Discussion of the Narrations

The Status of Praising God, the Glorified

The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: “The first to be called to Paradise are those who praise (al-ḥammādūn), who praise God in prosperity and adversity.”(176)

“If the whole world were one morsel and a Muslim servant ate it, then said: ‘Praise be to God,’ his saying that would be better than the world and what is in it.”(177)

Note: The superiority of praising God over the world and its goods is that true praise is considered a good word (kalim ṭayyib), and every good word ascends towards God, who is exalted above direction and space. Whatever ascends towards God becomes “with God” (ʿindallāhī), and whatever is with God is protected from the harm of passing away: “What is with you will be exhausted, and what is with God will remain” (16:96). As a result, something that is lasting and eternal is certainly better than something that is limited and fleeting. Therefore, the praise of a believer is better than the fleeting world, the love of which is the head of every sin.

The Etiquette of Beginning Speech and the Practice of the Prophet (s.a.w.) in Praising God

The Prophet (s.a.w.) said: “Every speech that does not begin with praise [of God] is cut off.”(178)

Imām al-Ṣādiq (a.s.) said: “When the Messenger of God (s.a.w.) would wake in the morning, he would say: ‘Abundant praise be to God, Lord of the worlds, in every state’ (_al-ḥamdu lillāhi rabbi l-_ʿālamīna ḥamdan kathīran ʿalā kulli ḥāl), three hundred and sixty times. And when evening came, he would say the same.”(179)

...And when the Prophet (s.a.w.) would wake in the morning and the sun had risen, he would say: “Abundant, good praise be to God, Lord of the worlds, in every state” (_al-ḥamdu lillāhi rabbi l-_ʿālamīna ḥamdan kathīran ṭayyiban ʿalā kulli ḥāl), saying it three hundred and sixty times in thanks.(180)

Note: Although establishing the mentioned number is not easy, perhaps the point of it, assuming the number is established, is that every morning and evening he would thank God approximately the number of days in a year. Perhaps the central elements of the human body or the cosmic system are of the mentioned number, and for each one of them, which is one of God’s countless blessings, praise and thanks were offered once. And knowledge is with God.

The Most Comprehensive Expression of Praise and Thanks

From al-Ṣādiq (a.s.): “No servant is blessed with a blessing, small or large, and says ‘All praise is due to God’ (al-ḥamdulillāh), except that he has fulfilled its gratitude.”(181)

From Ḥammād b. ʿUthmān who said: Abū ʿAbdillāh (a.s.) left the mosque and his mount was lost. He said, “If it is returned to me, I will surely thank God as He deserves to be thanked.” He said, “It was not long before it was brought to him, and he said, ‘All praise is due to God’ (al-ḥamdulillāh).” Someone said to him, “May I be sacrificed for you, did you not say ‘I will surely thank God as He deserves to be thanked’?” Abū ʿAbdillāh said, “Did you not hear me say ‘All praise is due to God’ (al-ḥamdulillāh)?”(182)

From al-Ṣādiq (a.s.): “Gratitude for blessings is avoiding the prohibited, and complete gratitude is saying ‘All praise is due to God, Lord of the worlds’ (_al-ḥamdu lillāhi rabbi l-_ʿālamīn).”(183)

A man came to the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) and said, “Tell me about the saying of God Almighty: ‘All praise is due to God, Lord of the worlds’ (1:2). What is its explanation?” He said, “’All praise is due to God’ (al-ḥamdu lillāh) is that He made known to His servants some of His blessings upon them in general, as they are not able to know all of them in detail because they are too many to be enumerated or known. So He said to them, ‘All praise is due to God for what He has blessed us with, Lord of the worlds’...”(184)

Note: Some words, in terms of comprehensiveness, are considered among the most complete expressions (_jawāmi_ʿ al-kalim), and the aforementioned praise is of this type. Restricting the entire category of praise or all instances of praise to God fulfills the right of praise and is all-encompassing.

