Introduction of prayer:
This prayer refers to the early period of Islam when the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) has to face the envy of the People of book towards Islam and the Prophet (pbuh). They chose a strategy against Muslims to mislead them. They planned that they will declare their Iman in the morning and reject it in the evening. They thought that this quick about-turn would create doubts in the minds of Muslims about Qur’an and Islam and they might turn away from their faith thinking that there must be something wrong with Islam. In tis verse Allah Kareem asked the Prophet (pbuh) to declare that their evil plans can not work against Islam since Guidance given to servants of Allah is certainly from Allah. So, it is He who, with Guidance in His control, can make whoever He will steadfast on that Guidance. No one can succeed in weaning such a person away from it with any trick, plan or enticement whatsoever.
Explanation & virtues of prayer:
1- إِنَّ ٱلْفَضْلَ بِيَدِ ٱللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَن يَشَآءُ ۗ(Indeed, all bounty is in the Hands of Allah—He grants it to whoever He wills):
Fazl (Arabic: فضل) is an Arabic word meaning grace, virtue, favour and bounty. This word has been used for 84 times in Qur’an.
Tech: Bounty of Allah. Used in connection with struggle to earn livelihood and attain bounties of Allah.
Allah Kareem states in this verse that all bounties, favours and blessings are in His hands. He is the Owner, Protector and Provider of all creatures. He bestows His blessings upon whom He wills and deprive to whom He wills. He says in Surah Ali ‘Imran, verse: 26;
قُلِ ٱللَّهُمَّ مَـٰلِكَ ٱلْمُلْكِ تُؤْتِى ٱلْمُلْكَ مَن تَشَآءُ وَتَنزِعُ ٱلْمُلْكَ مِمَّن تَشَآءُ وَتُعِزُّ مَن تَشَآءُ وَتُذِلُّ مَن تَشَآءُ ۖ بِيَدِكَ ٱلْخَيْرُ ۖ إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ قَدِيرٌۭ
Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “O Allah! Lord over all authorities! You give authority to whoever You please and remove it from who You please; You honour whoever You please and disgrace who You please—all good is in Your Hands. Surely You ˹alone˺ are Most Capable of everything.
2- وَٱللَّهُ وَٰسِعٌ عَلِيمٌۭ (And Allah is All-Bountiful, All-Knowing):
Allah Kareem mentions His two beautiful names Al-Wasi’ (All-Bountiful) and Al’Aleem (All-Knowing).
Al-Wasi’: The Vast, The All-Embracing, The Boundless.
Means: to be sufficient in capacity or size, wide, spacious to be ample, plentiful, bountiful, rich to comprehend, embrace, include, take in, pervade, limitless capacity, and abundance.
It has been mentioned for nine times in Qur’an. All above meanings are imply on the this great attribute of the Lord. It refers to His vastness of Being. He is not bounded in any direction or one geographic location.
وَلِلَّهِ ٱلْمَشْرِقُ وَٱلْمَغْرِبُ ۚ فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّوا۟ فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَٰسِعٌ عَلِيمٌۭ ١١٥
To Allah belong the east and the west, so wherever you turn you are facing ˹towards˺ Allah. Surely Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing.
The Grace and Mercy of Allah Kareem is vast and infinite. He showers His blessings as He wills. He says;
فَٱنقَلَبُوا۟ بِنِعْمَةٍۢ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَفَضْلٍۢ لَّمْ يَمْسَسْهُمْ سُوٓءٌۭ وَٱتَّبَعُوا۟ رِضْوَٰنَ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَظِيمٍ ١٧٤
So they returned with Allah’s favours and grace, suffering no harm. For they sought to please Allah. And surely Allah is ˹the˺ Lord of infinite bounty.
ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ يَعِدُكُمُ ٱلْفَقْرَ وَيَأْمُرُكُم بِٱلْفَحْشَآءِ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ يَعِدُكُم مَّغْفِرَةًۭ مِّنْهُ وَفَضْلًۭا ۗ وَٱللَّهُ وَٰسِعٌ عَلِيمٌۭ
The Devil threatens you with ˹the prospect of˺ poverty and bids you to the shameful deed ˹of stinginess˺, while Allah promises you forgiveness and ˹great˺ bounties from Him. And Allah is All-Bountiful, All-Knowing. (2: 268)
All these verses are the manifest of Great Mercy and Infinite Bounty of the Lord. When a believer comes to know the attributes of Allah Kareem as All-Bountiful, All-Embracing and has Boundless Mercy, he benefits with these powerful and blessed Attributes and remains hopeful in every condition and situation.
Al-‘Aleem: The All-Knowing One:
Al-‘Aleem is the One Who knows the details of all things, the particulars of things, what one’s conscience and soul hide. Nothing at all, not even the weight of an atom on earth or in the heavens, can ever escape His knowledge. It is derived from ‘ilm. This attribute helps us understand how Allah’s knowledge is complete and all-encompassing; He knows the beginning, the ending, and everything that’s kept within. He is not only aware of our outward actions but knows the state of our hearts when we make them. Nothing is kept a secret, and nothing can be hidden from His knowledge. This word has been appeared for 157 times in Qur’an.
