Why Faraj (ease) is delayed?

A repeated question you always hear from people, when will faraj (ease) come?
I am tired! It’s been five years since I was diagnosed with this illness…..
I have been waiting for a child for 10 years ….
I have been wishing to get married but it is not happening, I am tired!!....
I can’t find a job and I am tired of asking people for help….
When will faraj (ease) come?!!

A question which we all have to ask ourselves, why is ease sometimes delayed?
We have to ask ourselves this question so we can understand that the believer is in khair (good) despite the situation he is in.

Before I answer the question, I want to clarify one matter for you. This matter is mentioned in an ayah in the Quran but unfortunately most of us pass this ayah without contemplating or understanding. If we understood this, we would not wonder about this question and we would know the answer. 
Allah says what can be translated as: Say: "Nothing will happen to us except what Allah has decreed for us 9:51
Why did Allah say “has decreed for us” not decreed on us or against us!?  Most of the time when we experience a trial we immediately think about it as something which is against us.

Allah is telling us in this ayah that everything which happens to us is for us and not against us…This is a fixed rule with the believer.

The Prophet peace be upon him emphasis what came in this aya and says: Allah does not decree anything for the believer except what is good for him.
Source: Musnad Ahmad 12495, Grade: Hasan

The Prophet peace be upon him also says: If Allah loves a people, then he afflicts them with trials. 
Source: Musnad Aḥmad 23122, Grade: Sahih

Ponder upon these ahadeeth and you will realize why Allah says He decrees for us and not against us. If Allah loves someone He afflicts them with trials and tests, why?  In order for them to receive good….Take this as a rule from now on and I will explain to you how.

From now on when you are afflicted with a trial or difficulty, search for the blessing that is behind it.
On the other hand if you receive khair or something good then be careful from the fitnah (test) that is behind it.
Every difficulty comes with a blessing so look for it in order to enjoy it.  Let me give you an example: You become sick with a serious illness and you find yourself getting closer to Allah and doing more good deeds in your life or you find yourself learning more about your religion.

And for every good you receive search for the fitnah behind it and be careful not to fall into it. Whether it is money, or position or religion or anything else. Any blessing which made you happy, look for its fitnah and make sure to block it. And the worse fitnah in any blessing is pride, arrogance and reya’a (show off) which makes the person forget Allah.

So why is faraj delayed? A question I pose to you and to myself….

Faraj is delayed different reasons. Let’s learn about them from the Prophet himself peace be upon him

The first reason:

Zayed ibn Al Arqam had an illness in his eyes and the Prophet peace be upon him visited him. He then saw him in the market two weeks later and he asked him: What happened to you, Zayed answered: Allah healed me. The Prophet peace be upon him asked him: what if you lost your sight, what would you have done? Zayed said: I would have been patient and would have expected the reward from Allah. The Prophet peace be upon him said: then you would meet Allah without a single sin. Musnad Ahmed.

Imagine Allah says I will test you so that I can wipe all your sins and purify you and bring you to me without a single sin and you say No I don’t want, just cure me now or  just get me a husband now, I am tired! 

From now on my dear sister and brother if Faraj is delayed then rest assured that Allah wants to meet you while you have no sins in your account. It is simply the greatest blessing you could ever have.

What are you rushing for? Allah is telling you I will cleanse you and make you come to me clean from all sins because He knows you are weak and you always rush to commit those sins, a sin after a sin until they multiply.

Second reason:

The Prophet peace be upon him said: (Allah decrees a high status for His slave, he could not reach with his deeds, so Allah tests him in his body or in his money or his children. He then bestows patience on him until he reaches to the  status which He decreed for him) Narrated by Abu Dawood (3090 ) Al Albani authenticated it in "Sunan Abi Dawood."

Allah has decreed for you Jannat Al Firdous which you will not reach with your deeds because you are lazy to work for it or because of any other reason.
The Prophet peace be upon him says: Allah tests him in his body or in his money or his sons…and elevates you to that rank.

