INTRODUCTION

The usual translation of the words Bismi Allahi alrrahmani alrraheemi is "In the name of Allah, ths most Gracious, the most merciful". Howeverm a close study of the Holy Quran reveals that these words carry a different and much wider I mport. The words 'Allah', 'Rehman', and 'Raheem' shall be explaind in the verses of ' Sura-e-Fateha' which follow immediately.

اسم The word اسم means ' Name'; but when used in relation to Allah, it means a divine attribute. As a matter of fact اسم is a ‘sign’ by means of which a certain thin can be recognised. As Allah can be recognised only by means of his attributes, these attributes are called اسماء . For instance in chapter 59 of the holy Quran, certain attributes of Allah are described first, followed by saying : lahu al-asmao alhusna

“ He is the Creator, the Evolver, the Bestower of forms and to Him belong the most proportionate attributes”.

Thus to proclaim the words Bismi Allahi alrrahmani alrraheemi before we begin to do a certain thing, means that any thing said or done after this proclamation shall aim at the practical presentation of Allah’s attributes of being Rehman and Raheem. When these words preceed the Quran or any part of it, it means that Allah almighty himself proclaims that the revelation of the verses that follow, is meant to display the attributes of His ‘ Rahmaniyyat’ and ‘ Raheemiyyat’.

And when a believer says Bismi Allahi alrrahmani alrraheemi, he proclaims that he makes a start of such and such a thing, in order to display the divine attributes of ‘ Rhmaniyyat’ and ‘Raheemiyyat’.

In other words Allah revealed the Quran, as to make his attributes of ‘ Rhmaniyyat’ and ‘Raheemiyyat’ prevail in the human world and that man may develop these attributes in his ownself and make it the basis of any programme he undertakes.

Non-Believers may raise an objection or criticise that these words indicate a self-praise by Allah. However, it is a misconception. As a matter of fact, these words are instructive. Allah instructs man to say so. The word قل “ Qul” is silent here. Thus it means actually that man should always keep in mind that all praise is due to Allah.

"Alhamd" The word ‘Hamd' is usually translated as ‘praise ‘, but this does not represent the true sense of the word. There are other words for ‘ praise’ in Arabic language but these have not been used by Quran, which indicates that the word ‘Hamd’ has a special significance, and that it is essential to grasp the true meaning of it. The expression of intense feelings of apprication which arise in one’s mind on witnessing a beautiful, proportionate and rare object is what is called 'Hamd' in Arabic. But it has certain preconditions attached to it, which are as follows:-

1. The object of ‘ Hamd ‘ or its traits must be visible to the one who praise, because an invisible object is not able to excite such feelings of appreciation.

2. The act, committed by a certain person, who is the object ‘Hamd’ , must come into play by his own choice. A mechanical occurrence can-not become the object of ‘ Hamd ‘ so much so that the beauty of an object hestowed upon it by the Creator can-not by itself become the object of ‘ Hamd ‘. Thus while appreciating the beauty of a certain object the word حمد is not used for it. For example in the dance of a peacock, the peacock deserves مدح while the Creator of peacock deserves حمد ‘ Hamd ‘.

3. The feeling of ‘ Hamd ‘ must arise spontaneously from within. A praise brought about by pressure is not ‘ Hamd ‘ such as a praise which is the result of show or hypocrisy.

4. The feelings of ‘ Hamd ‘ must arise out of a thorough knowledge of the object, of ‘ Hamd ‘. A vague or undefined picture of a certain object, or a blind faith in its being, can not excite such feelings.

The one described above is the concept of the word حمد in Arabic and it has been used by the Holy Quran in that sense. When we say الحمد الله it means that ