ايَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ
You [alone] do we serve, and to You [alone] do we turn for help.
EXEGESIS
Iyyā is used to separate a pronoun from a verb as opposed to being imbedded in the verb’s conjugated form. Mentioning the pronoun separately is a way of emphasising it. This verse involves a further emphasis because this separate pronoun is mentioned before the verb. It implies that we serve You alone and we only seek help from You. Then there is a further emphasis in the repetition of iyyāka in the verse. This repetition may also show that the sentences are separate acts that can occur independently from one another. Another possible point is that since talking to God is sweet and enjoyable, it is extended by repeating iyyāka.
The suffix ka is a pronoun that indicates God as the object of service and seeking help. It has appeared before its verb which indicates us as the subject by its conjugated form. This precedence of the object could serve a few points: 1. It could be an allusion to God’s precedence as our creator and Lord over us, His servants. His existential priority, authority, and superiority over every aspect of our life and being, necessitates that when it comes to speech, we should mention Him first. 2. It alleviates the burden of servitude and worship by first reminding us that our acts are for such a beautiful and excellent beloved. 3. It justifies our services and makes our worship easy by first reminding us of God’s greatness and magnificence. 4. It emphasises monotheism and God’s unity. It identifies and determines the object of worship as God alone right at the beginning of the verse in order to commit us to Him alone. This should also be a reminder to the person who prays not to be distracted to the right or left, for the object of worship is God alone, and He is the only one to be sought for help.
The verb ʿabada means to show utmost humility and subservience, in submission and obedience. A smooth path is called ṭarīq muʿabbad as it has been repeatedly pressed and levelled by the feet of the travellers. ʿAbd means slave, servant, bondsman, and is used for both male and female. Therefore, its verbal form means to serve someone, be humble before him, and submit to what he says like a slave in front of his master. ʿIbādah is not any obedience to commands, but it is obedience coupled with reverence and humility. In the language of the Quran and Sunna, ʿabd is the opposite of rabb (lord, master, owner).
Nastaʿīnu: ask for help, seek support, aid, and assistance. It is notably used in the Quran in contexts where one is weak, oppressed, and needs support against the enemies (12:18, 7:128, 21:112).
This verse involves a change of tone and address. The previous verses were stated in the third person, not directed at anyone, but this verse is in the first-person plural form, addressed to God in second person singular. This could show a few points: 1. It suggests a direct dialogue with God, where the speakers (that is, human beings, who are God’s servants) address their Lord, express their servitude, and plead with Him for help. It is an intimate conversation between a servant and his Lord, with a splendid sense of sincerity, purity, and devotion. 2. Such switch of address is common in Arabic literature, as a refreshing art of eloquence. 3. It confirms the idea that in order to serve a master and worship a god, one must have a minimum degree of knowledge about that god. Otherwise, one cannot worship a completely unknown entity. The first few verses introduce and define God before one can express his voluntary act of worship. 4. The initial praise of God elevates one’s degree and brings one closer to God, such that by this verse the person is qualified to address Him directly. In other words, the first few verses prepare the worshipper to feel and realise God’s presence with him. This could involve rising to a level of witnessing God with the eye of the heart, thanks to the above process of praise, contemplation, and glorification.
Addressing God in second person singular in prayers and supplications does not contravene respect and courtesy in speech. Singular in these cases emphasises God’s unity and His freedom from having any partner or associate in any of His attributes and actions, all of which are beautiful.