A man came to Dr. Khaled Al Jubair and said: A month ago I took my wife to the hospital and the doctor told us he is suspecting she has cancer. He took blood samples from her for further testing but he said it may take up to one month to get back the results. The man said: we left the clinic devastated and we planned to make lots of dua, give sadaqa, wake up at night for prayer and go for umrah. We continued doing all those good deeds until the month has passed. We went to see the doctor for the results and to our surprise all her tests were clear Alhamdulilah. We were very happy and relieved but unfortunately we later stopped all that we used to do (dua, sadaqa and qeyaamulail)

Subhana Allah, Allah knows that when you have it easy, you forget and you stop everything as if you will be living for good. Some people do not remember Allah until death comes.

Dr. Khaled Al Jubair said: I had a patient for surgery and before the surgery the nurse came and handed me a paper from the patient. I looked at the paper and it was a will he wrote to his wife. The will stated: “On top of the bedroom cabinet there is a red bag, you will find 100,000, give it out as sadaqa and inside the cabinet there is another black bag, it has 50,000 also give it for sadaqa and under the bed there is a blue bag…. etc. Basically, he left nothing for his children. Now he started panicking and he remembered Allah.
Many people do not remember Allah unless they fall sick or they are inflicted with a trial. Isn’t this always the case!?

The third reason

When Allah delays faraj for you, he delays it to grant you something even bigger and better. What is it?
Sabr (patients) Allah says: O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient.2:153
Being patient puts you in the company of Allah and what better company than that!? If Allah is with you, you don’t care who is against you.  Would you say no to that!? Would you say to Allah!? No I don’t want your company, I am tired, I just want you to grant me a child or a husband or a job!!?

Allah is telling you, be patient I am with you, don’t worry … and you say no, I just want what I want right now.
Allah says what can be translated as: And be patient, for indeed, Allah does not allow to be lost the reward of (Muhsineen) those who do good. 11:115

Allah here lifted you a rank from being a Muslim to being a Muhsin (the one who does good). He has given you a special badge and elevated you and you say no, no I don’t want!! I want to be in a lower rank!!

Here is an even better status. Allah says what can be translated as: And Allah loves the patient 3:146
Allah says to you, while you are in this trial and this test and you are patient, you gain my love and If I love you, I will give you this world and the hereafter and everything in it just be patient.

An old poor woman was visited in her small hut by a TV show. The reporter asked her, are you happy? She said yes I am. He said: how can you be happy in this small hut,  you simply have nothing to achieve the happiness you are claiming. She said: I am happy because I am satisfied with what Allah has given me, because I know what He has given me is what is good for me now.
Can we think like this old woman or at least strive to remind ourselves to think like that.

Believe me my dear sister and brother if you are not satisfied and happy with what Allah has given you, you will never be happy even if you became a King or a Queen. Be content and remember Allah only gives good and Allah only gives khair.

Abu Hurairah Radiyallahu 'anhu narrates that Rasullullah Sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam in a Hadith Qudsi said: Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala says: When I inflict illness upon My believing slave and he does not complain about Me to people who visit him, I set him free (forgive his sins). Then I change his flesh with flesh better than his and blood better than his blood and he resumes his deeds afresh (as all his sins been wiped out). (Mustadrak Hakim)

Do you now understand why faraj is sometimes delayed!?

SUJOUD AL SHUKR.

Everything you need to know about Sujoud Al Shukr (prostration for thanks and gratitude to Allah)

What is sujoud Al Shukr?
Sujood ash-Shukr is a prostration which is performed for Allaah, in order to show Shukr (thanks and gratitude) to Him for a specific blessing.

When is it performed?
No doubt every blessing is from Allaah. He said,
{Whatever you have of blessing – it is from Allah} [16:53]

However Sujood ash-Shukr is not performed for blessings in general, rather it is only performed for a specific blessing at a specific time – such as a person being blessed with the birth of their child, getting a job or passing an exam. It can also be performed when a specific harm is alleviated from a person – such as being cured from an illness or being saved from  calamity.

Evidence from the Sunnah:
Upon the authority of Abu Bakrah (may Allaah be pleased with him),
Whenever the Prophet (sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam) was pleased by a matter or was given the glad tidings of a matter, he would go into prostration as a form of Shukr to Allaah. Collected by Abu Dawood & Ibn Maajah

Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq prostrated when news reached him that Musaylamah the Liar had been killed. Alee’ prostrated when Dhul Thadiyyah had been killed among the Khawaarij. The Prophet (sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam)  also prostrated when Jibreel gave him the glad tidings that whoever sends salutations upon the Prophet once, Allaah will send salutations on that person ten fold…” Mentioned by al-Adheemabaadi in ‘Awnal-Ma’bood Sharh Sunan Abi Dawood

How it is performed:

As soon as a person hears of a specific blessing, it is recommended for him to immediately prostrate to Allaah. This is a prostration like any other prostration – in terms of prostrating on seven limbs [1] and saying:
سبحان ربي الأعلى
Subhana Rabil A’alah (Glorified is my Lord, the Most High)

A person should then also thank Allaah for the blessing.

