Sūrah al-Fātiḥah

In the name of God, the compassionate, the ever-merciful.

Section One
1
The coherence in this sūrah is like a multifaceted germ. It can
be studied in many distict aspects. I shall take upon explaining
all the facets of coherence in the sūrah one by one.

The Frist Aspect:

The first aspect of coherence in this sūrah stems from its status
as the preface to the Qur’ān and the fact that it, in a concise
manner, covers all fundamental themes of the Book (unicity of
God, sharā’i‘ (laws), last judgment). It is in consideration of the
fact that the sūrah covers the primary themes of the Book the
scholars have called it al-mūfiyah (the complementing one). On
top of being being a preface to the Qur’ān, housing all the
fundamental themes of the Book, it is a miniature Qur’ān. This is
because a preface to a book is an independent and complete
discussion, and yet is always included as an addition to the book.
This, however, is in only an aspect. A preface, in another aspect,
is part of the book it inaugurates.
That the sūrah is an independent miniature Qur’ān in itself has
been gleaned upon by the authorities in the Qur’ān tafsīr. They
base this conclusion on their interpretation of the following verse
which stresses God's extraordinary benevolence on the Prophet
(sws): “We have given you seven oft-repeated ones and the great
Qur’ān (sab'an min al-mathānī wa al-Qur'ān al-'azīm).”(Q 15:
87)
The scholars, from the earliest times to this day hold that the
words sab‘an min al-mathānī (the seven oft-repeated ones) refer
to Sūrah al-Fātiḥah. Notice how the Almighty specially calls it
the great Qur’ān. This means this sūrah has an independent
status. If someone holds that the wāw of ‘aṭaf (particle wāw
meaning “and” in the verse) is not used to connote gloss and
therefore, the most plausible implication is “we have given you
these seven verses, and in addition to it, the great Qur’ān” then
again, in as per this interpretation too, this sūrah is considered a
chapter in addition to the Qur’ān. Thus whatever interpretation
of the particle wāw we opt for, the sūrah can be proved to be an
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independent comprehensive entity. It is based on this that we can
understand that the sūrah was not written in the codex of
‘Abdullāh b. Mas‘ūd (rta). For the Qur’ān was to be written on
the hearts of the believers. Gabriel brought the Qur’ān to the
Prophet (sws) who then taught it to the Companions (rta). They
learnt it from him as oral word. That is why they themselves had
to record it on pages in the form of a book. Thus if it is correct
that ‘Abdullāh b. Mas‘ūd (rta) did not inscribe it in his codex, it
is because he considered the fact that the sūrah was written in
the heart of every believer. They recite it everyday more than
thirty-two times. Whatever is frequently uttered by the tongue of
a person does not need to be recorded in written form. It is there
in the physical body and the spirit of the person. No despot can
snatch it from him. He does not need to write it on a material
which needs to be moved and carried separately while at home
or on a journey vulnerable to theft and loss.
The Arabs would therefore not put to writing what they could
remember and repeat orally. The Qur’ān too has been preserved
and secured in this very manner. There is uncountable number of
ḥuffāẓ (memorizers) of the holy Qur’ān in the ummah. God has
always increased the number of ḥuffāẓ in the ummah.
A similar case is found in the Torah as well. The nation of
Israel was required to memorize and secure the statement of the
unicity of God in every possible manner. The rest of the Book
was given them in written form. This later part was forgotten and
lost. Similarly the Almighty Allah made this sūrah a part of the
prayer and decreed that all the believers should write it on their
hearts. This is what ‘Abdullāh b. Mas‘ūd (rta) had in mind when
he did not write it in his personal codex. Generally people did
not understand his view. They believed he did not consider it
part of the Qur’ān. He is quit of the charge of doing so with such
evil intention.

2
How does the sūrah cover all the fundamental teachings of the
Qur’ān? The Qur’ān teaches us three fundamental themes:
tawḥīd (unicity of God), al-Sharā’i‘ (divine laws), and the Last
Judgment. If we proceed to discuss these themes in detail, trying
to cover all the Qur’ānic parts dealing with them, it would put us
in an unending discussion. We do not afford such an exhaustive
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survey of the matter. This matter will reveal itself to those who
study the Qur’ān with deliberation.
I do not mean to say that some of the Qur’ānic verses
exclusively deal with tawḥīd, some with rulings and some with
the Afterlife. Contrarily, all these themes are mixed in different
parts of the revelation. They are not put independently and
separately in the book. Thus, in Sūrah al- Fātiḥah these themes
have been put as follows: The theme of tawḥīd is put as a crown
on the entire sūrah. Subsequently, the themes of the law and the
afterlife are discussed as subsidiary of tawḥīd. You shall find the
details of these points in the commentary on the sūrah in the
following pages.

3
From the preceding discussion one can learn the wisdom
behind making this sūrah a necessary part of the ṣalāh. Reciting
Sūrah al-Fātiḥah is like reading the entire Qur’ān in brief.
Reading a short version of something, after having learnt its
detailed form, helps refresh the entire discussion. Shortly I shall
explain to you how this sūrah completes one’s ṣalāh. No ṣalāh is
better than that of one whose ṣalāh includes this text. This is
perhaps because of this fact that the theme of this sūrah has been
part of the ṣalāh even when it was not expressed in these exact
words of miraculous beauty. Thus, no ṣalāh is possible without
the theme this sūrah is expressive of. It is precisely for this
reason that the Prophet (sws) stated that ṣalāh is not valid unless
the worshipper recites al-Fātiḥah. The Prophet (sws) showed
unprecedented love for the ummah when he said that whoever
did not recite this sūrah in his ṣalāh his worship would be
incomplete. He repeated the word “incomplete” three times. By
this he meant to stress the importance of this sūrah as part of the
ṣalāh. He emphasized that ṣalāh is not complete without the
recitation of this sūrah, and that the believer should not keep this
sūrah out of their ṣalāh, like the Jews and the Christians had
done. The Jews, it should be noted, did not appreciate the
importance of their fātiḥah, in spite of the fact that it was written
in the Scriptures. It formed part of the ṣalāh of their prophets. I
will deal with this matter in ……. section.1 They ignored this
supplication and introduced new ones in its place. They kept
1
This discussion has been left unfinished.
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changing their replacements and entered into disputes on this
issue.
The Almighty Allah has showed great benevolence to the
ummah of the Last Prophet, Muḥammad (sws). It is only because
of God’s blessings that no faction in this ummah has failed to
acknowledge importance of this sūrah. All the believers recite it
in their ṣalāh. They are united on its status as part of the ṣalāh
just as they are unanimous on the number of daily Prayers, the
raka‘āt (units) to be offered in each, and its complete form,
including the standing and sitting postures. The Almighty Allah
preserved the form of the ṣalāh just as he saved the entire Qur’ān
from alteration and adulteration.
We thank God on saving this ummah from falling into such
error. He did not leave us fall into waywardness and error like
the Jews and the Christians. This proves that Islam is still helped
and protected by God. Its shades are expanding. Other nations
continue to turn to it. God’s light still falls and shines on it. The
Book of God is there to lead us. It is a covenant which we
contracted with Him. The ṣalāh serves as a reminder of this
covenant, as is evidenced by the Torah, the Gospels and the
Qur’ān. This last fact shall be explained in the commentary on
the last part of the Sūrah al-Fatḥ.
I have only mentioned the above facts in order that you do not
lose sight of the central importance and extraordinary status of
this sūrah, as well as of the importance and status of the ṣalāh,
during which you recite the sūrah with full devotion. This shall
also help you ignore the views of those who hold that Islam has
lost God’s protection and that it is no longer under the divine
light.
It is God Almighty Who sent the last of the Prophets,
Muhammad (sws), whom He promised His help. He then of
course fulfilled His promise. He helped the Prophet (sws) and
perfected His blessings on him. The Almighty says: “It is He
who has sent his Messenger with guidance and the religion of
truth, that He may proclaim it over all religions, even though the
idolaters may detest it.” (Q 61:9)
The glad tiding that the last Prophet (sws) would triumph over
his enemies was so prevalent and conspicuously mentioned in
the earlier scriptures that the Jews would pray for victory over
the rejecters through the promised Prophet (sws) even before the
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advent of Muhammad (sws). We see that the earlier Scriptures
praised those who would enter Jerusalem. The praise of these
people has again been mentioned in the Qur’ān, developing on
the previous scriptural statements. The Qur’ānic verse in the
praise of this group is as follows: “That is their description in the
Torah. And their description in the Gospel is like seed-produce
that puts forth its sprout, then strengthens it, till it becomes stout
and stands firm on its stem, delighting the sower.” (Q 48:29)
Can a thing, the appearance of which has so profoundly
foretold, be like a shade destined to recede into oblivion? Was it
something like a tree easily pulled out by the roots? Or was it
merely a rainless cloud? No. Never. It is only the untruth and
falsity which are destined to vanish. Truth, on the contrary, is
destined to grow aloft.

