Page-56:Meaning of Al-Hamd(الحمد):Hamd is of two types: Saying “Alhamdulillah” is a great virtue for a Mumin:

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Ibn Jarir described in his tafsir with a chain of the narrators that  Ibn Abbas said:  :  

قال إبن عباس الحمد هو الشكر لله والإستخذاء لله والإقرار بنعمته وهدايته وإبتدائه وغير ذالك - أن دخولهما (ألف ولام) فى الحمد منبيىئ عن أن معناه جميع المحامد والشكر الكامل لله

ألحمد means- thankingِAllah, submitting to Him, acknowledging His blessings, guidance, initiation, and other things. For Alif Lam in ألحمد means -All praises and complete thanks to Allah..(Ref.1)

Praise applies to seven things in Akhirah:

 1. When the inmates of the grave are resurrected and will remain in the grave standing up for three hundred years, sweat holds them back and they will be called for the reckoning, at that time Mumins will say –" ألحمد لله" all praise for Allah. Allah the Almighty said: “And all praise is for Allah in Akhirah”. (Saba-1)

2. When the reckoning is over, Mumins will say-" ألحمد لله" all praise is for Allah. Allah the high said: “And He judged among them with justice and it shall be said: All praise is for Allah the Rob of All worlds. (Az-Zumar-75)

3. When the two paths are distinguished, the path of the Righteous people from the path of the sinners, Mumins will say-" ألحمد لله" all praise is for Allah. Allah the High said:  “All praise is for Allah, who saved us from the wrong-doing people. (Al-Mumemenun-28)

4. When Mumins pass the Sirat (Path over Jahannam), get the scent of Jannah, and look at it, they will say: " ألحمد لله". Allah the High said:   “All praise is for Allah, who has guided us to this.” (Al-A’raf 43)

5. When the Mumins enter into Jannah, they will say" ألحمد لله".Allah the High said:  “All praise is for Allah, who fulfilled His promise to us (Az-Zumar-74).

6. When the status of Mumins (In Jannat) is increased and they are relieved of anxiety, they will say:  " ألحمد لله". Allah the High said:  “All praise is for Allah, who removed anxiety from us.” (Fatir-34)

7. When Mumins see their Rob, the exalted and glorified, without any shape, they will say, " ألحمد لله". All praise is for Allah. Allah the Almighty said:  “And the last of their prayer is الحمد لله رب العلمين all praise is for Allah, Rob of the All-worlds (Yunus-10).” (Ref.1)

 When should one say “Al-Hamdu Lillah” (ألحمد لله)?

One should always say “Al-Hamdu Lillah” avoiding impure places and conditions.

Abu Hafs Najmuddin Umar Ibn Muhammad said:

"كيف تخلى ساعة من عمرك عن حمده وشكره ولا تخلو لحظة عن إنعامه وبره؟" How do you keep an hour of your life empty from Allah’s praising and thanking Him, while you couldn’t remain empty for a moment from His blessings and favor?” (Ref.2)

Discussion on the word:  لله

The letterل is the 23^rd letter of the Arabic letters.  It is added to the word of majesty “Allah” as Li or Lam with Kasrah, means “For or to”.  It is also used in the meaning of: Because of, on account of, so that, that, so as, with a view to, in a bid to, with the aim of, the purpose of (Ref.3)

So لله means “for Allah, to Allah” or belong to Allah. (See page 4 for details on the word of majesty “Allah”)

The letterل “Lam” is used in different meanings:

The letterل “Lam” is added to the word of majesty “Allah” as a Lam of Harful Jar (حرف الجر) or Lam of the genitive. (See page-32)This Lam is used in eight meanings.  لام الملك كقولك ألمال لزيد ولام الإختصاص كقولك أخ لزيد ولام الإستغاثة كقول الشاعر  يا لبكر أنشروا لى كليبا ولام التعجب كقولك يا للعجب والمعنى يا عجب احضر هذا أوانك ولام العلة بمعنى كى كقوله تعالى لتكونوا شهداء على الناس ولام العاقبة كقول الشاعر

كما لخراب الدهر تبنى المساكن                                        فللموت تغذو الوالدات سخالها

ولام الجحود بعد ما كان ولم يكن ولا تصحب إلا النفى كقوله تعالى وما كان الله ليعذبهم اى لأن يعذبهم ولام التأريخ تقول كتبت لثلاث خلون أى بعد ثلاث    

1. Lam denotes the meaning of possession or ownership. As you say: ألمال لزيد  money is for Zayed.

2. Lam denotes the meaning of specialization. As you say: أخ لزيد   Brother of Zayed.

3. Lam denotes the meaning of an appeal for help. As a poet said: يا لبكر أنشروا لى كليبا  O Bakr, you bring Kalib back to life for me. (Poet Al-Muhalhal said this.He appeals to Bani Bakr, who killed his brother Kalib. Here Lam with the word Bakr is used in the meaning of an appeal for help).

4. Lam denotes the meaning of wonder. As you say: يا للعجب والمعنى يا عجب احضر هذا أوانك Oh wonder, it means- oh wonder, be present, this is your time.

5. Lam denotes the meaning of cause or reason (In the meaning of “so that”). As Allah the Almighty said: لتكونوا شهداء على الناس “So that you may be witnesses over all mankind”. (Baqarah-143) (Here Lam is used in the meaning of” So that”.)

6. Lam denotes the meaning of the consequence. As a poet said:

كما لخراب الدهر تبنى المساكن                                       فللموت تغذو الوالدات سخالها

For death ewes feed their lambs. As homes are built for the destruction of time (Here Lam of the word للموت is used in the meaning of consequence).

7. Lam denotes the meaning of denial after what was and was not, and it is accompanied only by denial. As Allah the Almighty said: وما كان الله ليعذبهم اى لأن يعذبهم “But Allah would not punish them while you (O Muhammad) are among them. (Al-Anfal-33) (Here Lam of the word ليعذبهم is used in the meaning of denial.)

8. Lam denotes the meaning of “date”. As you say: كتبت لثلاث خلون أى بعد ثلاث I wrote for three days already have passed, which means after three days. (Here Lam of the word لثلاث is used in the meaning of date.)(Ref.4)

References :( المراجع)

1. تفسير الطبرى جامع البيان عن تأويل أى القران, Author –Abu Ja’far Muhammad Ibn Jarir At-Tabari,Volume-1, Page no-136 ألقول فى تاويل فاتحة الكتاب

2. ألتيسير فى التفسير, Volume-1, page-84, 91 &96- Author- Abu Hafs Najmuddin Umar Ibn Muhammad Ibn Ahmad An-Nasafi Al-Hanafi

3. ألمورد –قاموس عربى -إنكليزىChapter-" ل"  ِRohi Al-Ba’labakki Page-908

4. Mukhtarus Sihhah) (مختار الصحاح   Page-245, Chapter ل – Author: Zainuddin Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Abi Bakr Ibn Abdul Qader Alhanafi Ar-Razi

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