Section Fatiha, part 1
Section Fatiha, part 1
بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ
1:1 “In the name of the Most Merciful, the Eternally Merciful.”
This is the first verse of the first Section of the Quran. We must go into the details of it, because we recite it at every event as a habitual utterance. Hence, we should know a great deal about its structure i.e. how the words and letters are interrelated with each other to convey its meaning. Usually, it is translated as “in the Name of the Most Merciful and Most Gracious”, but it can also be translated in meaning as “in the Name of the Most Merciful and Eternally Merciful”. Although the root words are the same such as “R-H-M”, there is a slight distinction in the meaning of “Rahman” and “Raheem”.
Why does the Quran start with the letter ب “ba” (in or with)?
There was unanimous consensus among the companions of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) on the organizational sequence of the Quran as a book (mushaaf). They all agreed that the Sections of the Quran should be in the way that they arranged in the form of a book. All the Muslim population in the world since then accepted and read this form as it is available for anyone. This form of the book, (mushaaf) starts with ب “ba”. The word “ba” literally translates to “with something”. In the Arabic grammar rule, the letter “ba” is usually used to carry the meaning of “iltibaas”, which means touching or attaching to something like the dress touches the body. For example, if I hold my hand together, then I am attaching one hand to the other. That is, I am doing “iltibaas”, connecting my actions by using the letter “ba” with the “ism”. In the Quran, “ism” means “name”, just as most of us are familiar with the Beautiful Names of God, referred to as asma-ul-husna in Arabic.
What is the significance for the Quran to start its Speech with attaching and connecting yourself with the name? Furthermore, for our practical life, the Quran teaches us that we must connect ourselves with “the Name” (al-ism), not any name, but a particular name. So, what is this “ism” or name when the Quran mentions it? Everyone says, in God’s name, but what does it mean? Is God’s name something like any of our proper names? For example, let us take the name “Joe”. When I say Joe, it means nothing by itself, unless “Joe” refers to a person but I don’t know him. In and of itself, the name “Joe” for a person does not ascribe any quality to it. Who am I talking about when I say Joe? Let’s say Joe is a plumber. Now, if I say, Joe, the plumber, then I qualify Joe i.e. the name plumber (ism) qualifies Joe. Therefore, the name of God must not be used only as a proper name, rather we must relate it to our experiential position i.e. what qualifies with which I call “God”. For example, God, the Eternally Merciful One. Otherwise, when we say, “In the Name of God”, it would not mean much. The Quran does not emphasize on the “ism” much in the present context, only reminds us to do whatever we do in the Name of God. Therefore, we must make it practical for ourselves. For example, I am picking some fruits from the branch of a tree. I am expected to say, “In the Name of God, who is the Creator of the fruit; I am not picking the fruit from the branch of the tree.” That is, I am picking up the fruit by attaching my action to the quality (ism) of the Creator of the fruit, who is called “God” or “Allah”.
In the following verses, Allah will be qualified as “Alhamdolillah-i-rabbilalameen“. The proper name of Allah will be explained in the following verse, as rabbul-alameen i.e. the One who created the universe. For the moment (for the sake of understanding this verse), we are using “Allah” or “God” as the general proper name. In the example above, in my awareness, I am picking up this fruit by attaching my action to the Name (ism) of the Creator of the universe, that is particularly manifested in this action of picking up the fruit, for I am taking the fruit from His Merciful creation of the fruit. I am not picking it up from the tree, rather from the quality of the Creator of the fruit and the universe, God manifested in the existence of the fruit. Thus, I am acknowledging God, by saying “in the Name of God”, which means “with God”. That is, I am attaching my understanding and my consciousness to the quality of “the Creator of the fruit and of the universe” manifested in the existence of the fruit. This awareness is from the very beginning of the act of picking up the fruit. The Quran says that “whatever you do, you must attach your apparent action to the qualities belonging to Me with your consciousness though your physical hand is touching the physical body of the fruit”. That is what “bi ism” means.
