Transliteration:( Iyyaaka na'budu wa lyyaaka nasta'een )
6. The word "We worship" collectively suggests that Fard Salaah should be performed, in congregation, for if one person's prayer in the congregation is accepted, everybody's Fard Salaah, too, will be accepted.
7. From this it can be understood that the actual or the absolute Help comes from or is provided by Allah, just as absolute praise - direct or indirect is due to Allah. But it should be remembered, that just as all forms of worship are for Allah alone, absolute the actual help, too, is sought from Allah.
However, worldly or outward assistance can be sought from His Pious Servants. It is for this purpose that "we worship" and "we seek help" are expressed as separate entities. It should also be borne in mind that there is a distinct difference between 'worship' and 'help'. Outward or worldly help can be sought from those other than Allah. The Almighty Allah Himself says in the Qur'aan "Without doubt Allah and His Prophets are your helpers (S5 V55). In another verse Allah says: "And help eact one another in righteousness and piety (55 V2)â€. But none can be worshipped besides Allah, neither directly or indirectly or in any way if the true meaning of worship would be to accept someone as a creator then worship and obey him like a creator.
To give this status to anyone besides Allah is an act of Shirk - polytheism. But if seeking help from others was an act of Shirk like worship then Allah would have expressed as a single entity meaning: You alone do we worship and ask for help. Furthermore, it should also be remembered that it is for this reason that in times of one's material or religious needs, seeking of assistance from the sources or means provided by Allah is in reality, seeking from Allah's help.
Thus for the ill person to seek the help of a doctor, for the oppressed people to lodge their complaint to the governing authority or for the sinner t صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم entreat the Holy Prophet certainly not against this verse. As by praising a human being for doing a meritorious deed are we really interfering with the Divine verse "All praise is due to Allah alone"? It should also be remembered that the pious servants of Allah do give assistance after their demise also. On the Night of Me'raj did Musa Alaihe Salaam not help to reduce the 50 prayers to just 5? To this day non-believers enter the fold of Islam by reciting the Kalimah through the blessed name of the Holy Prophet. Thus, in the light of the above discussion seeking the help of the pious servants after their demise is in no way going against this verse.
5. You we worship, and You we ask for help.
Linguistically, `Ibadah means subdued. For instance, a road is described as Mu`abbadah, meaning, `paved’. In religious terminology, `Ibadah implies the utmost love, humility and fear.
“You…”, means, we worship You alone and none else, and rely on You alone and none else. This is the perfect form of obedience and the entire religion is implied by these two ideas. Some of the Salaf said, Al-Fatihah is the secret of the Qur’an, while these words are the secret of Al-Fatihah,
(5 You we worship, and You we ask for help from.)
The first part is a declaration of innocence from Shirk (polytheism), while the second negates having any power or strength, displaying the recognition that all affairs are controlled by Allah alone. This meaning is reiterated in various instances in the Qur’an. For instance, Allah said,
(So worship Him (O Muhammad ) and put your trust in Him. And your Lord is not unaware of what you (people) do.) (11:123),
(Say: “He is the Most Gracious (Allah), in Him we believe, and in Him we put our trust.”) (67:29),
((He alone is) the Lord of the east and the west; La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He).
So take Him alone as Wakil (Disposer of your affairs)), (73:9), and,
(You we worship, and You we ask for help from).
We should mention that in this Ayah, the type of speech here changes from the third person to direct speech by using the Kaf in the statement Iyyaka (You). This is because after the servant praised and thanked Allah, he stands before Him, addressing Him directly;
(You we worship, and You we ask for help from).
So take Him alone as Wakil (Disposer of your affairs)), (73:9), and,
(You we worship, and You we ask for help from).
We should mention that in this Ayah, the type of speech here changes from the third person to direct speech by using the Kaf in the statement Iyyaka (You). This is because after the servant praised and thanked Allah, he stands before Him, addressing Him directly;
(You we worship, and You we ask for help from).
The beginning of Surat Al-Fatihah contains Allah’s praise for Himself by His most beautiful Attributes and indicates to His servants that, they too, should praise Him in the same manner. Hence, the prayer is not valid unless one recites Al-Fatihah, if he is able. The Two Sahihs recorded that `Ubadah bin As-Samit said that the Messenger of Allah said,
(There is no valid prayer for whoever does not recite Al-Fatihah of the Book.)
