الْحَمْدُ للّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
All praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of all nations.
EXEGESIS
Ḥamd: praise, laud, extol. According to Rāghib, ḥamd is more specific than madḥ but more general than shukr. Madḥ is a kind of praise that is used even for involuntary qualities like one’s physical beauty. Ḥamd is only used for voluntary acts and acquired virtues. Shukr (thank, gratitude) is used only when the person who is praising has received some benefit from the person being praised. Given this distinction, giving praise (ḥamd) to God indicates that He is not compelled or forced in His actions and favours, but does them out of will and volition. Alternatively, it is said that shukr is for blessings that God gives, while ḥamd is for the afflictions that He deflects. There is some evidence for this in the supplications of the Infallibles.
It should be noted that the distinction between ḥamd, madḥ, and shukr is rather lexical than Quranic. Madḥ has never been used in the Quran, and ḥamd has a more general meaning than madḥ. For example, the Quran rebukes a group for loving to be praised for what they have not done (3:188). The root of ḥamd has been used sixty-eight times in the Quran, most of them describing God. It is often used in juxtaposition with tasbīḥ (glorification, celebration), both of which are phrases of expressing honour and dedication to God. Ḥamd in particular is often used to express gratitude for God’s blessings and bounties. Indeed, ḥamd and shukr are used interchangeably, as it is said, al-ḥamdu li-llāhi shukran.
The particle al in al-ḥamd indicates genus. It means that praise by nature belongs to God. In other words, all praise is due to Him. This is because He is the only possessor of every good action and quality, and all beings owe all their virtues, blessings, and perfections to Him. This is seen in the following Quranic expressions: To Him belongs all sovereignty and to Him belongs all praise (64:1); He is Allah, there is no god except Him. All praise belongs to Him in this world and the hereafter. All judgement belongs to Him, and to Him you will be brought back (28:70). All praise belongs to Him because He is the sole possessor of all dominion, judgement, and sovereignty in both worlds. This is captured by the word rabb, which is often used when praising God.
It is noteworthy that the verse does not say: I praise God or we praise God, but it is expressed in a rather passive form. This could allude to a few points: 1. We cannot ever achieve God’s due praise. 2. God is essentially praiseworthy, whether anyone praises Him or not, even before the existence and creation of anyone to praise Him. The Prophet praised God in the sermon of Ghadīr as: ‘The all-laudable who has ever been; the all-praiseworthy who shall ever be; the all-glorious who will never expire.’ 3. Praise in this verse is not ascribed to any particular subject in order to show that God’s blessings and favours encompass everyone; all beings are indebted to His grace. That is why He is praised not only on the account of His bounties upon us, but for His bounties upon everyone.
Rabb: Lord. In interpreting this word, often aspects of nurturing, sustaining, and growing are emphasised. However, by referring to the Quranic usages of the term it becomes evident that the word ‘lord’ is in fact quite an accurate translation of rabb. The opposite of rabb in the Quran is ʿabd (slave, servant, bondsman). The most central element in rabb is the quality of ownership and possession. Rabb means the owner and master of someone or something, but specifically in the sense that he takes care of his possession. This is because sometimes an owner is ignorant, weak, or missing the means to look after his property. God is in charge of His creation, has not created them in vain, and has not left them on their own: Does man suppose that he would be abandoned to futility? (75:36). He is not a retired architect as sometimes viewed in Western Philosophy. Another central aspect and element in rabb is that he is a master that should be obeyed. Given the context of the verse and chapter, the Lord of all nations here means their creator and director of affairs.
It is notable that almost every supplication mentioned in the Quran – quoted from the previous prophets – starts with ‘My Lord’ or ‘Our Lord’ (rabbī or rabbanā). This suggests a special impact of this divine name in qualifying one’s prayer to be answered and God’s rain of mercy to shower upon the person. According to some scholars, the reason is that whenever a person makes a prayer, he asks for what he supposes to be good for his growth and perfection. However, it is only one’s rabb (Lord, sustainer, nourisher) who really knows what suits the person in those conditions. Another explanation according to the mystics is that the first quality of God that has been inherently planted in our souls is His quality of lordship, as per the verse: [He said to them:] ‘Am I not your Lord?’ They said: ‘Yes indeed! We bear witness’ (7:172). His lordship is the most primary divine quality that we are innately familiar with, by which we inherently know Him.
