1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,759 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 2 00:00:30,300 --> 00:00:32,299 A Gentle Commentary 3 00:00:32,299 --> 00:00:35,299 on the book "Identification Cards 4 00:00:35,299 --> 00:00:38,299 for the Surahs of the Noble Mus-haf" 5 00:00:38,299 --> 00:00:42,299 by Dr. Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn 'Umar Nasif, 6 00:00:42,299 --> 00:00:44,329 may Allah preserve him. 7 00:00:44,329 --> 00:00:46,329 Surah al-Fatihah. 8 00:00:46,329 --> 00:00:48,329 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 9 00:00:48,329 --> 00:00:50,329 All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, 10 00:00:50,329 --> 00:00:53,030 and may peace and blessings be upon the Seal of the Prophets and Messengers. 11 00:00:53,030 --> 00:00:56,030 Our lesson today, within the gentle commentary 12 00:00:56,030 --> 00:00:58,030 on the identification cards, 13 00:00:58,030 --> 00:01:00,350 focuses on Surah al-Fatihah. 14 00:01:00,350 --> 00:01:04,349 Discussion on this surah could easily be vast and prolonged, 15 00:01:04,349 --> 00:01:09,790 but I shall confine myself to three main points. 16 00:01:09,790 --> 00:01:12,590 The first point 17 00:01:12,590 --> 00:01:15,590 concerns the author's text regarding the chronological order of its revelation. 18 00:01:15,590 --> 00:01:18,939 Surah al-Fatihah is not mentioned 19 00:01:18,939 --> 00:01:21,939 in the well-known transmission concerning the chronological order of revelation, 20 00:01:21,939 --> 00:01:26,170 although it is evident that it was revealed very early on. 21 00:01:26,170 --> 00:01:28,359 In the footnote, 22 00:01:28,359 --> 00:01:30,549 I indicated what is actually intended 23 00:01:30,549 --> 00:01:32,549 by the well-known transmission, 24 00:01:32,549 --> 00:01:35,319 contrary to what appears in the printed book. 25 00:01:35,319 --> 00:01:37,319 For the author confined himself in the footnote 26 00:01:37,319 --> 00:01:39,609 to citing 27 00:01:39,609 --> 00:01:41,609 another weak transmission 28 00:01:41,609 --> 00:01:43,829 that ought not to have been mentioned. 29 00:01:43,829 --> 00:01:47,439 Anyone who has the book will find 30 00:01:47,439 --> 00:01:50,049 this flaw in the footnote 31 00:01:50,049 --> 00:01:52,109 on page nineteen. 32 00:01:52,109 --> 00:01:54,109 As for the second point, 33 00:01:54,109 --> 00:01:56,689 it concerns the analysis of this narration itself: 34 00:01:56,689 --> 00:01:58,689 this well-known transmission 35 00:01:58,689 --> 00:02:00,689 upon which I relied. 36 00:02:00,689 --> 00:02:02,689 I will address it from three perspectives. 37 00:02:02,689 --> 00:02:04,689 First, its chain of transmission (isnad): 38 00:02:04,689 --> 00:02:06,689 its isnad contains weakness. 39 00:02:06,689 --> 00:02:09,689 Although some contemporary researchers declared it strong, 40 00:02:09,689 --> 00:02:11,689 they did so without any clear evidence. 41 00:02:11,689 --> 00:02:13,750 Nevertheless, the scholars 42 00:02:13,750 --> 00:02:16,069 relied upon it due to its renown, 43 00:02:16,069 --> 00:02:19,069 and its weakness does not warrant discarding it altogether. 44 00:02:19,069 --> 00:02:21,460 The scholars have thus relied upon it. 45 00:02:21,460 --> 00:02:23,620 This is the first matter, 46 00:02:23,620 --> 00:02:25,620 concerning the weakness in its isnad. 47 00:02:25,620 --> 00:02:27,620 The second matter relates to its text (matn): 48 00:02:27,620 --> 00:02:29,620 its text requires critical examination. 49 00:02:29,620 --> 00:02:31,620 Among the best 50 00:02:31,620 --> 00:02:33,620 of those who relied upon it 51 00:02:33,620 --> 00:02:35,620 and cited it 52 00:02:35,620 --> 00:02:37,620 in his Tafsir 53 00:02:37,620 --> 00:02:39,620 for every surah— 54 00:02:39,620 --> 00:02:42,129 while simultaneously critiquing its text— 55 00:02:42,129 --> 00:02:44,129 was Shaykh al-Tahir ibn 'Ashur. 56 00:02:44,129 --> 00:02:46,129 In his Tafsir, 57 00:02:46,129 --> 00:02:48,129 you will find him at the beginning of each surah 58 00:02:48,129 --> 00:02:50,129 saying, "It is counted as the ninth," 59 00:02:50,129 --> 00:02:52,129 "It is counted as the tenth," 60 00:02:52,129 --> 00:02:54,129 and the like. 61 00:02:54,129 --> 00:02:56,129 Then he mentions what contradicts 62 00:02:56,129 --> 00:02:58,129 that statement, 63 00:02:58,129 --> 00:03:00,129 or presents 64 00:03:00,129 --> 00:03:02,129 other evidence that he favors, 65 00:03:02,129 --> 00:03:04,129 scrutinizes, 66 00:03:04,129 --> 00:03:06,129 and uses to debate 67 00:03:06,129 --> 00:03:08,129 this well-known transmission. 