Al-Fatiha: (5) You Alone We Worship, and You Alone...

The First Benefit:

Worship (Ibadah) is defined as an action performed for the purpose of glorifying the Other. It is derived from the saying: Tariq mu'abbad (a smoothed/paved road), meaning made easy.

Know that your statement, "You Alone We Worship" (Iyyaka na'budu), means: "I worship no one besides You." The exclusivity implied here is established through several points:

1. Worship is the ultimate glorification, which is only fitting for the One who has bestowed the ultimate grace. The greatest grace is life, which enables one to benefit, and the creation of the beneficiary itself.
   • The first level (life enabling benefit) is alluded to in: "And indeed We created you before, when you were nothing" (Maryam: 9). And: "How do you disbelieve in Allah? When you were dead He gave you life..." (Al-Baqarah: 28).
   • The second level (creation of the beneficiary) is alluded to in: "It is He who created for you all that is in the earth" (Al-Baqarah: 29).
   • Since the benefits in this lower world are regulated by celestial movements as a matter of custom, this is followed by: "Then He directed Himself to the heaven, [His being] established over the firmament, and made them seven heavens, and He is the Knower of all things" (Al-Baqarah: 29).
   • Thus, all blessings originate from God's creation, necessitating that worship be directed only to Him. This is why "You Alone We Worship" implies exclusivity.

2. The Five Names and Three States: God named Himself here with five names: Allah, the Lord (Al-Rabb), the Most Gracious (Al-Rahman), the Most Merciful (Al-Rahim), and the Master of the Day of Recompense (Malik Yawm ad-Din). The servant has three states: past, present, and future.
   • Past State: The servant was non-existent (as in Maryam: 29) and dead, whom God brought to life (Al-Baqarah: 28). He was ignorant, whom God taught (as in: "And Allah brought you out of the wombs of your mothers while you knew nothing. And He gave you hearing and vision and hearts..." [An-Nahl: 78]). The servant moved from non-existence to existence, from death to life, and from inability to power, and from ignorance to knowledge, because God is eternally existent. By His eternal power and knowledge, He brought the servant into being. Thus, He is Ilah (God) for this reason.
   • Present State: The servant is intensely needy. When he entered existence, the doors of need opened, and necessities arose. God says: "I am Ilah because I brought you from non-existence to existence. But now that you are existent, your needs have multiplied, so I am Rabb, Rahman, Rahim."
   • Future State: This is the state after death, related to the attribute: Malik Yawm ad-Din.
   • These five attributes relate to the three states of the servant. Therefore, all the servant's welfare in the past, present, and future is perfected only through God and His grace. Consequently, the servant must dedicate worship only to God, hence the statement implying exclusivity: "You Alone We Worship, and You Alone We Seek Help From."

3. Certainty vs. Doubt: Definitive proof requires that God must be capable, knowing, benevolent, generous, and forbearing. The status of anything else being so is doubtful. Any effect attributed to nature, the heavens, stars, intellect, or soul can potentially be attributed to God's power. With this possibility of attribution to God, the attribution to others becomes doubtful. Knowledge that God is the only one worthy of worship is certain, while the worship of others is doubtful. Taking the certain over the doubtful is obligatory. Thus, there is no object of worship except God, leading to: "You Alone We Worship, and You Alone We Seek Help From."

4. The Nobility of Servitude: Servitude (Ubudiya) implies humility and lowliness. However, the nobler and higher the Master, the more pleasant and agreeable the servitude. Since God is the noblest and highest of all beings, His servitude is preferable to the servitude of others. Furthermore, God's power, knowledge, and generosity surpass all others; thus, His servitude is prioritized. This is why: "You Alone We Worship, and You Alone We Seek Help From."

5. Self-Sufficiency vs. Neediness: Everything other than the Necessary Existent (God) is contingent upon its own existence, meaning it is needy and poor. The needy person is preoccupied with their own needs and cannot fulfill the needs of others. A thing cannot remove need from another unless it is inherently free from need itself. God is the Self-Sufficient (Ghaniy li-dhatihi), the Remover of needs. Therefore, God alone deserves worship, leading to: "You Alone We Worship, and You Alone We Seek Help From."