It is difficult to deduce a robust point from the order of the two parts of this verse. The overall meaning of the verse would be the same had it had the opposite order. Yet, some possible explanations for this order are: 1. Serving is stated first because it is more relevant to God’s mastership mentioned in the previous verse, and seeking help is stated next as a prelude to the next verse where one asks for guidance. 2. It only makes sense to first offer one’s worship and respect in order to get closer to God, and then request what one wants. 3. It is our duty to serve God as per the trust that has been laid on our backs (7:172, 33:72, 36:60). The verse’s order shows that giving back a trust and fulfilling one’s duty takes precedence over seeking some help and gain for oneself. We should be primarily concerned with giving, not getting, and with paying our duties and the dues that are incumbent upon us. After all, we are servants, not independent masters of our own; and the whole purpose of our creation is to serve God (51:56). 4. It is natural to speak in escalation: first state the particular and then expand to a universal. Here, seeking help is more general than service because we turn to God for help not only to serve Him, but for all of our affairs and actions. Similarly, ‘we serve you’ primarily pertains to a voluntary action in the sphere of legislation, while ‘we turn to you for help’ is not limited to that, but also includes our seeking His support by our very existence. 5. Seeking help from God is a result and implication of being a servant to Him. It indicates one’s utter need, desperation, and reliance on his master, which is a sublime stage of servitude. Therefore, the verse builds up in intensity, a trend that is followed in the next two verses. This could be a representation of the prayer being the miʿrāj (stairway, ascension) of the believer, for it rises in stages of servitude step-by-step. 6. By saying You [alone] do we serve the servant ascribes his act of service and worship to himself, which could imply some share of independence and freedom from his Lord. That is why it then clarifies that even in our service we rely on Him: and to You [alone] do we turn for help. The use of plural may also serve the same purpose: to dissolve the individual in the group as a means of removing one’s self-centred view of his act and request.
EXPOSITION
This verse can be thought of as a consequence of the previous verses. Realising that God is the praiseworthy Lord of all nations, that He is The all-beneficent, the all-merciful, and that He is the Master of the Day of Judgement, two conclusions are made: we only serve You and we only ask help from You. In other words, God is the one whom we should serve and worship, and He is the one to whom we should turn for help. Say: ‘He is my Lord; there is no god except Him; in Him I have put my trust, and to Him will be my return’ (13:30).
You [alone] do we serve could be a positive response to God’s order: Your Lord has decreed that you shall not serve anyone except Him (17:23). It could also be that this verse elaborates on verse 2, which states that all praise belongs to God, and this verse explains the way and means by which He should be praised: through service and worship. It could also be that this verse identifies the subject and doer of praise in verse 2.
The previous verses introduced God; this verse introduces man. Whereas God is the absolute master of everyone, the Lord of all nations, and the independent possessor of the treasures of the heavens, the earth, this world, and the hereafter, we are but meek servants and destitute slaves who are never needless of our Lord’s help and assistance.
What in this world is our role and spot?
As letter alif has nothing: no curve or dot.
God is the Lord, the king, and the master, which means that we are not lords, kings, or masters. It does not befit us to assume this position and play this role. We are not good at it and the position is already taken. We are not gods but we are merely servants and slaves. Thus we should not wish to rule how the world should run and how its affairs should unfold. Instead, a servant’s job is to serve his master, submit to his will, and not transgress his limits. Serving God is a direct consequence of His unity: Indeed I am Allah – there is no god except Me. So serve Me (20:14).
I don’t want to be a king or to establish myself;
What I want from You is exactly Yourself!
You suffice as a king, so don’t give me a part;
Just come once a while as a guest to my heart.
Imam Ali (a) prayed to God: ‘It is sufficient honour for me to be Thy servant! It is sufficient glory for me to have Thee as my Lord! Thou art as I want Thee to be, so make me as Thou want me to be.’
What constitutes our identity and reality is our bondage and servitude to God, which also defines our task and duty in this world, as God says: I did not create the jinn and the humans except that they may serve Me (51:56). However, our bondage to God is not like the bondage of other slaves to their owners, for that is rather a conventional and legislative bondage, without any existential supremacy or dependence between the two sides. In human lordship, the master may become the slave and the slave may become the master. Moreover, the master does not own every aspect of the servant’s life and being. He may have authority over the time and voluntary acts of the servant, but not over many other aspects like his identity, colour, height, capabilities, emotions, and not least his very existence.
However, our servitude to God is a matter of our very being and existence; something that cannot be dispensed with. We depend on God for our very life and existence in the first place, and subsequently for every quality, property, or activity that ensues. God has absolute ownership and unbounded lordship over us. That is why we are ever God’s servants and we constantly get help from Him.