The Inability of the Recipient of Blessings to Show Adequate Gratitude

From al-Sajjād (a.s.): “O God, no one reaches an extent in thanking You except that Your benevolence reaches him in a way that necessitates further gratitude. And no one reaches a level in obeying You, even if he strives, except that he falls short of what You deserve by Your grace...And You reward for the little that You are obeyed in, such that it is as if the gratitude of Your servants which You have made obligatory for their reward and magnified their recompense for it, is a matter they possessed the ability to refrain from without You, so You sufficed them. Or was its cause not in Your hands, so You rewarded them? Rather, my God, You possessed their affair before they possessed worship of You, and You prepared their reward before they engaged in obeying You. That is because Your way is favoring, Your custom is benevolence, and Your path is pardon. All creation acknowledges that You do not wrong those You punish...”(185)

Imām Sajjad (a.s.) addresses God the Glorified: “O God! No one attains the levels of Your gratitude, except that the blessing of being granted the ability to show respect employs him to further gratitude. And no one, no matter how much they strive in obeying You, reaches a point except that they are incapable and powerless in the face of what You deserve, with all Your benevolence... You reward little and meager obedience in such a way as if the gratitude of the servants—for which You considered the reward to have value and made their recompense great—is something they could refuse.

Was the control of affairs not in Your hands and did they possess anything of their own? Rather, before they found the success of worshipping You and gaining access to Your court, their time was in Your hands and You were the Master of them and all aspects of their existence. And before they did anything, You prepared their reward. In order to make them reach a reward, You gave them an excuse called worship. All this is due to the fact that Your way is grace, Your habit is benevolence, and Your path is pardon and forgiveness. Everyone acknowledges that if You punish the wicked, You are not oppressive...”

From the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.): “Praise be to God, Whose praise the speakers cannot fully express, Whose blessings the counters cannot enumerate, and Whose due right the strivers cannot fulfill. He Whom the farthest aspirations cannot reach and the delving of the intelligent cannot attain.”(186)

Note: Praise belongs to God, Whose praise and adulation is beyond anyone’s capability, Whose blessings are innumerable, and Whose right cannot be fulfilled by the strivers. Neither the high-flying falcon of the thought and aspiration of the wise has the ability to reach the peak of knowing Him, nor does the diving mystic of the sea of the heart have the capacity to extract the pearl of comprehending that Transcendent Essence.

Since true praise of the Most Holy Essence of God is based on deep and precise knowledge of the Benefactor and all His blessings, and such knowledge is not attainable for anyone other than God, therefore, no blessed one will be able to express gratitude and praise to Him, and the only true Praiser of God, the Glorified, is that Sacred Essence Himself.

Praise in the Face of God’s Beauty and Majesty

From the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.): “We praise Him for His favors as we praise Him for His trials.”(187) “We praise Him for what He takes and gives, and for what He tests and tries.”(188)

Note: Divine trials and tests are also among His blessings and mercies, for which He should also be praised. Therefore, in some of the supplications for the days of the week, it is stated: “Allāhumma laka al-ḥamd an khalaqta fa-sawwayta wa qaddarta wa qaḍayta wa amatta wa aḥyayta wa amraḍta wa shafayta wa ʿāfayta wa ablayta wa...”(189) (O God, to You belongs all praise, for You created and fashioned, decreed and judged, caused death and gave life, made ill and healed, granted well-being and afflicted, and...) All of God’s actions are good, and since praise is in response to good deeds, all of God’s actions are praiseworthy.

The Exclusivity of Praise to God

From al-Sajjād (a.s.): “And if a creature were to guide another creature to the like of that to which You have guided Your servants, he would be praised. So to You belongs all praise.”(190)

From al-Bāqir (a.s.): “...And You are the Beauty of the heavens and the earth, so to You belongs all praise. And You are the Adornment of the heavens and the earth, so to You belongs all praise.”(191)

Imām al-Ḥasan al-Awwal (a.s.) said: “When you finish the night prayer, say: ‘O God, whatever good I have done is from You and I have no praise in it, and whatever evil I have done, You have warned me against it and I have no excuse in it. O God, I seek refuge in You from relying on that for which I have no praise in it.’”(192)

... And to You belongs all praise... You have singled out praise for Yourself and made praise exclusive to You. You are pleased with praise from Your servants, and You opened Your Book with praise and sealed Your decree with praise. Praise is not directed to other than You, and praise does not fall short of You. Praise cannot be averted from You, and praise has no abode except with You. Praise is not befitting except for You.(193)

Note: Each of these luminous words contains a proof for the exclusivity of praise to God, the Glorified. In the first ḥadīth, Imām al-Sajjād (a.s.), after enumerating the blessing of divine guidance and valuable knowledge that man cannot attain without divine teaching, says to God, the Glorified: “O God, if a creature could provide such guidance and knowledge to others on its own, as You guide and teach Your creation, it would also be deserving of praise. However, since all blessings and knowledge are from You, then praise is also exclusive to You.” In the phrase “To You belongs all praise” (fa-laka al-ḥamd), by placing “to You” (laka) before “praise” (al-ḥamd), praise is restricted to God, the Glorified. This ḥadīth refers to a proof whose middle term is divine bestowal (_in_ʿām).