Also, it is recorded in Sahih Muslim that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,
(Allah said, `I divided the prayer into two halves between Myself and My servant, one half is for Me and one half for My servant. My servant shall have what he asks for.’ When the servant says,
(All praise and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of all that exists.), Allah says, `My servant has praised Me.’ When the servant says,
(The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful), Allah says, `My servant has praised Me.’ When the servant says,
(The Owner of the Day of Recompense), Allah says, `My servant has glorified Me.’ If the servant says,
(You we worship, and You we ask for help), Allah says, `This is between Me and My servant, and My servant shall have what he asked.’ If the servant says,
(Guide us to the straight path. The path of those on whom You have bestowed Your grace, not (that) of those who have earned Your anger, nor of those who went astray), Allah says, `This is for My servant, and My servant shall have what he asked.’)
Ad-Dahhak narrated that Ibn `Abbas said,
(You we worship) means, “It is You whom we single out, Whom we fear and Whom we hope in, You alone, our Lord, and none else.
(And You we ask for help from), to obey you and in all of our affairs.” Further, Qatadah said that the Ayah,
(You we worship, and You we ask for help from) “Contains Allah’s command to us to perform sincere worship for Him and to seek His aid concerning all of our affairs.” Allah mentioned,
(You we worship) before,
(And You we ask for help from), because the objective here is the worship, while Allah’s help is the tool to implement this objective. Certainly, one first takes care of the most important aspects and then what is less important, and Allah knows best.
Allah called His Messenger an `Abd (servant) when He mentioned sending down His Book, the Prophet’s involvement in inviting to Him, and when mentioning the Isra’ (overnight journey from Makkah to Jerusalem and then to heaven), and these are the Prophet’s most honorable missions. Allah said,
(All praise and thanks be to Allah, Who has sent down to His servant (Muhammad ) the Book (the Qur’an)) (18:1),
(And when the servant of Allah (Muhammad ) stood up invoking Him (his Lord ـ Allah in prayer)), (72:19) and,
(Glorified (and Exalted) be He (Allah) (above all that they associate with Him) Who took His servant (Muhammad ) for a journey by night) (17:1).
Allah also recommended that His Prophet resort to acts of worship during times when he felt distressed because of the disbelievers who defied and denied him. Allah said,
(Indeed, We know that your breast is straitened at what they say. So glorify the praises of your Lord and be of those who prostrate themselves (to Him). And worship your Lord until there comes unto you the certainty (i.e. death)) (15:97-99).
Since the praise of Allah, Who is being sought for help, was mentioned, it was appropriate that one follows the praise by asking for his need. We stated that Allah said,
(One half for Myself and one half for My servant, and My servant shall have what he asked.)
This is the best method for seeking help, by first praising the one whom help is sought from and then asking for His aid, and help for one’s self, and for his Muslim brethren by saying.
(Guide us to the straight path.)
This method is more appropriate and efficient in bringing about a positive answer to the pleas, and this is why Allah recommended this better method.
Asking for help may take the form of conveying the condition of the person who is seeking help. For instance, the Prophet Moses said,
(My Lord! Truly, I am in need of whatever good that You bestow on me!) (28:24).
Also, one may first mention the attributes of whoever is being asked, such as what Dhun-Nun said,
(La ilaha illa Anta (none has the right to be worshipped but You (O Allah)), Glorified (and Exalted) be You (above all that they associate with You)! Truly, I have been of the wrongdoers) (21:87).
Further, one may praise Him without mentioning what he needs.
(1:5) You alone do we worship[6], and You alone do we turn for help[7]
6. The term ibadah is used in three sense: (i) worship and adoration; (ii) obedience and submission; and (iii) service and subjection. In this particular context the term carries all these meanings simultaneously. In other words, we say to God that we worship and adore Him, that we are obedient to Him and follow His will, and also that we are His servants. Moreover man is so bound to none save God, that none but He, may be the subject of man’s worship and total devotion, of man’s unreserved obedience, of man’s absolute subjection and servitude.
7. Not only do we worship God, but our relationship with Him is such that we turn to Him alone for help and succour. We know that He is the Lord of the whole universe and that He alone is the Master of all blessings and benefactions. Hence, in seeking the fulfilment of our needs we turn to Him alone. It is towards Him alone that we stretch forth our hands when we pray and supplicate. It is in Him that we repose our trust. It is therefore to Him alone that we address our request for true guidance.
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