4
The Second Aspect
You have learnt that Sūrah al-Fātiḥah, as a preface to the
Qur’ān, comprehensively covers the primary Qur’ānic themes,
which are three in number. It is also a miniature Qur’ān in that it
exhibits the form of coherence of the entire Qur’ān. If you recite
the sūrah, you can get a reflection of the coherence of the entire
Book. Seen in this perspective, this sūrah is like a small mirror
reflecting a huge object. This is thus another aspect of it being a
complete representation of the entire Qur’ān in a miniature form.
The details of this brief statement follow. When you consider
the Qur’ān in its entirety, you learn that it starts by an expression
of gratitude to God. Then you find it revealing the principles of
Islam, in both their exterior and interior dimensions. It develops
on till the point in which it completes the discussions with a
mention of the help granted to the believers. The disbelievers are
finished and annihilated, and the prophetic mission of the
Prophet Muhammad (sws) culminates. The Sūrah of tawḥīd (Al-
Ikhlāṣ, Q 112) has been put at the end as a representation of the
last covenant of God. At this point, the divine city represented by
the Qur’ān is fully constructed. Then there are two bulwarks
built around it for defensive purposes. Or, we can say that two
swords, or rather a double edged sword, are appointed to defend
it. These are the last two Sūrahs of the Qur’ān, the so called
mu‘awwadhatayn (the two seeking refuge). We can say that the
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Qur’ān is like an eternal garden which is watched over by two
guards holding shining swords in their hands. This issue shall be
detailed in the discussion on the arrangement of the sūrahs.
If you imagine the Qur’ān this way and ponder over Sūrah al-
Fātiḥah, you will notice that the sūrah contains a stark similarity
to the entire Qur’ān in this sense. It starts by an expression of
gratitude to God. Then it takes up the theme of justice. Then we
see two bases of worship. Then there is a mention of the right
guidance and straight path consisting of tawḥīd and sunnah.
Then surfaces the theme of seeking refuge in God. This seeking
of refuge in God, just like the mu‘awwadhatayn, contains two
aspects, both external and internal. A detailed discussion on this
correspondence between the themes of the Sūrah and that of the
entire Qur’ān requires a great amount of detail. This shall be
clear to you once you have studied the commentary on the last
sūrahs of the holy Qur’ān. However, you will find some
important points in this regard in the explanation of the verses of
the present sūrah.
The above, it is hoped, reveals that like the entire Qur’ān, this
sūrah too is an eternal garden protected by two guards. This
similarity between the two is not a baseless poetical imagination.
It is, on the contrary, based on firm foundations and clear
evidence. This basis shall be explained with the help of God.

5
The Third Aspect
This sūrah, the foundation block of the ṣalāh, prefaces the
great Qur’ān. From its placement and relation to the Qur’ān, we
can infer that the ṣalāh is the foremost directive of the religion.
The one who does not offer regular prayers indeed abandons the
entire religion. This conclusion drawn from the placement of the
sūrah and its relation to the Book of God appears, after all, to be
a mere inference. However, when we study the religious
directives contained in the Qur’ān and the Sunnah this inference
is established. Thus the status of the ṣalāh is edified seeing that
God has made this sūrah the opening of the last divine covenant
that He contracted with human beings.
In my commentary on verse 152 of the second sūrah (Al-
Baqarah, Q 2) of the Qur’ān (“So remember Me, and I will
remember you”), I have mentioned that the divine covenant
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made with this ummah is kept intact through the ṣalāh. When we
hold fast to the ṣalāh, we in fact stick to the rope of God (the
holy Qur’ān) and and also have a firm bond with Him. In return,
God helps us over the enemies of the religion. He protects us
from the worst enemy (Satan) who is residing with us. God has
promised this in many places in His book. In the most of clear
words, this promise has been put in the following saying of the
Almighty Allah: “Surely the ṣalāh keeps off indecency and evil.”
(Q 29:45)
The fact that abandoning the ṣalāh had put some of the earlier
nations in error and waywardness is clear in the following verse:
“A later generation succeeded them who have lost the ṣalāh and
followed lusts. They shall soon meet error.” (Q (19:59) This
verse has been placed following a mention of those whom God
blessed, the Prophets and their followers. This points out that
abandoning the ṣalāh means expulsion from the group that has
God blessed, or the party of God. In Sūrah al-Fātiḥah this has
been emphasized. God taught us to specially ask Him to put us
on the path of this party of God. The above suffices as an
introduction. I shall take up this issue again and deal with it in
detail in my commentary on the following verses of Sūrah al-
Ḥajj: “Those who, if we granted them power in the land,
establish the ṣalāh, do their alms, enjoin good and forbid evil.”
(Q 22:41) I will also deal with this theme in “Guard strictly your
prayers, especially the middle prayer.” (Q 2:238) This issue will
in addition be taken up in the commentary on the initial verses of
Sūrah al-Mu’minūn and Sūrah al-Kawthar.

6
The above explained are the three aspects of the interrelation
between Sūrah al-Fātiḥah and the Qur’ān. Now we need to
consider the internal coherence in the sūrah. I, however, before
taking up that, would like to uncover some of the facts implied in
this sūrah, the full extent of which none other than God can fully
know. Some of this knowledge escapes like rays emanating from
a concealed body. A very careful and keen observer can be led
by these rays, which are delicate textual indicators and allusions
to their source: the implied knowledge. Since, however, they are
not based on clear and explicit textual statements, it is not
necessary for the commoners to have faith in them.
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I have decided to explain these points of wisdom buried in the
sūrah only because I see that in the present day a new sect has
arisen seeking to interpret the Qur’ān without knowing the art of
interpretation after the example of a sect emerging with the
claims of the esoteric. Prominent figures and leaders among this
latter group claimed to the heads of state at the time that they
were ‘the guarded and infallible leaders’. This was in spite of the
fact that the scholars among them claimed, in no unclear terms,
that they concluded what they concluded on basis of the books of
the Prophets and the philosophers. In a similar fashion, a party in
our times has claimed that God has sent to them a messenger. He
has, they claim, revealed to them the secrets of the Qur’ān. Thus
this new Prophet, or rather imposter, put those, who lacked the
knowledge I intend to give here, in great tribulation. He created
division in the Muslims. He decreed that those who do not
believe in him and his revelations would perish.
When I saw that people faced with the test of this claim which
mixes truth and falsehood, needed guidance, I decided to
uncover some of the realities buried in the sūrah so that they
could learn the truth and follow it. They would then be able to
understand that the revelation and the status of a divine
messenger are beyond and superior to what the party believing in
the imposter have assumed. I intend to explain that we must not
rely on anything other than the Qur’ān or the books of the
Prophets (the scriptures). Whereas, in this discussion, I have
followed the method of the people of symbolisms and
figurations, yet I have not followed any absurd argumentation.
At the same time I have not abandoned the obvious meaning of
the words for esoteric meanings. This is enough for a preface.
Now I proceed to uncover the treasure of the knowledge buried
in the sūrah with the help of God and His blessings.

