Verse 2
The Opener • makkah
View Aspects
6:2; 6:46; 10:11; 18:2; 29:64; 30:19; 31:26; 34:2; 35:2; 37:183; 39:76; 45:37.
阿拉伯语中 اَلْ (al) 相当于汉语中的定冠词 “此; 这”。它用以表示全面或综合的意思, 也就是一个主题的一切方面或范畴, 或表示完整无缺的意思, 由于它包括了一切程度与等级, 也就是全面或综合的一个方面。它也用以指示已经谈到过的某一事物, 或在脑子里存在的某一事物的概念。
阿拉伯语中 مَدْح (Madh) 与 حَمْد (Hamd) 两词的意义是赞颂与感谢; 但 مَدْح 可以是虚假的, 而 حَمْد 却总是真实的。而且, مَدْح 可以用于行为者不能控制的这样的仁慈的行为, 而 حَمْد 仅用于由意志支配的这样的行为 (مُفْرَدَات)。حَمْد 也含有对赞颂的事物的钦佩、推崇与尊敬;以及对举止谦卑、谦恭与顺从的人的称赞的意思 (Lane)。这样, حَمْد 是此处要用的最适宜的词, 旨在述及安拉的固有常德以及应受的赞美与颂扬。حَمْد 这个词在其一般惯用法中, 现已专用于安拉。
اَلْعٰلَمِيْن (Al-‘Alamin) 是اَلْعَالَمْ (Al-‘Alam) 的复数, 源于词根 عِلْم (‘Ilm) 意为 “知道”。此词已用于一切生物或事物, 借助这些生物或事物, 人们能知晓创造主 (Aqrab)。此词不仅用于被创造出来的生物或事物, 也集体地用于他们种类, 以致当人们说 عَالَمُ الْاِنْس (‘Alamul-Ins) 即人类的世界, 或 عَالَمُ الْحَيَوان (‘Alamul Hayawan) 即动物王国。اَلْعٰلَمِيْن 这个词只是不用以指示有理性的生物--------人与天使。«古兰经» 中此词用于一切被创造的事物 (26:24-29与41:10)。有时当然此词用于某一受限制的意思 (2:123)。这里, 此词用于最广泛的意义, 意指 “除安拉以外的一切”, 也就是包括天体--------太阳、月亮、星星等在内的生物与非生物。
رَبَّى (Rabba) 这个动词的意思是: 他支配此事; 他增加, 发展, 改进与完成这件事情; 他支持与照料。这样 رَبٌّ 的意思是: (a) 养主、主宰、创造主; (b) 立他者与养育者; (c) 使事物逐渐趋向完美之主 (Mufradat 与Lane)。当它与其他词连用时, 它可用于人或生物而不用于安拉。
“一切赞颂, 都归安拉。” 这句话比 “我赞颂安拉” 的意义要广泛与深刻得多, 因为人们只能依照他们的认识来赞颂安拉, 但是 “一切赞颂, 都归安拉” 这句不仅包含人们所认识的赞颂, 而且也包括人们所不认识的赞颂。不受人们不完全的了解或认识的限制, 安拉永远是值得赞颂的。而且, اَلْحَمْد 这个词是一个不定式, 它既可被解释为主语也可解释为宾语。解释为主语时, اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ (Al-Hamdu Lillahi) 的意思是, 只有安拉有权给予真正的赞扬。解释为宾语时, 它的意思是, 一切真实的赞颂与每种完整无缺的赞颂全归于安拉。虚词 اَلْ (al) 的注解见5。
这句经文说明世界演变的法则, 即一切事物都在发展而这种发展是渐进的, 且是分阶段被形成的, رَبٌّ 是使事物生长与逐步发展之主。它也指出这一演变的原则并不与信仰安拉相矛盾。但是这里所说的演变过程不是一般理解的 «进化论»。这词被用于一般意义。而且, 这句经文说明这一事实, 即人类为了无限进步被创造出来, 因为 رَبُّ الْعٰلَمِيْن 这一措词含有主使万物发展, 从较低到较高阶段, 这只有在每个阶段之后还有另一阶段的连续不绝的情况下才有可能的。
آیت اول اور آیت دوم میں صفت کے ترجمہ میں فرق ہے۔ پہلی آیت میں ’’جو‘‘ اور ’’ہے‘‘ کو ظاہر کیا گیا ہے لیکن دوسری آیت میں دونوں الفاظ کو خطوط وحدانی میں رکھا گیا ہے۔ ا س کی وجہ ترجمہ کی دِقت ہے۔ دوسری آیت میں چونکہ فقرہ مکمل تھا وہاں ’’جو‘‘ اور ’’ہے‘‘ کے ظاہر کرنے کی ضرورت پیش نہیں آئی۔ پہلی آیت میں ’’جو‘‘ اور ’’ہے‘‘ کے الفاظ کے اظہار کے بغیر فقرہ نامکمل رہتا تھا اس لئے وہاں مقدر کو ظاہر کرنا پڑا۔ آئندہ بھی جہاں جہاں یہ فرق ہو گا ترجمہ میں فرق پڑ جائے گا۔
سورۃ فاتحہ میں اللہ تعالیٰ فرماتا ہے اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہِ۔ الف۔ لام ایک تو استغراقی ہوتا ہے یعنی جس چیز کا ذکر ہو اس کے تمام افراد پر دلالت کرنے کے لئے آتا ہے۔ دوسرے اس بات پر دلالت کرتا ہے کہ وہ چیز اپنی ذات میں کامل ہے۔ درحقیقت یہ بھی استغراقی ہی ہے۔ کیونکہ ایک معنے عدد کے لحاظ سے استغراق پر دلالت کرتے ہیں اور ایک معنے کمال کے لحاظ سے استغراق پر دلالت کرتے ہیں یعنی تمام مدارج اس میں آگئے۔ اس کے علاوہ الف۔ لام کسی ذہنی یا کسی مذکورہ چیز کی طرف اشارہ کرنے کے لئے آتا ہے جسے عربی میں معہود ذہنی یا معہود ذکری کہتے ہیں یعنی جس چیز پر الف۔ لام آتا ہے وہ کسی ا
