Al-Hameed (The Praiseworthy)

Source:

An-Nahj al-Asma Fii Sharh Asma Allahu al-Husna by Shaikh Muhammad an-Najdi

Al-Hamd (praise) and Ash-Shukr (thankfulness) are close in meaning. Al-Hamd is more general (comprehensive) because you praise someone for his character and for his favors, but you don’t thank him for his qualities or character.

This Noble Name is mentioned seventeen times in the Qur’an, such as:

Allaah (Azza wa jall) says in Surat Al-Baqarah (2: 267):

“… and do not aim at that which is bad to spend from it, (though) you would not accept it save if you close your eyes and tolerate therein. And know that Allaah is Rich (Free of all wants), and Worthy of all praise.”

Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) also says in Surat Hud (11: 73):

“… The Mercy of Allaah and His Blessings be on you, O the family [of Ibraheem (Abraham)]. Surely, He (Allaah) is All-Praiseworthy, All-Glorious.”

Allaah says in Surat Ibraheem (14: 8):

 “And Musa (Moses) said: ‘If you disbelieve, you and all on earth together, then verily! Allaah is Rich (Free of all needs), Owner of all Praise.’”

Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) says in Surat Al-Hajj (22: 24):

 “And they are guided (in this world) unto goodly speech (i.e. Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, Alhamdu lillaah, recitation of the Qur’an, etc.) and they are guided to the Path of Him (i.e. Allaah’s religion of Islamic Monotheism), Who is Worthy of all praises.”

In Surat Luqman (31: 12), Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) says:

 “…and whoever gives thanks, he gives thanks for (the good of) his ownself. And whoever is unthankful, then verily, Allaah is All-Rich (Free of all needs), Worthy of all praise.”

 In Surat Fatir (35: 15), Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) says:

“O mankind! It is you who stand in need of Allaah, But Allaah is Rich (Free of all needs), Worthy of all praise.”

In Surat Fussilat (41: 41-42), Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) says:

“Verily, those who disbelieved in the Reminder (i.e. the Qur’an), when it came to them, (shall receive the punishment). And verily, it is an honorable well-fortified respected Book (because it is Allaah’s Speech, and He has protected it from corruption, etc.). Falsehood cannot come to it from before it or behind it (it is) sent down by the All-Wise, Worthy of all praise (Allaah).”

Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) says in Surat Ash-Shura (42: 28):

 “And He it is Who sends down the rain after they have despaired, and spreads His Mercy. And He is the Wali (Helper, Supporter, Protector, etc.), Worthy of all Praise.”

Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) also says in Surat Al-Buruj (85: 8):

 “And they had no fault except that they believed in Allaah, the All-Mighty, Worthy of all Praise!”

The meaning of the Name:

Ibn Jarir said regarding Allaah’s Statement: “And know that Allaah is Rich (Free of all wants) and worthy of all praise,” that Allaah is praiseworthy with His creation because of what He has bestowed upon them of favors (blessings) and provided them of His Grace.” [Jami’ul Bayaan]

Ibn Jarir also said regarding Allaah’s Statement, in Surat An-Nisa’ (4: 131): “And Allaah is Ever Rich, (Free of need) and Praiseworthy,” Al-Hameed is the One Who deserves to be praised, O Creation, for His praiseworthy Actions to you and for His Beautiful Blessings and favors upon you. Therefore, keep on being dutiful to Him, O mankind! And fear His punishment, and hasten towards obedience to Him in matters that He commanded you with and forbade you from.” [Jami’ul Bayaan]

Az-Zajjaj said: “Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) is praised by every tongue, in all states (conditions), as it is said in the Du’aa, ‘Al-Hamdulillah, none is praised in all states except Him.” [Tafseer Al-Asma’]

Al-Khattabi said: “Al-Hameed is the Praised One, Who deserves the praise for His Actions. He is praised in adversity and prosperity, at time of difficulty and time of ease, because He is All-Wise, neither mistake occurs in His Actions, nor error. He is praised in all cases.” [Sha’n Ad-Du’a]

Al-Haleemi said: “Al-Hameed is the One, Who deserves to be praised, because He, the Exalted initiated and created, then joined two great blessings, i.e. life and mind, and He is the One, Who loves and supports after granting His favors; He, whose favors and blessings are bestowed consecutively till they become beyond enumeration even if one exerted his utmost.