6. Manifestation of Power: The deservingness of worship requires God's power, demonstrated by: sustaining the heavens without pillars, the earth without support, moving the sun and moon, fixing the poles, bringing forth lightning (fire), wind (air), and rain (water) from clouds. On earth, He brings forth water from stone (manifestly) and stone from water (ice). He placed stationary bodies (mountains) and moving bodies (rivers). He caused Qarun to sink beneath the earth, and He raised Muhammad (PBUH) to a position where the distance was "two bow lengths or nearer." He turned water into fire for Pharaoh's people (drowning them in fire), and He made fire cool and safe for Abraham. He raised the Mount Sinai above Moses and his people. He caused the world to drown from the "boiling forth of the oven" (Noah's flood), and He made the sea dry for Moses. Since His power is such, how can one equate Him in worship with inanimate objects, plants, animals, humans, celestial bodies, or angels? Equating the deficient with the perfect, and the base with the noble, indicates ignorance and folly.

The Second Benefit:

The statement "You Alone We Worship" proves that there is no object of worship other than God. If this is established, then it is proven that there is no Ilah (God) except God. Thus, "You Alone We Worship, and You Alone We Seek Help From" signifies pure Monotheism (Tawhid).

Know that polytheists are divided into groups. Every entity taken as a partner to God is either a body or non-corporeal.

• Corporeal Partners: These are either lower or upper bodies.
  • Lower Bodies: Either composite or simple.
    • Composite: Taken from minerals (idols of stone, gold, silver), plants (worshipping a specific tree), animals (worshipping the calf), or humans (saying Ezra or the Messiah is the son of God).
    • Simple: Worshipping fire (the Magians).
  • Upper Bodies: Worshipping the sun, moon, and stars, attributing fortune and misfortune to them (the Sabians and most astrologers).
• Non-Corporeal Partners: These are also divided:
  • First Group (Manichaeans/Dualists): They claim the world is managed by Light and Darkness.
  • Second Group (Angel Worshippers): They claim angels are celestial spirits governing regions and types of beings, and they make images to worship them.
  • Third Group (Two Gods): They claim the world has two gods, one good (Allah) and one evil (Iblis), who are brothers. All good things come from Allah, and all evil things come from Iblis.

Whoever takes a partner for God must do so either seeking benefit or fleeing harm from that partner. However, those who insisted on pure Monotheism, rejected partners and opposites, and directed their hope, fear, desire, and awe solely to God, naturally worshipped and sought help only from Him. Therefore, "You Alone We Worship, and You Alone We Seek Help From" stands in place of the declaration: "There is no god but Allah."

The famous remembrance is: Subhan Allah, wal-Hamdulillah, wa La ilaha illa Allah, wallahu Akbar, wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah al-'Aliyy al-'Azim.

We have shown that Alhamdulillah (Praise be to God) includes the meaning of Subhan Allah (Glory be to God). Subhan Allah indicates His inherent perfection, while Alhamdulillah indicates His perfection of others. One cannot perfect others unless one is already perfect in oneself. Thus, Alhamdulillah encompasses Subhan Allah.

After affirming all types of praise (Alhamdulillah), the servant mentions the cause for this praise: the five attributes that perfect the servant's welfare in the three times (as explained previously). Once this is established, the truth of Subhan Allah and Alhamdulillah is confirmed. Then follows: "You Alone We Worship," which we showed stands for La ilaha illa Allah. Finally, "And You Alone We Seek Help From," meaning God is too exalted and great for any goal to be achieved except through His aid, success, and grace. This is the meaning of La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah al-'Aliyy al-'Azim.

Thus, the entire Surah Al-Fatiha corresponds to this remembrance, and its verses serve as an explanation and detail of the five stations mentioned in that remembrance.