This is called existential servitude, which is true about all beings in the universe: There is none in the heavens and the earth but he comes to the All-Beneficent as a servant (19:93). Meanwhile, the context of the current and subsequent verses shows that the discussion is about the voluntary acts of humankind. They should serve Him alone, and they should only turn to Him for help – because of His most beautiful names, His absolute lordship and dominion over the universe, and their constant need of Him. Hence, the verse is a declaration of attuning one’s action, intention, and direction in life with the existential realities of the universe. If they turn their backs [on you], say: ‘Allah is sufficient for me. There is no god except Him. In Him I have put my trust and He is the Lord of the great Throne’ (9:129).
Serving God alone negates not only other gods and idols in the apparent and physical sense, but also anything that one may serve or follow in any form. This includes following one’s thoughts, desires, and imaginations; adopting other economic, political, and legal systems in the world; and seeking the satisfaction of other managers, supervisors, and clients.
The Quran tells us a story from history in Sūrat al-Baqarah about a small group that overcame a much larger and stronger group only because they were connected to the source of all power and strength: Those who were certain they will encounter Allah said: ‘How many a small party has overcome a larger party by Allah’s will! And Allah is with the patient’ (2:249). And more generally it says: If Allah helps you, no one can overcome you, but if He forsakes you, who will help you after Him? So in Allah let all the faithful put their trust (3:160; also see 8:49 and 65:3). According to Imam Ali (a), one who relies on God, God will cover for him, he will be needless of God’s servants, and difficulties will become easy for him. The Prophet said: ‘If you want to be the strongest of people, rely on God.’
A subtle point here is that seeking help (istiʿānah) is used when a person makes an effort and does an action, but asks someone else to help him in it. The term is not used when the person does not do anything and only asks for help. Thus, if one wants God to give him help (iʿānah, maʿūnah) then he must work and act, because otherwise this meaning will not be applicable.
The Quran also approves seeking other means of help. For example it says: Take recourse in patience and prayer (2:45, 2:153), and Prophet Moses (a) ordered the Israelites: Turn to Allah for help and be patient (7:128). These verses use the verb istaʿīnū, which is the imperative form of the same verb as nastaʿīnu (we seek help), where it is not applied to God, but to patience and prayer. Similarly, Dhū al-Qarnayn asked the people to help him build the bulwark against the mischievous enemies (18:95), and the believers are ordered to help each other in doing good and being God-wary (5:2). Therefore, seeking help from God alone does not contradict using the means that He has set and ordered to be used. Rather, if one really wants help from God, then he should follow God’s orders, one of which is to take recourse in patience and prayer (2:45, 2:153).
Meanwhile, in this verse, seeking help from God is exclusive, as indicated by the particle iyyā, as opposed to the verses referenced in the previous paragraph, where seeking help from other things is ‘by’ them, as indicated by the letter bāʾ. It might be inferred from this subtle difference that our ultimate and independent point of reference in seeking help is God alone, and things other than Him are only means and instruments through which one may qualify to receive His help.
The fact that our plans, instruments, faculties, and strengths fail to achieve what they were intended for is a sign that their impact is not of themselves, but they are set in place by a higher source and power which controls them and keeps them within their boundaries. The Quran refers to this as taskhīr, which means God’s making things subservient to His command and direction, and giving them specific roles and positions in the universe. Thus one should turn to God for help, who is the source, creator, and director of all this design.
All wonderful pictures that you see in the world
Are by a pen that His hands adeptly twirled.
Some scholars have suggested a subtle point about this verse: the first part of the verse may imply that we serve and worship God on our own, with our own strength, and independent of God. That is why the verse immediately clarifies that in all actions we seek help and get support from Him. Therefore, even our service and worship would be incomplete without His help. This idea is confirmed by several verses in the Quran (4:79, 4:94, 7:43, 16:53, 24:21, 49:17, 52:27).
It’s impossible to be felicitous without You;
Even when we serve You, we seek help from You.
