Topics

Salaam.

What is revealed in the following link, calls for a thorough discussion on the subject of hate crimes:

http://www.meforum.org/3809/islam-hate

Regards,
A. Ismail Sait.

[The Authorised Version of the Bible was translated by a group of forty-seven, including clerics, scholars and men of letters working together to produce a work for King James I]

Salaam.

The following remarks are taken from pages 9 and 10 of the book available online:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/37354743/Understanding-Quran-Themes-and-Style-by-Abdel-Haleem

(Courtesy, Wakas.)

"Arabs themselves find English translations of the Qur'an disappointing, unconvincing, and lacking in the cohesion, clarity and grandeur, as well as the rhythm and power, of the original Qur'anic verses.

"A comparison between the history and manner of translation of the Bible and the Qur'an into English is useful in this regard.

"The Authorised Version of the Bible was translated by a group of forty-seven, including clerics, scholars and men of letters working together to produce a work for King James I.

"The New English Bible was retranslated into modern English by a similarly large group of English-speaking people.

"On the other hand, the first translation of the Qur'an into English was made by Alexander Ross and printed in1649. He called it The Alcoran of Mahomet, the Prophet of the Turks ... newly Englished for the satisfaction of all that desire to look into the Turkish vanities . Ross was not a specialist in the Qur'an or˙adíth, and he did not know Arabic, but based his translation on a French version. He added a letter 'From the Translator to the Christian Reader', justifying his translation of the 'heresy of Mahomet'to satisfy his critics who almost prevented the publication of this 'danger-ous book'.

"This was the beginning of a long tradition of translations and studies of the Qur'an in English. Some – Rodwell (1861) and Bell (1937) –sought to refute it in the light of the Bible, while others – Sale (1734), Palmer (1880), Pickthall (1930) and Arberry (1955) – brought increasing understanding the qur'an levels of scholarship in Arabic and appreciation of Arabic literature, and decreasing levels of prejudice to bear on their translations – no prejudice being apparent in the last two.

"There are now numerous translations in English, but not one has been made by more than one person at a time, and no Arab Muslim specialist in Qur'anic studies has made a translation.

"The Qur'an's unique qualities in the Arabic need to be analysed in Eng-lish, and a new approach adopted towards its translation.

"Even the best of the available translations pose very serious difficulties in the proper appreciation and understanding of the Qur'an. The Arabic original, however, will remain to the Muslims the sacred speech, 'a sublime scripture' (41:41)."

Regards,
A. Ismail Sait.

[Top 10 Reasons to Turn Off Your TV]

Salaam.

Time is life.

Only those who fear God know the value of time, and the vital importance of this life's fleeting moments, in shaping the Hereafter! Only they understand the seriousness of this life.

They are those who desist from indulging in unimportant, or frivolous things. Read and reflect on the first 11 Verses of Sura Al Mu'minoon, the 23rd Sura of Al Qur'an.

Regarding the practical side of Verse 23:3, the following article may be helpful:


Top 10 Reasons to Turn Off Your TV

Article From  www.jamiat.org.za



From Mark Stibich, Ph.D., Your Guide to Longevity.

Turning off your television will gain you, on average, about 4 hours per day. Imagine if you took that time to exercise, give your brain a workout and develop strong relationships. Not only would you be adding years to your life, you would become more interesting, energetic, and fun. So take the plunge and try not watching TV for a week. At first it will be strange and awkward, but stick with it and soon you will love all the extra time.

1. Television Eats Your Time
The average U.S. adult watches more than 4 hours of television a day. That's 25 percent of waking time spent every day. Imagine if you suddenly had 25 percent more time -- that's three extra months per year! You could get in all your exercise, cook your meals from scratch and still have time left over to write a novel.

Over a lifetime, an 80-year-old person would have watched 116,800 hours of television, compared to only 98,000 hours of work. As a nation, adults watch 880 million hours of television every day or 321 billion hours per year. Whew! Imagine what could get done if we all just stopped watching TV.

2. Television makes you stressed
With the average of four hours a day gone, it's no wonder everyone is feeling stressed out and overwhelmed. We put aside paying bills, finishing projects, making phone calls and cleaning our homes to watch TV. We feel overwhelmed because of all the things we should be doing (exercising, spending time with family, eating right) go undone.

And when we feel overwhelmed, tired, and exhausted we don't have energy to anything but -- you guessed it -- watch TV. It is a dreadful cycle. So take a break from TV for a week and see what happens to your life.