The Third Benefit:

Why is the word order "You Alone (Iyyaka)" placed before "We Worship (Na'budu)" instead of saying Na'buduka (We worship You)? There are several reasons:

1. Attention and Reverence: Placing His name first alerts the worshipper that the object of worship is the true God, preventing carelessness or distraction towards anything else. (An analogy is given of a wrestler who was defeated until he was told his opponent's esteemed status, after which he won. Similarly, knowing God's identity first ensures worship is performed with reverence, free from heedlessness.)
2. Facilitating Obedience: If acts of worship (standing, bowing, prostrating) feel heavy, mentioning "You Alone" first reminds the servant of God's Majesty, Greatness, and Might, making the difficult acts easier. (Analogy: One takes a strengthening medicine before lifting a heavy weight. The servant takes the "concoction" of recognizing Lordship first to gain strength for the "weight" of servitude.)
3. Recalling God when Tempted: As stated in the verse: "Indeed, those who fear Allah—when an impulse touches them from Satan, they remember [Allah], and then they see clearly" (Al-A'raf: 201). When Satan touches the soul with laziness or heedlessness, remembering the Majesty of God through "You Alone We Worship" restores clarity and readiness for obedience.
4. Exclusivity and Denial of Shirk: If one said Na'buduka (We worship You), it might imply worshipping God and others (as the polytheists did). By saying "You Alone" first, it explicitly states that the intended object of worship is God alone, making it stronger in affirming Monotheism and further from any possibility of polytheism.
5. Primacy of Existence: The Eternal Necessary Existent precedes the contingent, created being in existence. Therefore, mentioning Him must precede all other mentions. This is why Iyyaka precedes Na'budu, ensuring the mention of the Truth precedes the mention of the creation.
6. The State of the Observer: Those whose gaze in times of blessing is upon the Giver (not the blessing), and in times of affliction is upon the Afflictor (not the affliction), are immersed in knowledge of the Truth in all states, achieving the highest happiness. Conversely, those focused on the blessing (fearing its loss) or the affliction (suffering its consequences) are immersed in preoccupation with others than God, leading to perpetual misery. Therefore, God commanded Moses's people to remember His favors, and the Prophet's community to remember Him so He remembers them. By prioritizing "You Alone," the servant is immersed in witnessing the light of His Majesty, placing him in the very essence of Paradise during worship.
7. Negation of Other Worship: Saying Na'buduka (We worship You) does not negate worshipping others, as polytheists worshipped God and others. Saying "You Alone We Worship" affirms that they worship Him and no one else.
8. The Majesty of the "We" (Nun): The final Nun (in Na'budu) is the Nun of Majesty. It implies: Even if you were outside of prayer, do not say "We" if you are one among a thousand slaves. But when you engage in prayer and manifest servitude to Us, say "We Worship" to show everyone that whoever is Our servant inherits the dominion of this world and the next.
9. Humility vs. Arrogance: Saying Iyyaka A'budu (You Alone I Worship) implies arrogance: "I am the worshipper." Saying "You Alone We Worship" means: "I am one of Your servants." The first is arrogance; the second is humility. God raises those who humble themselves to Him and lowers those who are arrogant.

Addressing an Objection: If all these points apply to "Praise be to God" (Alhamdulillah), why is Al-Hamd (Praise) mentioned before Allah (God)? Answer: The word Hamd (Praise) can potentially be directed to others besides God (in a general sense). By saying Alhamdulillah, the praise is restricted to God. However, saying Na'budu (We worship) without specifying Iyyaka first could imply worshipping God or others, which is disbelief. The subtlety is that since praise can superficially be directed to others, it is fine to mention it first and then restrict it. But since worship cannot be directed to others, placing "You Alone" first is necessary to specify the object of worship and eliminate any possibility of polytheism.

The Fourth Benefit:

The Nun in "We Worship" (Na'budu) can be interpreted as the Nun of Plurality or the Nun of Majesty.

