Surah Fatiha

Today we did a "brief" dissection of the first phrase in the beginning of the Qur'an, in Surah Al-Fatiha, "الحمد لله".

الحمد لله (Alhamdulillahi) is usually translated as "All praise belongs to Allah". But it is not only praise.

1.  حمد (Hamd) is actually a combination of the meaning of three words: مدح (Madhun), ثناء (Thanaa'un), and شكر (Shukrun).

• Madhun is praise, Thanaa-un means over the top excessive praise, and Shukrun means thanks or gratitude. Hamd encompasses all three of these meanings, because what you praise is not necessarily what you thank and vice versa. If you see a nice car in the parking lot, you may praise it, but you don't start thanking it. In the same way, Prophet Musa acknowledged that the Pharaoh is the one who raised him and thanked him for that, but he never praised the Pharaoh, because nothing that the Pharaoh does is praiseworthy. So translating Hamd as praise is simply not enough, because it is both thanks and praise.
• Madhun (praise) and Thanaa-un (over the top praise) can both be fake; it is not necessarily genuine. You can praise a boss or a teacher. Hamd, on the other hand, is genuine.
• Madhun and Thanaa-un can also both be used for non living things. Hamd, however, can only be applied to living things.
• Shukrun (thanks) is when you realize that someone has done a favor and you thank the person for it. It relies on the one thanking. Shukr does not exist unless the person receiving the favor does not realize it. Hamd can be used to thank for everything that we realize, as well as everything we do not realize. 
• Hamd is also thanking Allah for everything, whether it be good or bad, health or sickness, everything that Allah does is praiseworthy whether we see the good in it or not.

2. This is the first thing Allah describes Himself as. Out of the many other names and attributes that He could have chosen, Allah chose this to introduce Himself because this is what we should think of when we think of Him.

3.  حمد is an idea; an intangible. Allah could have phrased it in a different way, such as the verb form نحمد (Nahmadu) meaning "We praise and show gratitude?" Why not "We do Hamd of Allah" instead of "Hamd belongs to Allah"?

• "We do Hamd to Allah" mentions "us"; if we are not there, then the Hamd ceases to exist as well. The ball would be in our court.
• "Hamd belongs to Allah" is timeless and unlimited. It does not depend on anyone or anything.

4. Sometimes we hear ان الحمد لله (Innal Hamdulillah), such as at the beginning of a khutba. What is the difference between that and the "Alhamdulillah" that Allah uses in the beginning of the Surah?

• What does ان mean? Usthaadh Nouman doesn't like to use old timey English to translate it into "Verily" because quite frankly, when was the last time you used that word in everyday English? So he said, let's translate it as "mos def", or "for sure", whichever you like. Wouldn't adding "For sure, all Hamd belongs to Allah" make it sound stronger? Why didn't Allah do that?
• To explain this next point I have to mention the two types of sentences in Arabic: Jumlal khabriyya, which communicates information and must be either true or false, and Jumlal Inshaa-iyya, which communicates sentiment. 
• Alhamdulillah can either be fact or sentiment; Allah has allowed it to encompass both. When we say Alhamdulillah, it is something we can feel as well.
• When the khateeb says "Innal Hamdulillah", it is only said as a fact, something that is taught.

5.  In Surah Jaathiya, Allah also says "لله الحمد" (Lillahil Hamd), meaning "To Allah Hamd belongs". We also say this in the takbeeraat on Eid day. What is the difference between saying this, and saying "Hamd belongs to Allah," and why did Allah choose to put them where they are in their respective chapters?

• "To Allah Hamd belongs" is abnormal sentence structure, even in Arabic. This shows exclusivity. It communicates the meaning "only" into the sentence to mean "ONLY to Allah does Hamd belong". It means that Hamd belongs to Allah... and nobody else. This is used with somebody who is arguing with you. Surah Jaathiya is a debate with those who do Shirk and worship other in addition to Allah. This phrase was also being chanted by the Muslims when the Ka'bah was being cleansed of the idols. It is a statement of defiance. 
• "Hamd belongs to Allah" is normal sentence structure, and Surah Fatiha is speaking to those with Fitrah and there is no need to argue with someone that already agrees with you.

The Qur'an is perfect. Its perfection is more clear when compared to what is imperfect, and we are able to appreciate better.