68 00:03:08,129 --> 00:03:10,129 As for most others who relied on this transmission, 69 00:03:10,129 --> 00:03:12,129 to the best of my knowledge, 70 00:03:12,129 --> 00:03:14,129 they would simply cite it without 71 00:03:14,129 --> 00:03:16,129 significant critical scrutiny. 72 00:03:16,129 --> 00:03:18,129 Perhaps 73 00:03:18,129 --> 00:03:20,129 Muhammad 'Izzat Darwazah's book, 74 00:03:20,129 --> 00:03:22,129 "Al-Tafsir al-Hadith", 75 00:03:22,129 --> 00:03:24,129 also paid some attention to it, but it does not match 76 00:03:24,129 --> 00:03:26,129 the attention given by al-Tahir ibn 'Ashur. 77 00:03:26,129 --> 00:03:28,129 Indeed, al-Tahir ibn 'Ashur is among the finest to critique 78 00:03:28,129 --> 00:03:30,129 the text of Jabir ibn Zayd's transmission, 79 00:03:30,129 --> 00:03:32,129 the famous narration 80 00:03:32,129 --> 00:03:34,129 mentioned by al-Suyuti in 81 00:03:34,129 --> 00:03:37,469 "Al-Itqan" and other works. 82 00:03:37,469 --> 00:03:39,539 The third matter is that there is 83 00:03:39,539 --> 00:03:41,539 confusion in the sequencing of this transmission; 84 00:03:41,539 --> 00:03:43,539 that is, those who relied on this transmission 85 00:03:43,539 --> 00:03:45,539 confounded it, advancing some surahs and delaying others. 86 00:03:45,539 --> 00:03:47,539 Even al-Tahir ibn 'Ashur 87 00:03:47,539 --> 00:03:49,539 fell into this, among others. 88 00:03:49,539 --> 00:03:51,539 For this reason, I relied upon 89 00:03:51,539 --> 00:03:53,539 the narration that I referenced 90 00:03:53,539 --> 00:03:55,629 in the footnote 91 00:03:55,629 --> 00:03:57,629 on that very page, 92 00:03:57,629 --> 00:03:59,629 where the modification in the footnote occurred. 93 00:03:59,629 --> 00:04:01,629 I relied on the transmission of Abu 'Amr al-Dani 94 00:04:01,629 --> 00:04:03,659 in his book 95 00:04:03,659 --> 00:04:05,659 "Al-Bayan fi 'Add Ay al-Qur'an", 96 00:04:05,659 --> 00:04:07,659 because it is a narration with a connected isnad; later authors transmitted it from it, 97 00:04:07,659 --> 00:04:09,659 yet when they transmitted it, 98 00:04:09,659 --> 00:04:11,659 errors occurred in their ordering. 99 00:04:11,659 --> 00:04:13,659 And this transmission, 100 00:04:13,659 --> 00:04:15,789 which is found with Abu 'Amr, 101 00:04:15,789 --> 00:04:17,790 may Allah have mercy on him, contains no mention of al-Fatihah. 102 00:04:17,790 --> 00:04:20,139 Therefore, al-Fatihah 103 00:04:20,139 --> 00:04:22,139 is not counted within 104 00:04:22,139 --> 00:04:24,370 the well-known transmission 105 00:04:24,370 --> 00:04:26,370 upon which I relied. These were two points, 106 00:04:26,370 --> 00:04:28,370 both of which were related 107 00:04:28,370 --> 00:04:30,370 to the chronological order of revelation. 108 00:04:30,370 --> 00:04:32,589 With each surah, 109 00:04:32,589 --> 00:04:34,589 we will attempt to pause over an aspect we have not previously addressed. 110 00:04:34,589 --> 00:04:36,589 We have now paused over the order of revelation, 111 00:04:36,589 --> 00:04:38,589 and with another surah we shall examine 112 00:04:38,589 --> 00:04:40,589 the occasions of revelation (asbab al-nuzul) and other matters, 113 00:04:40,589 --> 00:04:42,589 to clarify various issues, if Allah wills. 114 00:04:42,589 --> 00:04:44,879 The third point is the most important of all, 115 00:04:44,879 --> 00:04:46,879 so lend it your hearing 116 00:04:46,879 --> 00:04:48,879 and your hearts; 117 00:04:48,879 --> 00:04:51,139 I ask Allah to grant spiritual opening to me and to you, 118 00:04:51,139 --> 00:04:53,139 reminding both myself and my beloved listeners. 119 00:04:53,139 --> 00:04:55,899 Give your full attention to Surah al-Fatihah, 120 00:04:55,899 --> 00:04:58,060 for it is the greatest surah of the Qur'an. 121 00:04:58,060 --> 00:05:00,060 It is the one that encapsulates the entire Qur'an, 122 00:05:00,060 --> 00:05:02,060 encompassing all of its core objectives. 