The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 1) — Page 17
AL-FATIHAH CH. 1 God, then seek His help for carrying is free or predestined to follow a out this resolve. The word (Thee alone) has been placed before the words and to point to the fact that not only is God alone deserving of worship but that He alone can give the help which man needs to discharge this duty truly and effectively. As long as man is not granted the power and means necessary for his guidance, it is not possible for him to become God's or servant in the real sense of the word. No man-made law can make man a good and true servant of the Lord; it is only God's help that can bring about this change in him. The use of the plural number in and directs our attention to two very important points: (1) That man is not alone in this world but is part and parcel of the society that surrounds him. He should, therefore, seek not to go alone but to carry others also with him on the path of God. (2) That as long as a person does not reform his environment, his own reform cannot make him immune from danger; for a house surrounded by others on fire cannot enjoy security for long. Thus the use of the plural number points to a principle which is of vital importance for the moral, cultural and spiritual uplift of Muslims as well as for their success in missionary and other activities. The principle is a special feature of Islam and remains as important today as it ever was. The verse also contains a hint about the eternal controversy whether man 17 given course of action. Men of learning in all ages have disagreed upon this point, and no solution has yet been found. Some are of the opinion that man is the master of his will and is free to do what he likes, while others believe that freedom of action is an illusion and man only acts in a manner predestined for him. The verse offers an easy solution of this difficult problem. The words (Thee alone do we worship) which have been put by God in the mouth of man draw our attention to the fact that man is not predestined but free to choose and carry out a course of action as he likes. On the other hand, the words Thee alone do we implore) اياك نستعين for help) remind us of the fact that, though free, we may yet suffer from constraints and compulsions of various kinds. The prayer, Thee alone do we implore for help, implies that God keeps a watch over our actions and takes steps to remove the constraints which keep us from the path He calls upon us to tread. The Christian doctrine that man has inherited sin from Adam and therefore cannot get rid of it without atonement is tantamount to the belief that man is not free but is bound to adopt a course predestined for him. Similarly, the Hindu doctrine of transmigration of souls is also a form of predestination. That man's state in the present life is the result of his actions in a previous life, only means that man is bound to follow the course to which he is prenatally