I returned to my companion in my first state;
Laylā and Salmā were not my fate.
My yearning called me: ‘Hang on and wait!
The beloved that you seek is not your mate!
Take up a drink that is pure and sate;
The love of others you have to vacate!’
How can I forget my first job and art?
The first relationship will never leave one’s heart.
ʿĀlamīn is the plural of ʿālam. The form fāʿal indicates a tool or instrument (ālah). Thus, ʿālam would mean that by which something is known, or a sign that shows something else. In this sense, ʿālamīn would refer to all existents in the sense that they show and indicate their creator. ʿĀlam often means realm or world, as in ʿālam al-insān (the human world), ʿālam al-ṭabʿ (the natural world), and ʿālam al-mithāl (the realm of forms). These planes of existence are called ʿālam exactly because they define human beings, natural beings, and imaginal forms, respectively.
However, the Quranic usages of the term suggest that it refers to intelligent beings, or more precisely people, as seen in numerous verses. There are many verses that refer to the verses of the Quran as reminder and warning for ʿālamīn, which is primarily applicable to human beings (and perhaps also the jinn). Hence, this verse would be equivalent to: Indeed this community of yours is one community, and I am your Lord. So serve Me (21:92; also see 23:52). Translation of ʿālamīn as all realms or all beings may be an accurate match in non-Quranic contexts such as philosophical discussions, but it does not comply with the Quranic meaning of the term. Ibn Abbas said: ‘ʿĀlamūn consists of humankind and the jinn, because the All-Mighty says: that he may be a warner to all the nations [25:1].’ Similarly, Abū ʿAmr interpreted it as all beings that have a soul. Mujāhid also interpreted it as humankind and jinn.
It could be that the word qūlū (say, in imperative form) is implied at the beginning of this verse or the previous verse. That would make these verses a formula that the audience is instructed to utter. Otherwise, if God is the speaker of these words, then His reference to Himself in third person could be indicative of His high position and authority, and/or based on stating a general rule, as a father may tell his son, ‘You should honour your father’. Nonetheless, given the direct address to God in verses 5-7, it would be more consistent to say that the speaker in the entire surah is God’s servants; God is teaching them how to start and what to say next.
EXPOSITION
Here, again, like in the last verse, God is teaching us how to begin a speech: in God’s name and remembrance, followed by His praise. It is a formula of confessing His lordship, admitting our servitude, and appreciating His bounties. It says that God is worthy of praise because He is the Lord of everyone and everything. Similarly, the next two verses provide further justifications and reasons for God’s praiseworthiness: He is worthy of praise because He is The all-beneficent, the all-merciful (verse 3) and because He is the Master of the Day of Judgement (verse 4).
What makes God especially praiseworthy for His lordship is that unlike human beings, He takes care of His subjects, nurtures them, and makes them grow, not because of any personal interest or gain that accrues to Him, but only for the interest and good of the subjects. This is contrary to all human forms of lordship, training, and fostering – even parenthood – where there is always some gain and interest for the benefactor. However, God is the absolute perfect being. It is He who sends down the rain after they have been despondent, and unfolds His mercy, and He is the guardian, the all-laudable (42:28). That is why He loves to be asked, requested, and prayed to for blessings and wishes, and that is why He loves those who repent – as mentioned in many verses and hadiths (2:222, 7:55-56, 40:60). Moreover, He gives even before He is asked; He gives even when the recipient is not worthy of His blessings; and there is no end to His benevolence. Seeking proximity to God means becoming God-like as much as human capacity allows and in His attributes of action. One way to do so is to give without any expectation just as He does. This is why the Messenger of God said: ‘A generous person is close to God, close to paradise, close to the people, and far from the fire.’
Perhaps referring to God as Lord is because many people – including the polytheists of Arabia at the time of revelation – believe in God as a creator who has originated the universe, but not as a Lord who sustains it and continues to have full authority over it. Moreover, since God is the Lord of everyone, it means that He is superior to all of His creatures. This shows His transcendence above the qualities of His creatures, such as Him not being bound by time and space. The appearance of the name rabb at the beginning of the Quran may also indicate that this is a book of training, education, and fostering, and it is meant for the people to obey it. In other words, the position of the verse at the beginning of the Quran suggests that the revelation of this book is tied to God’s quality of lordship.