Who then deserves to be praised other than Him?

Nay, to Him belongs all the praises and no one else, as the favors are from Him and no one else.” [Al-Minhaaj]

Al-Baihaqi said: “He is the Praised One, Who deserves all the praise. It is also said, Al-Hameed is the One, to Whom belongs the perfect and praiseworthy Attributes.” [Al-I’tiqaad]

Ibn Katheer (Rahimahullaah) said: “Al-Hameed is the Praised One in all of His Actions, Statements, Laws and Decrees. No deity deserves to be worshipped except Him and there is no Lord except Him.” [Tafseer Ibn Katheer 1/321]

Shaikh As-Sa’dee (Rahimahullaah) said: “Al-Hameed, the One, Who is praised in His Essence, Names, Attributes and Actions. He possesses the best of Names and the most perfect of Attributes and the best and most complete Actions. For indeed the Actions of Allaah are based upon His Grace and Justice.” [Tayseer Al-Kareem]

The impact of belief in this Noble Name:

To believe that Allaah, the Exalted, deserves all the praise absolutely, as He (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) said about His Noble Self in Surat Al-Faatihah (1: 2):

“All the praises and thanks are to Allaah, the Lord of the Alameen (mankind, Jinn and all that exists).”

The Alif and Laam in the word Al-Hamd is for Istiaragh, i.e. all the praises belong to Him and are due to Him. This is for Allaah and no one else, Whose praises we are unable to count. He is as He has praised Himself.

He is the Hameed (the Praiseworthy) in His Essence, Attributes, Names and Actions. To Him belongs all the praises in all states, in every time and place, in times of hardship and relief, in times of adversity and in times of prosperity, in what we like and what we hate. Why not? Since He is the All-Knower, the All-Wise, He does what He wills and chooses what He wills. Whatever He decrees, it agrees with utmost wisdom and complete knowledge.

When the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) used to raise his head from Rukoo’, he used to say:

اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنا لَكَ الحمدُ ملءَ السَّماوات وملء الأرض وما بينهما وملءَ ما شِئْتَ من شَئٍ بعد، أَهْلُ الثَّناءِ والمَجْد، لا مانِعَ لِما أَعْطَيْتَ، ولا مُعْطِيَ لِما مَنَعْتَ، ولا يَنْفَعُ ذَا الجَدِّ مِنْكَ الجَد.

“O Our Lord, to You is all the praise that fills the heavens and the earth, and what is between them, and filling whatever else You wish. You are worthy of praise and glory. There is no one to withhold what You give and no one can give what You withhold. The wealth of the wealthy does not benefit one against Your Will.” [Muslim]

Whenever the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) got up at night to offer the Tahajjud prayer, he used to say:

اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ الحَمْد أنت قَيِّمُ السَّماوات والأرض ومَن فيهنَّ، ولَكَ الحَمْدُ، أنت نورُ السَّماوات والأرضِ ومن فيهن، ولَكَ الحَمْدُ أنت مَلِكُ السَّماوات والأرض ومن فيهنَّ، ولكَ الحمدُ، أنت الحقُّ ووعْدُكَ الحَقُّ….ُ

“O Allaah! All the praises are for You; You are the Holder of the heavens and the earth, and whatever is in them. All the praises are for You; You are the Light of the heavens and the earth; and whatever is in them, and all the praises are for You; You are the King of the heavens and the earth, and whatever is in them, and all the praises are for You; You are the Truth and Your Promise is the truth…” [Al-Bukhaari]

Rifa’ah ibn Raafi’ (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) narrated: ‘One day we were offering Salaat behind the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). When he raised his head from bowing, he said: “Sami’ Allaahu liman Hamidah.” A man (behind) him said: “Rabbana Walakal-Hamd, Hamdan Katheeran Taiyyiban Mubaarakan Fihi.” (O Our Lord! All the praises and thanks are for You, many good and blessed praises). When the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) completed the Salaat (Prayer), he asked, “Who has said these words?” The man replied, “I.” The Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “I saw over thirty angels competing to write it first.”’ [Al-Bukhaari]

The Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, emphasizing Allaah’s great Hamd (Praise): “Purification is half of the faith, and Al-Hamdulillah fills the scale, and Subhaan-Allaah (Glorified is Allaah) and Al-Hamdulillah (Praise be to Allaah) fills up the space between the heaven and the earth. The prayer is a light, and charity is a proof (of one’s Faith) and patience is brightness and the Qur’an is a plea either for you or against you.” [Muslim]

He (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) also said: “The words which Allaah loves the most are four. It does not harm you to start with anyone of them: Subhaan-Allaah, Al-Hamdulillaah, wa laa ilaaha illa-Allaah, wa Allaahu-Akbar.” [Muslim]

Mutarrif ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Ash-Shikeer said: “Imraan ibn Husain told me, ‘I will relate to you a Hadeeth (narration) today, may Allaah benefit you with it. Know that the best slaves of Allaah, the Blessed the Most High, on the Day of Resurrection are Al-Hammadoon (i.e. those who praise Allaah) …’” [Ahmad]

The Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) also said regarding the virtue of praising Allaah for His favors and blessings: “There is no blessing that Allaah bestows upon a slave and he (the slave) says, ‘Al-Hamdulillaah’, but that which was given was better than what he has taken.” [Ibn Maajah] I.e., Allaah’s inspiration of the slave to say, “Al-Hamdulillaah”, was better than what he (the slave) has taken of blessing.

The Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) informed us that praising Allaah is one of the means of attaining Allaah’s Pleasure. He (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “It pleases Allaah when a slave eats and says: ‘Praise be to Allaah,’ and when he drinks and says: ‘Praise be to Allaah.’” [Muslim]

1. This Noble Name (Al-Hameed) is joined with some of Allaah’s Beautiful Names in the Qur’an, such as in Allaah’s Statement’s:

إَنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَنِىٌّ حَمِيدٌ

“Verily, Allaah is Rich (Free of all wants), and Worthy of all praise.”

[2: 267]

And:

مَّجِيدٌ حَمِيدٌ إِنَّهُ

“Surely, He (Allaah) is All-Praiseworthy, All-Glorious.”

[11: 73]

And:

وَهُوَ ٱلۡوَلِىُّ ٱلۡحَمِيدُ

“The Waliyy (Helper, Supporter, Protector, etc.), Worthy of all praise.”

[42: 28]

And His Statement: 

ٱلۡعَزِيزِ ٱلۡحَمِيدِ

“The All-Mighty, Worthy of all praise.”

[85: 8]

Joining two Names increases the meaning of the Name more in beauty, than when they are mentioned alone.

Regarding the first verse mentioned above: To Allaah belongs all the praise for His Richness and beautiful blessings.

Regarding the second verse:  All the praise is due to Him for His Glory, Magnificence and Majesty.

Regarding the third verse: All the Praise is due to Him for taking the believers into His guardianship by protecting and supporting them and bestowing favors upon them and His Love for them.

Regarding the forth verse: All praise is due to Him for His Might and Power, and for honoring His Awliyaa (beloved chosen believing slaves), for His support to His party and soldiers.

Ibn al-Qayyim (Rahimahullaah) said regarding the Attributes of the Lord: “Due to joining two Names together or two Attributes together, another noble Attribute is resulted and that gives an extra value than if they were just mentioned alone, such as: “The Rich, the Praiseworthy”, “The One Who Pardons and the Able” and “The Praiseworthy, the Most Gracious”, and so forth. These are some of the joined Attributes and joined Names in the Qur’an.

Indeed, Richness is a perfect Attribute of Allaah and also the Hamd. Joining the Richness with Praise is another perfection. To Him belongs all praise for His Richness and all praise for His Hamd and praise for joining both of the Attributes; similarly, “The One Who Pardons, the Able;” the Praiseworthy, the Most Glorious; and the Mighty, All-Wise.” Contemplate this! Because this is of noblest knowledge.” [Badaa’i Al-Fawaa’id]

Al-Hameed is the One, to Whom belong the Attributes and the means of praise which makes Him deserve to be praised and even if no one praises Him, He is Praiseworthy in His Essence (in Himself). The Mahmood (the Praiseworthy One) is the One Who attached to Himself, the praise of those who praise Him; similarly, the Majeed – the One, Who is Glorified; Al-Kabeer – the One, Who is Great; and Al-Adheem – the One Who is Magnified.