3. Television Makes You Overweight
Eating while distracted limits your ability to assess how much you have consumed. According to Eliot Blass at the University of Massachusetts, people eat between 31 and 74 percent more calories while watching TV.

This could add, on average, about 300 calories extra per TV meal. Now consider that at least 40 percent of families watch TV while eating dinner. It becomes clear that TV is a big part of the obesity epidemic in the U.S. and that TV, in fact, makes you gain weight.

4. Television Makes You Uninteresting
Many people have whole conversations that are recaps of TV programs, sporting events and sitcoms. When asked about their real lives, there is little or nothing to report and no stories to tell (except the TV shows they have watched).

Life is too interesting and wonderful to spend your time either watching TV or recapping television to your friends. Find something interesting to do: volunteer, read, paint -- anything but watch more TV.

5. Television Ruins Your Relationships
A television is turned on an average of 7 hours and 40 minutes per day in many U.S. households. With the TV on that much, there is little time for you and your significant other or children to spend time together, share experiences, and develop deeper relationships.

Sitting together and watching TV does not grow a relationship. Turn that TV off and find something to do together --cooking, exercising, taking a walk, anything.

6. Television is Not Relaxation
TV is the opposite of exercise. If you are watching TV you are usually sitting, reclining or lying down. You are burning as few calories as possible. All that extra food you eat while watching TV does not get burned off. Your brain goes into a lull.

But you are not relaxing -- your mind is still receiving stimuli from the TV, you are processing information and reacting emotionally. Have you ever found yourself thinking about TV characters? Do you ever dream about TV shows? These are signs that the brain is working hard to process all the TV you have been watching.

7. Television Loses Opportunities
If you are sitting and watching TV, nothing new or exciting is going to happen to you. New opportunities and ideas come from being out in the world, talking to people, and reading interesting things.

Watching TV isolates you. Nothing is going to change in your world if you are watching TV. Turn off the TV, go out into the world, talk to people, and see what happens.

8. Television is Addictive
Television can become addictive. Signs of TV addiction include:

    using the TV to calm down
    not being able to control your viewing
    feeling angry or disappointed in how much TV you watched
    feeling on edge if kept from watching
    feeling a loss of control while watching

If the idea of giving up TV for a week is horrifying, you may be addicted to television. Luckily, TV addiction is a habit and not a physical addiction like smoking. You should be able to control it once you are aware of the problem and make a decision to change.

9. Television Makes You Buy Things
By age 65, the average American has seen 2 million commercials. Your knowledge of products and brands comes from these TV commercials. Your perception of what you need also comes from these commercials.

If you didn't know that your iPod could talk to your running shoes, you wouldn't feel like your current shoes are too low-tech. If you didn't know about vacuums that never lose suction, your current vacuum would seem fine. Our perception of need is determined by what we see. Need less by watching less TV.

10. Television Costs Money
A basic cable package costs $43 per month and many packages cost much more than that. That comes to at least $500 a year spent on TV. For that much money you could: buy a membership to every museum or zoo in your town, get a gym membership, buy a nice bicycle, invest it every year for 10 years at 10 percent interest* and have more than $10,000.

Sources: TvTurnOff.org; US Census Bureau

Regards,
A. Ismail Sait.

[Tha'leem]

 Salaam.

In the absence of any report whatsoever, that the Prophet gave lengthy discourses on

Thafseer of Al Qur'an, people are wont to ask, as to how then, did he teach the Book to his disciples?

We only know for certain, and that too according to Al Qur'an, that the Prophet and his disciples used to spend long hours, reciting or listening to Al Qur'an, in rapt attention (73:1-4), probably, in Salah. (Here, the ordinary idea of the outward form of Salat, consisting of standing in attention, prostrating, etc; will do.)

And there is no doubt at all that the practice of this exercise - that of reciting or listening to Al Qur'an in rapt attention - is what propelled them to a life, that, subsequently, was instrumental in changing the world, for the better.

With all this in mind, read on:

According to a classic Arabic dictionary, Mufradathul Qur'an, by Ragib, the infinitive of the form of thaf'eel, namely the word Tha'leem, of the root 'Ayn Laam, Meem, has, among others, the sense of facilitating the imparting or imbibing of knowledge, skill, etc.

For example, the sense also encompasses providing the students good food, all other basics of life and well being, and providing them an environment with the least of distractions.