The second ḥadīth alludes to a proof whose middle term is beauty (jamāl), and in the proofs for the exclusivity of praise it was explained as follows: The entirety of the contingent realms of existence, inasmuch as they are created by God, the Glorified, are beautiful and good. And since praise is in response to beauty and good work, praise is exclusive to the Beautiful One who creates beauty.

In the third ḥadīth, based on the unity of actions (tawḥīd af__ʿālī), all good deeds of man are attributed to God the Exalted, and all praise for any good deed is from Him. According to the unity of actions and the absolute lordship of God the Exalted, the good deeds of the righteous are nothing but a manifestation and reflection of His grace and action. Therefore, the only one truly worthy of praise is the Holy Divine Essence.

The fourth ḥadīth also clearly indicates the exclusivity of praise for God the Exalted by explicitly stating that praise has no place except in the sacred realm and domain of God the Exalted, and praise is not befitting for anyone but Him.

Note: If some religious texts apparently allow praising other than God, but state that praising God is better, such apparent meanings should be interpreted as specifying praise for God, not preferring praise for Him, like what is mentioned at the beginning of the Du__ʿāʾ al-Saḥar of Imām al-Sajjād (a.s.) as narrated by Thābit b. Dīnār (Abū Ḥamza al-Thumālī): “...So by my Lord, I praise something in my presence, and He is more deserving of my praise.”(194)

The True Praiser

From al-Ṣādiq (a.s.): “O God, I open my speech by praising You, I speak by extolling You, I glorify You—and there is no limit to praising You. I extol You—and who can reach the ultimate limit of extolling You and the extent of glorifying You? And how can Your creation comprehend the reality of knowing You and glorifying You?”(195)

Note: In the previous exegetical discussion, it was mentioned that not only is God the Exalted the only One truly worthy of praise, but He is also the only true praiser, because true praise is not possible without true knowledge of the divine blessings and realizing the reality of all His blessings. And no one except His Holy Essence is capable of comprehensively knowing His blessings.

The Relationship of Praising with the Squaring of the Kaʿba

It is narrated from al-Ṣādiq (a.s.) that he was asked, “Why was the Kaʿba named so?” He replied, “Because it is square (murabba_ʿ_a).” He was then asked, “And why was it made square?” He said, “Because it is parallel to the Frequented House (al-bayt al-ma_ʿ_mūr), and it is square.” He was asked, “And why was the Frequented House made square?” He said, “Because it is parallel to the Throne, and it is square.” He was then asked, “And why was the Throne made square?” He replied, “Because the words upon which Islam is built are four: subḥān Allāh (Glory be to God), al-ḥamdu lillāh (Praise be to God), lā ilāha illā Allāh (There is no god but God), and Allāhu akbar (God is the Greatest).”(196)

Note: Imām al-Ṣādiq (a.s.) considers the secret behind the square shape of the Kaʿba to be its correspondence with the square Frequented House, and the mystery of the square shape of the Frequented House to be its alignment with the square Throne. And the symbol of the square shape of the Throne is the fourfold nature of the primary principles of religion: subḥān Allāh, al-ḥamdu lillāh, lā ilāha illā Allāh, and Allāhu akbar.

In this lofty statement, where Imām al-Ṣādiq (a.s.) connects the discussion from the square shape of the Kaʿba to the primary principles of religion, the greatness of praise (taḥmīd) is expressed. This is because the station of praise is so exalted that, alongside glorification (tasbīḥ), profession of divine unity (tahlīl), and magnification (takbīr), it is considered among the foundational principles of religion and the initial bases of the creation of the universe. For the Throne of God, which is His station of authority, is established upon these principles.

Furthermore, the exclusivity of praise to God, the Glorified, can be inferred from this ḥadīth, just as the exclusivity of glorification, profession of divine unity, and magnification to God can also be deduced from it. For if the primary roots of religion are glorification, praise, profession of divine unity, and magnification, then there is nothing in the universe that relates to other than God, such that on account of it, anyone other than God would be the object of the praise of those who praise.