Al-‘Alamin is the plural of al-‘Alam from the root ‘Ilm meaning 'to know'. The word has come to be applied to all beings or things by means of which one is able to know the Creator (Aqrab). It is applied not only to all kinds of the created beings or things but also to their classes collectively, so that one says ‘Alamul-Ins, i.e. the world of mankind, or ‘Alamul-Hayawan i.e. the animal kingdom. The word al-‘Alamin is not used to denote rational beings—men and angels—only. The Qur’an applies it to all created things (26:24-29 & 41:10). Sometimes, of course, it is used in a restricted sense (2:123). Here it is used in its widest sense and signifies 'all that is besides Allah', i.e. animate and inanimate things including heavenly bodies—the sun, the moon, the stars, etc.
The expression "All praise belongs to Allah alone" is much wider and deeper in significance than "I praise Allah", because man can praise God only according to his knowl
6:2; 6:46; 10:11; 18:2; 29:64; 30:19; 31:26; 34:2; 35:2; 37:183; 39:76; 45:37.
Important Words:
ال (Al) is more or less like the definite article 'the' of the English language. It is used to convey a number of senses one of which is that of totality. So الحمد would mean, all kinds of praise.
حمد (praise). They say حمده i.e. he praised him. Thus حمد means 'praise'. There are four words in Arabic which are used, in varying significance, in the sense of praise or thankfulness; viz. شکر, ثنا, مدح and حمد. Of these God has here chosen the last. Shukr, when used about man, expresses recognition of and thankfulness for benefits received, whereas Hamd not only embodies the idea of thankfulness but also makes reference to the intrinsic qualities of the object of praise. Thana indicates an idea of publicity, the root meaning of the word being repetition. The emphasis in Thana is more on publicity than on personal experience. Madh gives a somewhat similar meaning as Hamd but whereas Madh may be false, Hamd is always true. Says the Holy Prophet: احثوا التراب فی وجوه المداحین i.e. "Throw dust in the faces of those who praise falsely." Again Madh may be used about such acts of goodness over which the doer has no control, but Hamd is used only about such acts as are volitional (Mufradat). Hamd also implies admiration, magnifying and honouring of the object of praise, and lowliness, humility and submissiveness in the person who offers it (Lane). Thus Hamd was the most appropriate word to be used here, where a reference to the intrinsic goodness and truly merited praise and glorification of God is intended. In common usage the word Hamd has come to be applied exclusively to God.