From here, it is possible to infer that the facility or vehicle, of Salat, was employed by the Prophet in order to instill Al Qur'an into their bodies, hearts, minds, and souls.

If you open dictionary.reference.com, and, after opening the page for the word "teach", scroll down to the sub heading Synonym Study, you can find that "teach" can refer to almost any practice that caused others to develop skill or knowledge: to teach children to write; to teach marksmanship to soldiers; to teach tricks to a dog.(dictionary quote ends here.

In order to make the reading interesting, please keep the last example in the online dictionary: to teach tricks to a dog, as you proceed:

Now refer to (5:4) in Al Qur'an.

"They ask thee what is lawful to them as (food). Say: Lawful unto you are (all) things good and pure: And what you have taught the beasts and birds of prey, training them to hunt in the manner directed to you by Allah: Eat what they catch for you, but pronounce the name of Allah over it: and fear Allah; for Allah is swift in taking account." (Translation by Yusuf Ali. Itallics mine.)

Here, in 5:4, the original (word translated here as training,) is a form of the infinitive "tha'leem".

Look at the amazing coincidence of what is referred to as an example for teach, in the English online dictionary, and the reference in Al Qur'an regarding the derivative of the infinitive tha'leem in (5:4), to refer to the training of animals for the purpose of hunting.

The only thing I want to stress is that, from the above narrative, we can safely infer, that  the Arabic infinitive "tha'leem", also has the sense: to enlighten, discipline, drill, school, indoctrinate.

Especially because, the above mentioned recitation (especially in salat), has all this potential and more, as in (8:2), and, ((9:124).

What better teaching, can there be?

Regards,
A. Ismail Sait

Salaam.

Click the following links for more mysteries:

http://www.nmsr.org/code19.htm

http://cs.anu.edu.au/~bdm/codes/torah.html

Regards,
A. Ismail Sait.

Salaam.

In an earlier topic, I had written:

"Even like 'Like feathers flock together', we have, in Al Qur'an, like categories clubbed together in groups."

I had even promised to continue the thread as a new topic.

In 2:197, we have the three famous prohibitions, to be observed during Hajj.

They are:

(1)   The signalling towards the wife regarding the desire for sex.

(2)   The calling one another by names of reproach.

(3)   Heated arguments.

Grammatically, since the construction entails the L of prohibition before indefinite nouns, the prohibition spans the entire range of the meaning of each of the things prohibited. 

Meaning, for example, all kinds of heated arguments are prohibited, irrespective of the degree of vehemence.

In (1), the Arabic word used, also means actual sex with the wife, as the range of its meaning extends to sexual intercourse as such.

But since intercourse with one's wife is not normally forbidden, this special, temporary prohibition is likely to be forgotten, or, its importance likely to be underestimated. Therefore its special mention.

The Deadly Sins that are obviously understood, and apply, irrespective of any occasion, always remain guarded against by the Believer, howsoever.

Therefore, since the grammatical construction entails the entire range of each of the prohibitions, it means, that, on the occasion of Al Hajj, the prohibition encompasses even the least of the range of meanings of each of the prohibitions.

Thus we see that there is a sort of likeness among these threesome here in 2:197, somewhat like in the threesome in 49:12.

Regards,
A. Ismail Sait.

[{]

Salaam.

Even like 'Like feathers flock together', we have like categories clubbed together in groups.

For example, in 16:90, we have three commandments, and also, three things forbidden.

In 2:18, we have, ...deaf, dumb, and blind....

Or, as in 49:12, where, they say, we are asked to avoid suspicion, spying, and backbiting.

{There is a Hadees, to the effect, that backbiting is worse than zina (fornication or adultery)!

Not only that. This Hadees has been deliberately and diligently spread among Muslims, like nothing else, at least in South India, as I have known very well. And I have reason to believe, that it is so all over the world.}

In Sura 49. verse 12, we have been fore-warned regarding three human traits, grouped as a trio consisting of (i) suspicion, (ii) spying, and (iii) backbiting.

In a human society, these three are unavoidable. By any stretch of imagination, we cannot assume a society sans these three traits:

(i) Suspicion is natural, and can lead to preventive measures against untoward incidents.

(ii) Spying can help to take preventive as well as curative measures against harm done by enemies.

(iii) Backbiting cannot be equated with complaining against some one in order to seek justice, or warning someone to be wary of a particular person or group.