• The Nun of Plurality is not invalid, as it encourages congregational prayer, which has immense reward (the first Takbir in congregation is better than the world and all it contains). (An example is given: If one eats garlic or onion, they should not attend the congregation to avoid harming others. This shows the immense reward of congregation is not worth even minor harm to a Muslim.)
• The Nun of Majesty is also possible. If praying in congregation, "We" refers to the group. If praying alone, "I worship You," but the angels are joining in worship. Thus, "We" refers to the worshipper and all angels worshipping God.
• The believers are brothers. Saying Iyyaka A'budu (I worship You) only mentions one's own worship. Saying "You Alone We Worship" mentions the worship of all believers worldwide. By seeking the rectification of all believers, God fulfills all of this person's needs (as the Prophet said: "Whoever fulfills a Muslim's need, God fulfills all his needs").
• God seems to say: Since you praised Us with Alhamdulillah... Malik Yawm ad-Din and entrusted all praise to Us, your status before Us is high. Do not limit yourself to your own needs; rectify the needs of all Muslims by saying: "You Alone We Worship, and You Alone We Seek Help From."
• Alternatively, the servant says: My worship is mixed with shortcomings, so I blend it with the worship of all worshippers and mention it in one phrase: "You Alone We Worship."

A Juristic Issue: If a person sells ten slaves, the buyer must accept all or none; they cannot accept some and reject others in that transaction. Similarly, when the servant says "You Alone We Worship," he presents the worship of all worshippers to God's presence. Out of His generosity, He should not accept some and reject others. Either He rejects all (which is impossible, as this statement includes the worship of angels, prophets, and saints), or He accepts all. In that case, this speaker's worship becomes accepted through the blessing of the acceptance of others' worship. The meaning is: "My Lord, if my worship is not accepted, do not reject me, for I am not alone in this act; we are many. If I do not deserve acceptance, I intercede with You through the worship of all worshippers, so answer me."

The Fifth Benefit:

Whoever knows the benefits of worship finds delight in engaging in it and finds engagement in anything else burdensome.

1. Perfection is inherently beloved. The most perfect and happiest state for a human is engaging in the worship of God. The heart is illuminated by Divine light, the tongue is honored by remembrance and recitation, and the limbs are adorned by serving God. These are the noblest human stations, leading to the highest future happiness. Knowing this removes the burden of obedience and increases its sweetness.
2. Worship is a Trust (Amanah): Proven by: "Indeed, We offered the Trust to the heavens..." (Al-Ahzab: 72). Fulfilling trusts is obligatory rationally and legally (An-Nisa: 58). Fulfilling a trust is an inherently perfect attribute. Fulfilling God's trust is a cause for God to fulfill one's trust. (An anecdote is told of a Bedouin who left his camel tied at the mosque door, prayed with tranquility, and when he returned, his camel was gone. He prayed: "My Lord, I fulfilled Your trust, so where is mine?" Soon, a man arrived with a camel, his hand cut off, and handed it over. The point: when he guarded God's trust, God guarded his trust.)
3. Transition from Illusion to Joy: Engaging in worship is a transition from the world of delusion to the world of joy, and from preoccupation with creation to the presence of the Creator, which brings complete pleasure and delight. (Anecdotes are given of Abu Hanifa not noticing a snake falling during prayer, and Urwah ibn al-Zubayr not feeling the amputation of his limb during prayer due to his focus.) The Prophet (PBUH) was heard making a sound like a boiling kettle during prayer. This is supported by the verse about the women cutting their hands upon seeing Joseph's beauty (Yusuf: 31); if such overwhelming beauty can cause physical harm without awareness, the overwhelming Majesty of God is even more likely to cause such absorption.

The Three Degrees of Worship (According to the People of Truth):

1. Lowest Degree (Worship/Ibadah): Worshipping out of desire for reward or fear of punishment. This is very low because the true object of worship is the reward itself, and God is merely a means to attain that desired outcome (the reward).
2. Middle Degree: Worshipping God to be honored by His worship, the acceptance of His commands, or affiliation with Him. This is higher, but still imperfect because the ultimate object sought is not God Himself.
3. Highest Degree (Servitude/Ubudiya): Worshipping God because He is God, the Creator, and because the servant is His servant. Divinity necessitates awe and might; servitude necessitates submission and humility. This is the highest station, alluded to when the worshipper says at the start of prayer: "I intend to pray for God," because if he said he prayed for the reward or to escape punishment, his prayer would be invalid.

