Understanding Salat — Page 50
Understanding S al A t 50 ascribe to Him that which is suitable to Him; ( Lane’s Lexicon, Root: ب - Entry: ب ). Also, “ َ نُسَبِّح ُ بِحَمْدِك , that by بحمدك is meant َ ن َ لَك ی ِ حَامِد. ” ( Lane’s Lexicon, Root: حمد - Entry: ٌ حَمْد ) When we recite with this interpretation in mind, we reflect on how every weakness that we falsely attribute to Allah Almighty is connected to a true attribute of His that refutes it. For example, when we remind ourselves that Allah Almighty is not oblivious to what we do, we are simulta- neously reminded that He is All-Knowing and He sees everything we do. Tasb īh and Ta h m ī d can be done separately or, as in this case, simultaneously. 3. ‘and with Your praise’ Another meaning of َ بِحَمْدِك is, “with Your praise. ” In this interpretation, there would be an implied verb before or after this phrase. This implied verb is also found in the use of ِ ب (with) in ِ َّ بِسۡم ِ ٱلل (with the name of Allah). The compound word بسم therefore would mean ‘with the name of. ’ According to the Arab usage, the words iqra’ or aqra’u or naqra’u or ishra’ or ashra‘u or nashra‘u would be taken to be understood before ّٰ بسم الل. The expression ّٰ بسم الل would thus mean ‘begin