For example, I am sitting down, and Joe asks me to come to him. I say, bi ism-i Allah, what does it mean? This action of standing is made available for me with the Name (ism), which is, the quality of the Creator who gives power, creates this action and enables me to stand up. When I get up, my Creator’s power is manifesting in my action that I can see and acknowledge Him. I am standing up with the power of the Creator who created this event for me. Through the manifestation of His power, I am acknowledging that it is not me who is standing up, but I am made to stand up by Him. I am acknowledging His power when I am standing up. That is “bi ism-i Allah”. I am not claiming that I am the creator of this action, I am only choosing my intention to be created by the Creator of the universe in the next moment of existence.
All the sentences and Sections of the Quran follow “bi ismi Allah-ar-rahman ar-raheem” as the starting point. If we miss this starting point, we miss the point of the message of the Quran. For example, you want to pull an object with a rope, you made everything right, the rope is strong, you had tight gears on, but you did not attach the other end of the rope to the object. Can you succeed in pulling that object? No, because the rope is not attached to the object. This connection is what “bi ismi” means, connecting your action to the Name of God, the quality of God.
Comment: There is a psychological emphasis placed on whatever task you are doing, seemingly big or small, where you must give proper credit to its Creator.
For example, when you are eating, it is in the name of God that you are eating. What does it mean? He is the Nourisher. He is the Provider. He has prepared the tasty meal because of His Merciful action of creating, decorating, making it delicious and attractive, all very purposefully arranged to satisfy me. All the qualities of the food that you are putting in your mouth with “bi ismi Allah” means this. Your consciousness is attached to the Nourisher, the Provider, but your hand, mouth, tongue, and teeth are attached to the physical morsel.
Comment: This consciousness makes you very grateful, because suddenly you feel very close to your Creator.
How about something that happens which you do not like? You will maintain these sentiments, because you see that God is the Just One, the Merciful One, the Trainer, the Lord (Rabb) and the Educator. For example, if a good teacher wants you to learn something, s/he will encourage you to do your assignments properly. But if sometimes you do not do a good job, then the teacher says in front of the whole class that you should have prepared for your assignment well, but you can submit it again tomorrow. In front of the other students, you start blushing, that feeling of shame and guilt is also a part of educating and teaching. Although, you do not like to be embarrassed in front of the whole class, still you say, “in the name of God, I am being trained, who is my Educator, Rabb (the Lord). Acknowledge the Educator, Rabb (the Lord), with saying “bi ismi Allah”, I accept it my Lord from You. We must adjust the meaning of “bi ismi Allah” according to our practical conditions.
One of the interesting companions of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), Imam Ali (puh) said that “All of the Quran’s message is summarized in the Section Fathia. All the Sections of the Quran are summarized in “bi ismi Allah-ar-rahman ar-raheem”. All the meanings of “bi ismi Allah-ar-rahman ar-raheem” are summarized in the letter “ba”. If you do not attach the awareness of your actions to the name of God, then no matter what you are doing, you are lost, like the example above, if the other end of your rope is not attached to the object, then there is nothing to pull and connect with.
In the original Arabic language of the Quran, only the u-type shape of the letter “ba” is written without the dot at the bottom. As a result, the shape can be for the sound ba, ta, ya, tha, almost about more than 3 options. Imam Ali said that the meaning of “bismillah” is summarized in one dot under this shape. Read it as bi not ta, for example. It means that Imam Ali is teaching the significance of “bismillah” in his sermons (khutba) as mentioned in one of the famous books. That is the wisdom of “bismillah” in Imam Ali’s saying.
Why does the Quran start with “bi”? It is the beginning of everything. “In the name of God”, “bismillah”, also has other meanings, not only related to our actions. It is also related to creation taking place in the universe, the way that things are created. As if God is saying, “It is My reflection of “bismillah” that you see on the created beings”.