In order to achieve due praise of God, we need to know His bounties and blessings upon us. We are composed of soul and body. Our physical body, which is the lower aspect of our being, consists of so many parts, faculties, and functions that physiologists have ever been studying and discovering more about it. Now, what we know of our body is negligible compared to what we do not know. Think of how much God has blessed you just in terms of your physical body. Then think of His blessings external to your body, such as food, shelter, clothing, security, sustenance, family, wealth, rain, sun, oceans, and everything found in nature. Then think of your soul and God’s immaterial blessings, such as intelligence, emotions, education, determination, guidance, faith, and connection with Him.
You should add to these all possible evils and misfortunes that could have struck you if God had not protected you against them. Any illness, pain, disability, loss, calamity, defect, deviation, and sin that others have been afflicted with could have equally happened to you, if it were not for God’s mercy. Imam al-Husayn (a) prays to God: ‘O God! What Thou hast deflected and turned away from me of troubles and distresses is more than what appears to me of wellness and joy.’ Will you then be grateful? (21:80). If you take a few minutes to continue this thread, you will better appreciate the meaning and depth of All praise belongs to Allah. Then you will say this formula with all your being, from the depth of your heart. This is why the Quran says, If you enumerate Allah’s blessings, you will not be able to count them (14:34, 16:18). It is for this reason that we can never praise and thank God as He deserves. We cannot achieve His praise completely because we do not encompass His bounties.
You think that you are so small in the universe
But in you is imbedded the greatest universe.
Not only are we indebted to God’s bounties, but all existents are. The first and foremost blessing of God is existence itself, which encompasses every being, whether animate or inanimate, material or immaterial. The goodness of existence manifests in the striving of living creatures for survival. Hence, God’s blessings and bounties embrace every being and creature: My mercy embraces all things (7:156). That is why All praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of all nations.
According to Shaqīq ibn Ibrāhīm, there are three conditions to the proper and complete praise of God: 1. You should know God as the giver of bounties to you. 2. You should be pleased and satisfied with what He has given you. 3. You should not use His bounties in the way of His disobedience.
The winds, the clouds, the sun, and the moon
Are running day and night to fill up your spoon,
So that you may be heedful and in tune
When you sit down to eat your lunch at noon.
Thinking about such a Lord would fill the hearts with love and adoration, and makes the ultimate objective and desire none other than God, not any benefit, pleasure, or bounty that reaches us from Him. If we only pay attention to these bounties and pleasures and spend our time planning for, seeking, and enjoying them in a way that distracts and engages us from paying attention to God and seeking His pleasure, then the very bounties that were supposed to awaken us have put us to sleep, and the very blessings that were supposed to be mirrors of His goodness and excellence have become His veils and barriers.
Unless I can see the host of this feast
I don’t want to look at the two worlds the least.
Without observing my Lord’s attributes
I’ll choke if I eat some bread or fruits.
If I don’t see His face and actions, I can’t
Indulge in food, sing, or chant.
Being heedless of God, can one eat and drink?
Only cows and donkeys, not those who can think.
The verse implies the necessity of showing gratitude to God as a benefactor, and it teaches us how to do so. He is the Lord, the nourisher, and sustainer of all people; they are all indebted to Him for His effusion of existence, life, and means of livelihood upon them. Not only that, but He is the Lord and sustainer of all beings and creatures in all planes of existence, and that is why they all glorify Him with praise (17:44). This counters the polytheists’ belief in different masters and multiple gods (12:39) – each governing and being in charge of some part of the universe and some aspect of human life. Therefore, referring to God as the Lord of all nations is an expression of His unity and monotheism. He is the only god, lord, director, and master of all realms and beings. So all praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the heavens and the Lord of the earth, the Lord of all nations (45:36).
The sentence All praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of all nations has been used in several verses as the final call of the inhabitants of paradise (10:10), the last thing uttered on the Day of Judgement (39:75), and the final statement in God’s arguments or discussions (6:45, 37:182, 40:65; also see 29:63 and 31:25). According to some narrations, it was also the first sentence spoken by Prophet Adam (a) – when he sneezed after being created – and the first words of the first creature of God: the intellect.
