Allaah (Ta’ala) is praiseworthy in His Essence, Names, Attributes, and Actions. To Him belong the Most Beautiful Names and the Most Noble and Perfect Attributes. He deserves all praise, love, and adulation (extolment) due to His perfect Attributes, beautiful kindness, bountiful gifts, and unparalleled justice, and due to His being attributed with Attributes of Al-Hamd (i.e. praiseworthy Attributes) which are attributes of Beauty and Majesty.
He is the Generous Lord who bestows His bounties upon us and grants us apparent and hidden blessings which no one can enumerate. He is the most praiseworthy in all states for what He has of perfection and for what He has granted of favors to the creation. Al-Hamdulillaah, Al-Hameed (the praiseworthy) for His favors; to Him belongs every Good Name, Perfect Attribute, and Beautiful Action.
The Impacts of His Hamd:
“Al-Hamd is the most comprehensive (complete) knowledge and the broadest science. It includes and implies all the perfect Attributes of Allaah and His majestic Qualities, as it includes His Wisdom in all His Actions and Commands. He is the praiseworthy.” [Bada’i al-Fawa’id by Ibn Al-Qayyim]
“Al-Hamd is the most comprehensive (complete) knowledge and the broadest science. It includes and implies all the perfect Attributes of Allaah and His majestic Qualities, as it includes His Wisdom in all His Actions and Commands. He is the praiseworthy.” [Bada’i al-Fawa’id by Ibn Al-Qayyim]
“He is the praiseworthy for His Most Beautiful Names, Noble Perfect Attributes, and majestic beautiful praises. To Him belongs every perfect attribute, and every attribute is a perfect and great attribute; therefore, He deserves to be praised and extolled. Then what about all His divine Attributes? To Him is all praise for His Essence, to Him is all praise for His Actions; they revolve around actions of graciousness and Ihsaan (doing good to His creation) and actions of justice and wisdom for which He deserves perfect (complete) Hamd (praise). To Him is the praise for His creation, for His Shar’ (legislation), for His decreed commands, legal commands and the commands of recompense in this world and the Hereafter.” [Al-Majmoo’ah Al-Kaamilah by Shaikh As-Sa’dee]
The Lord (Ta’ala), His praise indeed fills the Heavens and Earth and what is between them and what is after that. His praise fills the upper world and lower world and this world and the Hereafter. His Hamd encompasses what His knowledge encompasses. The whole universe talks of His Hamd; the creation and command are issued from His Hamd, established (standing) by it, and existing by it. His Hamd is the cause of the existence of every being that has ever existed, and it is the utmost goal of every being that has ever existed, and every being is a witness over His Hamd. He sent His Messengers by His Hamd, He sent down His Books by His Hamd, the Jannah (Paradise) is populated by its dwellers by His Hamd, the Hell-Fire is populated by its dwellers by His Hamd, and He is not obeyed except by His Hamd, and He is not disobeyed except by His Hamd. He is the All-Praiseworthy for His Essence even if His slaves do not praise Him.” [Al-Kalaam ‘ala Mas’alat as-Samaa’ pp.196-197]
Therefore, Allaah (Ta’ala) praises His Noble Self for His comprehensive Ruboobiyah (Lordship) with all praise, in Surat Al-Fatihah [1:2]:
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
“All the praises and thanks be to Allaah, the Lord of the ‘Alameen (mankind, Jinn and all that exists).”
And He praises His Noble Self for sending down His Book in Surat Al-Kahf [18:1]:
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ عَلَىٰ عَبْدِهِ الْكِتَابَ
“All the praises and thanks be to Allaah, Who has sent down to His slave [Muhammad (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)] the Book (the Qur’an)”
He praises His Noble Self for creating the Heavens and the Earth in Surat Al-An’aam [6:1]:
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَجَعَلَ الظُّلُمَاتِ وَالنُّورَ
“All praises and thanks be to Allaah, Who (Alone) created the heavens and the earth, and originated the darkness and the light”
He (Ta’ala) praises His Noble Self for His Perfect Kingdom (Dominion) in Surat Saba’ [34:1]:
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ ۚ وَهُوَ الْحَكِيمُ الْخَبِيرُ
“All the praises and thanks be to Allaah, to Whom belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. His is all the praises and thanks in the Hereafter, and He is the All-Wise, the All-Aware.”
And in Surat Ar-Rum [30:17-18]:
فَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ حِينَ تُمْسُونَ وَحِينَ تُصْبِحُونَ
“So glorify Allaah [above all that (evil) they associate with Him (O believers)], when you come up to the evening [i.e. offer the (Maghrib) sunset and (‘Ishaa’) night prayers], and when you enter the morning [i.e offer the (Fajr) morning prayer].”
وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَعَشِيًّا وَحِينَ تُظْهِرُونَ
“And His is all the praises and thanks in the heavens and the earth, and (glorify Him) in the afternoon (i.e. offer ‘Asr prayer) and when you come up to the time, when the day begins to decline (i.e. offer Dhuhr prayer). (Ibn ‘Abbaas said: ‘These are the five compulsory congregational prayers mentioned in the Qur’an).’”