Only God can be the refuge and the praised one for others if He firstly possesses perfection Himself and secondly can fulfill and secure the needs of others with His perfection. When the glorification (tasbīḥ) and praise (taḥmīd) of God, the Glorified, is coupled with His declaration of oneness (tahlīl), its message is that God, the Glorified, is the only being who is not deficient and He removes all deficiencies. As a result, nothing can be accomplished in the world without Him. However, glorification and praise without the declaration of oneness conveys nothing more than that God, the Glorified, is not deficient and He is also capable of fulfilling needs and removing the deficiencies of others. This only affirms something, it does not negate what is other than it.

Therefore, glorification, praise, declaration of oneness, and declaration of greatness all belong to God, the Glorified. If a station or person is praiseworthy, it is in reality an aspect of the agency of God, the Glorified, like the praiseworthy station of the Noble Messenger (s.a.w.).

The Final Words of the People of Paradise

It is narrated from the Prophet (s.a.w.), “The words that the people of Paradise say when they enter it, and the words they say in this world are cut off except for ‘All praise belongs to God’, and that is His saying: ‘Their call therein will be, “Exalted are You, O God!” And their greeting therein will be, “Peace.” And the last of their call will be, “Praise to God, Lord of the worlds!”’” (10:10)(197)

Note: When the people of Paradise enter Paradise and witness the realization of God’s promise, they praise God. Whatever they desire is obtained for them simply by glorifying God, without any need for means or instruments. After benefiting from the blessings of Paradise, they praise God. Since the blessings of Paradise are an uninterrupted and unending gift, the praise of the people of Paradise will also not be cut off. The meaning of “last” in the mentioned verse is relative, not absolute.

The Return of Lordship to Creatorship

Regarding al-Riḍā (a.s.):... “Lord of the Worlds” is a declaration of His oneness (tawḥīd), praise (taḥmīd), and acknowledgment that He is the Creator and Owner, none other.(198)

Regarding al-Ṣādiq (a.s.):... “Lord of the Worlds”, he said: The Creator of the created beings.(199)

Note: As mentioned in the discussion of the subtleties and allusions of the verse under discussion, Lordship (rubūbiyya) is analyzed in terms of creatorship, and this has been alluded to in these traditions as well.

The Characteristics and Effects of Praise

Regarding al-Sajjād (a.s.): Praise be to God, the First with no beginning before Him, and the Last with no end after Him, the One Whom the sights of the seers fall short of seeing, and the imaginations of the describers are incapable of describing... And praise be to God, Who, if He were to withhold from His servants the knowledge of praising Him for the continuous favors He has bestowed upon them and the abundant blessings He has showered them with, they would still enjoy His favors without praising Him and would partake of His sustenance without thanking Him. And if they were to be like that, they would exit the boundaries of humanity and enter the realm of animality, becoming as He has described in His definitive Book: “They are but as cattle; nay, they are even farther astray from the way!” (25:44) And praise be to God...

A praise by which we may be resurrected among those of His creation who have praised Him, and by which we may precede those who have preceded us to His good pleasure and pardon. A praise by which the darkness of the isthmus (barzakh) may be illuminated for us, and by which the path of resurrection may be made easy for us, and by which our stations may be ennobled in the standing places of the witnesses on the Day when every soul will be recompensed for what it has earned, and they will not be wronged... A praise that ascends from us to the highest of the high (ʿilliyyīn) in a register inscribed, witnessed by those brought near. A praise by which our eyes may be cooled when eyes are staring in horror, and by which our faces may be whitened when faces have turned black. A praise by which we may be delivered from the painful fire of God to the generous neighborhood of God. A praise by which we may jostle with His angels brought nigh and join with His messengers sent in the Abode of Permanence which does not perish and the Place of His Generosity which does not alter... And praise be to God... So how can we manage to praise Him? Or when can we fulfill thanking Him? No, when?...