INSIGHTS FROM HADITH
- A man came to Imam al-Riḍā (a) and said: ‘O son of God’s Messenger! Tell me about these words of God, the mighty and majestic: All praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of all nations. What is their interpretation?’ The Imam narrated from his father, from his forefathers, that once a man came to Imam Ali (a) and asked him the same question, whereby the Imam said: ‘All praise belongs to Allah means that He made His servants recognise some of His bounties overall, for they cannot ever know them all in detail, because they are more than being numerable or comprehended. So he told them: “Say: All praise belongs to Allah for what He has blessed us with.” He is the Lord of ʿālamīn, which is the collection of all creatures, both inanimate and animate. He is the Lord of the animals as He manages them by His power, feeds them from His sustenance, encompasses them in His protection, and directs each of them toward its welfare. He is the Lord of the inanimate beings as He maintains them by His power. He maintains the connected beings from disintegrating, and the disconnected from integrating. He sustains the sky lest it should fall on the earth, excepting by His leave [22:65], and prevents the earth from swallowing [its people] except by His command. Indeed He is all-kind and all-merciful to His servants. Rabb al-ʿālamīn means the one who owns them, has created them, and directs their sustenance to them through ways that they know and ways that they do not know.’
Note: According to this hadith, the more specific usage of the word ʿālamīn can be extended to include all beings, both animate and inanimate.
- The Prophet said: ‘Praise is not as dear to anyone as it is to God. That is why He has praised Himself.’
Notes: 1. Clearly God does not need anything. 2. Liking between two things is rooted in some harmony and congruity between them. God is the truth, and thus He likes any act of truth. 3. The hadith might have been intended to dissuade people from polytheism and praising beings other than God.
- The Prophet said: ‘Ḥamd (praise) is the root of shukr (thanking [God]). Thus, one who does not praise God has not thanked Him.’
- Prophet Abraham (a) asked God: ‘My Lord! What is the reward of one who praises You?’ He replied: ‘Praise (ḥamd) is the key to gratefulness (shukr), and by gratefulness one ascends to the Lord of the Throne, the Lord of all nations.’
- The Messenger of God said: ‘When God blesses a servant with a bounty, if he praises God for it, then his praise is better than that bounty, no matter how big it is.’
Notes: 1. This idea is narrated in different ways from the Prophet and Imam al-Riḍā (a). 2. Similarly, Imam al-Hādī (a) said: ‘The thankful is more blessed by his gratefulness than by the bounty which made it incumbent on him to give thanks. This is because the bounty is a pleasure [in this world], but gratefulness is both a bounty and a good end.’ 3. Perhaps the reason for this is: That which is with you will come to an end but what is with Allah shall last (16:96). The praise of God, even though it may be in the form of a short utterance, is an immaterial realisation that shall last forever, while this world and all its material bounties shall perish sooner or later. Wealth and children are an adornment of the life of the world, but lasting righteous deeds are better with your Lord in reward and better in hope (18:46); lasting righteous deeds are better with your Lord in reward, and better at the return [to Allah] (19:76). 4. Another possible explanation is that a bounty like food or water is something specific and limited, while ‘all praise belongs to God’ means that any praise that is done by any being for any bounty – and any praise that can possibly be imagined or done in the future – belongs to God. 5. This notion is confirmed by other narrations that say: ‘A single glorification of God that He accepts is better than what God gave David’s family, because the reward for the glorification remains, while Solomon’s kingdom perishes.’
- The Prophet said: ‘When you say All praise belongs to God, the Lord of all nations you have indeed thanked God and He has increased your blessings [right away].’
- Once, the camel of the Prophet was stolen. He said: ‘If God returns it to me, I shall indeed thank my Lord!’ It was not long before it was found and brought to the Prophet. When he saw it he simply said: ‘All praise belongs to God.’ The Muslims thought that the Prophet had forgotten his vow because they were expecting him to fast or pray in thanks for this. They told him: ‘O Messenger of God! Did you not say that “if God returns it to me I shall indeed thank Him”?’ He replied: ‘Did I not say “All praise belongs to God”?!’