7
The First Screen
Know that the number of verses of the sūrahs of the Qur’ān has
not have been clearly mentioned in the Book. This sūrah,
however, is an exception. The Almighty has given it a name,
which develops on the number of its verses. This means that God
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intends us to ponder over the number of its verses. We know that
numbers are attached extraordinary importance in the divine
books. Similarly the philosophers too hold that all the matters of
the world are determined through numbers. A similar statement
is found in the Qur’ān where the Almighty says: “We have
created everything under a decreed measure,” (Q 54: 49) and
again “to God everything is in a set proportion”. (Q 13: 8) This
issue concerning the importance of numbers will be explained in
my book al-Taqdīr wa al-Ḥisbān.2 When we contemplate the role
and correspondence between numbers and what they indicate,
we are not actually following baseless superstitions.
Furthermore, the Qur’ān has told us that there will be eight
carriers of the divine throne on the Day of Judgment. God says:
“And eight (angels) will carry above them the throne of your
Lord that day.” (Q 69:17) The scholars have believed, as do I,
that the number of the angels holding the throne shall increase on
the Day of Judgment. For presently there are only four angels
carrying on this duty. This has been mentioned in a prophetic
tradition, though not in great detail. We, however, can find the
details in the books of the biblical Prophets. It has been
mentioned in the Bible that the Prophet Dhū al-Kifl (sws) and
the Prophet Yaḥyā (sws) saw seven spirits under the throne of
God and that the four angels engaged in glorifying God. I
interpret the tradition in the light of these biblical statements.
We learn from the Qur’ān that there is al-rūḥ (spirit) who is
special and more important than the angels, just as a human
being is superior to an animal. God almighty says: “On the day
when al-rūḥ and the angels shall stand arrayed” (Q 78:38) and
again “al-rūḥ and the angles ascend in it.” (Q 97:4) Notice how
the Almighty mentioned al-rūḥ before the angels while referring
to their standing before God, and then He reversed the order
while mentioning their descent. This indicates the superiority
and high status of al-rūḥ. Then, in the mention of the holding up
of the throne of God, both have been generally mentioned. Still
however, God has here again, differentiated between those who
hold the throne and those who surround it. He says: “Those who
hold the throne and the ones who surround it.” (Q 40:7) At
2
The author intened to write a book on this issue but could not
accomplish it. It is not even found among the manuscripts and notes he
left.
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another place He says: “You shall see the angels surround the
environs of the throne.”(Q 39:75) From these verses we learn
that those who hold the throne are the seven superior al-rūḥs and
surrounding it are angels.

8
Note that the total number of al-rūḥs and the angels mentioned
in this reference is seven. It also needs to be appreciated that al-
rūḥ deals with the souls and the spirits, while the angels are
entrusted the affairs of the bodies. The Almighty says: “The
angels and al-rūḥ descend in it with the permission of their Lord,
with all decrees.” (Q 97:4) This shows that there is no issue
regarding which the angels and al-rūḥ do not descend with
divine decrees. The Almighty says: “To him ascend the angels
and al-rūḥ in a day the measure of which is fifty thousand
years.” (Q 70:4) In the book of the Prophet Dū al-Kifl (sws) and
in the revelations of the Prophet Yaḥyā (sws), we learn that the
angels appeared to them in the form of a man, lion, bull and
eagle. These make four. The fifth was an animal they did not
reconginze for they had not seen it. He was the one already
expelled. He was previously included among them. He is Satan,
the chief of the lowly, in the form of a serpent. This is why he
has been named Satan. Similarly they (Dū al-Kifl and Yaḥyā)
did not mention two more angels who are in charge of
vegetation. Both of them are below that place near the Sidrah al-
Muntahā. These angels of the second cadre are junior in status to
the seven holding ones. The latter also are seven in number as
has been mentioned earlier. It has also been explicitly mentioned
in the books of the prophets.

9
The holy Qur’ān has informed us of issues regarding the Spirits
and the angels which were not told in the books of the earlier
prophets. In the reverse, there are issues which the books of the
earlier prophets detail for us and in which the Qur’ān does not
speak about, for the general human beings did not need to learn
them. The holy Qur’ān merely referred to them in allusion. They
are however discernable by those granted understanding of
which they employ their minds and obtain additional grandeur.
Thus the Almighty initially mentioned in the holy Qur’ān that He
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commanded the angels to prostrate before Adam (sws) blowing
His spirit into him.
We have learnt that al-rūḥ is an entity superior to the other
servants of God. It shows that God commanded the agnels to
obey the Sacred Spirit (al-rūḥ al-Qudus). The Book clearly states
that al-rūḥ al-Qudus is distinguished and obeyed by the will of
the Lord. The implication is that the angels must be subjected to
following al-rūḥ al-Qudus.
We know that every creature in this world is subjected to
service of man. It has to serve him. This fact leads us to that man
partakes of the spirit of al-rūḥ al-Qudus which is the obeyed one
(al-mutā‘). To whatever degree a man goes higher in worship of
God and purifies himself from the contamination of his flesh,
God increases his share in the qualities of al-rūḥ and more do the
creatures surrender before him with the permission of God even
when he does not intend to subject them to his will. Such a
believer grows into a perfect worshipper, who is satisfied in his
fate (rāḍī). God too is pleased with him. It has been mentioned in
the holy Qur’ān concerning the dignified servants of God. It has
also been mentioned in the sound ḥadīths that (God says): “[….]
until I become his ears and his eyes […..]”Thus the creatures
obey him and he obeys his Lord. This means that following him
is in fact following God. The Qur'ān says: [Tell them O Prophet],
“If you love God follow me, God will love you.” (Q 2:31) Being
obeyed in this way, he does not become a partner to God nor a
deity. Rather, he is a perfect servant of God who has obtained
perfection in worshipping Him. He is to God as a command, pen,
and the law are to a king. Whoever obeys laws issuing from a
king is deemed to have followed the king himself.
In the holy Qur’ān, the Prophet Abraham (sws) is reported to
have said: “Except the Lord of the worlds, Who has created me
(in love and passion), for He shall guide me (to his presence). It
is He who feeds me and waters me (in this worldly life from
beyond the screens). When I fall ill He recovers me (from the
physical ailments. Will He not then cure the one suffering from
burning thirst of the soul in this worldly life?) The one Who
gives me life and gives me death (just as He cures someone after
he is weak and ailed). The one Who, I hope, will forgive my
mistakes on the Last Judgment (for He is dayyān, the retributer,
and just so it is only appropriate to hope that He would cover me
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with His mercy on the Day of Judgment).O Lord, (now Abraham
(sws) calls Almighty Allah in this manner as he started in the
beginning by referring to the divine attributes, the Lord of the
worlds, in a profound sense of nearness) grant me wisdom and
annex me to the virtuous ones (those who are Your party and
those of our forefathers who have obtained access to Your
presence). And create for me a tongue of truth in the last ones
(i.e. raise from among my successor generations people who
fulfill my word and who join me). Make me one of those who
shall possess station in the paradise of blessings (where I shall
mix with those who are Your party and where You will feed and
water me just as You gave me sustenance in this world and so
that You forgive me and place me under Your mercy.” (Q 26:
77-85)
These verses indicate that all the virtuous people shall reside in
the same paradise, in spite of the fact that there would be many
paradises for people of different religious and moral status.
Consider, for example, that we have been blessed with many
faculties. Some of us are superior to others in spite of the fact
that a single spirit runs through all of us. Similarly the residents
of Paradise shall be placed in a single garden of varying
blessings. This is also evident from the following Qur’āinc verse
wherein the Almighty says: “And we remove whatever rancor
may be in their breasts. As brethren, face to face, they rest on
couches raised.” (Q 15:47) In regards to the invocation of
Abraham (sws) mentioned above, we refer to what he (sws) said
following the above mentioned supplication. He mentions the
dwellers of Hell and says: “They shall be thrown headlong into it
and with them the erring ones (just as they have fell upon their
faces in this very world. Satan is their perfect example who
walks on its belly) and also the armies of Iblīs, all of them (that
is all such people as have adopted to fall on their faces with
regards to facing the truth and walk prostrated on their bellies)”
(Q 26: 94-5).
If you ponder over these verses you will notice that two groups
have been mentioned in contrast to each other, as has been
briefly mentioned elsewhere where God says: “A party shall be
in the Haven and another party in the Hell.” (Q 26:7) God
mentioned the characteristics of both in the following verses: “Is
he who goes prone upon his face better guided or he who walks
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upright upon a straight path.” (Q 67:22) Man thus represents an
independent world. He shall reside with his semblances. The
Prophet (sws) therefore uttered before his death: “God, but with
the most superior company.” He meant to say that the purpose of
the prophethood has been fulfilled and the divine teachings have
been perfected therefore he does not bear to stay away from His
blessed company. He did not say: “the companions)”. Rather he
said “the company” in order to stress the perfect unity of the
members of the company. Only those who intend to understand
may comprehend that these companions (desired by the Prophet
(sws)) are none other than those who followed the right path of
leading a servant to his Lord (ṣirāṭ al-mustaqīm). This has been
alluded to in the following verse saying: “My Lord is on the
straight path (that is he can be found by pursuing the right
path).”(Q 11:56) This is the path all the prophets, the virtuous
ones, the witnesses to the truth, and the righteous ones followed.
The details of this you shall learn soon.
Paradise is the place of meeting and union of the pure souls. It
is the place where the countenance of God shines upon the
perfect man, according to the measure of perfection he obtained.
The perfect man is the one who covers the traits of the seven
rūḥs. It is, in fact, the eighth rūḥ which is lost under the dazzling
light of the greatest name of God. Seven verses of Sūrah al-
Fātiḥah, thus, represent the seven stations and degrees. These
seven verses are crowned by the verse, bismillāh al-raḥmān al-
raḥīm. This verse assumes the eighth stage. Upon it shines the
rays emanating from the divine light, which has been termed the
throne of God. This (that the throne of God is in fact the divine
presence) I understand in the light of the following verse: “the
God-fearing people shall reside in the gardens and the canal in
the station of the truth near the powerful owner.” (Q 54-5) We
shall return to explanation of this eighth stage in.…..3 So this
sūrah, just as it is a brief mention of the Qur’ānic themes,
comprehensively covers the worlds of the spirits and the carriers
of the throne of God.