رب (Lord). رب الشیء means: he gathered together the thing; he owned the thing. رب القیوم means: he ruled over the people and administered their affairs. رب النعمة means: he increased and developed the favour. رب الامر means: he improved and completed the matter. رب الصبیی means: he sustained and looked after the child till he was of age. رب means, lord, master or owner; one to whom obedience is due; one who reforms; one who sustains and develops (Aqrab & Lisan); one who brings to perfection by degrees (Mufradat). رب also means: Creator (Muhit). When used in combination with some other word, the word may be used for others besides God, as we say رب البیت i.e. the owner of the house (Lane).
العالمین (worlds) is the plural of العالم which is derived from علم i.e. he knew. علم (‘alama) means, he put a mark or sign on it. العلم means: the proper name by which a person or thing is known; flag or banner; sign; minaret. العالم primarily means, that by means of which one knows a thing. Hence, the word has come to be applied to all beings or things by means of which one is able to know the Creator (Aqrab). The word is applied not only to all kinds of created beings or things but also to their classes collectively, so that one says عالم الانس i.e. the world of mankind, or عالم الحیوان i.e. the animal kingdom. The word al-‘alamin is not used to denote rational beings—men and angels—only. The Quran applies the word to all created things (26:24-29 & 41:10). Sometimes, of course, it is used in a restricted sense. Thus in 25:2 it is used in the sense of 'mankind' only and not in the sense of 'all created things.' In 2:123 it is used in a still more restricted sense, meaning not all mankind but only the people of the age.
In the verse under comment the word is used in its widest sense and signifies 'all that is besides Allah', i.e. both those that have life and those that have not, including heavenly bodies, the sun, the moon, the stars, etc.
Commentary:
The believer is taught to say, All praise belongs to Allah, and not "I praise Allah" or "we praise Allah." The sentence الحمدللّٰه (all praise belongs to Allah) denotes much more than احمداللّٰه (I praise Allah), because man can praise God only according to his knowledge, but الحمدللّٰه (all praise belongs to Allah) comprises not only the praise which man knows, but also the praise which he does not know, to be God’s due. God is worthy of praise at all times, independently of man’s imperfect knowledge or realization. Moreover, if the expression احمداللّٰه (I praise Allah) had been used, it would have implied that man, a finite being, can completely comprehend the infinite, an implication which is obviously wrong.
The word الحمد is an infinitive and as such can be interpreted both subjectively and objectively. Interpreted subjectively الحمدللّٰه would mean that God alone has the right to bestow true praise. No other being is entitled to give such praise, owing to his limited knowledge. Interpreted objectively, it would signify that true praise is due to God alone. The praise due to other beings and objects is only borrowed and secondary. It is God Who provides everything and grants all powers and capacities. Therefore, when a person or thing is praised, it is really God to Whom the praise belongs, the person or thing being entitled to it only secondarily.
The verse, All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds, conveys, among others, the following meanings:
1. Allah is free from all blemishes and possesses all perfect attributes.
2. He alone is fully aware of the real nature of all things. The truth of this statement is verified by the daily multiplying discoveries of science which go to prove how inadequate human knowledge ever remains.
3. God can be entitled to "all praise" only when He is believed to be رب العالمین i.e. Lord of all the worlds and if He is Lord of all the worlds, then His providence must not only be universal but must extend to both the physical and the spiritual worlds. From the above it follows that no people must remain deprived of God’s spiritual blessings and all must have their share. Therefore, if any revelation is meant for a particular people, other peoples must have separate revelations to guide them, as was the case in pre-Islamic times. On the contrary, if, at a certain time, separate revelations are not sent for different peoples and only one revelation is sent, that revelation must claim to be universal, affording equal opportunities to all peoples, as is the case with Islam; otherwise, God cannot be looked upon as "Lord of all the worlds", nor can He be considered to be entitled to "all praise". In fact, the belief that revelation is the privilege of a particular people to the exclusion of all others who cannot claim any share in it, is false and repugnant to God’s universal providence as well as to His entitlement to all praise.
4. The powers and faculties with which man is endowed are all gifts of God. So it is He Who is deserving of praise for any good that may be done by man.
5. By linking up the clause "all praise belongs to Allah" with the phrase "Lord of all the worlds" God has drawn our attention to the fact that one man’s good is really linked to, and dependent on, the good of all mankind. A true believer should, therefore, look not only to his own good but to the good of all. One who does not do so has failed to grasp the true spirit of Islam and the universality of God’s providence. Happiness for one lies in happiness for all.