There is no evidence however, for a person to say Takbeer at the beginning of the prostration, nor Tasleem after it.

Does a person have to be in a state of Wudhu?

“The correct opinion is that it is not obligated upon a person to be in a state of Wudhu when performing Sujood ash-Shukr. This is because the reason for performing it is due to an occurrence of a blessing or removal of a harm, and there is no specific time for this in which a person can prepare for it. In such a case, whenever a person is blessed, he should immediately perform Sujood ash-Shukr in whatever state he is in.”  Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen; Fataawa noorun alaa ad-darb http://islamport.com/w/ftw/Web/2190/2457.htmInnovations

There are a number of innovations and fabricated narrations which are occurring in relation to Sujood ash-Shukr:

1. Salaat ash-Shukr
It has not been narrated that the Prophet (sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam) dedicated a specific prayer called Salaat ash-Shukr. The only act of worship established is Sujood ash-Shukr – as mentioned above.

2. Performing Sujood ash-Shukr after each prayer or after reciting Qur’an
As mentioned previously in the Hadeeth, the Prophet (sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam) would only perform Sujood ash-Shukr on specific instances of good news or being saved from calamity. Therefore to introduce a new practice of performing a separate Sujood after each prayer is blameworthy and  is a Bid’ah (an innovation).

3. Saying Alhamdulillah 3 times, or Shukr Lillah 3 times
To specify a saying or Du’aa in Islaam requires evidence that it was done by the Prophet (sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam) and his companions. It is not known that the above statements were specified to be said during Sujood ash-Shukr.

A Fabricated Narration:

There is a narration which is mentioned by people in relation to Sujood ash-Shukr. It is,
“When the slaves of Allah do Sajdah-ul-Shukr, Allah opens the hijaab between them & the angels. He says to the Angels, ‘look at my slave, he did his fardh, obeyed my teachings and then performed Sujood to thank Me for what I’ve blessed him with.
‘Oh My Angels what should he get?’ The Angels will reply, ‘Ya Rabbana give him Your mercy.’
Then Allah will ask again, ‘and what else?’ The Angels will reply, ‘Ya Rabana give him Your heaven.’
Then Allah will ask again, ‘and what else?’ The Angels will reply, ‘Ya Rabana make his worries end.’
Then Allah Ta’aala will ‘ask what else?’
Every time Allah asks and what else?
The Angels will reply, something good to be given or be done to the person who does Sajdah-ul-Shukr.
Lastly the Angels will reply, ‘Ya Rabana we have no knowledge.’
Then Allah will say, ‘ I’ll thank him the way he thanked Me, I’ll give him My favour and show him My mercy’.” [End of narration].

Note: It should be known that this is a fabricated narration and has not been mentioned in the authentic books of Hadeeth and Sunnan. Rather it is a narration spread by the Rawaafidh Shee’ah in their books such as Bihaar al-Anwaar, Mustadrak al-Wasaail and others.
It is therefore not permitted to spread this hadeeth, rather this fabrication should be clarified and warned against.

Allaah knows best.

1] The seven limbs that must touch the ground when prostrating have been mentioned in the following Hadeeth: “I have been ordered to prostrate on seven limbs: the forehead – and he also pointed towards his nose, two hands, two knees and the toes of the two feet. [Narrated by Ibn Abbaas; Collected by Bukhaaree & Muslim]

TAHAJJUD.

Do you want to be from Eibadul Rahmaan (the servants of the most merciful) and win the highest level of Paradise?

I am sure you are thinking “of course, is that even a question”!!

Allah Ta’alah says what can be translated as: ( And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth easily, and when the ignorant address them [harshly], they say [words of] peace,
And those who spend [part of] the night to their Lord prostrating and standing [in prayer] ) 25:63-64

Those who spend part of the night prostrating to their lord means those who pray Qeyamulail.