Man, by nature, feels that these three traits, although unavoidable in particular situations and contexts, are, certainly, not to be indulged in, to the extent, that it becomes a threat to social harmony.

Sura 49. verse 12, translates thus: "O Those who believe! Desist from suspicion aplenty, for, some of it is sinful. Neither spy (inordinately), nor (habitually) backbite one another..."

After all, the Intelligence Department is the backbone of any government. And its stock-in-trade is cumulated suspicions, and regulated spying.

As for speaking ill of a person behind his back, the following example will suffice:

If you are a witness to someone committing zina in your neighborhood, and you want to bring the culprit to justice, you will have to create three more witnesses besides yourself. You cannot do this without thorough deliberation and meticulous planning.
                                               
About ZINA:  That all obscenities are forbidden, has been repeated umpteen number of times in Al Quran. Fornication and adultery are obscenities, and have been ranked among the deadliest of sins.

In one place (25:68-69) ZINA has been mentioned as one of a trio, along with joining partners in the worship of Allah, and murder, thereby proving beyond any doubt that it is one of the three most heinous, deadliest of sins, placed at the topmost slot among all the sins in the world.

It is the worst sin in the world, next only to invoking others beside Allah, and murder.

"Those who invoke not with Allah any other god, nor kill without absolute justification the life that Allah has made sacred, nor commit zina; - and any who does this (not only) meets punishment but the torment on the Day of Resurrection will be doubled for him and he will abide therein in utter ignominy." (25: 68, 69)

The original phrase translated here as "he will abide therein", belongs to the same root that is used to denote the punishment for shirk and kufr throughout the Quran: ie; khulood finnar (Kh L D). 

Now compare the trio in (49:12), and the trio in (25:68-69)!!

Even after crystal clear presentation of everything in Al Qur'an,  we - the purported standard bearers of Al Qur'an - have distorted our religion so appallingly, and with such blatant impunity, that our self conceit is matchless in the past and present world!                                                 

In spite of crystal clear verses of Al Quran, we equate geebath with zina! Worse still, we consider it to be worse than zina!!

Result:

When a young man sees that even good people, including religious leaders committing geebath in public, in his heart of hearts, the seriousness of zina diminishes.

"What if I commit zina? It is, after all, less serious than the backbiting that these respected persons do", he thinks, ......to the extent, that when he gets a fare chance to commit zina, he commits it with ease. This is the stage where the Ummah has reached.

To be continued as a new topic, In sha' Allah

Regards,
A. Ismail Sait.

Salaam.

(4:160-161-162)  "...and their devouring of men's substance wrongfully..."

Click:

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304173704579262693876479358

It is not about vitamins found in natural substances. Even in excess, they are not harmful.

Regards,
A. Ismail Sait.

Salaam.

Click the following link, sit back, and think!:

http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/muslimindians/conversations/messages/52464

Regards,
A. Ismail Sait.

Salaam.

"Skimming the Quran shows that it is full of verses emphasizing on relaxation and the way of achieving tranquility and is full of stories about people placed in stressful situations the with specific strategies that they have overcome stress. This issue led to WHO's (world health organization) advice to the Islamic countries in the Regional Mental Health Summit held in 1998 in Eastern Mediterranean region to prepare a booklet containing Quran verses that are related to mental health."

For more, click:

http://quranmed.com/?page=article&article_id=4353

Regards,
A. Ismail Sait.

[An attempt at understanding 2:238]

Salaam.

An attempt at understanding 2:238

"Guard strictly the Salats, and (seek the fulfillment of each Salat according to the ideal) Al Salat Al Wusta, and, stand before Allah in a devout (frame of mind)". (2:238)

Of course, during the Prophet's time there wasn't such a proliferation of devices that show the time at any given moment. They knew Salath Al Fajr was at hand, for example, when they sensed that it was dawn; and, when they heard the Mu'azzin's call, they started out to the Masjid. And when the people had gathered, the Iqama was proclaimed.

But today, due to changed circumstances, timings are fixed, accurate to the minute, for the congregational prayers, as well as for the general call to prayers – all within the fixed time periods indicated by the possessive clauses Salat Al fajr, and Salat Al 'Isha.

There are only two compulsory Salats - Salat Al Fajr, and Salat Al 'Isha (24:58). These words themselves reveal their time bound nature subject to 4:103. These two names continue to be in vogue even today.