6. The phrase رب العالمین (Lord of all the worlds) also points out that as things which grow, develop and change cannot do so by themselves, so is all life subject to God’s lordship.
The phrase further points to a law of evolution in the world, that things undergo development and that this development is progressive and is brought about in stages, Rabb being the One Who makes things grow and develop by stages.
The verse also points out that the principle of evolution is not inconsistent with belief in God. On the contrary, the progressive development of things makes creation all the more marvellous and God all the more deserving of praise. It must, however, be noted that the process of evolution referred to here is not identical with the theory of evolution as ordinarily understood; the expression is used here only in a general sense.
7. Again, the verse points to the fact that man has been created for unlimited progress, because the phrase رب العالمین implies that God develops everything from a lower to a higher stage, and this can be true only if there is a stage beyond every stage in a never-ending process.
8. Finally, by putting the verse الحمداللّٰه رب العالمین in the very beginning of the Quran, a declaration is made that the time of separate revelations has come to an end, and that God is now going to bestow a universal revelation upon the world. When separate Prophets were raised for separate nations, ignorant people, not understanding the purpose of God, rejected the Prophets of other nations; but, with the advent of Islam, one Prophet and one religion were given to all mankind, and the different peoples inhabiting the world—white, yellow, brown and black—were all invited to sing one common hymn in praise of Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.
a
6:2; 6:46; 10:11; 18:2; 29:64; 30:19; 31:26; 34:2; 35:2; 37:183; 39:76; 45:37.
5
阿拉伯语中 اَلْ (al) 相当于汉语中的定冠词 “此; 这”。它用以表示全面或综合的意思, 也就是一个主题的一切方面或范畴, 或表示完整无缺的意思, 由于它包括了一切程度与等级, 也就是全面或综合的一个方面。它也用以指示已经谈到过的某一事物, 或在脑子里存在的某一事物的概念。
5A
阿拉伯语中 مَدْح (Madh) 与 حَمْد (Hamd) 两词的意义是赞颂与感谢; 但 مَدْح 可以是虚假的, 而 حَمْد 却总是真实的。而且, مَدْح 可以用于行为者不能控制的这样的仁慈的行为, 而 حَمْد 仅用于由意志支配的这样的行为 (مُفْرَدَات)。حَمْد 也含有对赞颂的事物的钦佩、推崇与尊敬;以及对举止谦卑、谦恭与顺从的人的称赞的意思 (Lane)。这样, حَمْد 是此处要用的最适宜的词, 旨在述及安拉的固有常德以及应受的赞美与颂扬。حَمْد 这个词在其一般惯用法中, 现已专用于安拉。
6
اَلْعٰلَمِيْن (Al-‘Alamin) 是اَلْعَالَمْ (Al-‘Alam) 的复数, 源于词根 عِلْم (‘Ilm) 意为 “知道”。此词已用于一切生物或事物, 借助这些生物或事物, 人们能知晓创造主 (Aqrab)。此词不仅用于被创造出来的生物或事物, 也集体地用于他们种类, 以致当人们说 عَالَمُ الْاِنْس (‘Alamul-Ins) 即人类的世界, 或 عَالَمُ الْحَيَوان (‘Alamul Hayawan) 即动物王国。اَلْعٰلَمِيْن 这个词只是不用以指示有理性的生物--------人与天使。«古兰经» 中此词用于一切被创造的事物 (26:24-29与41:10)。有时当然此词用于某一受限制的意思 (2:123)。这里, 此词用于最广泛的意义, 意指 “除安拉以外的一切”, 也就是包括天体--------太阳、月亮、星星等在内的生物与非生物。
6A
رَبَّى (Rabba) 这个动词的意思是: 他支配此事; 他增加, 发展, 改进与完成这件事情; 他支持与照料。这样 رَبٌّ 的意思是: (a) 养主、主宰、创造主; (b) 立他者与养育者; (c) 使事物逐渐趋向完美之主 (Mufradat 与Lane)。当它与其他词连用时, 它可用于人或生物而不用于安拉。
“一切赞颂, 都归安拉。” 这句话比 “我赞颂安拉” 的意义要广泛与深刻得多, 因为人们只能依照他们的认识来赞颂安拉, 但是 “一切赞颂, 都归安拉” 这句不仅包含人们所认识的赞颂, 而且也包括人们所不认识的赞颂。不受人们不完全的了解或认识的限制, 安拉永远是值得赞颂的。而且, اَلْحَمْد 这个词是一个不定式, 它既可被解释为主语也可解释为宾语。解释为主语时, اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ (Al-Hamdu Lillahi) 的意思是, 只有安拉有权给予真正的赞扬。解释为宾语时, 它的意思是, 一切真实的赞颂与每种完整无缺的赞颂全归于安拉。虚词 اَلْ (al) 的注解见5。