How can He not be praised for all His creation as He (Ta’ala):
الَّذِي أَحْسَنَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقَهُ ۖ وَبَدَأَ خَلْقَ الْإِنسَانِ مِن طِينٍ
“Who made everything He has created good, and He began the creation of man from clay.”
[Surat As-Sajdah 32:7]
And He is praised for His work which He perfected:
صُنْعَ اللَّهِ الَّذِي أَتْقَنَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ
“The Work of Allaah, Who perfected all things”
[Surat An-Naml 27:88]
He is praised for His commands which are all wise, merciful, just, and beneficial, and for His prohibitions that He forbade which are evil and corrupt, and for His rewards which are mercy and benevolence, and for His punishment which is all just and true.” [Shifaa’ Al-‘Aleel]
Allaah (Ta’ala) started the creation with Hamd and ended the matter of this world with Hamd. He (Ta’ala) says in Surat Al-An’aam [6:1]:
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ
“All praises and thanks be to Allaah, Who (Alone) created the heavens and the earth”
And He (Ta’ala) says in Surat Az-Zumar [39:75]:
وَقُضِيَ بَيْنَهُم بِالْحَقِّ وَقِيلَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
“And they (all the creatures) will be judged with truth, and it will be said. All the praises and thanks be to Allaah, the Lord of the ‘Alameen (mankind, Jinn and all that exists).”
His Hamd (praise) fills all the times, places, and creation, and His Hamd prevails all states. To Him is due all praise, and to Him belongs all the dominion, and in His Hand is all the good, and to Him return all the matters. His is all the praises and thanks in the Hereafter. This is because in the Hereafter His Hamd (praise) will be shown (to all) which cannot be shown in this Dunya (world). The people of Paradise will see the successive blessings of Allaah and His abundant good and wide gifts to an extent that no wish will remain in the hearts of the people of Paradise but every one of them will be given even more than what he wished and willed. Rather, they will be given of good which they had not even thought of (imagined).
What do you expect will be their Hamd (their praise) for their Lord in that state? In Paradise the obstacles and hindrances which stop one from knowing Allaah, His Love, praising Him, will fade away. And that will be more beloved to its people than every delight, and sweeter than every enjoyment.
In addition, in Paradise, all His Majestic Beauty, Broad Perfection and Greatness will appear to the people of Paradise all the time, which necessitates complete praise and overpraise for Him. [Tayseer al-Kareem]
The detail of His praise and what He is praised for is something which no thought can encompass, nor can the pens of this world nor its papers enumerate. The eloquence of the describers of His praise fall into shortcoming (are deficient) in reaching its reality, as the imaginings are incapable of describing even one of them; it is just indications and remarks. [Tareeq Al-Hijratain by Ibn Al-Qayyim]
It is adequate for us to say as the believing Jinn said when they heard Allaah’s Statement:
فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ
“Then which of the Blessings of your Lord will you both (Jinn and men) deny?” [Surat Ar-Rahmaan (55:13)]
“We do not deny any of Your Favors our Lord! And Yours is the Praise” [Authenticated by Al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan At-Tirmidhi no. 3291 and graded Hasan]
Glorified be His praises, no one among His creation is able to praise Him enough; rather, He is as He has praised Himself, and more than what His creation praises Him with. His is all praise in the beginning and in the end, many pure blessed praises as our Lord loves and is pleased with.
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
“All the praises and thanks be to Allaah, the Lord of the ‘Alameen (mankind, Jinn and all that exists).”
The letter “Laam” in the word “Lillaah” indicates that Allaah deserves all this praise alone; no one associates with Him in this praise. The absolute perfect Hamd (praise) is not for anyone except Allaah. This is because everyone other than Him is praised for a specific thing, a praise that suits that particular thing and is equal to that particular thing. [Ahkaam Al-Qur’an by Shaikh Ibn ‘Uthaimeen]
The Impact of Belief in this Attribute of Al-Hamd
When the slave knows that all the praises are due to Allaah absolutely (without question) and He deserves all the praises, then it is a must on him to be occupied with praising and extolling the Owner of Highness and Glory. Absolute perfection, in which there is no deficiency in any aspect, belongs to Him. To Him belongs all the Benevolence; He is the One Who deserves and is the Owner of every Hamd and every love in all aspects. He is the One Who deserves to be loved for His Essence, Attributes, Actions, Names, Benevolence, and all what comes out of Him. [Jalaa’ Al-Afhaam]
The heart can never realize the reality of His blessings and benevolence; moreover, thank Him. If the slave spends all his breaths to thank and praise Him for one of His blessings, he will not be able to do that because what He deserves of Hamd (praise and thanks) is more than that and even double and multiple more than that. However, due to Allaah’s generosity, He is pleased with the little thanks that His slaves give and do. [Jalaa’ Al-Afhaam]
The Merits (Virtues) of Al-Hamd in the Sunnah
1 – Al-Aswad ibn Suray’ (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) narrated: “I was a poet, so I came to the Messenger of Allaah (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and said: ‘O Messenger of Allaah! I have praised my Lord, the Almighty and Exalted, in some words of praise.’ He (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘Your Lord loves praise’ and did not say anything more.” [Authenticated by Al-Albaani in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad no. 859 and graded Hasan]
Allaah (Ta’ala) is worthy of all praise; He loves praise and loves those who praise Him. His praise for His Noble Self is greater than the praise of the slaves for Him. He loves those who extol Him and overpraise Him, and His exaltation for Himself is greater than that of the slaves for Him.
