Friday, July 8, 2016

Du`aa al-Istiftaah - Part 3

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

You can read part 1 from here:

And Part 2 from here:


The second Du`aa al-Istiftaah and its meaning:

When the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم started to pray he would say:

سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ، وَتَبَارَكَ اسْمُكَ وَتَعَالَى جَدُّكَ، وَلَا إِلَهَ غَيْرَكَ

“Subhaanakallaahumma, wa bihamdika tabaarakasmuka wa ta`aala jadduka wa laa ilaaha ghairuk”

(Glory and praise be to You, O Allaah. Blessed be Your Name and Exalted be Your Majesty, there is none worthy of worship except You)

[It was narrated from Abu Sa`eed al-Khudree and `Aaishah رضي الله عنها. Sunan Abu Dawood (775, 776), Sunan al-Tirmidhee (242, 243), Sunan al-Nasaa’ee (899, 900), and Sunan Ibn Maajah (804, 806) and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee]

Imaam Muslim reported in his Saheeh (788) that `Umar Ibn al-Khattaab رضي الله عنه these words loudly in his prayer so that he could teach it to the people like how Ibn `Abbaas رضي الله عنهما used to recite Surah al-Faatihah loudly in the Salaatul-Janaazah (Funeral prayer) so that the people may know that it is the Sunnah. [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (1335)]

Those who recite this Du`aa are many, but no one comprehends its meaning except for a few.

“Subhaanakallaahumma”, meaning: I Glorify you O Allaah! The Glorification means Tanzeeh: to declare Allaah to be free of all imperfections and everything that is falsely attributed to Him and that does not suit His Majesty (such as attributing to Him a son, or trinity etc.).

There are two things which does not befit Allaah:
1) Equating Allaah with the creation.
2) Denying Allaah’s Attributes.

So when you say “Subhaanakallaahumma”, it is like saying: O Allaah! I declare you free from having any likeness with the creation or having any deficiencies in Your Attributes.

And as for the saying: “wa bihamdika”, the letter “Baa” (ب) is used for association and conjugation (between words/phrases); meaning: Along with Your Glorification and Tanzeeh (declaring You free from any imperfections), I also Praise you for Your perfect Attributes. This is because Allaah (alone) deserves of all Praises for His perfect Attributes, and for His general comprehensive Blessings and Favors.

“Tabaarakasmuka”: The scholars have said that it means: O Allaah! We reap blessings through Your Names. This is why when a person mentions the Name of Allaah at the time of the slaughtering, it becomes Halaal to comsume. But if he slaughters and does not mention the Name of Allaah, then it becomes Haraam to consume it due to the saying of Allaah تعالى:

﴿وَلَا تَأْكُلُوا مِمَّا لَمْ يُذْكَرِ اسْمُ اللَّـهِ عَلَيْهِ

{Eat not (O believers) of that (meat) on which Allaah’s Name has not been pronounced (at the time of the slaughtering of the animal)} [Surah al-An`aam (6): 121]

And the saying of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم: “If the killing tool causes blood to gush out, and Allaah’s Name has been mentioned, then eat (of the slaughtered animal).” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (2488, 2507, 3075, 5498, 5503, 5509, 5543, 5544) and Saheeh Muslim (4846)]

Look at the blessings! The sheep when you slaughter it and do not mention the Name of Allaah, then it becomes a Maytah (a dead animal), Khabeeth (bad) and Haraam (prohibited) for consumption; but when you mention the Name of Allaah at the time of slaughtering, then it becomes pure, clean, and Halaal to consume – this is from the Barakah of mentioning Allaah’s Name.

Also from the blessings is what the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had pointed at in his statement: “If anyone intends to have (sexual intercourse) with his wife, he should say:

بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ، اللَّهُمَّ جَنِّبْنَا الشَّيْطَانَ وَجَنِّبِ الشَّيْطَانَ مَا رَزَقْتَنَا

"Bismillaah! Allaahumma janibnash-Shaitaana, wa jannibish-Shaitaana ma razaqtanaa

(In the Name of Allaah, O Allaah! Keep us away from Satan and keep Satan away from what You have bestowed upon us);'

and if Allaah has ordained a child for them, Satan will never harm him.” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (141, 3271, 3283, 5165, 6388, 7369) and Saheeh Muslim (3361)]

This is why the scholars have said: “Tabaarakasmuka” means: The blessing is attained through Your Name (O Allaah).
[TN: Some of the other instances when we mention Allaah’s Name are as follows:
1. Before eating
2. Before entering the house

Jaabir رضي الله عنه reported: I heard Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عايه وسلم saying: “If a person mentions the Name of Allaah upon entering his house or eating, Satan says, addressing his followers: 'You will find nowhere to spend the night and no dinner.' But if he enters without mentioning the Name of Allaah, Satan says (to his followers); 'You have found (a place) to spend the night in, and if he does not mention the Name of Allaah at the time of eating, Satan says: 'You have found (a place) to spend the night in as well as food.’” [Saheeh Muslim]

`Aaishah رضي الله عنها reported: The Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عايه وسلم was eating with his six Companions when a desert `Arab came and ate up the food in two mouthfuls. Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عايه وسلم said: “Had he mentioned the Name of Allaah, it would have sufficed for all of you.” [Sunan al-Tirmidhee (1858) and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee]

3. In general, before doing anything:
In his Saheeh, Imaam al-Bukhaaree mentioned the following chapter heading under the Book of al-Wudhoo’: Chapter (8): To recite “In the name of Allaah”, during every action and on having sexual relations with one's wife.]

“Wa ta`aala jadduka” (and Exalted be Your Majesty), meaning: “Your `Adhmah (عظمة Majesty), Jalaal (جلال Exaltedness), and Ghinaa’ (غناء Rich or Free of need).

“Ta`aala” (تعالى) meaning: Exalted is Allaah, High above what they attribute to Him of the deficiencies.

“Jaddu-llaah” means that Allaah in His Majesty and Exaltedness is High and Free of need, He is High above everyone – this is why all the kings are nothing in front of Allaah عز وجل, as the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

“Allaah will take the whole earth (in His Hand) and will roll up the Heaven in His right Hand, and then He will say: {I am King! Where are the kings of the earth?}[Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (4812, 6519, 7382, 7412, 7413) and Saheeh Muslim (6703)]

They, the kings of this world will be nothing. On the Day of Judgment, these kings and the lowest ones who served them will all be on the same level, irrespective of how wide their kingdom might have spread on this earth, but on the Day of Judgment their kingdom will be no more. Allaah عز وجل says:

﴿يَوْمَ هُم بَارِزُونَ ۖ لَا يَخْفَىٰ عَلَى اللَّـهِ مِنْهُمْ شَيْءٌ ۚ لِّمَنِ الْمُلْكُ الْيَوْمَ ۖ لِلَّـهِ الْوَاحِدِ الْقَهَّارِ﴾

{The Day when they will (all) come out, nothing of them will be hidden from Allaah. Whose is the kingdom this Day? (Allaah Himself will reply to His Question): It is Allaah's the One, the Irresistible!} [Surah Ghaafir (40): 16]

“wa laa ilaaha ghairuk” meaning: there is none worthy of worship except You.

[Sifat al-Salaah of Shaikh Ibn al-`Uthaymeen (1/77-80)]

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