What is Qeyamulail (or the prayer of the night)?
Qeyamulail is an honor given by Allah to those who serve His deen, do good in this dunia and worship Him with sincerity. Not just anyone gets to do Qeyamulail!!

I will give you a simple example in our daily life to help you realize what I mean: Your son or daughter, will not get to meet the president of the country unless they do exceptionally well in their studies or sports compared to the rest of the students within the area, city or country. Wa LeLLAHUL mathalul A’alah.

So Qeyamulail is like an honorary grade. This person who served Allah and their deen during the day, Allah wakes them up at night to meet and connect with Him as an honor and a reward for their hard work…… Subhana Allah, can you feel the tranquility of that!!?

If you were looking to apply for a job in one of the companies or ministries and you heard that the CEO or the Minister walks on the beach every morning at 6 AM. I am sure you will go and buy yourself some sports shoes and outfit even though you have never played sports before and may be your belly is one meter away from you!!! However, you will go walking on the beach at 6 AM just because you have a need and you are ready to do anything to achieve it. We do this with humans, what about the lord of the humans!!? Aren’t we supposed to do more with him?
I am not saying we have to be like the companions of the Prophet peace be upon him, who used to pray the whole night or half of it. We do not have to be like Ata’a ibn Rabah who used to wake up third of the night and sometimes half of it. We do not have to be like Imam Abu Hanifa who used to pray fajr with the wudu of isha for forty years. We do not have to be like all those because our iman is still weak. Let us work in conjunction with our iman.

Qeyamul Lail starts from only two Raka’ahs or four any time of the night, the beginning of the night (after Isha), the middle (before you go to bed) or the end of the night ( just before athaan of fajr). Of course you can do more than the two raka’as if you wish and if you increase the reward will also increase. But if you pray just two raka’hs and one Raka’h witr, that is considered as Qeyam also and when Allah Subhanhau wa Ta’alah calls on the day of Judgment for those who used to pray Qeyamul Lail you will be one of them in shaa Allah.

The best time for Qeyamulail is the last part of the night just before fajr, because Allah descends to the lowest heaven every night. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Our Lord (glorified and exalted be He) descends each night to the earth's sky when there remains the final third of the night, and He says: 'Who is saying a prayer to Me that I may answer it? Who is asking something of Me that I may give it him? Who is asking forgiveness of Me that I may forgive him?'" [Bukhari (also by Muslim, Malik, at-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud).]
Sadly most of us are either sleeping at that time or in a wedding listening to Music and dancing or committing other sins waleyathu biLLAH . We are missing a lot of Khair.

Oh you who have problems in your life, wake up just an hour or 45 min before fajr and pray to Allah and ask Him for what you want. Tell Him your problems and cry. Do not lift your head from Sujoud and there is still something in your heart you have not said, you will see wonders and you will have so much peace in your heart.
After learning all this, let’s not waste these chances any more.

Let’s have a plan for Qeyamulail:

For my brothers, let us start praying isha in Jama’ah (congregation) and fajr in Jama’ah. The Prophet peace and blessings be upon him said: "One who performs `Isha' prayer in congregation, is as if he has performed Salat for half of the night. And one who performs the Fajr prayer in congregation, is as if he has performed Salat the whole night.'' [Muslim]

He (peace and blessing be upon him) also said, “If people knew the reward in praying Fajr and Isha in congregation, they would go to the mosque even if they had to crawl.” [Bukhari & Muslim]

For my brothers and sisters, let us set up our alarms half an hour before the athaan of fajr, just half an hour. What shall we do in this half an hour?
Use the first 15 minutes to read Qura’an so your heart will open up, and the next 15 minutes pray two rakahs or four raka’s plus witr.
Continue with this plan for three months or even six months then increase it to 45 minutes instead of half an hour. Use 15 min. for Quran, 15 min. for Istighfaar and 15 min. for salah. Continue like that for another year and then make it one hour. Use 15 min. for Quran, 15 min. Istighfaar, 15 min salah ala rasoul, and 15 min. for salah.

Once you get used to this, you will find yourself waking up without an alarm and you will see so much khair in your life. You will have light on your face, you will have a better concentration and you will function more efficiently in all aspects of your life and more importantly you will be from the special people of Qeyamulail.

