The meaning and
implications of saying 'Alhamdulillâh'
What is the meaning of alhamdulillâh? It is usually translated
as, 'All praise is due to Allâh.' Which has led many of us to use
the phrase, Alhamdulillâh wa shukr Allah.' But this is very
incorrect because alhamdulillâh is actually is a word of praise that
includes within it a greater gratitude or shukr for what Allâh has
ordained, and as Muslims, we are supposed to use it when we are
presented with that which appears good and with that which appears
bad.
But, in the reality of our lives, what is alhamdulillâh? What does
it truly mean? Is just a word on our lips? Or is it a genuine
feeling in our hearts? Someone once told me that alhamdulillâh means
when you don't have something you need or want, you are content with
your fate; when you have a limited quantity of that thing, you are
content with it, and you try to share it, and when you have a lot,
you are content, and you are searching for ways to share it more. In
other words, no matter what your condition, you are grateful to
Allâh for that condition. It is a recognition that all that Allâh
has given us or taken from us is the best for us.
In practical terms, what does this mean. There is an example that I
like to use when I speak of Allâh's Knowledge and Power over us that
may help illustrate my meaning. When I was a new Muslimah, I had the
most beautiful white cat. I loved this cat very much. It used to
wake me up for fajr, and I considered it a great blessing in my
life. The problem, however, was that my landlady did not allow pets
in my apartment. This meant that the cat's presence had to remain a
secret. One day, the landlady called and told me that she was coming
that day to do the periodic spraying for roaches. I knew I had to
hide the cat, but in such a way that he did not come home again from
where I put him, so I decided to take him to a friend's house for
the day. So, I grabbed my cat, and took him to my car. As I was
driving to her house, the cat went crazy. He was clawing at me and
at one point attached himself to the back of my head. I guess he had
never been in a car before, and was terrified. He thought this was
the worst thing that could have possibly happened to him. Now, I had
information that the cat did not. I knew that my actions were
actually a salvation for him. If my landlady had found the cat, we
would have both been homeless. But, of course, there was no way for
the cat to know this. It was beyond his comprehension.
What is the point here? Well, Allâh places us in many situations
that are similar. He provides us with circumstances that in our
limited understanding and perception we find to be disastrous. We
can react to them as the cat did, with fear and pure animal
instincts, or we can recognize Allâh's Wisdom and Superior
Knowledge, and be content with the situation because we have faith
that it is somehow better for us to experience this. To be content
with it, would be to live out alhamdulillâh. It would show our
acceptance of Allâh's Power over us, our recognition of His care for
us, and our gratitude for His Mercy. For Allâh says,
"...This is of the grace of my Lord that He may try me whether I am
grateful or ungrateful; and whoever is grateful, he is grateful only
for his own soul, and whoever is ungrateful, then surely my Lord is
Self-sufficient, Honoured. (27:40)
Allâh had given us so much, and our duty as Muslims is to be
grateful for those many blessings. Ibin Abid -Dunya mentioned that
Dawûd asked Allâh: "What is the least of your blessings?" Allâh
revealed to him to take a breath. Dawûd did so, and Allâh told him,
This is the least of my blessings on you. (Ibn Qayim Al Jawziyyah,
Patience and Gratitude).
Imagine that, taking a breath as a blessing from Allâh. It is an
involuntary action that basically sustains us. So much is involved,
not only from the physiological perspective but also from the
conditions that must exist on the earth to create the perfect
combination of elements for us to breathe. One breath of a human
involves the workings of all of his internal organs as well as the
fact that we have plants that take our carbon dioxide and convert
them back to oxygen which is essential for us to continue breathing.
The processes involved are so many and so detailed that they can not
be covered except by an entire science course which will just
outline the basics. Allâhu Akbar.
We must remember that all that we possess is from Allâh. But we can
not stop there. We must also recognize that that which we do not
possess is also a blessing from Allâh. We must recognize the Power
and Knowledge of Allâh by being grateful for His Blessings. Things
are not always as they seem. We may consider something to be bad,
horrible or disastrous, when in actuality it is purely Allâh's
blessing on us. Remember the story of Musa and Al Khadir:
'Moses got up to deliver a sermon before Bani Israel and he was
asked, 'Who is the most learned person among the people?' Moses
replied, 'I (am the most learned).' Allâh then admonished Moses for
he did not ascribe all knowledge to Allâh only (Then) came the
Divine Inspiration:
'Yes, one of Our slaves at the junction of the two seas is more
learned than you.'