Here are some possible explanations for the use of plural form in this verse and verse 7: 1. It complies with the primacy of congregational prayer to solitary prayer (for obligatory prayers, which obviously take precedence over optional prayers). Indeed, the tone, address, and order of the verses in this chapter fit very well with its recitation in the daily prayers. Of course, the plural is also meaningful in individual prayers in the sense that it would include the worshipper and the angels who join him in prayer as per many narrations. 2. The aforementioned qualities of God – that is, His lordship, mercy, and mastership – apply to all creatures and beings. Thus, as one recites the chapter it is as if he finds himself in the same boat as all other beings. That is why he says: we. In other words, it includes all creatures and existents, for they all serve God in their own way. 3. It is a means of seeking help from the spirit and power of a group, just like in physical labour where an individual may not be able to achieve a task alone, but would have much greater chances if he is part of a group. Similarly, the wrongdoers in verse 7 are mentioned in plural form because association with a community and group of evildoers would be most detrimental, instilling false beliefs and evil motifs in the person.
Instead of weak companions on the path like these
I want the Lion of God and one like Hercules.
4. It is a way of hiding ourselves within a group, so as to avoid overinflating our egos for our acts of worship. The spirit of servitude contradicts the servant’s claim to any right or merit, especially before his master. 5. It is a means of attaching our defective and mixed worship with that of God’s chosen servants and pure angels, hoping that He will accept it from us. The worshipper’s act is not worth mentioning alone; that is why he bundles it with the worship of others. A similar expression is seen in Prophet Ishmael’s (a) use of plural in 37:102, as opposed to Prophet Moses’ (a) use of singular in 18:69 – where the former succeeded in being patient but the latter did not. 6. It is a prelude to the collective request for guidance in the next verse, so that God may grace us as He grants the request for His chosen servants who are also included in our supplication.
INSIGHTS FROM HADITH
- Ibn Abbas interpreted the verse as follows: ‘You [alone] do we serve: we only subscribe to You, hope in You, and fear You, not anyone else, our Lord! And to You [alone] do we turn for help: in order to obey You and for all of our affairs.’
- Once, Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) was asked to debate with a proponent of tafwīḍ (delegation, entrustment). He asked the man to recite this surah. When he got to this verse, the Imam told him: ‘Stop! To whom do you turn for help, and what is your need for help? Is it not that the matter has been entrusted to you?’ Thereat the faithless one was dumbfounded. And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing lot (2:258).
Notes: 1. Claiming You [alone] do we serve indicates that we have some will and volition. Yet, that is complemented by: to You [alone] do we turn for help, which shows that we are not independent in our actions and service, but we need God’s help. 2. Ālūsī, the great Asharite exegete, says: ‘If this verse were to be used in the discussion on the creation of acts, it would show that servants have some effective power by God’s will, not independent of Him, and this is my belief. It is not that they have no power in anything that they do whatsoever, like one who has Parkinson’s syndrome, as the proponents of jabr (compulsion, determinism) say. This is obviously not true. It is also not the case that they have some power but without any impact or effect, like a paralysed hand, as commonly held by the Asharites. This effectively reduces again to the belief of jabr, because what is the difference [practically] between having no power or having ineffective power? … Similarly, they do not have independent power to do whatever they wish to do, such that God wants what the servants do not, and the servants do what God does not want, as maintained by the Mutazilites … The verse’s argument on this topic would be that You [alone] do we serve refers to the emanation of actions from the servants, which entails that they have some power to create [their actions] … And to You [alone] do we turn for help negates the independence of the servants in what they do, and shows that God helps them in their actions. This is also found in the expression, “There is no movement or might save by God”. This is the pure milk that flows from in between waste and blood [16:66]. Hence, there is neither jabr (compulsion, determinism) nor tafwīḍ (delegation, entrustment).’
- The Messenger of God told his companions: ‘Say: You [alone] do we serve, meaning: there is only one whom we serve and worship. We are not like the materialists who claim that the beings have no beginning, but have ever been. Neither are we like the dualists who claim that light and darkness are two directors [of affairs in the universe]. Nor are we like the Arab polytheists who claim that their idols are gods. No, we do not associate anyone with You, we do not call anyone but You – unlike these disbelievers – and we do not say what the Jews and Christians said – that You have taken a son for yourself. Exalted You are above that.’
