Understanding Salat — Page 80
Understanding S al A t 80 Giving a summary of S ū rah al-F ā ti h ah ’s subject matter, the Promised Messiah as said, The recitation of S u rah F a ti h ah in Prayer is obliga- tory and it is this prayer that clearly shows that true prayer is made only in the course of the Prayer service ( S al a t ). Allah has taught this in this manner: Before supplicating the Almighty one should praise and glorify Him, so that one’s spirit may be uplifted with love and adoration. The F a ti h ah , there- fore, begins with: All worthiness of praise belongs to Allah, the Creator and Sustainer of all, Who bestows out of His pure grace, even before any action or prayer proceeds from His creatures, and then rewards right- eous action in this world and in the hereafter also. He is the Master of Judgment. Every requital rests in His hands. Good and evil are in His power. One becomes a full and perfect believer in His Unity only when one accepts Allah, the Most High, as the Master of Judgment. Beware it is a sin to regard human author- ities as all-powerful in their respective spheres of con- trol or authority. This amounts to associating them with Allah. As God has invested them with author- ity, they should be obeyed. But do not set them up as gods. Render unto man his due and render unto God His due. The next stage is of supplication. Thee alone do we worship and Thee alone do we implore