In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.
الله اكبر
Allah is the Greatest:
Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:
When one says this, they have testified to Allah’s Majesty.
سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ. تَبَارَكَ اسْمُكَ وَتَعَالَى جَدُّكَ. وَلاَ إِلهَ غَيْرُكَ
I declare You free from all imperfections O Allāh, and all praise is for You. Blessed is Your Name, great and exalted is Your kingdom. And there is none worthy of worship besides You [1]
When one says this, they have testified with the heart that the Lord is free from every fault, removed from every shortcoming and worthy of praise with every perfect praise. This necessitates that Allah is described with every Attribute of perfection and free from every deficiency – blessed be His Name. Neither is His Name mentioned in a small matter except that it becomes big nor in something good except that it increases and becomes blessed; neither mentioned in a state of affliction except that it ceases nor mentioned against a Shaytan except that the Shaytan is repelled, turned away and defeated. The perfection of a name is from the perfection of the one named with it; therefore when it is the fact that nothing can cause harm in the heavens or the earth with (a mention) of His Name, then the affair of the owner of the name is loftier and more exalted.
وَتَعَالَى جَدُّكَ
Great and exalted is Your kingdom.
Meaning: Exalted is His Greatness and above everything that is considered great. His affair is exalted above every affair and every authority (kingdom) is completely under His absolute authority, and exalted is He above having a partner in His kingdom, Lordship, deity ship, His actions and Attributes, just as (He informed us) that the believers amongst the Jinn said:
وَأَنَّهُ ۥ تَعَـٰلَىٰ جَدُّ رَبِّنَا مَا ٱتَّخَذَ صَـٰحِبَةً۬ وَلَا وَلَدً۬ا
And exalted be the Majesty of our Lord, He has taken neither a wife, nor a son (or offspring or children)]. [Al-Jinn. 3]
أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ
I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed devil.
When the person says this, they have turned to Allah’s all encompassing power against the enemy (shaytaan) who wants to sever, and separate them from the Lord and distance them from earning the love, pleasure and assistance of the Lord, and leave them in the worst situation.
When he says:
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
“All the praises and thanks be to Allah Lord of the entire existence”, he pauses a little to wait for the response of his Lord with the statement “My servant has praised Me”.
When he says:
الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
“The Most Merciful, The Bestower of (special) to the believers”, he waits for the response “My servant has exalted Me”.
When he says:
مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ
“The Only Owner (and the Only Ruling Judge) of the Day of Recompense (i.e. the Day of Resurrection)”, he waits for the response, “My servant has glorified Me”.
What a pleasure for his heart, pleasure of his eyes and happiness of his soul due to the statement of his Lord, “My servant” three times. By Allah, had there not been the smudge of desires on the hearts and the murkiness of the souls, they would have sparkle with joy and happiness due to the statement of their Lord, their Originator and object of worship (when He says):
“My servant has praised Me”, “My servant has exalted Me” and “My servant has glorified Me”.
Then his heart would have had room to draw close attention to these three Names, namely “Allah”, “Ar-Rabb” and “Ar-Rahman”, which are the basis of all the beautiful (and perfect Names). [2]
The complete hadith mentioned above is as follows:
Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
“Allah [Almighty] said, “I have divided prayer between Myself and My servant into two halves, and My servant shall have what he has asked for. When the servant says, ‘All praises and thanks be to Allaah, Lord of the entire existence’, Allah says, ‘My servant has praised Me. When he says, ‘The Most Merciful, The Bestower of (special) Mercy to the believers’, Allah says, ‘ My servant has exalted Me’. When he says, ‘The Only Owner (and the Only Ruling Judge) of the Day of Recompense (i.e. the Day of Resurrection)’, Allah says, ‘My servant has glorified’. When he says, ‘You alone we worship, You alone we ask for help’, Allah says, ‘This is between Me and My servant, and My servant will have what he has asked for’. When he says, ‘Guide us to the straight path, the path of those whom you have favored, neither the path of who earned Your anger nor those who went astray”, Allah says, ‘This is for My servant, and My servant will have what he has asked for'”. [3]
Regarding the statement: “I have divided prayer between Myself and My servant into two halves”, its meaning is: three and half verses in Surah Al-Fatihah are for the Lord and they are the first part of the Surah. And three and half verses are for the servant and they are the last verses. The first part is about praising Allah and the last part are supplications for the servant”.[4]
[1] Supplication translated by Shaikh Abu Khadeejah [may Allaah preserve him]. See here: https://www.abukhadeejah.com/prophets-prayer-beginners-illustrations/
[2] An Excerpt from Kitaab As-Salaah. Page 345-346.
[3] Ṣaḥeeh Muslim 395
[4] Sharh Ad-Durus Al-Muhimmah. page 16-17. By Shaikh Abdur Razzaaq Al-Badr – may Allah preserve him.