这句经文说明世界演变的法则, 即一切事物都在发展而这种发展是渐进的, 且是分阶段被形成的, رَبٌّ 是使事物生长与逐步发展之主。它也指出这一演变的原则并不与信仰安拉相矛盾。但是这里所说的演变过程不是一般理解的 «进化论»。这词被用于一般意义。而且, 这句经文说明这一事实, 即人类为了无限进步被创造出来, 因为 رَبُّ الْعٰلَمِيْن 这一措词含有主使万物发展, 从较低到较高阶段, 这只有在每个阶段之后还有另一阶段的连续不绝的情况下才有可能的。
4
آیت اول اور آیت دوم میں صفت کے ترجمہ میں فرق ہے۔ پہلی آیت میں ’’جو‘‘ اور ’’ہے‘‘ کو ظاہر کیا گیا ہے لیکن دوسری آیت میں دونوں الفاظ کو خطوط وحدانی میں رکھا گیا ہے۔ ا س کی وجہ ترجمہ کی دِقت ہے۔ دوسری آیت میں چونکہ فقرہ مکمل تھا وہاں ’’جو‘‘ اور ’’ہے‘‘ کے ظاہر کرنے کی ضرورت پیش نہیں آئی۔ پہلی آیت میں ’’جو‘‘ اور ’’ہے‘‘ کے الفاظ کے اظہار کے بغیر فقرہ نامکمل رہتا تھا اس لئے وہاں مقدر کو ظاہر کرنا پڑا۔ آئندہ بھی جہاں جہاں یہ فرق ہو گا ترجمہ میں فرق پڑ جائے گا۔
5
سورۃ فاتحہ میں اللہ تعالیٰ فرماتا ہے اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہِ۔ الف۔ لام ایک تو استغراقی ہوتا ہے یعنی جس چیز کا ذکر ہو اس کے تمام افراد پر دلالت کرنے کے لئے آتا ہے۔ دوسرے اس بات پر دلالت کرتا ہے کہ وہ چیز اپنی ذات میں کامل ہے۔ درحقیقت یہ بھی استغراقی ہی ہے۔ کیونکہ ایک معنے عدد کے لحاظ سے استغراق پر دلالت کرتے ہیں اور ایک معنے کمال کے لحاظ سے استغراق پر دلالت کرتے ہیں یعنی تمام مدارج اس میں آگئے۔ اس کے علاوہ الف۔ لام کسی ذہنی یا کسی مذکورہ چیز کی طرف اشارہ کرنے کے لئے آتا ہے جسے عربی میں معہود ذہنی یا معہود ذکری کہتے ہیں یعنی جس چیز پر الف۔ لام آتا ہے وہ کسی ا
a
6:2; 6:46; 10:11; 18:2; 29:64; 30:19; 31:26; 34:2; 35:2; 37:183; 39:76; 45:37.
2
Important Words:
ال (Al) is more or less like the definite article 'the' of the English language. It is used to convey a number of senses one of which is that of totality. So الحمد would mean, all kinds of praise.
حمد (praise). They say حمده i.e. he praised him. Thus حمد means 'praise'. There are four words in Arabic which are used, in varying significance, in the sense of praise or thankfulness; viz. شکر, ثنا, مدح and حمد. Of these God has here chosen the last. Shukr, when used about man, expresses recognition of and thankfulness for benefits received, whereas Hamd not only embodies the idea of thankfulness but also makes reference to the intrinsic qualities of the object of praise. Thana indicates an idea of publicity, the root meaning of the word being repetition. The emphasis in Thana is more on publicity than on personal experience. Madh gives a somewhat similar meaning as Hamd but whereas Madh may be false, Hamd is always true. Says the Holy Prophet: احثوا التراب فی وجوه المداحین i.e. "Throw dust in the faces of those who praise falsely." Again Madh may be used about such acts of goodness over which the doer has no control, but Hamd is used only about such acts as are volitional (Mufradat). Hamd also implies admiration, magnifying and honouring of the object of praise, and lowliness, humility and submissiveness in the person who offers it (Lane). Thus Hamd was the most appropriate word to be used here, where a reference to the intrinsic goodness and truly merited praise and glorification of God is intended. In common usage the word Hamd has come to be applied exclusively to God.