- A similar account has been narrated from Imam al-Ṣādiq (a), where his camel was lost and he said: ‘If God returns it to me, I shall indeed thank God as He deserves to be thanked’ or ‘in a way that He shall be pleased.’ When he found it he said: ‘All praise belongs to God.’ Upon being asked about it he said: ‘Did I leave out or miss on anything? I attributed all praise to God, the mighty and majestic!’
Note: Overall, the above narrations show the sublime position and content of this holy phrase. It suffices as thanks to God as He deserves to be thanked within our limited capacity and ability. Otherwise, as the Quran says: If you enumerate Allah’s blessings, you will not be able to count them (14:34, 16:18). This formula can do justice and be due gratitude for God’s bounties if it is an expression of a deep inner realisation that: Whatever blessing you have is from Allah (16:53).
- Imam Ali (a) told his companion Kumayl: ‘O Kumayl! Indeed your sins are more than your good deeds; your heedlessness is more than your remembrance; and God’s bounties upon you are more than any act [that you may do in return]. O Kumayl! Indeed you are never free from the bounties and well-being bestowed upon you by God, the mighty and majestic. Therefore, do not ever be free from praising, extolling, glorifying, hailing, thanking, and remembering Him at all times.’
- It is narrated that God revealed to Prophet Moses (a): ‘O Moses! Thank Me as I deserve to be thanked!’ He said: ‘My Lord! How can I thank You the way You deserve to be thanked, while the bounties are from You and the thanks for them is also a bounty from You!?’ God replied: ‘Now you have thanked Me as I deserve, for you have realised that these are all from Me.’
Notes: 1. A similar account has been narrated about Prophet David (a). 2. Having the opportunity, ability, and awareness to praise and thank God is itself a blessing and favour from Him. Therefore, in reality we are always indebted to Him, because even our good deeds are further blessings and bounties that require their own gratitude. That is why Imam al-Sajjād (a) prays to God: ‘How can I ever fulfil gratefulness [to Thee] while my very thanks requires another thanks. Whenever I say: “All praise be to Thee” it becomes incumbent on me to say again: “All praise be to Thee!”’ We should keep in mind that our limited actions and deficient gratitude can never match God’s blessings.
Whose tongue and hand can ever make it
To thank Him as he should, acknowledge, and admit.
The best a servant can do
Is to repent from his sin;
Doing justice to the Lord
Is what no one can win.
- According to several narrations from the Prophet and Imam Ali (a), it is recommended to say ‘All praise belongs to God, the Lord of all nations’ whenever one sneezes, and this will deflect various pains and illnesses from the person.
- It is narrated from the Prophet and Imam Ali (a): ‘Tasbīḥ (glorifying God) fills half of the scale [in the hereafter]; ḥamd (praising God) fills the whole scale; and “God is greater” fills the space between the heaven and the earth.’
REVIEW OF TAFSIR LITERATURE
According to some exegetes, since ḥamd is used to extol one’s voluntary acts and acquired virtues, it can be deduced from this verse that the creation of the universe has been not through compulsion or necessity without God’s will and choice. It should be noted that this point is primarily based on the lexical meaning of ḥamd, not its Quranic usage.
According to some scholars, these verses incorporate four reasons for praising and honouring God. It is as if He is saying: ‘O people! If you want to praise and honour someone due to his perfect essence and attributes, then I am Allah! If you want to praise and honour someone for his benevolence and nurturing, then I am the Lord of all nations. If you want to praise and honour someone out of hope and desire for a future gain [that is, paradise], then I am The all-beneficent, the all-merciful. And if you want to praise and honour someone due to fearing his absolute power and chastisement, then I am the Master of the Day of Judgement.’
This is a subtle observation that provides insight into various incentives to worship and glorify God. The first point, however, is based on allāh being interpreted not as a proper noun, but as a name that involves and conveys all of God’s most beautiful names. Sometimes verse 17:110 is used as evidence for this. However, apparently allāh in the Quran is a proper noun for God, and not descriptive of His attributes.
The Prophet’s name Aḥmad means that he is the foremost among those who praise God. This is specifically his name in the heavens, which is a place of angels and sacred beings whose job is to praise God (2:30, 7:206, 13:13, 21:19-20, 37:165-166, 39:75, 40:7, 41:38, 42:5). His name Muhammad means that he is the foremost among those who are praised. This is specifically his name in the earth, where he is the most praised one by God among His creatures.