2:238 asks us to guard strictly the Salats. Here the plural is used and not the dual. Because:

(1)   It refers to the Salats performed by the individual, day in and day out.
(2)   Or it refers to the Salats of all the individuals in a congregation.
(3)   Or, the plural is used in order to mean the dual, which is allowed.

Al Salat Al wusta (2:238) is an adjectival clause that calls our attention to the Salats' standard and quality.

As such, waw of conjunction before this clause would become waw of elucidation.

If you look up Lane's Lexicon, or the five verses where the root wst of Al Wustha is used (2:143, 2:238, 5:89, 68:28, and 100:5), you will see that it denotes much more than a mere numerical or geometrical middle.  [Note that the third root letter is the sixteenth letter of the Arabic alphabet.]

It is the standard, exemplary, ideal religious exercise, occupying a legitimately honorable place amid the religious observances of the world!

It is not to be an empty ritual stuck in a web of technicalities. Instead, it means a salat qualified by objectivity, and pregnant with the potential to transform our whole life into one of total and complete devotion and dedication to God. See also:  23:1-2, 107:5

It is for recalling to mind, God, life's responsibilities, and the thought of the Judgment Day.

It's purpose is to sustain and perpetuate the remembrance of God (20:14), especially through the medium of His Book recited in Salat (7:170, 35:29, 29:45).

Immediately after this adjectival clause, we again have a waw of elucidation followed by the injunction:  "...stand for Allah in a state of total commitment to Him in uttermost servitude."

This elucidates the above adjectival clause, which in turn elucidates the word Salat in the plural 'Salats' in 2:238. See also 23:1-2.

Thus we have:

"Guard strictly the Salats, and (seek the fulfillment of each Salat according to the ideal) Al Salat Al Wusta, and, stand before Allah in a devout (frame of mind)". (2:238)

[In writing this article, I have taken the cue from the (Urdu) Thafseer Bayanullinnas by Khaja Ahmeduddin of Amritsar, India.]

Regards,
A. Ismail Sait.

[The area lags behind the rest of Haryana State on almost every yardstick of development indices,]

Salaam.

Visit Mewath District of India, the flagship of World Thableegi Jama'ath. It is a district dominated by the Muslim community called Meo. It is where the best of Thableegi  Jama'ath is concentrated since the Jama'ath's very inception. And this, not in the least due to the special attention paid to the area by Moulavi Ilyas, the Jama'at'a originator. The world of Thableegi Jama'ath still recognizes the district's centrality, and unique importance within the organization.

Yet, even after more than half a century of the Jama'ath's most fervent, concerted, relentless missionary endeavors, the fate of the district, according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mewat_District  is:

[Mewat has remained a region of backwardness even after independence. The area lags behind the rest of Haryana State on almost every yardstick of development indices, even though the farthest point of Mewat is no farther than 145 km. from the National Capital of India.] The district's nearest point is only 20 kilometers from New Delhi Airport.

And if you want to have glimse of what impact the Jama'ath has made on the Muslims regarding paying attention to Al Qur'an, please see the following report:

According to http://www.indianexpress.com/news/a-new-chapter-for-mewat/596465/7

Balwant Saini, a Hindu from Karhera village in Mewat, established Saini Vidya Niketan, a class I-VII school, in April 2009, after working as an administrator in a school in Faridabad. "To draw more students, I included Urdu and Islamic studies in my school," he says. He got "over 800 applications". Today, at his eight-room school, most of the 400 students study in the open. Urdu here is compulsory from class III to VI—his own daughter is fluent in the language. Saini says he had asked parents if they wanted Quranic translation to be taught at the school but "not even 10 agreed". "They said they read the Quran at home anyway," he says.

No doubt, denying primary attention to Al Qur'an, ultimately leads to ignominy, and destruction.

Regards,
A. Ismail Sait.

[[]

Salaam.

I cherish the following article. As such I would like to share it here:

[Taken from: http://muslimmatters.org/2008/01/07/alhamdulillah-a-linguisticmiracle-
of-the-quran/

"Alhamdulillah" – A Linguistic Miracle of the Quran
Posted by Nouman Ali Khan

Writing about the literary dimension of the Qur'an for an audience that may or may not
have background in Arabic grammar and rhetoric can be rather challenging. I'm going to
attempt to navigate around technical lingo as much as possible. Building a basic
familiarity with the subject is my goal, not presenting it in a sophisticated fashion.
The words AlHamdu Lillah are most commonly uttered from Muslim lips around the
world. After the basmalah (the tag name used for BISMILLAHI ALRAHMANI
ALRAHEEMI)¸ it is the first statement mentioned in the opening surah, al-Fatiha. One way
to explore the beauty, precision , and thought provoking eloquence of the Qur'an's words
is to explore the very choice of each word. Arabic is a rich language full of terms similar
in meaning.