رب (Lord). رب الشیء means: he gathered together the thing; he owned the thing. رب القیوم means: he ruled over the people and administered their affairs. رب النعمة means: he increased and developed the favour. رب الامر means: he improved and completed the matter. رب الصبیی means: he sustained and looked after the child till he was of age. رب means, lord, master or owner; one to whom obedience is due; one who reforms; one who sustains and develops (Aqrab & Lisan); one who brings to perfection by degrees (Mufradat). رب also means: Creator (Muhit). When used in combination with some other word, the word may be used for others besides God, as we say رب البیت i.e. the owner of the house (Lane).
العالمین (worlds) is the plural of العالم which is derived from علم i.e. he knew. علم (‘alama) means, he put a mark or sign on it. العلم means: the proper name by which a person or thing is known; flag or banner; sign; minaret. العالم primarily means, that by means of which one knows a thing. Hence, the word has come to be applied to all beings or things by means of which one is able to know the Creator (Aqrab). The word is applied not only to all kinds of created beings or things but also to their classes collectively, so that one says عالم الانس i.e. the world of mankind, or عالم الحیوان i.e. the animal kingdom. The word al-‘alamin is not used to denote rational beings—men and angels—only. The Quran applies the word to all created things (26:24-29 & 41:10). Sometimes, of course, it is used in a restricted sense. Thus in 25:2 it is used in the sense of 'mankind' only and not in the sense of 'all created things.' In 2:123 it is used in a still more restricted sense, meaning not all mankind but only the people of the age.
In the verse under comment the word is used in its widest sense and signifies 'all that is besides Allah', i.e. both those that have life and those that have not, including heavenly bodies, the sun, the moon, the stars, etc.
Commentary:
The believer is taught to say, All praise belongs to Allah, and not "I praise Allah" or "we praise Allah." The sentence الحمدللّٰه (all praise belongs to Allah) denotes much more than احمداللّٰه (I praise Allah), because man can praise God only according to his knowledge, but الحمدللّٰه (all praise belongs to Allah) comprises not only the praise which man knows, but also the praise which he does not know, to be God’s due. God is worthy of praise at all times, independently of man’s imperfect knowledge or realization. Moreover, if the expression احمداللّٰه (I praise Allah) had been used, it would have implied that man, a finite being, can completely comprehend the infinite, an implication which is obviously wrong.
The word الحمد is an infinitive and as such can be interpreted both subjectively and objectively. Interpreted subjectively الحمدللّٰه would mean that God alone has the right to bestow true praise. No other being is entitled to give such praise, owing to his limited knowledge. Interpreted objectively, it would signify that true praise is due to God alone. The praise due to other beings and objects is only borrowed and secondary. It is God Who provides everything and grants all powers and capacities. Therefore, when a person or thing is praised, it is really God to Whom the praise belongs, the person or thing being entitled to it only secondarily.
The verse, All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds, conveys, among others, the following meanings:
1. Allah is free from all blemishes and possesses all perfect attributes.
2. He alone is fully aware of the real nature of all things. The truth of this statement is verified by the daily multiplying discoveries of science which go to prove how inadequate human knowledge ever remains.
3. God can be entitled to "all praise" only when He is believed to be رب العالمین i.e. Lord of all the worlds and if He is Lord of all the worlds, then His providence must not only be universal but must extend to both the physical and the spiritual worlds. From the above it follows that no people must remain deprived of God’s spiritual blessings and all must have their share. Therefore, if any revelation is meant for a particular people, other peoples must have separate revelations to guide them, as was the case in pre-Islamic times. On the contrary, if, at a certain time, separate revelations are not sent for different peoples and only one revelation is sent, that revelation must claim to be universal, affording equal opportunities to all peoples, as is the case with Islam; otherwise, God cannot be looked upon as "Lord of all the worlds", nor can He be considered to be entitled to "all praise". In fact, the belief that revelation is the privilege of a particular people to the exclusion of all others who cannot claim any share in it, is false and repugnant to God’s universal providence as well as to His entitlement to all praise.