10
The Second Screen

3
The discussion has been left unfinished.
The Islamic State 14
The sūrah also removes the screens from the facts regarding
degrees and statuses of men. God has said: “The path of those
You have blessed, not those Who earned Your wrath nor those
who went astray.”(Q 1:7) In Sūrah al-Nisā, the Almighty says:
“And we did not send any messenger but that he should be
obeyed by Allah’s permission; and had they after having
wronged themselves come to you and asked forgiveness of Allah
and the Messenger had also asked His forgiveness for them, they
would have found Allah Oft-relenting and Merciful. But no! By
your Lord! they do not truly believe unless they make you a
judge of that which has become a matter of disagreement among
them, whereas they did not find any straitness in their hearts as
to your decision and fully submitted. And if We had commanded
them to lay down their lives (as we had previously prescribed for
them through Moses (sws)) or go forth from your homes (as
Moses (sws) had expelled their forefathers previously), they
would not have done it except a few of them; and if they had
done what they were admonished for, it would have certainly
been better for them and best in strengthening them; and then
We would certainly have given them from Ourselves a great
reward (as I promised them great reward if they obey this
unlettered Prophet). And We would certainly have guided them
in the right path. Whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger, these
are with those upon whom Allah has bestowed favors from
among the prophets and the truthful and the witnesses (to the
truth) and the good, and a goodly company are they! This is
grace from Allah, and sufficient is Allah as the Knower.” (Q
4:64-70)
Most part of the meaning and implication of these verses was
not lost upon the commentators. They all agree that these verses
explicate the “mun‘am ‘alayhim” (the blessed ones) mentioned
briefly in Sūrah al-Fātiḥah. They hold that these people are of
four degrees of status: the prophets, the truthful, the witnesses to
the truth and the pious. Now I proceed to explain this matter in
light of what has been mentioned earlier and what is related to
the above mentioned verse of Sūrah al-Nisā’, which contains the
details of the four degrees of excellence.
Note that these verses address the People of the Book and that
the hypocrites also belonged to them. These verses call them to
true submission, and perfect and unconditional following of the
The Islamic State 15
Prophet (sws). It informs them that if those who have wronged
themselves by sin came to the Prophet (sws), and also sought
God’s forgiveness through intercession by the Prophet (sws),
they would find God oft-relenting and merciful. He would
forgive their previous sins. Then if they have remained firm on
this repentant attitude through proper obedience, they would be
granted more reward. He would then bestow them with guidance
to the straight path, the path followed by those whom God has
blessed. We thus learn that below and yet next to the above
mentioned four degrees of status, there lies a fifth degree which
is that of those who seek God’s forgiveness after having
wronged themselves. They too would join these four groups of
people. This can be clearly gleaned from the following divine
statement: “These are with those upon whom Allah has bestowed
favors.” (Q 4:69)
Repentance after error, therefore, awards a believer a degree of
excellence. It is an attitude which has frequently been praised
both in the Qur’ān and the Gospels. We know that the
characteristics of the Prophets include first inābah (turning to
God in repentance), second, al-ṣalah (righteousness), third, al-
shahādah (witness the truth), fourth, ṣiddāqiyyah (uprightness)
and fifth, the nubuwwah (prophethood). The Prophets combine
all characteristics of ‘ubūdiyyah (bondage/servitude to God) and
its associated beauties. All these excellences mediate between
two other degrees of distinction, as you shall soon learn.

11
Know that the first of these levels of excellence resulting from
servitude to God is repentance (tawbah) and the last one is
gratitude. Some of the Prophets attain perfection in some of
these levels of excellence. Similar is the case of their followers.
You know that the highest blessing of God in this world has been
bestowed in the form of His last covenant with humans, the holy
Qur’ān. In contrast, the best form of blessing humans shall be
rewarded in the Afterlife is meeting with Him and returning to
Him. It is therefore understandable why the Last Prophet (sws)
was awarded the station of ḥamd (praise) i.e. he is the praised
one. The holy Qur’ān says: “It may be that your Lord will raise
you to a praised status.” (Q 17:79) It is to this characteristic that
the names (Aḥmad and Muḥammad) of the Last Prophet
The Islamic State 16
indicate, as has been said in a ḥadīth that the flag of ḥamd
(praise) is in his hands and he is the leader of the white footed
with white-foreheads.
This point is the key to understanding the levels of excellence
of the Prophets. For we see that Adam (sws) is the model for the
repentant. He fell into error, repented and was subsequently
chosen as guide. Those with firm knowledge of the religion do
not contemn a wrong committed out of ignorance. Falling into
error out of ignorance is the initial level of humanness. It is only
because of his impetuousness that man opted for being entrusted
with the amanah.4 If this characteristic was not in man, he too
would have refused to take this trust after manner of the heavens
and the earth. This is not the proper place to explain this point
fully. There is no doubt that Adam (sws) is placed on the initial
level of excellence. You shall soon learn that he partakes of the
last level too in a certain way.