Note: This narration shows that such a short sentence is a manifesto of monotheism which clearly points to where Muslims stand in the theological spectrum.
- In a sacred tradition (ḥadīth al-qudsī) God interpreted this verse as follows: ‘You [alone] do we serve: O You who have blessed us with bounties! We obey You with sincerity, humility, and humbleness, without wanting others to see or hear about it. And to You [alone] do we turn for help: we ask Your help to obey You as You have ordered, to keep away from our worldly affairs that You have prohibited, and to remain safe by Your protection from the Devil and other human transgressors, including those who misguide and those who make mischief unjustly.’
- Ibn Abbas said: ‘Gabriel said to the Prophet (s): “O Muhammad! Say: You [alone] do we serve, meaning: O our Lord! We believe in You alone, fear You alone, and hope in You alone, not anyone else.’
- The Prophet said: ‘To You [alone] do we turn for help: in order to avert the harms of Your enemies, avoid their plots, and remain steadfast on what You have ordered us.’
- It is narrated as a sacred tradition that God says: ‘My servant! I have created everything for you, and I have created you for Myself.’
Notes: 1. This idea is confirmed by many verses in the Quran that talk about all things being made subservient to and in service of mankind, but it is not found in any of the original authorities of hadith, whether Shia or Sunni. 2. The message of this statement is that of monotheism, in contrast to taking one’s desire to be one’s god (25:43, 45:23), or becoming a servant of one’s own possessions. 3. Perhaps we can say that the first part of the verse describes our goal and objective: what is it that we want in this life? What do we love, seek, and strive towards? It is – or it should be – God. The second part of the verse describes how we can or should reach this goal: only by Your help! Imam Ali (a) glorifies God in Duʿāʾ al-Ṣabāḥ as follows: ‘O He who hath guided [His servants] to Himself by Himself,’ and Imam al-Sajjād (a) praises God by saying: ‘Thou hast guided me to Thyself.’
- The Prophet advised Abū Dharr as follows: ‘Have a regard for God so that He may be your guard. Have a regard for God and you shall find Him in your front. Make God know you in ease and He will know you in difficulty. When you have a request, only ask God. When you need help, only turn to God for help. The pen has dried with what shall happen until the Day of Resurrection. If all creatures exert their utmost effort to make you gain a benefit that has not been written for you, they will not be able to do so. And if they exert their utmost effort to make you suffer a harm that God has not written for you, they will not be able to do so. Thus, try, if you can, to act for God with satisfaction while having certitude. If you cannot do so, then there is much good to [at least] have patience in things that are unpleasant to you. Indeed with patience there is victory; with sorrow there is opening; and with difficulty there is ease.’
Note: According to some narrations, the Prophet gave this advice to Faḍl or ʿAbd-Allāh ibn Abbas.
- Imam al-Sajjād (a) supplicated to God: ‘I saw that the needy who seeks from the needy is foolish in his opinion and misguided in his intellect. How many people have I seen, my God, who sought exaltation through other than Thee and were abased, who wanted wealth from someone else and became poor, and who tried to rise high and fell down low!’
REVIEW OF TAFSIR LITERATURE
Naʿbudu is sometimes translated as we worship and sometimes as we serve. Some exegetes have picked on these two meanings and dimensions of the root as follows: the word could be either from ʿibādah or from ʿubūdah. The former means worship while the latter means service. Some examples for ʿibādah (worship) are: prayer without heedlessness, fasting without gossip, charity without reproach, pilgrimage without show, holy war without boasting, freeing slaves without bothering them, and remembering God without boredom. Some examples for ʿubūdah (service, servitude) are: satisfaction with God’s decree without any grudge, patience in hardships without complaint, certitude in God’s promises without doubt, presence of heart without absence, advancing toward God without turning back, and connecting to Him without cutting off.