Let us get back to the example of picking up some fruits from the branch of a tree. Not only am I picking up the fruit from the branch of the tree, but also the way the fruit comes out of the twig, connected to the branch, also declares like a human being (at an existential level) that every being in the world says “bismillah”, while they are coming into existence.
When you look at some fruit, you see that it is growing. The way the fruit grows declares and announces the qualities of its Creator, as the Quran says that the fruit extols and praises His Lord. Hence, an investigative look at the fruit will make the fruit speak to you: “I am growing, not by myself, don’t misunderstand, rather, I am coming into existence with the manifestation of the name of the Creator of the universe i.e. I only grow manifesting His quality of Power and will”. The way that the things are coming into existence are declaring and announcing that they are coming into existence with the manifestation of the Creator’s qualities, ism– Names, they are only manifesting the qualities and they are not doing anything in the way they come into existence. When you look at the universe, everything screams “bismillah”. Whatever you look at in the universe declares “bismillah”. This is the existential aspect to understanding “bismillah”. In this aspect, the way that things come into existence declare that “it is not me who is doing the act that you observe, I cannot do anything”.
In the earlier paragraphs, we outlined the aspect of the explanation for our realization of a Conscious Creator. Matter has no quality itself for us to attribute its existence to matter itself. Matter has been given existence by its Creator who must be the Creator of the universe. For, if something cannot be the Creator of the universe, it cannot create the fruit and the tree in connection with the whole universe. The existence of the fruit is integral to the order of the entire universe. The order of the universe is a whole complete bundle, and it cannot be separated and disintegrated from its constituent parts. For example, if one star gets out of its orbit, the whole universe will collapse. If something happens in creation, it is happening with preference, with the manifestation of the Power of the One who creates the universe.
Just as each being in this universe manifests their Creator’s qualities with whatever they have in their being, animate beings manifest a message for us, “my life belongs to the One who created me, the quality of my life is not drawing from my material element, rather it is created with this quality that you see”.
Comment: What does “doing willingly and unwillingly” (Fussilat, 41: 11) to which the Qur’an refers mean?
Obeying the will of the Creator means that nothing has the power to come into existence by choosing certain qualities by itself. The things, in and of themselves, have no power to choose. There is an expression in the Qur’an that says: “do it willingly or unwillingly”, which means that ultimately, you have no choice. That is, you are bound to exist as you are created, you have no choice. Can you stop your existence? No. For example, Joe wished that he was not born in his family, rather born to a more educated and wealthy family. Did Joe have a choice? No. We are here and we have no choice not to exist. Every being says “bismillah” through the way they come.
The third aspect of understanding “bismillah” is valid only for believers, which is the enjoyment of the awareness of where I am. For example, while sitting, I say that “I am here with the manifestation of the qualities of the Creator of the universe, He preferred me to exist in the way that I am right now. My existence belongs to Him”. As a result of belief, all my qualities manifested in my physical existence, my consciousness, and feelings connected to the meaningful world become gifts for me. How would I feel having an ocean of gifts that is guaranteed? Who is the Guarantor of this ocean of gifts? The Owner of the universe. Then, would you bother about anything? If you are aware of who your Guarantor is, what would concern you?! Think about this seriously! However, if I reduce my existence to satisfying bodily needs only, then my mind is always preoccupied with what am I going to eat for my next meal?
Everything is provided by my Creator, who arranges everything for my benefit. For example, He employed water from the cloud to give us produce, employed the heat to keep us warm; the evaporation system is working and employed in a systematic way so that the steam does not scatter away, and the wind carries it freely without charging us anything. Who is arranging this? Everything is seamlessly arranged by my Creator, who is the boss. Can you imagine your Guarantor is the Lord of the universe!? Would you bother about anything if your Guarantor is the richest person you know on Earth?! The whole universe is coming into existence with the manifestation of the name of the qualities of God, and I am a part of it! As a result, your spiritual calmness and satisfaction lets you experience the pleasure that I am under the Guarantorship of the Owner of the universe. No one can do anything to me i.e. my spiritual world (the body relationship is related to the physical practices of this universe). If I am aware of my coming into being as the manifestation of the qualities of the Owner of the universe, then I do not feel lonely. Everything is provided for me, I am not lonely, I am an honorable guest entertaining the pleasure of existing and being created by God, it only needs awareness, and “bismillah” helps with that awareness, if only we are aware of what it truly means.