4. The powers and faculties with which man is endowed are all gifts of God. So it is He Who is deserving of praise for any good that may be done by man.
5. By linking up the clause "all praise belongs to Allah" with the phrase "Lord of all the worlds" God has drawn our attention to the fact that one man’s good is really linked to, and dependent on, the good of all mankind. A true believer should, therefore, look not only to his own good but to the good of all. One who does not do so has failed to grasp the true spirit of Islam and the universality of God’s providence. Happiness for one lies in happiness for all.
6. The phrase رب العالمین (Lord of all the worlds) also points out that as things which grow, develop and change cannot do so by themselves, so is all life subject to God’s lordship.
The phrase further points to a law of evolution in the world, that things undergo development and that this development is progressive and is brought about in stages, Rabb being the One Who makes things grow and develop by stages.
The verse also points out that the principle of evolution is not inconsistent with belief in God. On the contrary, the progressive development of things makes creation all the more marvellous and God all the more deserving of praise. It must, however, be noted that the process of evolution referred to here is not identical with the theory of evolution as ordinarily understood; the expression is used here only in a general sense.
7. Again, the verse points to the fact that man has been created for unlimited progress, because the phrase رب العالمین implies that God develops everything from a lower to a higher stage, and this can be true only if there is a stage beyond every stage in a never-ending process.
8. Finally, by putting the verse الحمداللّٰه رب العالمین in the very beginning of the Quran, a declaration is made that the time of separate revelations has come to an end, and that God is now going to bestow a universal revelation upon the world. When separate Prophets were raised for separate nations, ignorant people, not understanding the purpose of God, rejected the Prophets of other nations; but, with the advent of Islam, one Prophet and one religion were given to all mankind, and the different peoples inhabiting the world—white, yellow, brown and black—were all invited to sing one common hymn in praise of Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.
a
6:2; 6:46; 10:11; 18:2; 29:64; 30:19; 31:26; 34:2; 35:2; 37:183; 39:76; 45:37.5
In Arabic al corresponds to the definite article "the" in English. It is used to denote comprehensiveness, that is to say all aspects or categories of a subject, or to denote perfection, which is also an aspect of comprehensiveness, inasmuch as it includes all degrees and grades. It is also used to indicate something which has already been mentioned, or a concept of which is present in the mind.5A
In Arabic two words Madh and Hamd are used in the sense of praise and thankfulness; but whereas Madh may be false, Hamd is always true. Again Madh may be used about such acts of goodness over which the doer has no control, but Hamd is used only with respect to such acts as are volitional (Mufradat). Hamd also implies admiration, magnifying and honouring of the object of praise; and lowliness, humility and submissiveness in the person who offers it (Lane). Thus Hamd is the most appropriate word to be used here, where a reference to the intrinsic goodness and truly merited praise and glorification of God is intended. In common usage the word Hamd has come to be applied exclusively to God.6
The verb Rabba means, he administered the affair; he increased, developed, improved and completed the matter; he sustained and looked after. Thus Rabb means, (a) Lord, Master, Creator; (b) One Who sustains and develops; (c) One Who brings to perfection by degrees (Mufradat & Lane). When used in combination with another word, it may be used for persons or beings other than God.6A
Al-‘Alamin is the plural of al-‘Alam from the root ‘Ilm meaning 'to know'. The word has come to be applied to all beings or things by means of which one is able to know the Creator (Aqrab). It is applied not only to all kinds of the created beings or things but also to their classes collectively, so that one says ‘Alamul-Ins, i.e. the world of mankind, or ‘Alamul-Hayawan i.e. the animal kingdom. The word al-‘Alamin is not used to denote rational beings—men and angels—only. The Qur’an applies it to all created things (26:24-29 & 41:10). Sometimes, of course, it is used in a restricted sense (2:123). Here it is used in its widest sense and signifies 'all that is besides Allah', i.e. animate and inanimate things including heavenly bodies—the sun, the moon, the stars, etc.
The expression "All praise belongs to Allah alone" is much wider and deeper in significance than "I praise Allah", because man can praise God only according to his knowl