Al-Hamd (praise) and Al-Majd (glory):

Praise and glory refer to all the perfection.

Al-Hamd or praise requires extolling and loving the one who is praiseworthy. If you do not extol the one whom you love, then you will not be praising him. Similarly, if you extol someone for a reason and you do not love him, then you will not be praising him.

In order to be praising someone, you should extol and love him.

This extolling and loving is due to the reasons that necessitate that, namely His Perfect, Noble Attributes and the Attributes of Benevolence to others that the One, Who is Praiseworthy, is attributed with. These are the means of love. The more comprehensive and perfect these attributes are, the more perfect and great are the praise and love.

To Allaah belongs the absolute perfection in which there is no deficiency or flaw in any aspect.

To Him belongs all the benevolence. He is the One Who deserves all praise and all love from all aspects. He deserves to be loved for His Essence, for His Attributes, Actions, Names and Benevolence.

On the other hand, the Majd (Glory) is an indication of Majesty, Vastness and Magnificence.

Al-Majeed implies the attributes of magnificence and grandeur, while Al-Hameed implies the attributes of generosity. And Allaah is Dhul-Jalaali Wal-Ikraam (i.e. the Owner of Majesty and Honor). This is the meaning of the statement of the slave: “Laa ilaaha Illa-Allaah wa Allaahu – Akbar (No one deserves to be worshipped except Allaah and Allaah is the Most Great). “Laa Ilaaha Illah-Allaah”, indicates singling Allaah with Divinity and Worship and that requires the slave to magnify, glorify and exalt Him.

Therefore, Allaah connects these two attributes (i.e. Al-Hamd and Al-Majd) profusely in the Qur’an, e.g. in Surat Hud (11: 73), Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) says:

 “The mercy of Allaah and His blessings are upon you, O people of the house! Lo! He is Owner of Praise, Owner of Glory!”

His statement in Surat Al-Isra (17: 111):

“And say: Praise be to Allaah, Who has not taken unto Himself a son, and Who has no partner in the Sovereignty, nor has He any protecting friend through dependence. And magnify Him with all magnificence.”

He commanded His Praise and Magnificence. He says in Surat Ar-Rahman (55: 78):

“Blessed be the Name of Your Lord, Mighty and Glorious!”

And in verse (55: 27), He says:

“There remain but the Countenance of thy Lord of Might and Glory.”

In the Musnad and Saheeh Abi Haatim, a narration is reported on the authority of ‘Anas (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) that the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Hold fast and keep attached to “Yaa Dhal-Jalaali Wal-Ikraam (O the Owner of Majesty and Honor).” i.e, keep on reciting it frequently in your Du’aa and asking your Lord. One should make abundant use of the words ‘ Yaa Dhal-Jalaali Wal-Ikraam’ in one’s prayer because these words contain the Praise of Allaah and mention His Perfect Attributes.

The Jalaal and Ikraam are Al-Hamd and Al-Majd.

All of what the slaves are praised for originates from Allaah, the Blessed the Most High. It refers to Allaah because He is the Bestower of the praiseworthy attributes.

Shaikh ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (Rahimahullaah) said: “Allaah informs us that to Him belongs the Hamd (all the Praise), and He is Hameed and Majeed (Worthy of all Praise and Glorified). His is all Praise, in the first (i.e. in this world) and in the last (i.e. in the Hereafter), and for Him is the Decision, and so forth of kinds of praise.

Al-Hamd is of two types: praise for His benevolence to His servants which is of the Shukr, and praise for what He deserves Himself because of His Noble and Perfect Attributes. It is known that all what the creation is praised for is from the Creator and everything from Him deserves to be praised. Therefore, He deserves to be praised. It is affirmed that He deserves all the perfect praises, and He deserves to be praised more than any praiseworthy one and deserves to be attributed with perfection more than any perfect one.” [Majmoo’ Al-Fatawa]