Moses said, 'O my Lord ! How can meet him?' Allâh said,
'Take a fish in a basket and wherever the fish is lost, follow it
(you will find him at that place).
So Moses set out along with his attendant Yusha' bin Nun, and they
carried with them a fish till they reached a rock and rested there.
Moses put his head down and slept. (Sufyân, a sub-narrator said that
somebody other than 'Amr said) 'At the rock there was a water spring
called 'Al-Hayat' and none came in touch with its water but became
alive. So some of the water of that spring fell over that fish, so
it moved and slipped out of the basket and entered the sea. (Bukhari
Vol 6, Number 251)
When they had passed on (some distance), Moses said to his
attendant: "Bring us our early meal; truly we have suffered much
fatigue at this (stage of) our journey." He replied: "Sawest thou
(what happened) when we betook ourselves to the rock? I did indeed
forget (about) the Fish: none but Satan made me forget to tell (you)
about it: it took its course through the sea in a marvellous way!"
Moses said: "That was what we were seeking after:" So they went back
on their footsteps, following (the path they had come). So they
found one of Our servants, on whom We had bestowed Mercy from
Ourselves and whom We had taught knowledge from Our own Presence.
Moses said to him: "May I follow thee, on the footing that thou
teach me something of the (Higher) Truth which thou hast been
taught?" (The other) said: "Verily thou wilt not be able to have
patience with me!" "And how canst thou have patience about things
about which thy understanding is not complete?" He said: If Allâh
pleases, you will find me patient and I shall not disobey you in any
matter He said: If you would follow me, then do not question me
about any thing until I myself speak to you about it So they went
(their way) until when they embarked in the boat he made a hole in
it. (Musa) said: Have you made a hole in it to drown its inmates?
Certainly you have done a grievous thing. He said: Did I not say
that you will not be able to have patience with me? He said: Blame
me not for what I forgot, and do not constrain me to a difficult
thing in my affair.
So they went on until, when they met a boy, he slew him. (Musa)
said: Have you slain an innocent person otherwise than for
manslaughter? Certainly you have done an evil thing. He said: Did I
not say to you that you will not be able to have patience with me?
He said: If I ask you about anything after this, keep me not in your
company; indeed you shall have (then) found an excuse in my case. So
they went on until when they came to the people of a town, they
asked them for food, but they refused to entertain them as guests.
Then they found in it a wall which was on the point of falling, so
he put it into a right state. (Musa) said: If you had pleased, you
might certainly have taken a recompense for it. He said: This shall
be separation between me and you; now I will inform you of the
significance of that with which you could not have patience. As for
the boat, it belonged to (some) poor men who worked on the river and
I wished that I should damage it, and there was behind them a king
who seized every boat by force.
And as for the boy, his parents were believers and we feared lest he
should make disobedience and ingratitude to come upon them: So we
desired that their Lord might give them in his place one better than
him in purity and nearer to having compassion. And as for the wall,
it belonged to two orphan boys in the city, and there was beneath it
a treasure belonging to them, and their father was a righteous man;
so your Lord desired that they should attain their maturity and take
out their treasure, a mercy from your Lord, and I did not do it of
my own accord. This is the significance of that with which you could
not have patience. (18:60-82).
Musa was not patient in learning the meanings of what he had seen.
But he learned a very important leasson, one we should take to
heart. Allâh's Knowledge is so beyond ours, even when he gives one
of us a bit more that the other, we can not see easily beyond the
superficial meanings of the events of life, and we must trust
Allâh's judgement and be grateful for the favours He confers on us.
We must say and feel alhamdulillâh. We must make it a true part of
our lives. The foundation of our faith. Such a simple word, but it
carries so much in it. It tells of our faith in Allâh. It shows how
we must accept the qadr of Allâh in times we consider good and times
we consider bad, not turning our backs on Allâh, like the people of
the boat, when Allâh gives us what we want, but being grateful for
whatever occurs good or bad.