Making the subtle distinction between the two meanings of this root is absolutely vital in having a proper understanding of what is meant by ʿabd and ʿibādah in the Quran. The root meaning of ʿ-b-d (whether in the form ʿibādah or ʿubūdah) is servitude and bondage. Then worship – as a ritual veneration – would be an implication and expression of that. Thus, ʿabd should be translated as servant, not worshipper. Similarly, the purpose of the creation of jinn and mankind is only that they may serve Me (51:56), which is more general and inclusive than ritualistic worship. The purpose is that we may be full servants to God, in every second of our life and every aspect of our being.
A suggested explanation for the plural form of the verbs in this verse is that it refers to the multiple organs, parts, and faculties of each person. Our every organ and faculty has a duty of service and worship toward God, and also gets help from Him in its functions. Although this meaning is true and confirmed by narrations, it is not the apparent meaning that primarily springs to the mind upon reading the verse.
Besides the basics covered in Exegesis and Exposition, here are a few more insights that can especially enhance one’s prayer and quality of relationship with God: our life, health, sustenance, support, and any other bounty that we have, are from God: Whatever blessing you have is from Allah (16:53). This is why we should only serve Him and not associate any partners with Him in our service and worship: And Allah has said: ‘Do not worship two gods. Indeed He is the one God, so be in awe of Me [alone]’ (16:51). We should also not refer to any other source or force for help exactly because everything that we have is from God, everything that we have ever had has been from Him, and anything that we can ever receive can only come from Him. He is the sole source of any blessing, support, and perfection: Say: ‘Who provides for you out of the sky and the earth? Who controls [your] hearing and sight, and who brings forth the living from the dead and brings forth the dead from the living, and who directs the command?’ They will say: ‘Allah.’ Say: ‘Will you not then be wary [of Him]?’ That, then, is Allah, your true Lord. So what is there after the truth except error? Then where are you being led away? (10:31-32). God looks after and takes care of each of us as if He has no other servant, but we serve, hope, and fear everything and everybody other than Him; our service to Him is like that of a servant who has many other lords. This is why we should only turn to Him for help: So where are you going? (81:26); So flee toward Allah (51:50).
I examined everyone: like You there’s no one;
Having Your love, I feel that I’ve won.
I dived in the sea but how could there be:
A pearl like You? I couldn’t find or see.
It follows from God’s absolute mastership of all beings and their existential dependence on Him that no being can be viewed and held on its own. In other words, if we understand the reality of any being – including all material and immaterial beings, species, events, laws, and forces that exist in the natural, human, or transcendent realms – then it would be impossible for that being to veil us from seeing God. Being dependant on God, belonging to Him, and being directed by His command are imbedded in the essence and reality of all beings exactly because of His kind of lordship. Soon We shall show them Our signs in the horizons and in their own souls until it becomes clear to them that He is the real. Is it not sufficient that your Lord is witness to all things? Look! They are indeed in doubt about the encounter with their Lord! Look! He indeed comprehends all things! (41:53-54). This also shows that the switch of tone to the second person in this verse is because we may have been heedless of God; otherwise, He is never absent from us.
When have You been away from my heart?
Have You ever been absent or apart?
So who should I find? For here You are!
And who should I seek? You’re never so far!
How embarrassing it is to directly address God whilst our hearts are heedless, inattentive, and neglectful of Him. Compare this with how present, focussed, and enthusiastic we are when we speak to another human being whom we love, or who is wealthy, powerful, or knowledgeable, or even a stranger that we do not know. We are even cognisant of our everyday conversations with people of lower age and rank than ours. How shameful it is then to let our minds wander and drift away to search for every lost object and make a drama out of our daily disputes when we are talking to someone who is our Creator and Master in this world and the next. Let us not be less than the noble women of Egypt who were so enamoured by Prophet Joseph’s (a) beauty in his presence that they cut their hands instead of fruits (12:31).
If you are aware of Him,
Then tell me if you know:
Is there anything better than Him
That you may ask Him to bestow?
Anyone or anything that we find to be beautiful, influential, and important has its special quality from God. It is only a limited manifestation and a transitory expression of God’s beauty, power, and magnificence.
