Hamd is praising somebody for something done well. This is also called ‘medih’. Praising somebody for something good that is done especially for you is ‘shukr’ thanks giving. The ‘Hamd’ is more comprising than thanksgiving and ‘medih more comprising than ‘hamd’.

The claim of one’s nice behavior toward you is all; ‘hamd’, ‘shukr’ and ‘medih’.

Without accounting any personal profit out of one’s good behavior just by stating: “He is good.” is both ‘hamd’ and ‘medih’ but it is not thanking, ‘shukr’. The statement: “He is clever and tall.” is only ‘medih’. It is because this certain ‘he’ hasn’t obtained his cleverness and tallness by any special effort of his. These terms include one another as shown in the diagram below.

 

(DIAGRAM)

 

Every ‘shukr’ is ‘hamd’ and ‘medih’. Every ‘hamd’ is ‘medih’ but it is no ‘shukr. And every ‘medih’ is not necessarily ‘hamd’ and ‘shukr’[1].

The ‘el’ prefix at the beginning of the expression ‘El-hamdu-lillah’, make the word ‘hamd’ gain rank what makes the expression’s meaning: “ all ‘hamd’ belongs to Allah”.

As ‘hamd’ means to praise someone for something done well, then the expression’s meaning is: “Only Allah accomplishes everything rightfully and good.” Including the whole meaning and being of a more poetical form we agreed that it would be proper to translate these words as: “Whatever Allah, Lord of the worlds, accomplishes is well-done.”(Al-Fatehah/ The Opening1/1)

 

 

(The Issue of ‘A Lastu Bi Rabbikum)

 

The Glorified Allah in relation with the infidels commands: “Those, who break the covenant of Allah after its confirmation and cut asunder what Allah has ordered to be joined, and make mischief in the land; these are the true losers.” (Al-Baqara/ The Cow 2/27)

Every human comprehends Allah’s existence and Oneness as he had seen Him with his eyes and as he had touched Him with his fingers and makes an absolute promise to Allah. The Glorified Allah commands: “And when your Lord brought forth from the children of Adam, from their waists, their descendants, and made them bear witness against their own souls: Am I not your Lord? They said: Yes! we bear witness. Lest you should say on the day of resurrection: Surely we were heedless of this.

Or you should say: Only our fathers associated others (with Allah) before, and we were an offspring after them: Wilt Thou then destroy us for what the vain doers did?

And thus do We make clear the communications, and that haply they might return.” (Al-A’raf/ Purgatory 7/172-174)

This issue widely known as ‘the promise of ‘A Leste time’ or as the ‘elestu birabbikum’ is the issue of the clear and evident recognition of Allah’s existence and Oneness from the human race. The verse says that this issue is clarified while the Adam sons’ ‘generation are taken from their waist. The expression ‘generations are taken from their waist’ means the removing of the seed of reproduction from the human body. An individual first enter his adolescence later he reaches the age of having children. The human starts to seek Allah while still a child. He asks many questions to the people around him. At the end he comprehends the existence and Oneness of Allah. The evidences that he encounters are so convincing that it seems like Allah is asking: “Am I not your Lord?”. And he replies firmly: “Yes you are my Lord and I testify this.” Similar situations recur as the individual comes across different events and notices the truthfulness of the verses of Allah. This is the reason that every individual acknowledges the existence and Oneness of Allah.

‘Mushrik’ (idolater) means the one that admits the existence of an alike. So, two subjects are involved in this duplication. The first one between them is always Allah. As the humans are conscientious for the existence and oneness of Allah, and as they won’t be able to find any alikeness to Allah in the features of that one he considered similar to Allah, he won’t have the opportunity to defend himself with these words in the afterworld: “Or you should say: Only our fathers associated others (with Allah) before, and we were an offspring after them: Wilt Thou then destroy us for what the vain doers did?” (A’raf /Purgatory 7/173)

The adolescence stage is important. Responsibility is developed during this time. Even if the fathers or the people around him might infer the opposite, the teen will absolutely be given evidence for the existence and oneness of Allah together with the fact that He is the Lord and Master of every living thing. Some will demonstrate it openly. Some will show it in front of significant events and situations in their life. Most of people think that this small quantity of belief in their hearts is sufficient. This is one of Satan’s deceptions. The Glorified Allah commands: “O people! guard not to let the arch deceiver (Shaitan) deceive you in respect of Allah” (Luqman 31/33)    

The atheists, who deny God’s existence, are those ones who don’t want the presence of Allah in their life. They divinize themselves and try to be masters of themselves. In contrast, the other idolaters find other masters to associate with Allah. They place these gods at the same level with Allah and this is how they disclaim the promise they made to Allah. Nevertheless they all know that there is no one alike to Allah.

The ones that fall in the sin of shirk are those: “…Who break the covenant of Allah after its confirmation and cut asunder what Allah has ordered to be joined.” (Al-Baqara/ The Cow 2/27). Because, placing mediators with Allah means to bring to an end the relationship with Him.

 

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