“It is You we worship and You we ask for help.” Chapter 1 Al Fatihah, verse 5.
This verse reminds mankind to always act with sincerity towards Allah, the Exalted, both outwardly and inwardly. Outwardly in the form of physical prayer. And inwardly by only relying on His infinite mercy while turning away from relying on anything else. This does not mean one should not use means, such as medicine, and instead rely only on direct divine help. Instead, a Muslim should use the means provided by Allah, the Exalted, rely on His help and then accept His decree under all circumstances believing He chooses the best for His servants. Chapter 2 Al Baqarah, verse 216:
“But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah knows, while you know not.”
This is why the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, advised someone to tie up their camel, meaning, use the means provided by Allah, the Exalted, and then trust that He will keep the camel safe. This is mentioned in a Hadith found in Jami At Tirmidhi, number 2517.
In reality, using the means provided by Allah, the Exalted, while acknowledging they are from Him is an aspect of trusting in Him.
Acknowledging that Allah, the Exalted, is the only Entity worthy of worship is in fact an acknowledgment of a muslim’s servanthood to Him. One should therefore, prove their declaration of servanthood by striving to obey their Master by fulfilling His commands, refraining from His Prohibitions and by facing destiny with patience.
It is important to note that this verse has been arranged in a specific way. Meaning, the remembrance of Allah, the Exalted, has come before the remembrance of the worshipper (“It is YOU, WE worship…”). This is an indication that a Muslim should always fulfil the etiquette of true servanthood by placing the will and desire of Allah, the Exalted, before their will and desire. Meaning, they should not observe their servanthood and the worldly blessings they possess, rather, they should focus on the Lordship of Allah, the Exalted, and strive to fulfil His rights.
In addition, one should never become distracted by the Giver of help and blessings by the blessings themselves. This is why Allah, the Exalted, is mentioned first then His help in the form of blessings mentioned next. So a muslim should not become lost in the blessings they receive as this is the first step to misusing them thereby failing to fulfil true gratitude and servanthood to Him. If one always focuses on the Giver of blessings and help, namely Allah, the Exalted, they will always use the blessings according to His command. This is true gratitude and leads to an increase in blessings. Chapter 14 Ibrahim, verse 7:
“And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed, ‘If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]…”
Finally, the specific order of words in the verse also inspires one to adopt patience during difficulties, such as the loss of blessings. If one focuses on the lost blessings they will more easily turn to impatience. But the one who fulfils the order sequence of this verse by focusing on Allah, the Exalted, and their obedience to Him, will not be effected in such a way if they lose some worldly blessings. Rather, they will remain patient through sincere obedience to Him.
This verse uses the plural form when describing a person’s attitude towards Allah, the Exalted, instead of the singular form, even though a single person is reciting this verse. This eliminates the major sin of pride. An atoms worth of it is enough to lead a person to Hell. This is confirmed in a Hadith found in Sahih Muslim, number 265. When one recites the plural form they are reminded that they are only a single person worshipping Allah, the Exalted, amongst countless beings some of which do nothing except worship Him, such as the Angels.
Acknowledging that there is no help, power or strength except from Allah, the Exalted, also eliminates pride. How can one be proud of any act of worship or any righteous deed when they acknowledge that the inspiration, strength, knowledge and opportunity needed to perform the deed comes only from Allah, the Exalted.
This verse also aims to eliminate wishful thinking. This occurs when a Muslim fails to fulfil their duty and then expects the help and mercy of Allah, the Exalted. No doubt, Allah, the Exalted, can provide help to anyone at any time but this verse shows the correct method of obtaining the help and mercy of Allah, the Exalted. A muslim should first strive in the obedience of Allah, the Exalted, for example, through worship, and then hope for the help of Allah, the Exalted.
PodTafseer: Al-Fatihah – Part 5: https://youtu.be/HM3P7frDJdc
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