Joseph, in beauty, was unique and one,
The like of whom no one has seen.
Yet more beautiful is Joseph’s creator:
He is the painter of the scene so green.
One of the implications of this verse is the honour and lofty position of mankind. The verse implies that we should not be humbled and subservient before anything or anyone except the high truth. God has freed us from every tie of slavery and has preserved us only for Himself. It is as if God’s message is: ‘Your heart is Mine, so do not let in it the love of anyone else. Your tongue is Mine, so do not invoke with it anyone else. Your body is Mine, so do not employ it in serving anyone else. If you want anything, then ask Me alone. If you want knowledge, say: ‘My Lord! Increase me in knowledge’ (20:114). If you want this world, ask Allah for His grace (4:32). If you fear a loss, say: I seek the protection of the Lord of the daybreak (113:1). I am the one who has described Himself as being the Splitter of the dawn (6:96) and the splitter of the grain and the pit (6:95). I have done these things only for you. Now that I have done these things only for you, will I not protect you from dangers and fears?’ Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) said: ‘Do not be humbled under anyone, and do not rely on the sufficiency of anyone.’
The owners of wealth in this world ignore;
How long shall you sit gazing at their door?
Don’t sell your beloved for any worldly gain;
Selling Joseph for gold is indeed a drain.
This is monotheism, which is the universal religion called to by all prophets and messengers. Prophet Abraham (a) told his people: In fact, instead of Allah you worship idols, and you invent a lie. Indeed those whom you worship besides Allah have no control over your provision. So seek all [your] provision from Allah, and worship Him and thank Him, and to Him you shall be brought back (29:17); Do you want gods other than Allah in falsehood? Then what is your idea about the Lord of all nations? (37:86-87). Likewise, Prophet Elijah (a) told his people: Do you invoke Baal and abandon the best of creators, Allah, your Lord and Lord of your forefathers? (37:125-126). Similarly, the sincere believer mentioned in Sūrat Yā Sīn said to his people: Shall I take gods besides Him? If the All-Beneficent desired to cause me any distress their intercession will not avail me in any way, nor will they rescue me. Indeed then I would be in manifest error (36:23-24).
There’s no substitute for Me, so stay in My zone;
I’m sufficient for you, so don’t go on your own.
You have no other alternative, so grab on to Me;
Not even for a breath be heedless of Me.
Don’t wish to live without Me for a bit;
What you see other than Me, ignore and quit.
A word of caution here is that we must be sincere and truthful when we utter this verse. We recite this verse at least ten times every day in our obligatory daily prayers. While the prayer is the highest form of worship, lying is the basest of sins. If the best thing that we do in our day is a lie, then what will be the case of our other acts? Nevertheless, this does not mean that we should stop praying in order to avoid lying, because the very placement of this verse in the daily prayer and the order to repeat it are meant to build us, bring us to a higher level of realisation, and liberate us from enslavement to anyone or anything other than God. Muhammad Mahdī Baḥr al-ʿUlūm says:
Watch out when you say ‘I serve You alone,’
Lest you are a liar saying a monotone.
Don’t mock yourself by that which you say;
You’re a slave to your desire, and that is your way.
You seek help from other than God in your day,
But you say ‘Thee alone’ when you stand to pray.
INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS
- Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.
- In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness. Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me. For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.
- Cause me to hear thy loving kindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee. Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.
[1] Lisan, under i-y-y.
[2] Tibyan, 1/39.
[3] Tabrisi, 1/102.
[4] Qaraati, 1/31.
[5] Furqan, 1/108.
[6] Razi, 1/211.
[7] Alusi, 1/90.
[8] Tibyan, 1/38.
[9] Maqayis, under ʿ-b-d; Raghib, under ʿ-b-d; Taj, under ʿ-b-d; Tahqiq, under ʿ-b-d.
[10] Razi, 1/26.
[11] Raghib, under ʿ-b-d; Taj, under ʿ-b-d.
[12] Zamakhshari, 1/14; Tabrisi, 1/102-103.