Qur’an states while mentioning about the knowledge of Allah Kareem;
۞ وَعِندَهُۥ مَفَاتِحُ ٱلْغَيْبِ لَا يَعْلَمُهَآ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِى ٱلْبَرِّ وَٱلْبَحْرِ ۚ وَمَا تَسْقُطُ مِن وَرَقَةٍ إِلَّا يَعْلَمُهَا وَلَا حَبَّةٍۢ فِى ظُلُمَـٰتِ ٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَا رَطْبٍۢ وَلَا يَابِسٍ إِلَّا فِى كِتَـٰبٍۢ مُّبِينٍۢ ٥٩
With Him are the keys of the unseen—no one knows them except Him. And He knows what is in the land and sea. Not even a leaf falls without His knowledge, nor a grain in the darkness of the earth or anything—green or dry—but is ˹written˺ in a perfect Record.
When a believer thinks about the All-Knowing Lord, his believe becomes more stronger that He the exalted knows about our worries and problems. He calls upon having faith and believe that only He Almighty can help and solve his problems.
3- يَخْتَصُّ بِرَحْمَتِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُ ۗ (He chooses whoever He wills to receive His mercy):
Allah Kareem is the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. He introduced Himself in the first verse of Qur’an as the Most Gracious and the Most Merciful. The greatest verse of mercy in Qur’an is the following one;
۞ قُلْ يَـٰعِبَادِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا۟ مِن رَّحْمَةِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ ٱلذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ ٥٣
Say: “O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Surah Az-Zumar: 53)
وَرَحْمَتِى وَسِعَتْ كُلَّ شَىْءٍۢ ۚ
My mercy encompasses everything. (7: 156)
Allah Kareem mentions the prayer of the Angles who hold Throne of the Lord for the believers;
ٱلَّذِينَ يَحْمِلُونَ ٱلْعَرْشَ وَمَنْ حَوْلَهُۥ يُسَبِّحُونَ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّهِمْ وَيُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِۦ وَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ رَبَّنَا وَسِعْتَ كُلَّ شَىْءٍۢ رَّحْمَةًۭ وَعِلْمًۭا فَٱغْفِرْ لِلَّذِينَ تَابُوا۟ وَٱتَّبَعُوا۟ سَبِيلَكَ وَقِهِمْ عَذَابَ ٱلْجَحِيمِ
Those ˹angels˺ who carry the Throne and those around it glorify the praises of their Lord, have faith in Him, and seek forgiveness for the believers, ˹praying:˺ “Our Lord! You encompass everything in ˹Your˺ mercy and knowledge. So forgive those who repent and follow Your Way, and protect them from the torment of the Hellfire. (40:7)
The vast and infinite Mercy of Allah Kareem consoles the believers that they should never be disappointed as the Lord is All-Knowing and All-Provider. He the exalted knows the needs of His servants and bless them as He wills.
4- وَٱللَّهُ ذُو ٱلْفَضْلِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ (And Allah is the Lord of infinite bounty):
Allah Kareem again mentions His attribute of Grace and Bounty. We have talked about His bounties and favours we see now what is meant by ٱلْعَظِيمِ.
Al-‘Azeem: The Great One, The Mighty, The Tremendous.
From the root (ع ظ م), which has the following classical Arabic connotations: to be great, large, big, to be vast, huge, enormous, to be great in rank, importance or dignity, to be imposing, powerful, superior, to be magnificent, honoured, revered, to be immense, stupendous, lofty, to be above imperfection and sublime. He is Al-Azeem, The Greatest in all His beautiful qualities. This blessed name is mentioned for nine times in Qur’an.
Allah Kareem states about His attributes in Ayatul Kursi and in the end He Almighty calls Himself as Al-‘Azeem;
ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْحَىُّ ٱلْقَيُّومُ ۚ لَا تَأْخُذُهُۥ سِنَةٌۭ وَلَا نَوْمٌۭ ۚ لَّهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِى يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُۥٓ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِۦ ۚ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ ۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَىْءٍۢ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِۦٓ إِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَ ۚ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ ۖ وَلَا يَـُٔودُهُۥ حِفْظُهُمَا ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَلِىُّ ٱلْعَظِيمُ ٢٥٥
Allah! There is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except Him, the Ever-Living, All-Sustaining. Neither drowsiness nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who could possibly intercede with Him without His permission? He ˹fully˺ knows what is ahead of them and what is behind them, but no one can grasp any of His knowledge—except what He wills ˹to reveal˺. His Seat1 encompasses the heavens and the earth, and the preservation of both does not tire Him. For He is the Most High, the Greatest. (2: 255)
It is reported from the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was used to supplicate Allah, calling upon Him by the blessed name Al-‘Azeem;
عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَدْعُو عِنْدَ الْكَرْبِ “ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ الْعَظِيمُ الْحَلِيمُ، لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ رَبُّ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ، رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ ”.
Narrated Ibn `Abbas:
The Prophet (ﷺ) used to invoke Allah at the time of distress, saying, “La ilaha illal-lahu Al-`Azim, al- Halim, La ilaha illal-lahu Rabbu-s-samawati wal-ard wa Rabbu-l-arsh il-azim.”(Sahih al-Bukhari: 6345)
Conclusion:
All the blessed and bounteous attributes of Allah Kareem urge us to call upon Him with full believe in His Mercy. This prayer can be recited to get any blessing and favour of Allah Kareem. Those persons who are worried about good and righteous spouse they should recite it abundantly after every Salah.
