Bismillah walhamdolilah wasalatu wasalam ‘ala Rasool Allah

Asalamu ‘alaikum,

There are certain words and phrases which we pronounce in our salat repeatedly, yet more than likely we do not know what they mean. This is the state of our salat these days…nothing more than actions of the limbs. O Muslims! Remember faith (eman) is belief in the heart, statements upon the tongue, and actions of the limbs. All three are required for a completeness of faith. Inshallah, we will look at some of the oft-repeated words and phrases in our salat and analyze them to give us a deeper understanding and a deeper connection with our Lord.

The word I want to look at this week is: Alhamdolilah

Allah says in the most recited surah of the Qur’an: “All praise is to Allah…”

Hamd means praising orally regardless of you being benefited by it. It is doing something, a favor or anything else, without the expectation of some reward or a statement of kind words back. This is different from shukr (thanking), in that you expect some reward or a statement of kind words in return.

Ibn al-Qayyim writes that hamd denotes qualities of love and respect; its connotation is of a special nature.

In the word Al-Hamdu, the prefix al has been used to include all forms of hamd. Thus, the perfect degree of hamd is only reserved for Allah.

And so you stand in front of Allah, the one who has the most perfect degree of hamd, and you recite:

“All the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the ‘Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists)”.

You recite this knowing that He is Allah, the One who is worthy of all praise, the One who has created the heavens and the earth, the stars and the sky, the sun and the moon. It is Allah, the one who deserves all hamd, who created life and death; it is He who has given you life and it is He who will cause you to die. It is Allah, who is deserving of all hamd, who brought you into existence and gave you the honor of worshiping Him. Thus, you stand in front of Allah, recognizing these bounties and acknowledging the fact that surely Allah is worthy of all praise…and you recite: “All praise is to Allah…”

Immerse yourself in the greatness of Allah. Stand in front of Him…knowing He is worthy of all thanks, all glory, and all praise and knowing that it is He who is your Lord and the Lord of all the worlds.