A mystic has said: God owns numerous slaves other than you, but you do not have any master other than Him. Yet you shirk your duty of obeying and serving Him, as if you have a master – rather several masters – other than Him. He, on the other hand, looks after your welfare and growth as if He has no servant other than you. So, glory be to Him! How perfect is His lordship, and how magnificent is His mercy!
There is a famous saying that ‘One who does not thank the created (al-makhlūq) has not thanked the Creator (al-khāliq)’. This expression, in this form, is not a narration, but there are some narrations to this effect. For example, Imam al-Riḍā (a) said: ‘One who does not thank a benefactor among the creatures, has not thanked God, the mighty and majestic.’ Similarly, the Prophet said: ‘One who does not thank the people, does not thank God, the mighty and majestic.’ Imam al-Sajjād (a) said: ‘On the Day of Resurrection God will say to one of His servants: “Did you thank so-and-so?” He will answer: “Rather, I thanked You, my Lord!” So He will say: “You did not thank Me since you did not thank him.”’ The Imam then added: ‘Among you he who is the most grateful to God is the most grateful to the people.’
This idea, however, should be understood and interpreted in a way that does not contradict tawḥīd (monotheism, God’s unity). Thanking others should not be an alternative or substitute to thanking God. It should not even be a complement or supplement to thanking God. The former implies disbelief in God (kufr), and the latter implies association of others with Him (shirk). We should truly see God as the only benefactor and donor of any good, as the Quran says: Whatever blessing you have is from Allah (16:53). Anyone or anything else should not be viewed as God’s associate in conferment of blessings. Instead, we should see them as means and instruments through which God acts, gives to His creatures, and manages the universe. The impact that anything or anyone has is not an independent effect that it has by virtue of itself, but it is God’s impact and action that appears through this channel. It is God who provokes one to help, give, and show mercy. The aid that He gives is also created by God. The recipient’s ability to benefit from that gift is also created by God. That is why the true and only donor of all blessings and benefits is God.
Any good, perfection, or existential quality belongs exclusively to God. If it is seen elsewhere, it is only a manifestation of God’s quality through that means. Therefore, all bounties are entirely and exclusively from God, but His creation and management of the universe is in such a way that His bounties get to us through intermediaries. This system of instruments and intermediaries is according to His infinite wisdom, designed to test us, so that we may grow. Hence, when we thank others, we should thank them as manifestations of God’s mercy and generosity, as opposed to having a dualistic or pluralistic view. Here is an example to illustrate this issue better: in some cultures it is common that people send a plate or bowl of food to their neighbours as a gift or offering. To reciprocate and appreciate their benevolence, when the neighbours want to give back the dish, they do not give it back empty, but they put some treat or flower in it. In such a scenario, the sender sends his gift by means of a dish, and the recipient thanks the sender again by means of the same dish.
In short, referring to anything or anyone to fulfil one’s need – such as using water to quench one’s thirst – should be with a monotheistic view, that ‘I am doing this according to God’s design of the universe’. One should refer to others only by God’s order and permission: either what He has explicitly expressed in the scripture, or what He has expressed by His actions in the design of the universe.
[1] Raghib, under ḥ-m-d.
[2] Qaraati, 1/27.
[3] Razi, 1/191.
[4] Sahifah, supplication 36; Rawandi, p. 71, h. 170.
[5] Tibyan, 1/31.
[6] Razi, 1/191.
[7] Ihtijaj, 1/58.
[8] Ihtijaj, 1/58.
[9] Maqayis, under r-b-b.
[10] Furqan, 1/94.
[11] Qutb, 1/22-23.
[12] Tibyan, 1/31.
[13] Kashif, 1/33, with some elaboration.
[14] Alusi, 1/83.
[15] Ibn Asakir, 52/46. The poem is by Abū al-Muẓaffar ibn al-Ḥakīm (d. 566 AH).
[16] Rūmī, Mathnawī, v. 2, line 2629.
[17] Qurtubi, 1/138.
[18] Suyuti, 1/13.
[19] Tibyan, 1/25, 31.
[20] Tibyan, 1/32-33.
[21] Mizan, 1/19.
[22] Razi, 1/199.