12
As you have learnt the first and the last level of excellence, I
deem it appropriate to inform you of some of the secrets of all
the levels. Know that the prophets have seven different levels
corresponding to the seven verses of this sūrah (al-Fātiḥah).
Therefore, the first verse, al-ḥamdu lillāhi rabb al-‘ālamīn (all
gratitude is due to the Lord of the worlds) refers to the status of
Muhammad (sws). This has just been explained. The second
verse, al-raḥmān al-raḥīm (the Compassionate the ever-
Merciful) refers to the status of Jesus Christ (sws), for he was an
epitome of mercy. This is based on some clear and implicit
textual proofs. Regarding the implicit basis, we know that the
word raḥmān mostly occurs in the sūrahs which specially
mention Jesus (sws). This point has not been raised by any of the
earlier commentators of the Qur’ān as far as I know. As for the
clear proof of my assertion, it is based on the fact that God has
mentioned that mercy is the characteristic of Jesus’s (sws)
followers. God Almighty says: “And (we) placed compassion
4
Reference is to the fact that the Almighty offered all the creatures,
including heavens and the earth, the trust and they all refused to carry
it. Man however decided to take the responsibility. This holy Qur’ān
says that this is because man lacks knowledge and is impetous.
(translator)
The Islamic State 17
and mercy in the hearts of those who followed him (i.e. Jesus).”
(Q 57:27) The third verse, māliki yawm al-dīn (the master of the
Day of Judgment), reminds us of the status of Moses (sws). This
is because he exhibited perfect justice and enjoined virtue and
forbade evil. God did not bestow upon any of the Prophets
coming before or after him detailed laws in the manner in which
he was given. This has been affirmed by the holy Qur’ān. He
also exemplified the Last Judgment in its miniature form in this
very world. During his prophetic mission, God behaved as
though he was a ruler over them. He showed them His signs so
that they might believe in the Judgment Day and its ruler.
Consider the verse: “then, We gave the Book to Moses to
complete Our blessings on him who would do righteous actions,
and in which was a detail of all things and a guidance and a
mercy, so that they should believe in the meeting of their Lord.”
(Q 6:154)
A student of the Torah with sound knowledge of the
circumstances of rule of the Israelites, from Moses (sws) to
David (sws), would easily know this fact. For it was during this
period that God refreshed His covenant with the Israelites and
made them build the Sacred House (bayt al-maqdis). If we
consider these and other related facts, it becomes evident that the
rule of God was clearly discernable among the Israelites.5
The fourth verse, iyyāka na‘budu wa iyyāka nasta‘īn (you
alone we worship and you alone we ask for help), reminds us of
the time of David (sws). For during his times, the armies of God
visited the Israelites continuously. God had helped them another
time. He granted them a great empire. He caused them build a
sanctuary for Himself in their land so that they could worship
Him in it and seek blessings through this House. This can be
learnt from the history of the Israelites, as mentioned in the
books of their prophets. The holy Qur’ān too narrates the story of
David (sws) in the second sūrah. The Almighty specially
mentions His help for the Israelites. He tells us that the purpose
of it was nothing other than the fact that they were made to
worship God and to purify the House of God. Details can be
found in the commentary on the verse: “And David slew Goliath
and God gave him rule and wisdom and taught him of whatever
knowledge He desired. And had God not repelled one people
5
For detail see the book by the author: Fī Malakūt Allah
The Islamic State 18
through another, the earth would indeed be full of mischief, but
God is extremely graceful upon the people of the world.” (Q
2:251) In the referred to commentary, you shall learn the essence
of worship and jihād. David (sws) was the first king among and
over the Israelites. Ṭalūt was sent before David (sws) in order to
pave the way for David (sws). He was a king for the time being.
He had snatched the rule (from tyrants). The task of building the
Sacred House too was delayed till the rule of Solomon (sws) for
certain reasons and under a great wisdom. In fact, it was David
(sws) himself who decided to build the House and he asked
God’s permission to do so. God Almighty did not allow him for
certain reasons residing in His wisdom. God however promised
him that his son, Solomon (sws), would be performing this
blessed service.
It is not difficult for a careful student of the scriptures to
discern that David (sws) is the head of all Israelite kings. It is for
this very reason that Jesus (sws) has been termed an ‘heir to
David’ (sws) in the Gospels. And it is precisely for the same
reason that, in the Scriptures, the kingdom of the Israelites is
mentioned by way of parable as ‘the throne of David’ (sws).
David (sws) is the servant of God who sought God’s help. Just
read through the Psalms to learn how earnestly he supplicates
God for help and how humbly he asks Him to grant him, and
also his followers, power and the ability to curb the power of the
wicked and remove them from the land. This is why God has
selected the Psalms for mention of the glad tidings regarding
those who would be granted rule of the land. God says: “We
have written in the Psalms, following the reminder, that my
righteous servants shall inherit the land.”(Q 21:105) Similar
statements abound in the sayings of the Prophet Solomon (sws).
The fifth verse, ihdinā ṣirāt al-mustaq̣īm (guide us to the
straight path), clearly refers to the station of Abraham (sws). For
the straight path is that of tawḥīd and God-orientedness. There is
no doubt that all the Prophets of God adhered to this very path
but:
1. Abraham (sws) is the leader of the monotheists. A great
number of Qur’ānic verses term the path of Abraham (sws) as
the straight path.
2. He is the first who broke the idols.
The Islamic State 19
3. He is the one who laid the foundations of the House of the
one God, just as David (sws) had built the Sacred House of
sacrificial offerings. For a detailed discussion see my
commentary on Sūrah al-Fīl (Q 105).
4. He is the first to have quickly adopted the religion of God
and to have fled to Him immediately. This makes him the leader
of the emigrants in the way of Allah. This is why the Prophet
(sws) of Islam has been commanded by God to follow him. The
circumstances of both were similar.
5. He is the one who named us muslimīn (submitters to the
truth) previously. Muslims are, therefore, more rightfully related
to Abraham (sws). Consider the following verse: “Abraham was
neither a Jew nor a Christian. He was a plain muslim. And he
was not of those who associate partners with Allah. Surely the
nearest of people to Abraham are those who followed him and
they are this Prophet and those who have believed. And Allah is
the friend to the believers.” (Q 3:67-8)
Notice the way the verse concludes with remarks that God is
the friend of the believers. Thus we learn that Abraham (sws) set
the path of friendship to God. He showed us how to meet God by
following the straight path. Now consider the following verse:
“Declare, ‘My Lord has indeed guided me to the right path; a
most right religion, the faith of Abraham, the upright one. And
he was not of the polytheists’. Declare, ‘Indeed my prayer and
my sacrifice and my life and my death are all for Allah, the Lord
of the worlds.’” (Q 6:161-2)
The above discussion, it is hoped, has made it clear that the
straight path contains a special reference to the station of
Abraham (sws), because of his initiative to prepare himself to
tread this path, and because of the extraordinary perseverance he
showed in this way. I shall, by the will of God, add to the
discussion on the vast and profound meanings that this
expression contains in the following discussions.