[13] Furqan, 1/107.
[14] Razi, 1/215-216.
[15] Bursawi, 1/17.
[16] Kashif, 1/34.
[17] Tibyan, 1/37-38.
[18] Zamakhshari, 1/14-15.
[19] Alusi, 1/91, with some elaboration.
[20] Furqan, 1/113-114.
[21] Alusi, 1/91.
[22] Mizan, 1/26.
[23] Alusi, 1/75.
[24] Rūmī, Mathnawī, v. 1, line 1524.
[25] ʿAṭṭār, Manṭiq al-Ṭayr, maqālah 33.
[26] Khisal, 2/420; Razi, 1/215; Ibn Abi al-Hadid, 20/255.
[27] Mizan, 1/25, with some elaboration.
[28] Qutb, 1/25, with some elaboration.
[29] Qutb, 1/25.
[30] Ghurar, h. 3872-3875, 3886-3888.
[31] Makarim, p. 468; Majmūʿat Warrām, 2/63.
[32] Manar, 1/59-61.
[33] Furqan, 1/114-115, with some elaboration.
[34] Qutb, 1/26.
[35] Ḥāfiẓ, ghazal 77.
[36] ʿĀmilī, Miftāḥ al-Falāḥ, p. 367.
[37] Rūmī, Dīwān-e Kabīr, ghazal 854.
[38] Razi, 1/212.
[39] Razi, 1/166-167, with some elaboration.
[40] Rūmī, Dīwān-e Kabīr, ghazal 441.
[41] Furqan, 1/109-110.
[42] Razi, 1/213.
[43] Alusi, 1/90-91.
[44] Furqan, 1/121.
[45] Tabari, 1/53; Ibn Abi Hatim, 1/29; Ibn Kathir, 1/49; Suyuti, 1/14.
[46] Ayyashi, 1/23-24, h. 24.
[47] Qaraati, 1/32.
[48] Alusi, 1/90.
[49] Ihtijaj, 1/28.
[50] Majmūʿat Warrām, 2/95.
[51] Ibn Abi Hatim, 1/29; Tabari, 1/53.
[52] Tafsir Imam Askari (a), p. 41; Bihar, 89/252.
[53] Al-Bursī, Mashāriq-e Anwār al-Yaqīn, p. 283.
[54] Bihar, 84/339.
[55] Ṭūsī, Miṣbāḥ al-Mutahajjid, 2/582.
[56] Amali.T, p. 536; Makarim, p. 469; Uddah, pp. 132, 182.
[57] Ahmad, 1/293, 307-308; Tirmidhi, 4/76, h. 2635; Ibn Abi Hatim, 10/3251; Tabarani, 11/100-101; Faqih, 4/412-413, h. 5900; Thalabi, 4/139; Amali.T, p. 675; Mishkat, p. 20; Majmūʿat Warrām, 2/81-82; Kanz, 1/133-134, 3/754, h. 8661, and 16/136-137, h. 44165.
[58] Sahifah, supplication 28.
[59] Bursawi, 1/18.
[60] Rahmah, 1/37.
[61] Bursawi, 1/13; Furqan, 1/105.
[62] Rūmī, Dīwān-e Kabīr, ghazal 770.
[63] Mizan, 1/25-26.
[64] Furūghī Basṭāmī, ghazal 9.
[65] Furqan, 1/108.
[66] ʿAṭṭār, Manṭiq al-Ṭayr, maqālah 36.
[67] Kashif, 1/34.
[68] Razi, 32/371.
[69] Tuhaf, p. 304.
[70] Ḥāfiẓ, ghazal 232.
[71] Ḥāfiẓ, ghazal 211.
[72] ʿAṭṭār, Manṭiq al-Ṭayr, maqālah 36.
[73] Namāzī Shāhrūdī, Mustadrak Safīnat al-Biḥār, 7/65-66, quoted from Baḥr al-ʿUlūm, al-Durrah al-Najafiyyah.
[74] Psalms 25:4-5.
[75] Psalms 31:1-3.
[76] Psalms 143:8, 10.