[23] Misbah, 83; Tirmidhi, 3/231, h. 2027; Kafi, 4/40, h. 9; Uyun, 2/12, h. 27; Haythami, 3/123; Kanz, 6/338, h. 15928.
[24] Razi, 1/161-162.
[25] Razi, 1/162-163.
[26] Alusi, 1/84.
[27] Iqbal, 2/76; Kafʿamī, al-Balad al-Amīn, p. 252.
[28] Razi, 1/23-24, 193.
[29] Attributed to Imam Ali (a); Maybudī, Dīwān-e Amīr al-Muʾminīn, p. 175; Bahrayn, 4/48; Safi, 1/92.
[30] Razi, 1/194.
[31] Qurtubi, 1/134.
[32] Saʿdī, Gulistān.
[33] Rūmī, Mathnawī, v. 2, lines 3089-3092.
[34] Tabrisi, 1/97.
[35] Qummi, 1/41; Tirmidhi, 5/123, h. 3427; Khisal, 2/427, h. 4; Tabari, 1/160, 164; Mustadrak.S, 1/64, 2/261, 4/263; Razi, 1/240; Kanz, 6/126, h. 15123, and 9/230, h. 25783.
[36] Uyun, 1/282-283, h. 30.
[37] Tibyan, 7/305; Tabarani, 1/282, 10/178; Haythami, 8/118; Suyuti, 1/12; Kanz, 3/388, h. 7078.
[38] Suyuti, 1/11; Kanz, 3/255, h. 6419.
[39] Kanz, 1/469, h. 2042; Razi, 1/240.
[40] Tabarani, 8/193; Suyūṭī, al-Jāmiʿ al-Ṣaghīr, 2/486, h. 7841; Kanz, 3/253, h. 6405.
[41] Kafi, 2/96, h. 13; al-Ṭabarānī, al-Muʿjam al-Awsaṭ, 2/93; Mishkat, pp. 31-32; Razi, 1/223; Suyuti, 1/11-12; Suyūṭī, al-Jāmiʿ al-Ṣaghīr, 2/425, h. 7398, and 2/486, h. 7840; Kanz, 3/253, h. 6404.
[42] Tuhaf, p. 483.
[43] Razi, 1/194; Qurtubi, 1/131.
[44] Razi, 1/194.
[45] Uddah, p. 262; Thalabi, 7/196; Zamakhshari, 3/355.
[46] Tabari, 1/46; Ibn Kathir, 1/43; Suyuti, 1/11.
[47] Al-Ṭabarānī, al-Muʿjam al-Awsaṭ, 2/14; Suyuti, 1/11.
[48] Kafi, 2/97, h. 18; Suyuti, 1/12.
[49] Tuhaf, p. 174.
[50] Mishkat, p. 32.
[51] Tustari, p. 86; Majmūʿat Warrām, 2/17.
[52] Bihar, 91/146.
[53] Saʿdī, Gulistān.
[54] Saʿdī, Gulistān.
[55] Al-Ṭabarānī, al-Muʿjam al-Awsaṭ, 7/155; Haythami, 8/57; Suyuti, 1/12.
[56] Ahmad, 4/260, 5/370; Nasai.K, 6/50, h. 9996; Kafi, 2/506, h. 3; Makarim, p. 309; Suyūṭī, al-Jāmiʿ al-Ṣaghīr, 2/41, h. 4635; Kanz, 1/464, h. 2018, and 1/472, h. 2050.
[57] Razi, 1/162-163.
[58] Razi, 1/199; ʿĀmilī, Miftāḥ al-Falāḥ, p. 365.
[59] Razi, 1/241.
[60] Alusi, 1/82.
[61] Uyun, 2/24, h. 2.
[62] Ahmad, 2/258, 3/32, 4/278, 4/375; Tirmidhi, 3/228, h. 2021; Tabarani, 2/356; Ḥalwānī, Nuzhat al-Nāẓir wa Tanbīh al-Khāṭir, p. 27, h. 75; Kanz, 3/266.
[63] Kafi, 2/99, h. 30; Tabarani, 1/236, h. 648; Kanz, 3/266, h. 6481.
[64] Razi, 1/192.
[65] Tasnīm, 1/340, 1/344-348, 13/612-615, with some elaboration.