Why do you think the Quran starts with the “bismillah”(The”Name” of God) rather than “bi Allah” (with God or in God)?
We cannot comprehend the Absolute Being because I am not with God in a physical sense, rather, I am with God with His actions that He manifests for me in my physical life. We can only comprehend the Absolute Being through the manifestation of His qualities in the form of this created world. For example, your neighbor Jane is a musician. How would you know that Jane is a musician? You look at her work in action. That is how we are created. We can only connect to the musician through her act of singing. That is why it is impossible for us to connect with God without experiencing His actions. We should be aware of why we believe in God. If someone says that I have my God in my heart, it is good for them, but it still needs evidence to help me make sure what God is for me and help the other persons understand what belief in God is. We should not believe in God in an imaginary form either. Belief in God should be practical and realistic. That is, I believe in God as He exists through the manifestation of His qualities that I see in the world. In other words, the One who created me and the universe, is my Lord. The One who gave existence to the universe is my Creator. We must always go through the awareness of “Bi ismi Allah” to believe in God.
“Bi ismi Allah”– with the name of God, between me and God stands the name i.e. the manifestation of His qualities/actions. Just as I know the musician Jane as a person in the example above through the performance of her singing, similarly, the relationship between me and my Creator is established through His qualities manifested in creation. Without watching and experiencing the performance of Jane’s singing, you are imagining that Jane is a musician. Similarly, without witnessing the qualities manifested in His act of creation, you cannot conclude that God must be a Merciful One, for example. This awareness is mostly missing in the life of most believers. At a theological level, Islam and Judaism are somewhat similar, however, Islam’s explanation of “tawhid” (Oneness of God) is pure, because there is no emphasis on ownership as in being the “chosen people”. Everyone is equal as God’s creation; no one is preferred over another person. In Islam, every created being is a chosen one. Even the tree is chosen to be a tree. Every human being is chosen to be a human being. Hence, Islam does not give a people a special status or position before God. There is only creation and its Creator, nothing in between, unlike in Christian theology that brings in a third element in between, which mixes up everything and confuses people’s minds. In this sense, Islamic theology is simple and easy to understand because the truth cannot be complicated. Again, there is no imagination involved in belief in God, otherwise it is not realistic to the teachings of the Quran.
Are we expected to say, ‘Bismillah” with our tongue only? What else?
Our essence of existence consists of the feelings in us, and our body. For example, can you imagine without eating an ice-cream to conclude that it is a pleasurable experience eating it? No. You must physically eat it to conclude that the ice-cream experience is a Grace from your God to entertain you. Again, we must physically experience our existence to conclude about the qualities of its Creator. For example, Jane loves Joe, but she does not say it to him. Do you think that Jane would ever be successful in potentially marrying Joe without conveying her feelings to him? No. She must make her move, take part in his activities, and bake brownies for him, so he gets the signal that she is interested in him. Furthermore, she must also speak to him verbally and express her interest in him.
Similarly, when it comes to our relationship with our Creator, we must not only use physical actions (ritualistic worship, avoiding evil, doing good, and awareness of Him in our daily worldly tasks), but also, use our verbal speech to express our feelings to our Creator. We cannot imagine that since our Creator already knows what is in our heart, so we do not need to verbally express our feelings to Him. We are created within a flesh, with feelings in it. The feelings cannot function without the body.