13
Since you have learnt the correspondence and affinity of these
five verses to the status of five great messengers of God, it is
time to refer to the correspondence and relation of four of the
qualities of nubuwwah (prophethood), ṣiddāqiyyah (uprightness),
al-shahādah (witnessing to the truth/martyrdom) and al-ṣalah
The Islamic State 20
(righteousness) with four Prophets. I will resume explanation of
the remaining three qualities afterwards.
Note that the first of these qualities, nubuwwah, is specifically
the characteristic of the status of the Prophet Muhammad (sws).
The Torah has specifically called him ‘al-nabī”. The particle AL
signifies distinctiveness. It serves to indicate that a particular
nabī is being referred to. The second quality, ṣiddāqiyyah, is
particularly attributed to the Prophet Jesus (sws), the ṣiddīq. The
Qur’ān has ascribed the attribute ṣiddīq to many prophets,
including Abraham (sws), Isma‘īl (sws), Idrīs (sws) and to
Maryam, in a general sense. Generally, every such person
showing truthfulness in faith can be called by this appellation.
The verse: “those who believed in Allah and His Messengers,
they are the truthful (ṣiddīq) and the witnesses (al-shuhadā’) in
the sight of their Lord” (Q 57:19) uses this word in this general
sense. Thus all the prophets are truthful (ṣiddīq), as well as
witnesses to the truth (shahīd). Besides, we see that truthfulness
is a flower which grows out of purification (ṭahārah). Ṭahārah
has not been attributed to any prophet except for Jesus (sws).
While referring to his attributes the Almighty says: “(I am) going
to raise you to Me and purify you.” (Q 3:55) Concerning his
mother Mary, He says: “God has selected and purified you and
has chosen you above all the women of the world.” (Q 3:42)
Purification of a servant of God denotes that he devotes himself
to the service of God. I see that this quality is glaringly obvious
in Abraham (sws). He abandoned his personal desires and needs,
including his wealth, father and nation. He migrated to a barren
land. Similar is the case with Ismā‘īl and Maryam. Both of them
devoted themselves to the service of the House of God. Thus a
ṣiddīq is a person who is truly devout and obedient. This is why
the king of Egypt called the Prophet Joseph a ṣiddīq. Joseph was,
in the sight of the king, purified from all blemishes. He was a
true slave. This is reflected from the following saying attributed
to him in the holy Qur’ān: “you are this day a person of
established position and trust with us.” (Joseph) said: "Appoint
me over the treasures of the land, for I am a good and knowing
custodian.” (Q 12:54-5)
A ṣiddīq, thus, is a man who deserves to be trusted with, first
and foremost, the position of vicegerent. This is precisely why
the Almighty Allah made the Prophet Jesus (sws) leader of all
The Islamic State 21
the Israelites. He was perfectly devout and truthful to God. He
dedicated himself on the command of the Almighty. This entitled
him to the kingship over the entire nation of Israelites. This has
been indicated in the Qur’ān and the Gospels.
Once God had placed Jesus (sws) at this high position of
purity, trust and kingship, He made him a giver of glad tidings of
the advent of the Prophet Aḥmad (sws) (another name of
Muḥammad), the seal of the Prophets and the completer of the
religion. This was because such a prophecy coming through
Jesus (sws) would be the most perfect and the soundest one. It
meant that the Israelites did not have a valid excuse to deny the
Last Prophet (sws). They had to believe in the prophesied one.
That is why, prior to the advent of Muḥammad (sws), they
sought God’s help and victory through him over those who
wronged them. This prophesy by Jesus (sws) was fulfilled. No
one could deny it. The world saw that the Prophet Muḥammad
(sws) was victorious in a very short period of time. He wiped out
the three great empires of Rome, Egypt and Persia, who had
previously subjugated the Israelites. He obtained victory for the
progeny of Abraham (sws) and his own brethren. We know that
these three defeated nations were once the most exalted nations
on the earth. This incident has no parallel in the human history.
(See for detail my commentary on Sūrah al-Baqarah.)
Notice the close relation between both of these prophets (Jesus
and Muḥammad (sws)). God called them both a mercy.
Concerning Jesus (sws) God says: “So that we made him a sign
for the people and mercy from Us.” (Q 19:21) Similarly the
Prophet Muḥammad (sws) has been called “mercy for all
mankind”. (Q 21:107) Likewise, both have been called nūr
(light), sirāj (lamp), ‘abd (servant) and mubārak (blessed). Since
the condition of both is similar, the stage of perfection is
characteristic of the Prophet Muḥammad (sws) and the status of
the ṣiddīq is next to the status of nubuwwah (prophethood), I
hope you might be able to conclude that the Prophet Jesus (sws)
is placed at this station, as far perfection is concerned, right next
to the Prophet Muḥammad (sws). Later on I will, however,
explain this point further by the will of God.
The third quality (shahādah) is characteristic of the Prophet
Moses (sws). Through generally all the Prophets are shahīd
along with their followers, as has been clearly mentioned in the
The Islamic State 22
Qur’ān, yet the Prophet Moses (sws) is the next most superior
shahīd after the Prophet Muḥammad (sws) and Jesus (sws).
Moses (sws) witnessed the truth over his people by the most
manifest miracles and divine signs. Even today, the Torah is the
clearest evidence of the divine judgment and rule. Moses (sws)
declared his people to be witnesses over the nations. He made his
people stand at the mashhad (witness stand). He gave them the
clear Book of God. He is the one who stood against the despot
king (Pharaoh). He witnessed the truth openly before the despot.
This was because God had made him a witness to the truth and
naturally its upholder. He struck the Copt with his fist for the
wrong he had committed. He directed his people to kill
themselves. He would also become furious for the sake of the
truth. No Prophet before him directed his followers to do such
things. This is the meaning of shahādah (witnessing to the truth).
Moses (sws) is, thus, the leader of shuhadā’ from among the
Israelites. Whoever, thus, speaks the truth, helps the truth, has no
fear in conveying the truth, and strives hard against the falsehood
with his hands and body is a shahīd.
The Almighty Allah made Moses (sws) a perfect shahīd. He
chose him as the greatest witness to the Prophethood of
Muḥammad (sws) as he promised the Israelites that God would
complete their mission through a Prophet (sws), raised from
among their brethren. He bound them in a firm covenant. He
sprinkled blood on the heads of the leaders of the twelve tribes of
the Israelites to establish the covenant. They promised to believe
in the promised Prophet (sws). They were in reciprocity of the
promise that God would grant them victory over their enemies
through this promised Prophet (sws). Moses (sws) also informed
them that if, instead they chose to disbelieve in the promised
Prophet (sws), God would curse them and inflict them with great
punishment. History has proved that what Moses (sws) foretold
in this regard was perfectly fulfilled. The details of this issue can
be found under the commentary of the following verse of Sūrah
al-Mā’idah. God Almighty says: “And God entered into a
covenant with the Children of Israel. And We raised among them
twelve leaders. And God said to them, ‘Surely, I shall be with
you, if you observed the ṣalāh and paid the zakāh, and believed
in My messengers and supported them.’” (Q 5:12) Some part of
the discussion can be found under the following verse of Sūrah
The Islamic State 23
al-Baqarah: “And when there came to them a Book from God
confirming that which they already possessed, and previously
they used to pray for victory against those who disbelieved.” (Q
2:89)
At the fifth level is the status of the Prophet David (sws), the
ṣāliḥ (righteous). He is indeed the person whom God chose for
khilāfah as has been clearly mentioned in the holy Qur’ān. God
has, in the Qur’ān, used this word to qualify many Prophets to
teach us that they are the model in this regard. Know that ṣalāḥ
is a quality in an individual which is based on his ability to
properly deal with the people and is reflective of his social
conduct. The essence of ṣalāḥ is forgiveness, accommodating the
erring, tolerance, longanimity, and avoidance of showing
disinterest in the affairs, accompanied by submission and turning
to God. Ṣalāḥ, therefore, earns one great excellences. It is based
on one’s ability to engage in good dealings with related people
and the capacity of appropriate social aptitude. It is in
considering this meaning of the term that we come to learn why
it is widely used in different connotations in the holy Qur’ān.
Consider a few such examples. God says: “And arrange
marriages for widows from among you, and for your male slaves
and female slaves who are fit for marriage (al-ṣāliḥīn).”(Q
24:32) At another place it has been said: “So virtuous women
(ṣāliḥāt) are devout, and guard the secrets.” (Q 4:34) Even in
Torah and the Gospels this adjective is frequently applied to
those deserving khilāfah. Also consider the way David (sws)
deals with Saul (Ṭālūt) in Samuel 1 and his dealing with
Bishalum in Samuel 2. It is considering this quality of the
Prophet David (sws) that God chose him for giving the glad
tiding that the ummah of the Prophet Muḥammad (sws) would
inherit the khilāfah of the land, as has been stated in the verse
mentioned above.
When you have learnt the four degrees of the status of the
prophets (the truthful, the witnesses to the truth, the upright and
the virtuous), have grasped that all these Prophets are on the
straight path, knew that Abraham (sws) is the follower of this
straight path, and discovered that all other Prophets are his
progeny and followers of the same path, it must have become
clear to you that the followers of this straight path make a
spiritual caravan. The leader of this caravan is the Prophet
The Islamic State 24
Muḥammad (sws). He holds the flag of ḥamd (thankfulness to
God) which flaps above all the rest. He is the leader of the party
of God. He will be the first to raise the slogan on the door of
Paradise: “all gratitude is due to God alone.” All the believers
who offer regular ṣalāh in this worldly life are his followers.
This is what is meant by the prophetic saying “I shall be the
leader of the white footed ones with white-foreheads.” It is
known that this refers to those worshippers who offer the ṣalāh.
They will be easy to recognize because of the spots of wuḍū.
When he (the leader) shall say: “all gratitude is due to God
alone” they shall return the same slogan in unison. We, the
Muslims, develop this habit in this very world, as is said that
every person shall get reward of what he became accustomed to
in this world.
We know that God made Abraham (sws) a leader of the nations
in general wherein He says: “We made Abraham the leader of
the nations.” (Q 2:124) All the divine religions, Islam,
Christianity, and judamism, follow the Prophets who belonged to
his progeny. All the three monotheistic nations consider him as
their leader. He is the supreme authority. God made him issue
the most prominent prophesy regarding the advent of the Last
Prophet (sws). He mentioned the advent of Muḥammad (sws) in
the clearest terms. He prayed to God to send the promised one in
the city he had built. He also asked God to make the promised
one an heir to the custodianship of the House which he himself
had built as a center of monotheism.

14
Resuming discussion on the eight characteristics, each of which
is exemplified by a particular Prophet mentioned above, I will
proceed to deal with the sixth one. The sixth verse refers the
station of the Prophet Noah (sws). I base this on the fact that in
the holy Qur’ān, as well as in the Torah, no Prophet has been
mentioned before Abraham (sws) except for Noah (sws). Just as
the blessed ones among the ordinary people consist of four
categories, the same is true regarding the blessed Prophets. This
has been mentioned in the following verse: “These are the people
upon whom God bestowed His blessings from among the
Prophets of the posterity of Adam (sws) (1), and of the posterity
of those whom We carried in the Ark with Noah (sws) (2), and
The Islamic State 25
of the posterity of Abraham and Israel (3); and of those whom
We guided and chose (4).” (Q 19:58)
Here the Almighty has mentioned Noah (sws) first among
those of the Prophets who had been blessed by God. There is no
doubt that the blessing of God generally covers all creatures.
However, there are extraordinary cases. Noah (sws) is the one
such Prophet who has been particularly blessed in such a
manner. Thus he became the leader of those blessed by God as
mentioned in this reference. This is how I was able to identify
his station corresponding to this verse (sixth verse of the Sūrah
al-Fātiḥah). The rest of the blessed people make up his party.
God chose him particularly to give the glad tiding that the He
would bestow His greatest favor upon humans in the form of the
religion of Islam, as divulged through the Prophet Muhammad
(sws). God made the progeny of Sam the upholders of the divine
religion. The rest of Noah’s (sws) progeny obtained blessing
through the progeny of Sam. Thus the progeny of Noah (sws),
with the exception of the children of Sam, could not obtain
God’s blessings except until after the advent of Muḥammad
(sws). The previous Prophets were sent only to their respective
nations. They could not cover the progeny of the children of
Noah (sws), other than those from Sam. The Prophet
Muhammad (sws), on the contrary, has been sent to the entire
human race. Thus the children of Noah (sws) in addition to the
progeny of Sam also become his addressees.