Qeyamulail is the only form of worship which is completely away from Reya’a because you do it late at night when everyone is asleep, just you and Allah. The companions of the Prophet peace be upon him used to walk on their toes not to make anyone feel them praying Qeyamulail. Make it as your secret deed between you and Allah.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The best prayer after the obligatory prayer is prayer at night.” Narrated by Muslim, 1163

Allah praises those who have faith and are pious for their noble characteristics and good deeds, one of the most special of which is qiyaam al-layl. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Only those believe in Our Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.), who, when they are reminded of them, fall down prostrate, and glorify the Praises of their Lord, and they are not proud. Their sides forsake their beds, to invoke their Lord in fear and hope, and they spend (in charity in Allaah’s Cause) out of what We have bestowed on them. No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy as a reward for what they used to do” [al-Sajdah 32:15-17]

The Prophet peace be upon him said: “You should pray qiyaam al-layl, for it is the custom of the righteous who came before you and it brings you closer to your Lord, and expiates sins and prevents misdeeds.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 3549; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Irwa’ al-Ghaleel, 452.
Al-Haakim narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Jibreel came to me and said: ‘O Muhammad, live as long as you want, for you will die. Love whomever you want, for you will leave him. Do whatever you want for you will be requited for it. Remember that the believer’s honour is his praying at night, and his pride is his being independent of people.” Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 73.
So let’s strive to not miss Qeyamul Lail even if it’s only 2 raka’as. May Allah grant us tawfeeq and help us achieve this honor Ameen.

How To Increase Your Blessings

Shurkr Al Nimah or Thanking Allah for His blessings is very important subject we all tend to forget or take for granted.
Majority of us think being thankful is just by saying Alhamdulilah but I am afraid we are mistaken and we need to stop for a moment and think.
Let me give you a very simple example to help you realize;
Imagine someone comes to you and asks to borrow money because they are in need and may be they even have kids and family. You give them the money and they thank you a lot by saying thank you but next day you see them gambling with that money with some friends or you see them buying alcohol with it, how will you feel!?

Did that person really appreciate what you have given them? Were they really thankful?
Will you ever give them money again?
Wa leLLAH Al mathalu Al A’alah

Allah granted us so many blessings and continues to grant us every single day but the question, are we being thankful?!!
Some will say: well, I say Alhamdulilah (Thanks to Allah) every day when I pray. I will tell you Alhamdulilah is not just words but it has to be words and actions.

Some of us have a good job which is a great blessing from Allah but unfortunately we are committing sins every day in this job! We cheat, we lie when we are late for no reason, we leave early and come late, we flirt, we don’t give sadaqa from the money we earn and the list is long.

Some of us have beautiful kids which is another blessing from Allah many don’t have but we neglect them, we beat them for no reason, we put our frustration on them, we don’t teach them right from wrong and we act as if we own them. Is this how you are thanking Allah for His blessings?

Some of us have a very understanding spouse, very loving and very kind but what do we do with them!? We take them for granted, we push them just because they take it, we neglect them and we deny them their rights. Millions are wishing to have a spouse like the one you have, so is this how you say Alhamdulilah?

Some of us got the chance to go to University or college to study but end up having haram relationship which Allah despises or end up flirting or wearing tons of makeup and having a new look everyday just to please the boys and attract their attention. Is that why you went to University?
Millions are craving for this chance and they don’t have it but you have it, so is this how you thank Allah?

You have good health, you can walk and move around and do what you please for yourself but are you treating your body the way you should? Are you eating well? Are you taking your meds so you don’t get worse and are you putting some effort to keep that healthy body which Allah granted you?
Unfortunately, many of us eat junk, smoke, neglect our meds and neglect our body and take it for granted, forgetting millions of people who are incapable. Is this how you say Alhamdulilah

Allah has blessed you with a beautiful body and beautiful hair and you use that body and that hair to disobey him Subhana Allah, you wear tight and revealing clothing and you refuse to wear the hijab!!. Is this how you thank Allah for His blessings which He bestowed upon you?
You have very understanding and trusting parents but you mistreat them, you lie to them, you answer back and argue with them while, millions are still crying for losing their parents. Is this how you are thanking Allah for His blessings?

And the list goes on……..