Let us take another example to understand this. Joe damaged his eyes and now he cannot see. Although he lost the material flesh of the eye, did he lose his desire to see (the power of sight)? No. Joe has not lost his desire to see. For Joe, the concept of seeing is the understanding that he needs to see but his eyes do not see. Now, let us ask ourselves, do we practice this feeling of the desire to see, without the functioning eye? No. It means that for Joe, the body has lost its ability to see, but his spirit has the quality to see, and the spirit cannot function without the eyes. As beings with spirit, we are created with the body to function in this world. No one can say that although they have the feeling to see, they do not need the flesh and the physical eye to see. In the same way, we are created with the ability to verbally express our needs and desires to our Creator, the Lord of the universe.
This subject of the spirit and the body has been discussed thoroughly by Islamic Theologians. The latest scholarship on this was presented by the Maturidi school of the Islamic theology. Most Sunni people are Maturidi without even knowing it. There are other schools of thought of the Islamic theology such as the Ashari and the Mutazilites. Some of them say that if the awareness of the Creator is in one’s heart that is enough, and verbally expressing it is not much needed. These Theologians were working hard trying to understand the Quran and help people with understanding the practical side of belief in God. Taking into account everyone’s work on this matter, the Maturidi school of thought decided that you must have belief in God in your spiritual world and physically express it, because the spiritual feelings do not function alone in the way that we are created in this world; hence the body must accompany the spiritual side i.e. feelings.
That is why having only spiritual feelings in our hearts and leaving it as such is not appropriate for our spiritual being. We must practice it physically as well, i.e. the body must accompany the spiritual feelings. That is how our reality is, and that is why, all worship in the religion of Islam requires physical practices such as “Hajj” (Pilgrimage to Mecca), which must be practiced physically by going to the location of “Kaba” physically.
Kaba represents the Oneness of God, “tawhid”, which must be declared physically. You must go to Kaba physically and declare the Oneness of God. The circumambulation of the “Kaba” (tawaf) is to declare tawhid, which means that there is no God in this world. The Kaba, in and of itself is empty, it represents that there is no God in the world. Through its being empty, it symbolizes the Absoluteness of God. “Kaba” is a simple building, which means that if you want to find God, then you cannot find it in this world. When you go to “Kaba”, which is called “bait-ul-Allah”– God’s house, don’t be alarmed if you do not find God inside it. Again, what “bait-ul-Allah” symbolizes in this world is that nothing in this world has God’s qualities. “Kaba” represents “la ilaha”– there is no God in creation. Then you wonder if not “la ilaha”, who then created the world? If there is no Creator at all in the universe, although the universe exists, then you conclude that the One who created the universe exists and is called “God”- “illallah”. When you circumambulate the Kaba expressing “lailaha”, then you come to a point to say, “illallah”. Again, “Kaba” symbolizes “tawhid”, Absoluteness of God, and you must physically go for “Hajj” (Pilgrimage) to physically experience “tawhid”. While you are praying, you must physically attach your direction towards “Kaba”, as a jumping board to have the concept of the connection with God. Without having that connection, you cannot experience “tawhid”.
Therefore, we do not say “bi allah“, rather, we say “bi-ismi-Allah”, where “Kaba”, in the worship of “Hajj” as laid out above, represents the ism, the action, the performance, and makes me realize that I am not the Creator of my actions. Just as when you walked into this building, you know that the building exists, and therefore, it must have an architect, who cannot be found inside this building. Performing the physical action of “Hajj” is the same way, where you realize that there is nothing in the universe that has the power to exist by itself and to give existence to anything. In this way it declares that it is created, but its Creator is not of the nature of this universe. Hence, He must be Absolute.
Thus, to answer the question of saying “bismillah” with our tongue, yes, we have to say it with our tongue but with the realization and consciousness of our Lord, the Creator of the action. We must physically practice what we are saying, what we believe in, and what our intention is. Since our intention, in and of itself is not enough, it is essential to follow with the physical practice.We do live in this world with intention only, we need to put it into action.
Tags: Al-Fatiha, Bismillah, Fatiha Series (2024), Starting with Allah