This high status of servitude is supported by verses:

• First Verse (Al-Hijr: 97-99): "And We certainly know that your breast tightens at what they say, so exalt [Allah] with praise of your Lord and be of the prostrating ones. And worship your Lord until there comes to you the certainty."
  • This commands continuous worship until death, showing the immense status of worship.
  • It links worship with removing distress, as worship involves returning from creation to the Truth, which removes the constriction of the heart.
• Second Verse (Al-Isra: 1): "Exalted is He who took His Servant by night..." The journey of the Mi'raj (Ascension) is attributed to His Servitude (Abd), indicating its supreme status. Some scholars say servitude is higher than prophethood because servitude directs one from creation to the Truth, while prophethood directs from the Truth to creation. Servitude implies withdrawal from worldly affairs, which is fitting for a servant.
• Third Verse (Maryam: 30): Jesus said upon speaking in the cradle: "Indeed, I am the servant of Allah." This word secured his mother's purity and his own innocence, becoming the key to all good and the repeller of all harm. His end was elevation: "And [We will make him] a messenger to the Children of Israel." If claiming servitude by word leads to such elevation, what about one who claims it through seventy years of action?
• Fourth Verse (Taha: 14): After affirming Monotheism, God commanded Moses: "Indeed, I am Allah. There is no deity except Me, so worship Me." Monotheism is the root; servitude is the branch. Monotheism is the tree; servitude is the fruit. Neither can stand without the other.

Intellectual Proof: The servant is contingent and created. Without the effect of God's power, he would remain in the darkness of non-existence. All honor, perfection, joy, virtue, and pleasure attained by the servant is due to servitude. Thus, servitude is the key to all good, the sign of happiness, the source of high stations, and the spring of honors. This is why the servant says: "You Alone We Worship, and You Alone We Seek Help From." Ali (RA) used to say: "It is enough pride for me to be Your servant, and enough honor for me that You are my Lord. O God, I found You as God as You intended, so make me a servant as You intended."

The Sixth Benefit:

Stations are limited to two: Knowledge of Lordship (Ma'rifat ar-Rububiyyah) and Knowledge of Servitude (Ma'rifat al-'Ubudiyyah). When these two meet, the covenant mentioned in: "Fulfill My covenant, and I will fulfill your covenant" (Al-Baqarah: 40) is established.

• Knowledge of Lordship: Its perfection is mentioned in: Alhamdulillah Rabb al-'Alamin, Ar-Rahman, Ar-Rahim, Malik Yawm ad-Din. The servant's transition from prior non-existence to existence proves He is Ilah. The attainment of blessings during existence proves He is Rabb, Rahman, Rahim. The states of the servant's return prove He is Malik Yawm ad-Din. Upon grasping these attributes, the knowledge of Lordship is perfected.
• Knowledge of Servitude: This follows, having a beginning and a perfection.
  • Beginning: Engaging in servitude, which is "You Alone We Worship."
  • Perfection: The servant knowing that there is no turning away from God's disobedience except by God's protection, and no power for obedience except by God's success. At that point, he seeks help from God for all needs, which is "And You Alone We Seek Help From."

When the covenant of Lordship and the covenant of Servitude are fulfilled, the request for the benefit and fruit follows: "Guide us to the straight path." This is a noble and lofty sequence, and no nobler sequence can be conceived by the intellect.

The Seventh Benefit:

Why the shift from the third-person address (He/His, in Alhamdulillah... Malik Yawm ad-Din) to the second-person address (You, in Iyyaka na'budu)?