15
The seventh verse sheds light on the status of those people who
flee the company that earned God’s wrath, and also on those who
abandon the stray folk for the rightly guided ones. We have
already referred to this fact though briefly in the ninth section.
These are, in fact, those who repented from among the People of
the Book besides others. The ones who earned God’s wrath
(maghḍūb ‘layhim) are those who persist in waywardness in
spite of clearly recognizing the truth. The Jews are an example of
this. The strayed one (ḍāl) is the one who is inclined towards
disobedience and persists in it. Christians represent this group.
Thus, those among these two groups who abandon their previous
position to join the earlier four categories are the ones who have
escaped the wrath of God. Such a person is one who is perfected
The Islamic State 26
and complemented by the perfection of Adam (sws) (who erred
and then repented). After the entry of these groups the door of
Paradise is closed. The seventh verse, as a summary, relates to
the repentant among the Jews and the Christians. They are those
who join the party blessed by God, as has been explained earlier.
Since repentance has been implanted in human nature through
which one can perpetuate himself on the straight path, and since
we know that Adam (sws) is the leader of the repentant, we
come to learn that the seventh verse indicates his place.
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Section Two

1
This is the sūrah of the ṣalāh for the ummah which has
practically adhered to it by reciting it in every offering of ṣalāh.
The ummah has also transmitted the knowledge regarding the
status of the sūrah through tawātur (historical transmission of
knowledge through generality-to-generality). The ḥadīth of
khidāj and the following ḥadīth also attest this. The holy Prophet
said that God says: “I (God) have distributed the ṣalāh between
Me and My servant.”(Muslim No: 395) That it is a most
appropriate supplication for the ṣalāh is also strengthened by the
fact that the Prophet Jesus (sws) taught his disciples a similar
supplication for the occasion. The Christians, however, lost and
forgot parts of it. They have also lost the message it conveys.
The Almighty says: “Also we covenanted with those who
claimed to be Christians. But they disregarded part of what
through which they were reminded (of religious truths).”(Q 5:14)
I intend to reproduce the supplication taught by Jesus (sws) in
what follows so that its correspondence to the Qur’ānic fātiḥah is
made clear. It will also help us appreciate the Qur’ānic
eloquence. It finds mention in the Gospel of Luke as follows:

It so happened that in a certain place, Jesus (sws) was at

prayer. When he seized one of his disciples said, “Lord, teach
us how to pray, as John taught his disciples.” He answered,
“When you pray, say, “Father, in the heavens, glorified is
Your name. Your kingdom shall definitely manifest itself and
Your will shall prevail on the earth as it prevails in the
heavens. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us
our sins, for we too forgive all who owe us something. And
do not bring us to the test but save us from evil.” (Luke 11:1-
4)

Mathew 6:13 adds the following words to this prayer:

