“Chapter FiveIBN AL-QAYYIM ON THE HADEETH QUDSEE”

I have Divided thePrayer Between Myself and My Servant”

Aboo Hurairah  said, “I heard the Prophet (PBUH) say, ‘Allaah,the Mighty and Sublime, has said: I have divided the prayer betweenMyself and My servant into two halves. And My servant shall have whathe has asked for. When the servant says:

All praise belongs to Allaah the Lord of all Creation. Allaah,the Mighty and Majestic, says, “My servant has praised Me.” And when hesays:

The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Allaah, the Mighty andMajestic, says, “My servant has extolled Me.” And when he says:

Master of the Day of Judgement. Allaah, the Mighty andMajestic, says, “My servant has glorified Me…” and on one occasion Hesaid, “My servant has submitted to My power.” And when he says:

You alone do we worship and from You alone do we seek help. Hesays, “This is between Me and My servant, and My servant shall havewhat he has asked for.” And when he says:

Guide us to the Straight Path, the Path of those whom You havefavoured, not of those upon whom is Your anger, nor of those who areastray. He says, “This is for My servant, and My servant shallhave what he has asked for.”” 27

Ibn al Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, “And when hesays, All praise is due to Allaah, the Lord of all Creation …” hepauses for a short while waiting for the response of his Lord, “Myservant has praised Me.” Then when he says, “The Most Merciful,the Bestower of Mercy”…he waits for the response, “My servant hasextolled Me.” And when he says, “Master of the Day ofjudgement…” he waits for the response, “My servant has glorifiedMe.”

It is the delight of his heart, the pleasure of his eye and the joyof his soul that his Lord says about him, “My servant…” threetimes. By Allaah! If the fumes of desire-and the darknesses of the soulwere not upon the hearts, they would have flown out of happiness andjoy that their Lord, Maker and Deity says, “My servant has praisedMe, My servant has extolled Me and My servant has glorified Me.”

Then there would have been space in his heart to witness (thereality) of the three names which are the basis of all the BeautifulNames and these are: Allaah, ar-Rabb and ar-Rahmaan.

When he says, “Master of the Day of judgement…” he witnesses theglory which befits none but the King, the Truth, the Manifest. So hewitnesses a very powerful and compelling King, to Whom the wholecreation has yielded, to Whom the faces are humbled, to Whom thecreation humbles itself, and to Whom every possessor of power andhonour submits. He witnesses with his heart a King (Who is) upon theThrone of the Heaven.

And then he says, “You alone do we worship and from You alone do weseek help…” in which lies the secret of the creation and the affairof the world and the hereafter, and which contains the loftiest ofgoals and the most excellent of means (of approach to Allaah). Theloftiest of goals is enslavement to Allaah and the most excellent ofmeans is His help and assistance. There is no deity deserving ofworship in truth except Him and there is no helper in His worshipbesides Him. Therefore, His worship is the greatest of goals and Hisaid is the loftiest of means.

And these words contain the two types of tawheed and they areTawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah and Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah. Devotion to Allaahcomprises His names ar-Rabb and Allaah, so He is worshipped on accountof His Uloohiyyah, 28 help is soughtfrom Himon account of His Ruboobiyyah 29 and Heguides to the Straight Path onaccount of His Mercy. The first part of the soorah (i.e., Soorah al-Faatihah) therefore, mentions His names Allaah, ar-Rabb and ar-Rahmaan for the purpose of the one who seeks His worship, help andguidance. He is alone in being able to bestow all of that. There is noone who can aid others in Allaah’s worship besides Allaah and none canguide (to the Straight Path) except Him.

Then the caller, with the speech of Allaah, “Guide us totheStraight Path…” realises his extreme need for this (guidance). He isnever in need of any other thing as much as he is of this guidance. Heis in need of it in every moment and at every glance of the eye.

Then Allaah makes it clear that the people of this Guidance arethose who have been specified with His favour, not those upon whom isHis anger, these latter ones are they who know the Truth but do notfollow it, not those who are astray, and who worship Allaah withoutknowledge. Both of these groups share with each other in speaking aboutHis creation, His command and His Names and Attributes withoutknowledge. The path of those upon whom is His favour and blessing isdifferent from that of the people of falsehood with respect toknowledge and action. When he finishes from this praise, supplication and tawheed, he hasbeen ordered to end it with `aameen’ which is a seal (to hissupplication) and with which the aameen of the angels in the skycoincides. This aameen is from the beautification of the prayer, justlike the raising of the hands is a beautification of the prayer, afollowing of the sunnah, veneration of the command of Allaah, worshipby the hands and a sign of the transition from one pillar (of theprayer) to another.’ [Taken from As-Salaatu wa Hukmu Taarikihaa,pp.171~172].27 Reported byMuslim, Maalik, at-Tirmidhee, Aboo Daawood,an-Nasaa’ee and Ibn Maajah.28 Uloohiyyah:A term denoting that Allaah is the only One to Whomallforms of worship should be directed in truth, whether actions of theheart (feelings), words and statements or actions of the limbs. Theword Ilaah is derived from it, meaning:

something that is adored, worshipped, turned to i.e., anobject ofworship, subservience and adoration. There is nothing else besides Himwho deserves that, and this is the meaning of the testimony, ‘Laailaaha ilallaah (There is no Ilaah which is deserving ofworship/subservience except Allaah), the truth and certainty of whichevery Messenger came to establish. Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic,says: Your Ilaah is but one Ilaah. [Soorah an Nahl (16):20]

And He alone is the Ilaah (of those) in the Heavens andthe Ilaah(of those) in the Earth. [Soorah az-Zukhruf (43):84]. Invokenot, or pray to any Ilaah along with Allaah. There is no Ilaah but He. [SoorahQasas (28):88].

29 Ruboobiyyah:A term denoting the absolute sovereignty andkingship of Allaah over the heavens and the earth and whatever isbetween them. It has three aspects to it:

(i) Khalq (creativity): Allaah by Himself makes everythingfromnothing. (ii) Mulk (possession): Allaah by Himself owns everything and(iii) Amr (administration): Allaah by Himself, controls and directseverything that He creates and all that He owns. Some of the proofs forthese are:

He has the creation and His is the command/administration.Blessed be Allaah the Rabb of all Creation. [Soorah al-A’raaf(7):54]. Allaah is your Rabb. He owns everything and those whom youcall uponbesides Him do not own even the white stringy strand on a date-stone(such a minute possession). [Soorah Faatir (35):13].