worlds (1:1)

Anyone appearing before majesty would feel inadequate, perhaps speechless unless they had been taught the correct manner of addressing nobility. So Allah Almighty has taught us the perfect etiquette for our dialogue with Him.

Allah Almighty shows us the correct protocol of undertaking any task is starting with isti’adha (seeking His protection from harm), commencing the action with the basmalah (seeking blessings through His name), and completing the action with His hamd (gratitude and praise).

Yet, how do we praise Him when we feel understandably inadequate to do this. And when our praise of Allah Almighty will always fall short?

Though it is not an authentic narration, Ibn Kathir and Ibn Abi Hatim mentioned that Prophet Dawood (peace be upon him) asked Allah Almighty: ‘How do I praise You if everything is from You?’ Allah Almighty replied to Dawood (peace be upon him) ‘Now you have praised me.’

And our Prophet (peace upon him) said, ‘I cannot praise You as You have praised Yourself.’

This is why Allah Almighty has given us the expression of hamd. In the very first surah of the Qur’an we are taught the phrase ‘alhamdulilahi’ meaning ‘all praise to Allah.’ It is not just any praise, but all praise. It means that anytime any praise we say the real recipient of that praise is Allah Almighty. It is the most perfect and unlimited praise.

Praise is not just lip service, it is a recognition that absolutely everything we have is from Allah. So while praise is not usually synonymous with gratitude, alhamdulilah is not an empty phrase but an attitude. It’s an attitude of gratitude. It is the realisation and acknowledgment of the fact that He provided us with everything we have – material and otherwise, including knowledge, happiness, relationships, security and health.

Saying this short word, which has been granted the honour of being the opening phrase of the entire Qur’an, keeps our hearts engaged with Allah Almighty and can be used to make dhikr anytime.

Whenever the Prophet (peace be upon him) would say, ‘alhamdulillah’, it would fill his entire heart with His name and this would bring him tranquility. This is far removed from the expression that life is ‘OK, not bad’. Instead, we accept that whatever situation we face, no matter how challenging or bitter it may seem, there is ‘khair’ (goodness) in it and for this we are grateful. Alhamdulilah is not just admiration of Allah Almighty’s greatness but also recognition of His favours. It is an ongoing basis of our relationship, as we express thanks to Him for everything that is happening in our lives. Without Him, we have nothing, so our gratitude deepens into humility and submission.

The true meaning of hamd is expressed when our hearts, tongues and bodies are all engaged in fulfilling the purpose for which they were created. We should use all our faculties in His service, and every single cell praise Allah Almighty for His countless provisions.

Real praise is when we utilise Allah’s blessings in His way. Whether we spend in charity, spread knowledge, feed the poor for Allah Almighty’s sake, or remember Him, raise our children to serve His message and so on. Every action performed with the correct intention and with ikhlas (sincerity), is transformed into an act of worship, and an act of praise.

This is why the true expression of hamd is through three aspects: inner praise, which is with the heart; verbal praise, with the tongue; and practical/physical praise, which is with the limbs. We should implement these ourselves and teach them to our children.

Alhamdulilah is praise, gratitude and submission rolled into one.

Delivered by Shaykh Haytham Tamim in his Tafseer Class. Transcribed by Saania Bhatti.

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Shaykh Haytham Tamim is the founder and main teacher of the Utrujj Foundation. He has provided a leading vision for Islamic learning in the UK, which has influenced the way Islamic knowledge is disseminated. He has orchestrated the design and delivery of over 200 unique courses since Utrujj started in 2001. His extensive expertise spans over 30 years across the main Islamic jurisprudence schools of thought. He has studied with some of the foremost scholars in their expertise; he holds some of the highest Ijazahs (certificates) in Quran, Hadith (the Prophetic traditions) and Fiqh (Islamic rulings). His own gift for teaching was evident when he gave his first sermon to a large audience at the age of 17 and went on to serve as a senior lecturer of Islamic transactions and comparative jurisprudence at the Islamic University of Beirut (Shariah College). He has continued to teach; travelling around the UK, Europe and wider afield, and won the 2015 BISCA award (British Imams & Scholars Contributions & Achievements Awards) for Outstanding Contribution to Education and Teaching.

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