“For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory,
forever. Amen.”
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This last sentence is not found in most transcripts of Mathew.
Perhaps they have taken it from the response of those offering
prayer behind the imām and added it to the original.
If you study these verses closely you will learn that they
remarkably resemble Sūrah al-Fātiḥah. The words, “father, in the
heavens” are a result of a textual corruption. The original
contained the words, “Our Lord”, as Jesus (sws) has been quoted
as saying by God Almighty in the holy Qur’ān. The following
statement has been attributed to him in Sūrah Ᾱl-i ‘Imrān (3),
Sūrah al-Mā’idah (5), Sūrah Maryam (19) and Sūrah al-Zukhruf
(43). “Allah is my Lord and yours. Worship Him.” (Q 3:51,
19:36) The words of the Gospel “subḥānaka” (Glory to You)
parallel the Qur’ānic words “al-ḥamdu lillāhi” (All gratitude is
due to God). The only difference between the two expressions,
however, is that the words “subḥānaka” are originally used to
express glorification, whereas the words “al-ḥamdu lillāhi”
express glorification as well as gratitude.
The words of Jesus (sws) “Your kingdom shall definitely
manifest itself and Your will shall prevail on the earth as it
prevails in the heavens” ask God to implement the Judgment.
The Qur’ānic counterpart of this statement is the verse “māliki
yawm al-dīn” (Lord of the Day of Judgment.) The Qur’ānic
words express submission to and reliance on God. The Qur’ān
avoids invocatory style because of the extraordinary weight of
the matter besought. This reality has been explained in the
following verse of Sūrah al-Shūrā: “Those who do not believe in
the Judgment seek to hasten it while those who believe in it are
fearful of it. And they know that it is bound to come.”(Q 42:18)
Expressing this theme in invocatory style, however, suited
Jesus (sws) because he was appointed to give glad tidings of the
divine rule to manifest after him, in the form of the Prophetic
mission of Muḥammad (sws), who was raised to make this
happen. Through the Prophet Muḥammad (sws), God revealed
and perfected His Sharī‘ah. He revealed all such parts of the
Sharī‘ah which he had till then kept secure for His servants.
There are many verses in the Gospels which indicate that by the
kingdom of heaven, the Prophet Jesus (sws) meant the advent of
Prophet Muḥammad (sws). I will explain this issue under my
commentary on the Qur’ānic verse “and giving the good news of
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a Messenger who will come after me, his name being Aḥmad.”
(Q 61:6)
It needs to be appreciated that after the kingdom of heaven was
established by the Prophet Muḥammad (sws), the only part of it
that is still left is the establishment of the Last Judgment. This is
why he did not beseech it. Rather he showed an optimistic
expectation for it after he expressed gratitude to God, and after
he mentioned His lordship and mercy. This can be understood
with the help of a famous ḥadīth qudsī (sayings attributed to God
by Muḥammad). The Prophet (sws) says that God says, “I have
distributed the ṣalāh between Me and My servant.” The ḥadīth
goes on to mention that when God’s servant utters the words
“Master of the Day of Judgment”, God responds, “My servant
has submitted himself to Me.” This is a very beautiful form of
showing reliance on God and submitting oneself to Him. Jesus
(sws) would also do the same at the end of his supplications.
The statement, “Give us each day our daily bread” is an
example of a parable, a very frequent feature of Jesus’s (sws)
statements. Here he has used bread as expressive of the Holy
Spirit, which descended with what constituted sustenance for the
life of the pious and the virtuous. It is to this interpretation of a
symbolic expression that Jesus (sws) himself referred to shortly
following the supplication itself. It is customary for Jesus (sws)
to explain the nature of his parables in the end. He says, “If you,
then, evil as you are, know how to give your children what is
good for them, how much more will your heavenly Father (the
Supreme Lord) grant of the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
(Mathew 7:11) At another occasion he said, “(Scripture says)
that man cannot live on bread alone; he lives on every word that
God utters.” (Mathew 4:4) The implication is that man lives by
the will of God and by His command. This entails that your true
life lies in adhering to and following His Sharī‘ah. Jesus (sws)
refers to the statement of Moses (sws). “To teach you that man
cannot live on bread alone but lives by every word that comes
from the mouth of the Lord.” (Deuteronomy 8:3)
The above shows that Jesus (sws)’ supplication, “Give us each
day our daily bread,” means, “Grant us that upon which our
eternal life depends.” This asks for the spirit of guidance leading
to the straight path. Jesus (sws) himself has explained the
straight path in his explanation of the ṣalāh supplication. He
The Islamic State 30
says, “Enter by the narrow gate. The gate is wide that leads to
perdition; there is plenty of room on the road, and many go that
way; but the gate that leads to life is small and the road is
narrow, and those who find it are few.” (Mathew 7:13-4) We see
that Jesus (sws) gave the example of a narrow path for the road
leading to spiritual life. This is the straight path which leads a
servant to his Lord, the source of all life.
Know that true life is the love of God, in the most secret
recesses of the heart. It is obtained by following the guidance
which the Prophets of God have shown us. A similar statement
has been mentioned in the holy Qur’ān. The Almighty says,
“Can he, who was once dead, then whom We gave him life and
made for him a light whereby he walks among men, be like him
whose condition is that he is in utter darkness whence he cannot
come forth?” (Q 6:122)
God has, in these verses, called the belief in God life, and has
rendered following the Sharī‘ah as walking in that light. Both of
these go always together. They are inseparable. God has said:
“Whoever holds firmly to Allah will be shown the straight path.”
(Q 3:101) This explains the evangelical statement, as is
evidenced by the statement of Jesus (sws) which is quoted by the
Qur’ān repeatedly. Jesus (sws) has been quoted to have said,
“Allah is my Lord and yours. Worship Him. This is the straight
path.” (Q 3:51) The implication is that worshipping the one God
is the straight path. Worshipping God includes following Him,
as shall be explained soon. The above discussion proves that this
part of the supplication taught by Jesus (sws) can be compared
with our prayer to God, “guide us to the straight path.”
Jesus (sws) in his statement, “And forgive us our sins, for we
too forgive all who owe us something” (Luke 11:3-4) seeks
God’s forgiveness through adopting the responsibility of
forgiveness on himself.
In the declaration “You alone do we worship and You alone we
ask for help” we seek God’s help by practicing every good deed
and avoiding every evil one. Thus we refer to forgiveness and
reward for doing good for our Lord. We do not directly ask God
for these things, in consideration of many important facts. We do
not say “help us.” We do not even say, “Help us for we are your
loyal servants.” We mention a intermediary metonymically. We
say that we do not hold anyone other than You as a deity worthy
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of our worship. Then we refer to two intermediaries. Thus our
statement “You alone we ask for help” in itself an intermediary.
We do not rely on one as a source of help. Then these two
intermediaries are the greatest sources of help. For the noblest
action is belief in the unicity of God. Someone among the People
of the Book asked Jesus (sws), “Which commandment is the
most important of all?” Jesus (sws) replied that the first is, “Hear
O Israel, the Lord our God is the only Lord; love the Lord your
God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind,
and with all your strength.” “There exists no commandment
greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-30) He pleads to the Book of
Moses (sws). Tawḥīd (belief in one God) is the most important
teaching of all the Prophets, as has been clearly put in the
Qur’ān. Refer to Sūrah Hūd beside others.
The statement, “And do not bring us to the test but save us
from evil” (Luke 11:14) means keep us safe from trials so that
we do not stumble after having stood firm. If we fall in some
evil, bring us out of it. Save us. This supplication indeed
corresponds to the state of the Israelites. Many such verses in the
Gospels seek safety from trial, considering the weakness of the
Israelites and the frequent tests they were put through.
However, testing the humans is a sunnah (way) of God. None
can remain entirely safe from trials. For God says, “The one who
created life and death in order to test who among you is best in
deeds.”(Q 67:2) Similarly 29:2-3 reads: “Do men think that they
will be left alone on saying, ‘We believe’, and that they will not
be tested? We did test those before them, and Allah will certainly
know those who are true from those who are false.”(Q 29:2-3)
The holy Qur’ān informs us that even the Prophets and
Messengers were tested and tried. God Almighty says: “And
remember that Abraham (sws) was tried by his Lord with certain
commands, which he fulfilled: He said: “I will make you an
imam (leader) to the nations.” (Q 2:114) Adam (sws) too was
tried through the tree. Noah (sws) was tried through his son. God
said: “I give you counsel, lest you act like the ignorant!” (Q
11:46) Then Noah (sws) entered God’s refuge and sought
forgiveness from his Lord. Similarly, God says concerning
David (sws): “and David gathered that We had tried him: he
asked forgiveness of his Lord.”(Q 38:24) Regarding Solomon
(sws) God says: “And We did try Solomon: We placed on his
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throne a body (without life); but he did turn (to Us).”(Q 38:34)
The way Moses (sws) and Aaron (sws) were put to trial has been
mentioned in detail in the Torah. Both could not lead their nation
to final triumph and died before the Israelites crossed the river of
Jordan. God purified them both in this worldly life. You can
learn how Jesus (sws), Job (sws), and Joseph (sws) were tried.
Just read through the cries of Job (sws) in his book. The Prophet
Yaḥyā (sws) was killed. The above introduces us to the fact that
the Prophets too were tried and tested in their lives. Through we
do not know the details of the trials of all the Prophets in the
divine books and the historical resources, yet we can learn from
the Qur’ān that all must have been put through tests and trials.
For the holy Qur’ān says: “who created life and death in order to
test who among you is best in deeds.” (Q 67:2)
Jesus (sws), however, in spite of knowing that testing and
trying humans, including the Prophets, is the sunnah of God,
fears God and seeks concession for his nation. He appreciates the
weakness of his nation and seeks God’s refuge from His trials.
He himself was tried by God for forty days. We can even say
that he remained under trial all his life till God helped him and
raised him up. This has been reported in the Qur’ān. “O Jesus! I
am going to take you and raise you to Myself and save you from
the rejecters.” (Q 3:55)
The ummah of Jesus (sws) too was tested and tried frequently.
God, however, strengthened those among them who truly
believed. Such trials of the Christians have been alluded to in
Sūrah al-Burūj of the holy Qur’ān. Many incidents in their life
corroborate this.
If one ponders over this supplication of Jesus (sws), one feels
that perhaps Jesus (sws) foresaw such trials that his ummah was
going to face. He might have concluded this by reflection on his
own life. To have a full understanding of this issue, refresh in
your mind what has happened to his ummah. There were many
trials which they could not successfully bear. They let the trials
overpower them till they reached such a desperate state that they
lost hope of coming out of this state till the coming of the Last
Prophet (sws).
As for Jesus’s (sws) request to save them, God saved him in a
better manner than he had asked for. Still, however, in spite of
this supplication for help, he was pleased with the will of God.
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The will of God is, it must be noted, better for the believers. This
way Jesus (sws) too benefited from being pleased with God’s
will. Just consider how he prayed while prostrating on the mount
of Zaytūn. He prayed on the place called Gethsemane where he
went into seclusion and separated himself from his followers and
said: “O Lord, all things are possible to You. Take this cup away
from me. Yet, I prefer Your will over mine. Let Your judgment
prevail.” (Mark 14:34)
He had, before going to pray, asked his disciples to do the
same. They, however, fell asleep. He kept on visiting them again
and again in intervals. Every time he found them asleep. Each
time he went back to pray while he was sad and fearful, yet even
through this he still remained hopeful.6Now imagine his reaction
when he seemed to have lost all hope before crucifixion. He
says, “My God, why have you forsaken me?”7 Imagine the time
when the drink of death reached his lips and God removed it
from him, delivered him and raised him unto Himself. This way
the decision of the knowing God is implemented.
In the like manner, God saved the true believers from among
his ummah. They believed in Muḥammad (sws), the unlettered
Prophet prophesied by Jesus (sws) himslef. In future also,
whoever among them believes in the Last Prophet (sws) shall
also be delivered.
Thus the Almighty accepted the prayers of Jesus (sws)
concerning the true believers among his ummah. They entered
Islam in multitudes. They will continue to embrace the faith.
Regarding the wrongdoers among them, God did not accept his
prayer, in the same way God dealt with the prayer of Abraham
(sws) concerning his progeny. The holy Qur’ān says: “He
(Abraham) said, ‘and my progeny?’ He (God) said, ‘My promise
does not extend to the wrongdoers among them.’” (Q 2:124) The
above is thus an explanation of the words of Jesus (sws), “do not
bring us to the test but save us.”
It is obvious that this supplication by Jesus (sws) is another
expression of his prayer to give him his daily bread. Bread refers
to the Holy Spirit or the original guidance. Whomever God
guides, He saves from trial. Such a blessed person is saved from
the spiritual evils. Thus we see that Jesus (sws) prayed for the
6
See Mark 14:37-41 and Mathew 26:40-44
7
See Mathew 27:46 and Mark 15:34
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divine guidance. Then he explained it further and revealed to us
that leading to this guidance is a difficult path of which the
opening to it is a narrow door. It is this guidance which the
Prophets of God bring.
We need to appreciate that Jesus (sws) asked this in order to
highlight and stress the high status of the Sharī‘ah. This prayer
also indicated his fear that his ummah might fall into error. He
had before him the example of the Jews, who were being tested
through the prophethood of Jesus (sws). They could have been
blessed if they believed in him. They, however, rejected him and
thus their misstep put them in waywardness which earned them
the wrath of God. This has been clearly attested to by the
Gospels and the holy Qur’ān. The Almighty says, “We
covenanted with the Children of Israel and We sent to them
Messengers. Whenever a messenger came to them with that
which they did not desire some of them they denied and some
they slew. They thought no evil would come of it, so they were
willfully blind and deaf. And afterward Allah turned in mercy
toward them. Then again many of them are being willfully blind
and deaf.” (Q 5:70-1)
Precisely the same way the words of the prayer “the path of
those…..”, are an extension to and further explanation of the
sentence, “guide us to the straight path,”. These words stress and
emphasize the guidance that the seeker is searching for in a
precise manner. The besought guidance is, it is implied, the
privilege which an earlier nation lost and consequently earned
the wrath of God. Since the holy Qur’ān is the most clear and
concrete message of God, it has clarified the brief statement with
a full explanation following it, so as not to leave any doubt
concerning the nature of the guidance being sought.
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