123 00:05:02,060 --> 00:05:05,220 Here, I wish to draw attention 124 00:05:05,220 --> 00:05:07,339 to two essential dimensions: 125 00:05:07,339 --> 00:05:09,339 the scholarly and the practical. 126 00:05:09,339 --> 00:05:11,600 As for the scholarly dimension, 127 00:05:11,600 --> 00:05:13,600 I say: one must attain deep understanding (fiqh) 128 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:15,629 of the meanings of al-Fatihah. 129 00:05:15,629 --> 00:05:17,629 Make a habit, every so often, of reading 130 00:05:17,629 --> 00:05:19,790 a Tafsir of al-Fatihah 131 00:05:19,790 --> 00:05:21,920 that you have not read before. 132 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:23,920 If you read Ibn Kathir this month, 133 00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:25,920 read al-Qurtubi the next month, 134 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:27,920 then a third exegete, and a fourth. 135 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:29,920 Read as abundantly as you can 136 00:05:29,920 --> 00:05:31,920 from the works of Tafsir on al-Fatihah, 137 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:33,920 because this continually renews 138 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:35,920 what you already know and provides you with fresh 139 00:05:35,920 --> 00:05:38,269 insights. This is directly connected 140 00:05:38,269 --> 00:05:40,269 to the other dimension, which is the practical 141 00:05:40,269 --> 00:05:42,850 application: be diligent 142 00:05:42,850 --> 00:05:44,850 in contemplating al-Fatihah 143 00:05:44,850 --> 00:05:46,850 during prayer whenever you recite it or hear it. 144 00:05:46,850 --> 00:05:48,850 Never pass over it 145 00:05:48,850 --> 00:05:50,850 hastily; 146 00:05:50,850 --> 00:05:52,850 rather, know and be certain that it is greater 147 00:05:52,850 --> 00:05:54,850 than anything you will recite or hear after it. 148 00:05:54,850 --> 00:05:56,939 Indeed, 149 00:05:56,939 --> 00:05:58,939 as we mentioned, it encompasses the objectives of the Qur'an, 150 00:05:58,939 --> 00:06:00,939 serving as the key 151 00:06:00,939 --> 00:06:02,939 to understanding everything that follows it. 152 00:06:02,939 --> 00:06:04,939 When you recite al-Fatihah in prayer, 153 00:06:04,939 --> 00:06:06,939 realize that whatever follows is understood through it, 154 00:06:06,939 --> 00:06:08,939 and that it is the key to that understanding. 155 00:06:08,939 --> 00:06:10,939 So focus deeply upon it 156 00:06:10,939 --> 00:06:12,939 and give it its due reverence. 157 00:06:12,939 --> 00:06:14,939 In fact, al-Fatihah is the prayer itself, 158 00:06:14,939 --> 00:06:16,939 as indicated by the hadith: "I have divided the prayer 159 00:06:16,939 --> 00:06:18,939 between Myself and My servant into two halves." 160 00:06:18,939 --> 00:06:20,939 Thus, He designated al-Fatihah 161 00:06:20,939 --> 00:06:23,389 as the prayer itself, 162 00:06:23,389 --> 00:06:25,389 which is by way of elevating its supreme status. 163 00:06:25,389 --> 00:06:27,649 For that reason, it has been named 164 00:06:27,649 --> 00:06:29,899 the Surah of Prayer. 165 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:32,160 I shall content myself with this discussion regarding this 166 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:34,160 surah; otherwise, speech 167 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:36,160 concerning it could extend indefinitely, as I noted. 168 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:38,160 Whoever wishes 169 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:40,160 may listen to the detailed commentary. 170 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:42,160 Furthermore, seek an abundance 171 00:06:42,160 --> 00:06:44,160 of learning and spiritual tasting 172 00:06:44,160 --> 00:06:46,160 of Surah al-Fatihah, 173 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:48,160 and you will find immense good, 174 00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:50,160 by Allah's leave. 175 00:06:50,160 --> 00:06:52,160 May peace and blessings be upon his family and all his Companions, 176 00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:54,160 and all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.