Hamd, commonly translated 'praise,' has sister terms like shukr, madH and thanaa.
Comparing Madh', Hamd, and Thanaa'

Madh' حَ : Praise + Mention of noteworthy qualities and actions attributed to someone or
something.

By Comparison
Hamd  َ Praise + Acknowledgement of noteworthy qualities and actions done out of
genuine love, veneration, reverence, gratitude and appreciation.

Madh can be made for the living as well as the non-living, for beings of intellect
(humans, angels, jinn) and animals.
Hamd is exclusively directed at the living & intellectual.

Madh is possible before a noble deed or after (as a result of it). It is therefore possible to make

Madh of a person who may not have done anything good and no good deed may ever have
been attributed towards him/her.

Hamd can only be made after a noble/ praiseworthy contribution of some sort.

Thanaa' is a more eloquent, more impressive, more flattering type of MadH.

Conclusion: By using Hamd instead of Madh or Thanaa'
a. we acknowledge Allah as Eternally living
b. we recognize His attributes and decisions as Hamd worthy
c. There is an element of sincerity in our praise of him stemming from love and reverence.
d. we not only praise His incredible being, attributes & works, we appreciate them as
favors for which we are grateful

Comparing Hamd with Shukr

Shukr (thanks) is a consequence of whatever good comes to a person from someone else.

Hamd is a consequence of good that whose effects go beyond an individual favor.

Shukr is exclusively related with favors and doesn't include appreciation or praise of any
noteworthy attributes. For instance you don't thank someone for being smart or wise or
athletic.

Hamd is made because of favors and also over noteworthy attributes even if they don't benefit
oneself directly. For example I say Alhamdu Lillah when I hear that my friend passed his
midterms or something.

a. Madh is too wide in scope and using it wouldn't be precise enough.
b. Shukr is too narrow in scope and using it wouldn't be comprehensive enough.
c. Hamd as opposed to Shukr & Madh also implies a genuine motive.

The Word ALLAH in alhamdulillah

We looked briefly at the choices that would have represented alternatives to the word
Hamd in the divinely revealed phrase AlHamdu Lillah. Let us now take a look at the word
Allah itself. It is the unique name of our Lord. We learn through His revelation that He
possesses and rightfully owns the best Names and Attributes (thank you Sheikh Yasir for
your awesome class!) . Why is it most appropriate to use His unique Name in this phrase
rather than AlRahmaan (the exceedingly merciful), Al Khaaliq (the creator) etc.? Simply
because any of these names might imply that His Hamd is associated with that particular
power or attribute. By using the word Allah, Hamd is acknowledged for Him independent
of any of His attributes, OR for all of them simultaneously!

A Variety of Ways to Make Hamd of Allah
Arabic offers great flexibility in communication. There are varying degrees of emphasis
with which a statement can be made. There are multiple options that can be manipulated in
sentence structure. Similar statements can be made such as :

"I praise Allah."

"We praise Allah."

"Praise Allah!".

1. All of the above are Jumal Fi'liyyah (Verbal Sentence). This sentence structure necessarily implies the occurrence of an act bound by time. Alhamdu Lillah is Jumlah Ismiyyah (Nominal or Noun Sentence), which, for one, is a far more emphatic form of declaration in Classical Arabic by comparison. Secondly, it implies continuity, stability and permanence. Another unique feature of the Ismiyyah structure is that it communicates a decisive statement.

2. Jumlah Fi'liyyah exclusively attributes an act to a specific subject. In the suggested alternatives
above, 'I', 'we' and 'you all' are the specific subjects respectively. Al Hamdu Lillah , being a Jumlah Ismiyyah (Noun Sentence), doesn't identify the subject which makes it a universal declaration. I, we, you, they, people, animals, rocks, trees, rather all of creation can be understood as the subject!

There is another beautiful subtlety here. Whether anyone or anything make Al Hamd of Allah or not, Al Hamd (All Immaculate Praise) is still for Allah!