Allâh says, He it is Who makes you travel by land and sea; until
when you are in the ships, and they sail on with them in a pleasant
breeze, and they rejoice, a violent wind overtakes them and the
billows surge in on them from all sides, and they become certain
that they are encompassed about, they pray to Allah, being sincere
to Him in obedience: If Thou dost deliver us from this, we will most
certainly be of the grateful ones. But when He delivers them, lo!
they are unjustly rebellious in the earth. O men! your rebellion is
against your own souls provision (only) of this world's life then to
Us shall be your return, so We will inform you of what you did.
(10:22-23)
We can not only say alhamdulillâh, and be grateful slaves when we
are blessed with what we want, we must also remain grateful when we
are hit by the worst of disasters. In my humble opinion, the worst
loss this nation ever had, was the death of our beloved prophet,
Muhammad. We recognize his humanity, but it was when he departed us
that the splits began in the ummah. The blessing of unity, one he
was not granted by his Lord, is a terrible black mark on the ummah.
Yet, we must have faith that in some way, this is beneficial to us.
In some way there is a blessing, and for it we must say,
alhamdulillâh.
Allâh says, And Muhammad is no more than a messenger; the
messengers have already passed away before him; if then he dies or
is killed will you turn back upon your heels? And whoever turns back
upon his heels, he will by no means do harm to Allâh in the least
and Allâh will reward the grateful. (3:144)
Our beloved prophet dies, and we are to be grateful? To the human
mind and heart this is incomprehensible, but this is where our faith
comes in. If we truly trust in Allâh's Judgement, we must be
grateful. Alhamdulillâh rabil Al Amîn for all that He brings to us.
We must accept the bitter with the sweet because we believe in Allâh,
we trust in Him and we know that He is the Best of Judges, the Most
Wise, and His plan for us is the Fairest, Most Merciful and Best for
us in this life and in the hereafter.
Allâh says, Therefore remember Me, I will remember you, and be
thankful to Me, and do not be ungrateful to Me. (2:152)
And
And hold fast, all together, by the rope which Allâh (stretches out
for you), and be not divided among yourselves; and remember with
gratitude Allâh's favour on you; for ye were enemies and He joined
your hearts in love, so that by His Grace, ye became brethren; and
ye were on the brink of the pit of Fire, and He saved you from it.
Thus doth Allâh make His Signs clear to you: That ye may be guided.
(3:103)
And
O ye who believe! Eat of the good things that We have provided for
you, and be grateful to Allâh, if it is Him ye worship. (2:172)
Also, let us remember to be extra grateful for: " When anything came
to the Prophet (SAW) which caused pleasure (or, by which he was made
glad), he prostrated himself in gratitude to Allâh." (Sunan Abû
Dawûd: Book 14, Number 2768.)
What ever is for us is for us. We can not avoid our Qadr. Our
control comes in how we handle it when it comes. Ali Ibin Abi Talib
saw Adiy Ibin Hatim looking sorrowful, and so he asked him: "Why are
you so sad, O Adiy?" Adiy replied, "How can I not be in such a state
when both of my sons have been killed and my eye gouged out?" So Ali
said to him, "O Adiy, whoever is content with the decree of Allâh
will surely experience it and be rewarded for it; and whoever is not
content with the decree of Allâh will surely experience it, and
Allâh will make his actions worthless." (Purification of the Soul,
p119).
We will experience what Allâh has ordained for us. But will it bring
us blessings or only misery. We must accept the decree of Allâh, be
content with it and be grateful for it, because we know what Allâh
has decreed is the best for us. This is the implementation of
alhamdulillâh.