Al-Hamd is to mention the praiseworthy characters (i.e. the noble, good, beautiful attributes) of the Praised One in a way that one loves Him. And this word “Al-Hamd” does not suit any one and should not be said except for the One Who is “Al-Hameed Al-Majeed” [i.e. All-Praiseworthy, All-Glorious].
The noble, beautiful and praiseworthy Attributes of the Praised One (Ta’ala) either:
a) Pertain to His Noble Self, or
b) It is shown in His creatures.
First Type: Hamd of Al-Asmaa’ was-Sifaat (i.e. the praise of His Names and Attributes)
It is a praise that includes a praise for His Perfect Essence and Most Beautiful Names, for His Most Noble Perfect Attributes and Most Beautiful and Majestic Qualities that belong to Him.
i.e. Every Noble Attribute, Beautiful Name, good Praise, and every praise, glorification, sanctity, majesty, and honor belong to Him in the most perfect and continuous way. All what is mentioned about Allaah are praises and glorification for Him. Glorified are His praises, no one is able to praise Him enough, rather He is as He praised Himself. To Him belongs all the praise in the beginning and in the end; many pure, blessed blessings as it suits His Majesty and Honor.
Second Type: Praise and thanks for the bounties, favors and blessings
This is witnessed by all the creation, the good and the wicked, the believers and unbelievers. They witness His abundant gifts, broad provisions, good dealings with His servants, His vast mercy with them, His kindness and response to the supplications of those who are in distress among them, removing the calamities of those afflicted, helping the needy ones, and His mercy to all of the ‘Alameen (mankind, jinn, and all that exists). Out of His bounty, graciousness and benevolence, He bestows His blessings upon them before they ask for it and without them deserving it. He prevents some distresses and calamities before they befall and diverts some after they befall. [Tareeq Al-Hijratain]
2 – Anas ibn Maalik (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) narrated that Allaah’s Messenger (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “There is nothing more beloved to Allaah than Al-Hamd (to be praised and thanked).” [Authenticated by Al-Albaani in Al-Silsilah As-Saheeha 4/404 and graded Hasan]
Praising Him includes:
- Mentioning His graciousness and perfect Attributes
- Love of Him for these praiseworthy Attributes
As Ibn Al-Qayyim (Rahimahullaah) said: “He (Ta’ala) loves to be worshipped and loves to be praised and extolled by mentioning His High Noble Attributes and Most Beautiful Names.” [Tareeq Al-Hijratain]
3 – Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullaah (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) narrated that the Messenger of Allaah (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “The best remembrance is:
لا إله إلا الله
La illaha illa Allaah
‘There is none worthy of worship except Allaah.’
And the best supplication is:
الحمد لله
Al-Hamdulillaah
‘All praise is due to Allaah’.” [Authenticated by Al-Albaani in Saheeh At-Tirmidhi no. 3383]
Shaikhul-Islam ibn Taymiyah (Rahimahullaah) said: “He (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) called Al-Hamd which is mere praise ‘Dua’a’ (Supplication). This is because Al-Hamd includes love and praise. Love is the highest kind of seeking (appealing). The one who praises is seeking or appealing the Beloved One. Therefore, he deserves to be called Da’iy (caller, seeker, invoker) rather than the one who only asks and requests. The praise includes the greatest appealing, it is truly a Dua’a. Rather, it deserves to be called Dua’a more than other kinds of requests which are lower than it.” [Majmoo’ Al-Fatawa 15/14]
4 – Anas (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) narrated that the Messenger of Allaah (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Allaah does not bestow a blessing upon any slave and he says, ‘Al-Hamdu Lillaah (praise is to Allaah)’ except that what he gives (the praise) is better than what he received (the blessing).” [Authenticated by Al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan Ibn Maajah no. 3805 and graded Hasan]
In fact, one’s Hamd (praise) for the Bestower of the blessing (i.e. Allaah) is another blessing which is better and more beneficial for him and more profitable than the hastened blessing. This is because the best of blessings and most sublime absolutely (magnificent) is the blessing of knowing Him, praising Him, and obeying Him. [Futia (legal opinion) about the forms of Hamd by Ibn Al-Qayyim]
5 – ‘Imraan ibn al-Hussain (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) narrated that the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “The best of Allaah’s servants on the Day of Resurrection are Al-Hammaadoon (those who praise and thank Allaah).” [Reported by At-Tabarani and authenticated by Al-Albaani in Saheeh Al-Jami’e no. 1571]
The Hadeeth emphasizes that those who praise Allaah profusely in times of prosperity and times of adversity are the best of people on the Day of Resurrection.
Source: Al-Asmaa’ Al-Husna was-Sifaat al-‘Ulaa by ‘Abdul-Haadi Wahbi
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