All praise belongs to God with all that His lowest angels have praised Him, and His noblest creatures have praised Him, and with what pleases those who praise Him in His presence. Praise that exceeds all other praise as the superiority of our Lord over all His creation. Then to Him belongs praise in place of every blessing He has bestowed upon us and upon all His servants, past and present, to the number of all things His knowledge encompasses, and in place of each one of these blessings, many times over, forever and ever until the Day of Resurrection. Praise that has no limit to its extent, no reckoning to its number, no end to its limit, and no cessation to its duration. Praise that may be a means to obeying Him and attaining His pardon, a cause for His good pleasure, a path to His forgiveness, a way to His Paradise, a protector from His punishment, a security from His wrath, a support in obeying Him, a barrier against disobeying Him, an aid in fulfilling His rights and duties. Praise through which we may join the ranks of His felicitous friends, and be counted among the martyrs by the swords of His enemies. Indeed, He is the Praiseworthy Guardian.(200)

Note: Imām Sajjād (a.s.) says: Praise belongs to God who is in the beginning without a beginning, and in the end without an end. God whom the short-sighted eyes of the people of insight are unable to see and perceive, and the imaginations and thoughts of those who describe Him are incapable of describing Him.

Praise belongs to God who, if He were to withhold from His servants the ability to recognize how to praise Him, and did not teach people to praise Him for His continuous blessings, they would partake of His blessings without praising Him, and benefit from His sustenance extensively without any gratitude. With such ingratitude, they would exit the bounds(201) of humanity and reach the level of beastliness (bahīmiyyat),(202) becoming like cattle or even lower than them.

And praise be to God... praise that the Glorious God may place us among those who praise and thank Him, and through which we may surpass others in attaining the pleasure and forgiveness of the Most Holy Divine Essence; praise that dispels the darkness of the barzakh(203) and makes traversing the path of the barzakh towards the Great Resurrection and the universal rising easy, and through which our station is made noble and honored in the presence of the witnesses of deeds (prophets, Imāms and angels); on a day when each person will be recompensed according to what they have earned, and no one will be wronged; praise that takes us to the highest level of the ʿilliyyīn; praise that illuminates our eyes on the day eyes are dazzled,(204) and whitens our faces on the day the surface of limbs turn black(205) ; praise that is the means of salvation from the painful divine fire and the cause of attaining the generous proximity of the Truth; praise through which we may enter the realm of the angels brought near and compete with them,(206) and through which we may join the prophets sent [by God], in the eternal, everlasting abode and the generous, unchanging place.(207).. But how can we praise Him and fulfill thanking Him? We can never have such ability...

Praise and thanks be to God like the praise of His nearest angels, most generous servants, and most pleasing praisers; praise that is superior to all thanks, just as God is superior to all creation(208) (meaning, let the difference between praises be like the difference between the praised).

And praise be to God for the blessings He has bestowed upon us and our predecessors, and will bestow upon those to come; praise as vast as that which God’s knowledge encompasses, and many times more than each of them; praise everlasting until the Day of Resurrection(209) ; praise so vast that it has no bounds and cannot be enumerated; it has no end to its extent and no finality to its time; praise that may be a means of attaining His obedience and pardon, a cause for His satisfaction, a way to His forgiveness, a path to His Paradise, a deliverance from His punishment, a security from His wrath, a support in obeying Him, a barrier against disobeying Him, and an aid in fulfilling His rights; praise through which we may be counted among the felicitous friends of God and in the ranks of the martyrs(210) in His way; for He is a praiseworthy Patron.(211)

In this supplication, Imām Sajjād (a.s.) begins praise with the tawḥīd of God, the Glorified. After expressing God›s providership (rāziqīyat), the reckoning of deeds, the punishment of the wicked and the reward of the righteous, he turns to describing the characteristics and effects of praise in this world, the intermediary realm (barzakh), and the Hereafter, and the lofty station and rank that can be attained through praise. He also points to some of the consequences of abandoning praise. We will mention a few of these:

a) Praise is the essential differentia (faṣl muqawwim) of the human being: Philosophers consider speech (nuṭq) to be the essential differentia and the boundary of human nature. Whether speech is taken to mean verbal expression or universal conception, it does not represent the extent of humanity. In the culture of the Qurʾān and the Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.), the human being is not defined as a rational animal, but rather as a rational, praising animal.

Therefore, if someone is not praising (God) or only praises with their tongue and not from the heart and with faith, although they are a speaking and talking animal unlike other silent animals, they have left the bounds of humanity and joined the realm of animality. This is because quadrupeds benefit from blessings but do not have the cognizance to praise (God).