When Surat Al Takathur was revealed and the companions of the Prophet heard this ayah:
(Then, shall ye be questioned that Day about the joy (ye indulged in!).) 102:08

They asked the Prophet peace be upon him: what joy will we be asked about ya Rasoulu Allah and our swords are on our necks (as we are in Jihad everyday) and our food is dates and water. The Prophet peace be upon him told them, you will be asked about the dates and water !!

Jabir bin `Abdullah says: "The Holy Prophet once visited us and we served him with fresh dates and gave him cool water to drink. Thereupon he said: "These are of the blessings about which you will be questioned." (Musnad Ahmad, Nasa'i, Ibn Jarir, Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Marduyah, `Abd bin Humaid, Baihaqi in Ash-Shu `ab).
And today we have tables filled with food just to show off. We have all sorts of blessings much more than what the companions of the Prophet peace be upon him had and yet we take them for granted.

Remember Allah gave you all the blessings you have and He is able to take them all away from you in a blink of an eye. They are just a test and you determine the final result my dear sister and brother.
Allah says surat Ibrahim: (And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed, 'If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]; but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe.' ")14:07
So please don’t be a denier of Allah’s blessing to you by missusing it and neglecting it.WALLAHI you will be questioned.
Go back and start fixing things and start appreciating what you have. It’s never too late as long as you are alive

When Giving Sadaqa.( What not to do)

Assalam Alikum wa rahmatu Allah wa barakatouh
Many of us have the habit of asking the poor to pray for us after giving them our sadaqa. Do you know that our mother Aisha may Allah be pleased with her used to hate that!! Why?
Allah says in surat Al Insaan what can be translated as: And they give food in spite of love for it to the needy, the orphan, and the captive,76:8

Meaning even the captive who comes to kill you and you hold them captive, you must feed them.
Then Allah continues in the following ayah saying what can be translated as: "We feed you only for the countenance of Allah . We wish not from you reward or gratitude.76:9
Meaning we do not wish from you any reward (like Dua’a) or gratitude (A thank you). So when you give sadaqa do not ask the poor person to pray for you, this is a very important matter my dear sister and brother and if you have been doing it, you must stop.
Our mother Aisha may Allah be pleased with her used to send the messengers with sadaqaat (money as charity) to different locations and when the messengers come back, she used to ask them, what did they pray for me? The messengers would say, they prayed for you such and such, she will say I will pray for them the same so the reward remains with Allah!! Why is that?
Because when the poor person prays for you, they have already rewarded you for your kindness and good deed!.
So for example If I gave a poor person $20 and told them: “ pray for me to be cured, and pray for my children and my husband” this means if this person prays for me then they have already rewarded me. The question, is this the reward I was looking for?
That is why Allah said in the above ayah: "We feed you only for the countenance of Allah . We wish not from you reward or gratitude.76:9
So when you give that sadaqa, you give it for the sake of Allah and Allah will reward you for it and you and I know that no human can reward us better than the Most Generous Subhanahu wa Ta’alah
If the poor person prayed for you without you asking that is fine but you do not give a $50 and say please pray for me to get married, get a job, have children…etc.
Give the sadaqa. What do you want? Nothing, “We wish not from you reward or gratitude.76:9”
Sadly, many of us do not realize this. We give and say do not forget to pray for me.

Give the sadaqa and the reward is from Allah, if the poor person prayed for you, that’s fine and if they didn’t then the reward remains with Allah.

The Secrets of Surat Al Fatiha

Translated from the book Khawater Qura’ania by Dr. Amr Khaled

What is the secret of this Surah? Why did the Qura’an start with this surah? Why is it called the (the mother of the Qura’an)? Why do we read it a minimum of 17 times in a day and night? Why a prayer cannot be right without it?

One of the companion of the prophet PBUH said : the prophet PBUH said to me:"I will teach you a Sura which is the greatest Sura in the Qur'an, before you leave the Masjid." Then he got hold of my hand, and when he intended to leave (the Masjid), I said to him, "Didn't you say to me, 'I will teach you a Sura which is the greatest Sura in the Quran?' He said, "Al-Hamdu-Lillah Rabbi-l-Alamin (i.e. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds) which is Al-Sab'a Al-Mathani (i.e. seven repeatedly recited Verses) and the Grand Qur'an which has been given to me." (Sahih Al Bukhari).