1. Lifting the Veil: At the start of prayer, the worshipper is a stranger, so he praises God in the third person. Then, God seems to say: "You have praised Me and acknowledged My Lordship, so you are an excellent servant. I have lifted the veil, replacing distance with closeness, so speak in the second person: 'You Alone We Worship.'"
2. Direct Address is Best for Asking: The best form of supplication is direct address (interlocution). Prophets always addressed God directly: "Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves" (Al-A'raf: 23), "Our Lord, forgive us" (Al-Hashr: 10), "My Lord, grant me..." (Ash-Shu'ara: 83). This is because the response from the Generous One is best received through direct address. Furthermore, worship is service, and service is best rendered in presence.
3. Praise vs. Supplication: Praise (the first part) is better in the third person (absence), while supplication (the latter part) is better in the second person (presence).
4. Fulfilling the Intention: When the servant begins prayer with the intention to draw near to God, and then offers praise, God's generosity necessitates answering that intention for closeness by moving the servant from the state of absence to the state of presence: "You Alone We Worship, and You Alone We Seek Help From."

Chapter Six: On the Statement "And You Alone We Seek Help From"

It is established by rational proofs that there is no turning away from God's disobedience except by God's protection, and no power for obedience except by God's success. This is supported by reason and transmission.

Rational Proofs:

1. The Balancer: A capable person can choose action or inaction equally. If there is no deciding factor (balancer), there is no preference for one over the other. This balancer is not from the servant (otherwise, the request for aid would be infinite/circular), so it must be from God. Thus, the servant cannot proceed to action except with God's aid.
2. Consensus on Truth: All creation seeks the true religion and sincere belief, despite being equal in power, intellect, effort, and seeking. The success of some in attaining the Truth can only be due to the aid of an assistant, who can only be God (since if the assistant were human or angel, the search for aid would return to them).
3. The Decisive Motive: A person may be asked to do something for a long time without doing it, but then suddenly performs it when a decisive motive arises in their heart. Imposing this motive and removing opposing motives can only be from God. Aid means exactly this.

Transmitted Proofs:

1. The verse itself: "And You Alone We Seek Help From."
2. The verse: "Seek help from Allah" (Al-A'raf: 128). (The Jabriyyah and Qadariyyah debated this verse: The Jabriyyah argued that if the servant were independent in action, seeking help would be pointless. The Qadariyyah argued that seeking help is only appropriate if the servant has the basic ability to act; if not, aid is useless.)
   • My View: Power only affects action when there is a decisive motive. The sought-after aid is the creation of that decisive motive and the removal of the diverting motives.

The First Benefit (Regarding Sequence):

Why is "You Alone We Worship" mentioned immediately before "And You Alone We Seek Help From," when seeking help usually precedes action?

1. Completion of Worship: The worshipper says: "I have begun the worship, so seek Your help to complete it. Do not prevent me from completing it by death, illness, or the changing of motives."
2. Bringing the Heart: The servant says: "My Lord, I have presented myself, but my heart often flees from me. I seek Your help to bring it present." (As the Prophet said: "The heart of the believer is between two fingers of the Most Merciful," indicating the heart cannot be brought present except by God's aid.)
3. Exclusivity of Aid: "I seek help from no one but You—not Gabriel, not Michael." This follows the example of Abraham (AS). When Nimrod captured him, Gabriel offered help, but Abraham refused, saying, "It is enough for me that He knows my state." The servant goes further: Nimrod only captured Abraham's limbs, but I am captured in all faculties (feet, hands, eyes, ears, tongue). Abraham faced Nimrod's fire; I face the fire of Hell. Just as Abraham refused aid other than God, I refuse aid other than You. God responds: "We commanded the fire: 'Be cool and safe for Abraham' (Al-Anbiya: 69), and We saved you and admitted you to Paradise, granting you the hearing of the Ancient Word and the sight of the Ancient Being."
4. Cutting Off Intermediaries: "And You Alone We Seek Help From" means: I seek help from no one else, because any other helper can only help if You help them to help me. Since the help of others requires Your aid, let us cut off the intermediary and limit ourselves to Your aid.
5. Removing Self-Admiration: "You Alone We Worship" implies the soul achieves a great rank through worship, which can lead to self-admiration. This is immediately followed by "And You Alone We Seek Help From" to show that this rank was achieved not by the servant's own strength, but by God's aid. The purpose here is to remove conceit and arrogance.

Chapter Seven: On the Statement "Guide Us to the Straight Path"

This chapter will discuss the benefits contained in this verse.