It is worth mentioning that what distinguishes humans from other animals is the complete level of praise (ḥamd) that Imām Sajjad (a.s.) has explained in this supplication and the 51st supplication of Ṣaḥīfa. Otherwise, all existents glorify and praise the sacred divine essence: “There is not a thing except that it glorifies His praise, but you do not understand their glorification.” (17:44)

The secret of why God the Glorified says about some people: “They are like cattle, rather they are more astray” (7:179), is that animals also have a weak level of gratitude (shukr), but because they do not have any share of intellect, they do not reach the perfection of rational praise. However, the human, despite having intellectual perfection, if they put their intellect in service of desire and anger, they will be even lower than an animal. An animal only pursues fulfilling desire and anger within the limits of animal consciousness, but the human employs intellect and thought in service of desire and anger, and goes astray despite having a lamp. Such an intellect is captive to whims: “How many an intellect is captive under a commanding whim.”(212)

b) Praise is a factor for coexistence with the Prophets and angels, and a provision for hastening and outpacing towards divine pleasure and forgiveness.

c) The Praise (ḥamd) Illuminates the Darkness of the Intermediate Realm (Barzakh) and Paves the Way for Humanity Towards Resurrection

The darkness of the intermediate realm (barzakh) is caused by sin, and its light is secured through obedience. By illuminating the barzakh, the path of humanity towards the Greater Resurrection (qiyāmat al- kubrā) is paved, and traversing this path, which for some people is as difficult as entering from the world into the barzakh, becomes easy.

The point is that the reality of death from the perspective of religion is a transfer from one realm to another: “But you are transferred from one abode to another”.(213) However, death in the sense of the cessation of breath and the cooling of the body is the death that is discussed in the science of biology. The transfer from the world to the barzakh is very easy for some people and very difficult for others.

The fighter who is targeted by the enemy’s arrow in the battlefield in the morning and writhes in his own blood until the evening, although it is thought that he is grappling with the pressure of death, he no longer pays attention to the world and is like a restless thirsty person who finds a spring of cool and clear water in the hot and scorching air and surrenders himself to it. Therefore, when Imām al-Bāqir (a.s.) was asked what the martyrs of Karbala felt in the face of the barrage of arrows, he said: “The same feeling that you have from pressing one of your fingers with two other fingers”.(214)

For a martyr, the red death and transition from the world to the intermediate realm (barzakh) is pleasurable, not painful. However, for a criminal who dies quickly, although they may not appear to suffer the pressure of dying, the separation of their soul from worldly attachments and transfer to the intermediate realm is very difficult for them. The Noble Qurʾān describes the difficulty of death and the transfer of criminals to the intermediate realm as follows:

“If you could but see when the angels take the souls of those who disbelieved... They are striking their faces and their backs and [saying], ‘Taste the punishment of the Burning Fire.’” (8:50)

“Then how [will it be] when the angels take them in death, striking their faces and their backs?” (47:27)

The striking of their faces and backs may be because the angels assigned to this world, who see the criminal human leaving empty-handed, drive him out of the world by striking his back. The agents of the intermediate realm also, when they see him coming empty-handed, strike his face and welcome him in this way. This itself is a kind of punishment and pressure of the grave. On this basis, that the realm of the grave is the same as the intermediate realm, the criminal human, even if he dies in the open space of the sky or sea, experiences the pressure of the grave. One who is able to easily find his way from the world to the intermediate realm, the path from the intermediate realm to the Day of Resurrection is also smooth and easy.

Praise Makes the Path from the Intermediate Realm to the Day of Resurrection Easy: This is because the praising and grateful human considers God to be his Benefactor. One who knows his Benefactor well can praise Him, and he never has the mindset of Qarūn to say, “I was only given it because of knowledge I have.” (28:78)

One who considers blessings to be from other than God and says demandingly, “I have attained it through my own efforts,” even if he says with his tongue, “All praise is due to God, Lord of the worlds,” he only has verbal praise and his soul is not praising. Therefore, one who demandingly considers blessings to be the fruit of his own labor has not reached true praise and has not recognized his true Benefactor.

The worldly-minded, after death, like in the state of sleep, have a series of memories, and many of them are not aware of being transferred to another world. After hearing the talqīn (instruction) of the deceased and observing certain matters, they realize that they have been transferred to the world of barzakh (intermediary realm). Since the reality of death is transference, and man has many attachments to the world, until he severs all his attachments from the world, he does not enter the barzakh. Severing all these ties also requires a long time.

