Summarized Explanation of the words of the Talbiyyah’ by Shaikh Rabee bin Haadi (may Allaah preserve him)
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy
[لبيك اللهم لبيك – Here I am O Allaah, here I am!]
(The) meaning of it (i.e. the above statement) is that indeed you have made a (profound) covenant with Allah to establish obedience to Him (Glorified be He, The Most high), fulfil His commandments and stay away from His prohibitions. This is the meaning of [لبيك -I am here]- obedience to You after obedience, answering to you after answering, in other words I am always answering to You (Allaah) and always fulfilling obedience (to Allah). This is the meaning of [لبيك اللهم لبيك -I am here O Allah, I am here!]
[لبيك لا شريك لك لبيك -I am here, You have no partner, I am here!]:
(A proclamation of) Allaah’s oneness, that You (Allaah) have no partner in worship. You (Allaah) have no partner in your kingdom ship. You (Allaah) have no partner in Your Lordship. You neither have a partner in divinity nor in Your Names and Attributes. We declare Allah [The Blessed and Most High] free from all similitudes and partners in worship and other than it, and (we declare Him free from all similitudes and partners in His) Attributes.
[إن الحمد و النعمة لك -Verily all praises and blessings are Yours!]
All praises belong to You-you have no partner in (this).- you have no partner in providing and bestowing (blessings) to Your Creation (i.e. Mankind, Jinn etc). You are the only one worthy of all praise in an absolute sense because you are the one Who bestows bounties and the one Who blesses the slaves (i.e. the creation). You created them so that they may worship You and You created this universe to help them fulfil this worship.
اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَأَنزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَأَخْرَجَ بِهِ مِنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ رِزْقًا لَّكُمْ ۖ وَسَخَّرَ لَكُمُ الْفُلْكَ لِتَجْرِيَ فِي الْبَحْرِ بِأَمْرِهِ ۖ وَسَخَّرَ لَكُمُ الْأَنْهَارَ
وَسَخَّرَ لَكُمُ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ دَائِبَيْنِ ۖ وَسَخَّرَ لَكُمُ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ
Allah is He Who has created the heavens and the earth and sends down water (rain) from the sky, and thereby brought forth fruits as provision for you; and He has made the ships to be of service to you, that they may sail through the sea by His command; and He has made rivers (also) to be of service to you. And He has made the sun and the moon, both constantly pursuing their courses, to be of service to you; and He has made the night and the day to be of service to you. And He gave you of all that you asked for, and if you try to count the blessings of Allah, never will you be able to count them. Verily, man is indeed an extreme wrongdoer, ungrateful. [Surah Ibrahim Ayaat: 32-33)
These are Allaah’s blessings (bestowed) upon His slaves, which He enumerates to His slaves, for He made the heavens and the earth to be of service to them. He subjected the sun and the moon, both constantly pursuing their courses. Pay attention to the sun and the moon- how night and day constantly alternate by Allaah’s (absolute) control. Had Allaah not subjugated them, the people would have been destroyed. They would not have been able to live on the surface of the earth. This (i.e. subjugation of the sun and the moon) are among Allaah’s Greatest blessings, which He (Glorified and Exalted be He) bestowed upon His slaves.
Hence, blessings (come) from Allah alone (Glorified and Exalted be He) and He alone is worthy of praise (Glorified and Exalted be He). All praise belongs to Him (as He said): [الحمد لله رب العالمين- All praise belongs to Allah the Lord of the universe” (Fatiha Ayah 2)]
All praises are for Him (Glorified be He, The Most High). The one who does not praise Allah and thank the people will not thank Allah (The Mighty and Majestic). The people are thanked for all good (they do), but praise belongs absolutely to Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He)- blessings comes from Him entirely and He is worthy of all praise in all affairs (big and small), Glorified be He, The Most High.
[لا شريك لك إن الحمد و النعمة لك و الملك – Verily all praise and blessings are Yours, and all sovereignty]
Sovereignty belongs to Him (Glorified be He, The Most High)- The Owner of the heavens and the earth. All the creation are His slaves- the Angels, the Prophets, the Messengers, the pious and the Kings are His slaves and their forelocks are Bi Yadihee (in His hand). He gives life to whom he wills and gives death to whom He wills. He honours whom He wills and humiliates whom He wills. He acts in His kingdom ship with His (absolute and perfect) Greatness, Loftiness, Overwhelming Subjugation of all things and His Exalted and All-Mighty Irresistible Power, glorified be He, The Most High. All the creation are subjugated (to Him) and all things glorify Him with praise, glorified be He, The Most High. From this, we understand the Greatness of Allah (Glorified be He, The Most High) and His Magnificence. We sanctify Him, praise Him, worship Him and thank Him (Glorified be He, The Most High).
This is how it is obligated on the believer to fill his (or her) heart with the love of Allaah and His Greatness- thanking Allaah; paying gratitude to Allaah; testifying to the truthfulness of Allaah’s Akhbaar (i.e. everything He has told us); testifying to the truthfulness of His (revealed) books; belief in what Allah has obligated on us to believe; obey Allaah and fulfil His commandments. All this results from exalting Allaah, proclaiming Allaah’s Greatness and thanking Him (Glorified be He, The Most High) due to the blessings He has provided and bestowed upon us.
This is how it is obligated on a believer to fill his heart with Allaah’s symbols (i.e. the acts of worship Allaah has ordained)- proclaiming Allaah’s Greatness, Exalting Him, Exalting His commandments (i.e. by fulfilling them), Exalting His Prohibitions (i.e. by keeping away from them), loving Him, relying upon Him and depending on Him in every situation. A human being cannot survive at any moment without Allaah’s Mercy (Glorified be He, The Most High). Allaah (Glorified be He, The Most High) protects him (or her), otherwise he (or her) will not be able to accomplish anything, and due to this we say: [إياك نعبد و إياك نستعين- You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything)]. We are neither able to fulfil acts of worship nor any work in this worldly life, except by way of Allaah’s (Glorified be He, The Most High) Aid.
This is the meaning of the Talbiyah or some of its meaning, which a Muslim must call to attention when he (or she) utters it. That is because many people utter this statement (i.e. the Talbiyah) without understanding its meaning, nor adhering to what it necessitates. So understand the meaning of these symbols of Tawheed which are repeated (i.e. by way of speech) by many (people). Adhere to its meanings and act upon what they necessitate. May Allaah bless you. [Source: http://www.sahab.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=105178 slightly paraphrased and abridged]
Shared by our brother Risaalaat (may Allaah preserve him) @Masjid al-Furqan Stoke-On-Trent
