Pashtuns Learning Islam

[MeemWawMeemNoon]

This chapter contains the essence of the entire Quran. It outlines all the subjects matters that is dealt with in the rest of the 113 chapters.

Surah Al-Fatihah starts with a description of the fundamental attributes of Allah. The fundamental attributes are the attributes which all of Allah Ta'ala's attribute revolve around. These are the basis of the working of the universe and of the relations between Allah and man.

[MeemWawMeemNoon]

The main four attributes of Allah are:

1. Rabb (the Creator, Sustainer, and Developer
2. Rahmaan (the Gracious)
3. Raheem (the Merciful)
4. Maaliki yaumid deen (Master of the Day of Judgment)

[MeemWawMeemNoon]

These attribute signify that after Allah Ta'ala created man He endowed man with the best capacities and capabilities, and provided the means and material needed for his developments:

1. physical
2. social
3. moral
4. spiritual

Further, Allah, Jall Shaanuhu, made a provision that all labours and endeavours of man should have an ample reward.

Next, the chapter deals with the fact that man has been created for the worship of Allah and to endeavour to attain His nearness. That said, he is constantly in need of the help of Allah for the fulfillment of this supreme objective and purpose of his creation.

Next, there is a comprehensive prayer in which all the urges of the human soul find full expression. The prayer teaches us that we should always seek and invoke the assistance of God that He may provide us with the means required for our success in this life and in the life to come. And as man is apt to derive strength and encouragement from the good example of those noble and great souls who led successful live in the past, he is taught to pray that just as by Allah's help and assistance those righteous and God-fearing men achieved the object of their life, and their labours were crowned with success, Allah should open up for him also avenues of moral and spiritual progress.

Finally, the prayer contains a warning that after having been led to the right path, man sometimes strays away from it, loses sight of his goals and becomes estranged from his Creator. We are taught to remain always on our guard and constantly seek Allah's protection against any possible estrangement from Him.

This is the whole Quran's objective that has been set out in seven verses.

[Marwat]

mashallah. keep it comin.

[Dukhtar-e-Kabul]

I will also be present.

[MeemWawMeemNoon]

I am so sorry...I will not add anything today. I am really busy.
Tomorrow, Insha Allah!

[MeemWawMeemNoon]

To continue...

Now that we got a brief introduction to Surah Al-Fatihah, which is the whole Quran, one must recite a prayer before reciting it. As such, because this surah is the whole Quran, this means that we must also recite this prayer before we recite any other verse of the Holy Quran. The reason for this is because we find this injunction in one of the verses that appear in the rest of the Quran. Remember that one of the names of Surah Fatihah is the Great Quran. So, this injunction is guiding us that we must recite this prayer before we recite the Quran. This prayer is such that we are asking Allah's protection from Satan. Satan is an entity that has been created by Allah, so therefore we are asking Allah Ta'ala protect us from this creation of His whose purpose is to misguide.

In 16:98 Allah Jalla Shanuhu notes:

فَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ الْقُرْآنَ فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ

[16:98] And when thou recitest the Qur’an, seek refuge with Allah from Satan the rejected.

When we ask for refuge we are asking Allah Ta'ala for protection:

1. So that no evil should befall us
2. So that no good should escape us
3. So that after we have attained goodness, we may not relapse into evil again.

Thus, by seeking the protection of Allah Jall Jalaluhu while reciting the Holy Quran we pray:

1. Firstly, that we may not miss any teaching of the Quran through weakness or negligence or in consequence of our sins, or under the influence of evil company.
2. Secondly, that we may not fail to understand rightly any teaching of the Quran
3. Thirdly, that, having understood, we may not relapse into ignorance again.

Therefore, the prescribed prayer is:

أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم

I seek refuge with Allah from Satan, the rejected.

[MeemWawMeemNoon]

So, now let us start with the first verse, Insha Allah.

[MeemWawMeemNoon]

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

[1:1]In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.

ب occurring here in combination with اسم is a particle used to convey a number of meanings, the one more applicable here being that of "with." The compound word بسم therefore would mean "with the name of."

Thus, the expression بسم الله would thus mean: "begin with the name of Allah" or "recite in the name of Allah" or "I begin in the name of Allah" or "I recite in the name of Allah."

In translation the words are translated as: "in the name of Allah." (Lane)

اسم (name), which is derived either from وسم (a mark) or سمو (height), means a name or attribute. Here it is used in both senses.

1. Firstly, it refers to 'Allah' which is the personal name of God.
   
2. Secondly, it refers to Al-Rahman and Al-Rahim, which are His attributive names.

الله (Allah) is the name of the Supreme Being Who is the sole possessor of all perfect attributes and is free from all defects. In the Arabic language, the word Allah is never used for any other thing or being. No other language has a distinctive name for name for the Supreme Being. The names found in other languages are all attributive or descriptive and are often used in plural, but the word "Allah" is never used in the plural number. It is a simple substantive, not derived. It is never used as a qualifying word.

[MeemWawMeemNoon]

I am slowly transcribing the book and notes that I am using.

[MeemWawMeemNoon]

الرحمان(The Gracious) and ) الرحيمthe Merciful) are both derived from the same rootر- ح- م meaning, he showed mercy; he was kind and good; he forgave. The word رحمة combines the idea of رقة ; i.e.; 'tenderness' and احسان ; i.e., 'goodness' (Mufradat).

الرحمان is in the measure of فعلان and الرحيم in the measure of فعيل . According to the rules of the Arabic language, the larger the number of letters added to the root-word, the more extensive or more intensive does the meaning become (Kashshaf). The measure ofفعلان conveys the idea of fullness and extensiveness, while the measure of فعيل denotes the idea of repetition and giving liberal reward to those who deserve it (Muhit). Thus, whereas the word الرحمان would denote "mercy comprehending the entire universe," the word الرحيم would denote "mercy limited in its scope but repeatedly shown."

In view of the above meanings الرحمان is One Who shows mercy gratuitously and extensively to all creation without regard to effort or work, and الرحيمis One Who shows mercy in response to, and as a result of, the actions of man but shows it liberally and repeatedly. The former is applicable to God only, while the latter is applied to man also. The former extends not only to believers and disbelievers but also to the whole creation; the latter applies mostly to believers. According to a saying of the Holy Prophet, the former attribute generally pertains to this life, while the latter attribute generally pertains to the life to come (Muhit), meaning that as this world is mostly the world of actions and the next world is the world where actions will be particularly rewarded, God's attribute الرحمان provides man with material for his works in this life, and His attribute الرحيم brings about results in the life to come.

All things that we need and on which our life depends are purely a Divine favour and are provided for us before we do anything to deserve them or even before we are born, while the blessings in store for us in the life to come will be given to us as a reward of our actions. This shows that الرحمان is the Bestower of gifts, which precede our birth; while الرحيمis the Giver of blessings which follow our deeds as their reward.

[IamDZJ]

i would thank you but you know my policy on that...instead i would do the "present" thing. only once though..thank you.

[MeemWawMeemNoon]

i would thank you but you know my policy on that...instead i would do the "present" thing. only once though..thank you.

Yes, I do, dearest sister.