The person infatuated with the world is like an addict in a detention center, whose addiction remains but the substance of his addiction is not accessible to him, and therefore he is afflicted with a painful torment. The worldly person bids farewell to the world with a heart filled with attachment, and this interest burns him for a long time until gradually, and as a result of preoccupation with the consequences of the barzakh, his interest in the world is severed, for there is no way of treatment there.

d) Praise grants man an honorable position in the presence of the witnesses of the Day of Resurrection.

e) Praise is a factor in man’s elevation to the highest of the high (aʿlā ʿillīyīn), a source of delight to the eyes, and a means of honor on the Day of Resurrection.

Based on this passage, it is clear that praising (ḥamd) is not merely saying “alḥamdulillāh” and the like. Rather, praising is a belief, character trait, and action that if a person is adorned with, they will reach that lofty station. The one who praises (ḥāmid) must glorify God with both the heart and tongue, recognize the divine blessings, know they are all from God, and then expend them in their proper place.

And:

Praising is a factor in being freed from the painful punishment of the Fire and attaining the generous proximity of the Truth (ḥaqq).

Praising is a means of competing with the angels and joining the prophets in Paradise.

Praising enables a person to attain obedience, pardon, pleasure, and forgiveness from the Truth.

Praising is a path towards the Paradise of meeting the Truth, a guardian against divine retributions and punishments, and a source of safety from God’s wrath.

Praising is a barrier and obstacle against disobedience and an aid in fulfilling the right of God.

Praising elevates one to the peak of the felicity of the saints (awliyā__ʾ) and joins one to the rank of the martyrs in the way of God.

Note: One of the subtleties of the supplication of praise (du__ʿāʾ al-ḥamd) from the Master of Those Who Prostrate (Sayyid al-Sājidīn) (a.s.) is that it begins with praise and ends with praise.

The Perfect Level of Praise

From al-Sajjād (a.s.): “So You are praiseworthy (maḥmūd) to me and Your deeds are righteous (mabrūr) in my view. My soul, tongue and intellect praise You with a praise that reaches fulfillment and the reality of gratitude—a praise that attains Your pleasure with me. So save me from Your wrath.”(215)

Pointer: Human beings possess understanding, action, and speech. A true praiser is one who, in the realm of understanding, realizes that all blessings are from God the Exalted; in the realm of action, utilizes each blessing in its proper place; and with the tongue, acknowledges that all blessings are from Him. Such praise is what constitutes the humanity of human beings; otherwise, the essence of praise is found in every being. Thus, the stage of perfect praise is the distinguishing feature of human beings, and one who lacks that stage of perfection has fallen below the level of a reasonable and acceptable human being.

The Exegesis of “Worlds” and the Multiplicity of Worlds

From the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.): “_Rabb al-_ʿālamīn” (Lord of the Worlds) refers to the groups of every created being, from inanimate objects to animals...(216)

From Abū Jaʿfar (a.s.):”...Perhaps you think that God created only this one world, or that God did not create anyone other than you. Yes, by God, He has created a thousand thousand worlds and a thousand thousand Adams. You are in the last of those worlds and among the last of those Adams.”(217)

Note: A material existent, in addition to having essential origination (ḥudūth dhātī), is also subject to temporal origination (ḥudūth zamānī). Temporal origination is essential (in the sense of being part of the identity, not in the sense of quiddity) for every natural existent. This is because, based on substantial motion (ḥarakat jawharī), no material existent has permanence and stability, let alone perpetuity and eternality. However, there is no limit to the grace and bounty of God, the Glorified. The repetition of worlds and multiplicity of possible universes, which are necessary for the perpetuity of God’s bounty, never contradict the origination of the recipient of bounty. As previously stated, what is meant by the word “worlds” (ʿālamīn) is all the levels and modes of contingent existence and existents, not only human worlds. This is because the Noble Qurʾān has defined the “Lord of the Worlds” (_Rabb al-_ʿĀlamīn) as the Sustainer of the entire vast cosmic and human system. In other words, wherever the domain of God’s mercy extends is included in “the worlds”. And since God’s mercy encompasses all things—“My mercy encompasses all things” (7:156)—what is meant by “the worlds” is the entire contingent system.