3. The Jumlah Fi'liyyah (Verbal Sentence) renditions above are limited by time and applicability. The original statement is timeless and has universal applicability. Through J ِ LM;8 ا the way in which the praise is made is kept unspecified while in the Fi'liyyah format the praise would be by the tongue. See (17:44)

4 . In Jumlah Fi'liyyah (Verbal Sentence) there is the possibility of doing an act for an object that isn't worthy of it.

For instance, 'I paid him'. It may be that 'he' didn't deserve to get paid. In Jumlah Ismiyyah the
necessary implication that this praise is actually rightfully placed is naturally implied,
ALHAMDULILLAH!

5. In saying Al Hamdu Lillahا, we are also acknowledging that Al Hamd is the property of Allah while this is not implied in alternative fi'liyyah renditions.

When using the command form, 'Praise Allah' instead of Alhamdulillah, there are a number of shortcomings. Firstly, there is the sense that this praise is being asked of the audience. By comparison Al Hamdu Lillah declares the existence of Al Hamd without
dependence on an audience responding to an imperative.

The imperative may also imply a response that may or may not be voluntary while Alhamdulillah is an observation of the voluntary praise done by all forms of creation.

Why the 'Al' in Alhamdu?

ALHAMDU is definite or proper as I like to call it in my intro course. As Dr. Fadel puts it in his
article, the Al serves the meaning: Whatever you mean by Al Hamd in common parlance, belongs to Allah.

The distinguished, universally acknowledge form of Hamd known among you belongs particularly
to Allah.

The 'AL' also serves the implication of 'istighraq', a kind of absolute totality (All Hamd
is Allah's). None of these enhancements would come forth in the indefinite version HAMDUN.

Why Not Inna Alhamda Lillah?

Have you ever heard a khateeb say INNAL HAMDA LILLAHI? The word (particle, to be precise,) INNA means 'certainly' and is used to emphasize a statement.

What benefit would there be in NOT emphasizing ALHAMDU LILLAH in the Fatiha? You see, Arabic sentences are divided and categorized from different angles and perspectives. One of these angles is Jumlah Khabriyyah vs. Jumlah Insha'iyyah.

What this categorization basically means is that statements in the language are either
declarative (which can be judged as either true or false) or they are statements communicating an
emotion.
The latter are a form of subjective communication which don't necessarily communicate
facts, but rather they serve to vocalize feelings and sentiments. When a statement has INNA, it can
only serve to be informative and the emotional dimension of it is removed. By not stating the
INNA, the phrase retains informative and emotional potential depending on the context.

Think of it this way: If a bus whisks by you missing you by half an inch and you say 'ALHAMDU LILLAH', you are not really making a statement of fact, rather vocalizing your internal feelings. The
emotionally charged dimension of AlHamdulillah is kept intact by not using the INNA.

What About Lillahilhamdu?

In Hajj season we say ALLAHU AKBAR wa LILLAHI ALHAMDU! We reverse ALHAMDU
LILLAH with LILLAHI ALHAMDU.

This is a form of TAQDEEM in Arabic grammar and serves to color a sentence with a shade of exclusivity, ' Hamd belongs ONLY to Allah'.

It is appropriate particularly on the occasion of Hajj because that blessed house was misused for Shirk so in response a strong denial of it is implied even when we say LILLAHI ALHAMDU. This
TAQDEEM also serves the function of IZAALAT ALSHAK 'removing doubt'. Why now say it
this way in the Fatiha then?

The context of the Fatiha is not one that demands the removal of doubt. Also, exclusivity exists in response to a challenge to the original statement. If somebody is attributing Hamd to Allah and other than Him, he or she should be taught that Hamd is ONLY for Allah. The Fatiha is not a response in debate with those who falsely associate with Allah. But we do find LillahilHamdu in the Qur'an. Interestingly, it appears in 45:36
 
The context of the 45th Chapter, unlike Chapter 1, is one where disbelievers who credit life and death to other than Allah.
Here, the exclusive, emphatic mode of declaration is more befitting so we see
LILLAHILHAMDU.

The Fatiha (Chapter 1) declares certain universal truths that are completely in line with
the embedded fitrah (natural pre-disposition) you and I are born with. In our fitrah there is no competition between belief and disbelief, tauheed & shirk, iman & kufr. Rather our faith is an
unchallenged manifest truth seeded deep within our conscience. In Fatiha, this truth is therefore
uttered in a fashion (ALHAMDULILLAH and not LILLAHILHAMDU ) that doesn't even
indicate the existence of an alternate point of view because within our genuine conscience, there
isn't one.]

Regards,
A. Ismail Sait.