The secret of Surat Al Fatiha :

It contains the all the meanings of the Qura’an. You will find the goals of the whole Qura’an in Al Fatiha. How?

The Qura’an covers three main meanings which are required from the Muslim or the reader of the Qura’an :

1. Beliefs (In who do we belief?).
2. Acts of worship (How do we worship who belief in?).
3. Life methods (The method that Allah wanted for us).
Surat Al Fatiha covers all these three goals.

When you read (الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيم مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ (All] praise is [due] to Allah, Lord of the worlds. The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful, Sovereign of the Day of Recompense) Tawheed and belief in the Day of Judgment is the belief of the Muslim.

When it comes to the act of worship, you read إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ (It is You we worship and You we ask for help).

And when it comes to life method, you read اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ (Guide us to the straight path - The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray) and the whole Qura’an after surat Al Fatiha is elaborating those three main meanings.

Surat Al Fatiha reminds us of the fundamentals of Islam:

1. Allah’s blessings الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ.

2. Sincerity with a word إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ, means we only worship you , we ask your for help وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ.

3. Asking for good companion اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ (6) صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ.

4. Warning from bad companion غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ.

5. The names of Allah, with the focus of the two names of Allah الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. The root of Allah’s relation with humans is Rahma (Mercy) that is why it came twice ( the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful).

6. Straight path اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ.

7. The Day of judgment and preparing for it مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ and اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيم.

8. The importance of making dua’a and the etiquette of making dua’a, the surah ended with a dua.

9. Our Ummah (Nation) is one … that is why you find all the verses in this surah came in the form of plural even if the person is praying alone in his room, he still must use the plural form, so he knows he is part of one Ummah not alone in this Universe.

Manners and etiquette with Allah:

This surah teaches us the manners and etiquette with Allah, it is divided into two, the first part is tribute and compliment to Allah and the second part is the Dua. Whenever you pray you must start with tribute and compliment to Allah by calling him with his best names and thanking him for all the blessing then we ask for whatever we want. The amazing part in this surah is, the number of letters in the tribute is equal to the number of letters in the dua.

The dialogue with Allah

Allah, the Exalted, said, `I have divided the prayer (Al-Fatihah) into two halves between Myself and My servant, and My servant shall have what he asks for.' If he says,

[الْحَمْدُ للَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ ] (All praise and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of existence.)
Allah says, `My servant has praised Me.' When he/she says,

[الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ ] (The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.)
Allah says, `My servant has glorified Me.' When he/she says,

[مَـلِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ ] (The Owner of the Day of Recompense.)
Allah says, `My servant has glorified Me,' or `My servant has related all matters to Me.' When he/she says,

[إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ ] (You (alone) we worship, and You (alone) we ask for help.)
Allah says, `This is between Me and My servant, and My servant shall acquire what he sought.' When he/she says,

[اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ - صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ الضَّآلِّينَ ] (Guide us to the straight path. The way of those on whom You have granted Your grace, not (the way) of those who earned Your anger, nor of those who went astray),
Allah says, `This is for My servant, and My servant shall acquire what he asked for.').''

So you feel when you are reading Surat Al Fatiha that Allah SWT is responding to you, what an honor?
Omar Ibn Abdul Aziz used to read Al Fatiha and after each ayah he pauses for a while, when people asked him for the purpose of that pause, he said: So I can listen to my lord’s answer.

Can you feel the importance of this Surah? Ibn Al Qayem said: Allah revealed 104 books, he collected the meaning of all those books in three books: The Torah, The Gospel or the Einjeel and the Qura’an and he collected the meanings of those three books in the Qura’an and he collected the meanings of the Qura’an in Surat Al Fatiha.

Why was it named Al Fatiha?

1. The simple meaning is because it started the Qura’an as it is the first surah in the mus-haf.

2. The deeper meaning, it is the key of the meaning of the Quran.

The prophet PBUH him said: ليس للعبد من صلاته الا ما عقل منها , this means Allah accepts from your prayer what read with understanding and concentration. None of us want to pray and gain nothing from it by being absent minded or not understanding so from now on let read surat Al Fatiha with a full understanding have a beautiful conversation with our creator, the creator of all Universe.