Now, the blessings of alhamdulillâh in itself are many. Below I will
show a few of these many blessings: Narrated Ali:
Fatima went to the Prophet complaining about the bad effect of the
stone hand-mill on her hand. She heard that the Prophet had received
a few slave girls. But (when she came there) she did not find him,
so she mentioned her problem to 'Aisha. When the Prophet came, 'Aisha
informed him about that. 'Ali added, "So the Prophet came to us when
we had gone to bed. We wanted to get up (on his arrival) but he
said, Stay where you are. Then he came and sat between me and her
and I felt the coldness of his feet on my abdomen. He said,
"Shall I direct you to something better than what you have
requested? When you go to bed say 'Subhan Allâh' thirty-three times,
'Alhamdulillâh' thirty three times, and Allâhu Akbar' thirty four
times, for that is better for you than a servant." (Bukhari
Volume 7, Book 64, Number 274.)
Narrated Abû Malik al-Ash'ari: The Messenger of Allâh (SAW) said:
Cleanliness is half of faith and Alhamdulillâh (Praise be to Allâh)
fills the scale, and SubhanAllâh (Glory be to Allâh) and
Alhamdulillâh (Praise be to Allâh) fill up what is between the
heavens and the earth, and prayer is a light, and charity is proof
(of one's faith) and endurance is a brightness and the Qur'ân is a
proof on your behalf or against you. All men go out early in the
morning and sell themselves, thereby setting themselves free or
destroying themselves. (Muslim Book 2, Number 0432.)
Narrated Abû Dharr: Some of the people from among the companions of
the Apostle of Allâh (SAW) said to him: Messenger of Allâh, the rich
have taken away (all the) reward. They observe prayer as we do, they
keep the fasts as we keep them, and they give sadaqah from their
surplus riches. Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) said:
Has Allâh not prescribed for you (a course) by following which you
can (also) do sadaqah? In every declaration of the glorification of
Allâh (i.e. saying SubhanAllâh) there is a sadaqah, every Takbir
(i.e. saying AllâhuAkbâr) is a sadaqah, every praise of Him (saying
Alhamdulillâh) is a sadaqah, every declaration that He is One (Lâ
ilâha illallâh) is sadaqah, enjoining of good is a sadaqah,
forbidding of that which is evil is a Sadaqah, and in man's sexual
intercourse (with his wife) there is a Sadaqah.
They (the companions) said: Messenger of Allâh, is there reward for
him who satisfies his sexual passion among us? He said: Tell me,
if he were to devote it to something forbidden, would it not be a
sin on his part? Similarly, if he were to devote it to something
lawful, he should have a reward. (Muslim Book 5, Number 2198.)
Narrated Samurah ibn Jundab: The dearest words to Allâah are four:
SubhanAllâh (Hallowed be Allâh), Alhamdulillâh (Praise be to Allâh),
Lâ ilâha illallâh (There is no god but Allâh), and AllâhuAkbar (Allâh
is the Greatest)... (Muslim Book 24, Number 5329)
Narrated Anâs ibn Malik: Allâh's Apostle (SAW) said: Allâh is
pleased with His servant who says: Alhamdulillâh while taking a
morsel of food and while drinking. (Muslim Book 34, Number 6592)
Narrated Abû Huraira: Some poor people came to the Prophet and
said, "The wealthy people will get higher grades and will have
permanent enjoyment and they pray like us and fast as we do. They
have more money by which they perform the Hajj, and 'Umra; fight and
struggle in Allâh's Cause and give in charity." The Prophet said,
"Shall I not tell you a thing upon which if you acted you would
catch up with those who have surpassed you? Nobody would overtake
you and you would be better than the people amongst whom you live
except those who would do the same. Say "Sub-hân-al-lâh", "Alhamdu-lillâh"
and "Allâhu Akbar" thirty three times each after every (compulsory)
prayer."
We differed and some of us said that we should say, "Subhan-al-lâh"
thirty three times and "Alhamdu lillâh" thirty three times and "Allâhu
Akbar" thirty four times. I went to the Prophet who said,
"Say, "Subhan-al-lah" and "Alhamdu lillâh" and "Allahu Akbâr" all
together for thirty three times." (Sahîh Bukhari: Volume 1, Book 12,
Number 804)
I pray that Allâh give us the faith, patience and gratitude to
implement alhamdulillâh into ours lives as true pious slaves of
Allâh. May He forgive us guide us and provide us with the best in
this life and the next. Amîn
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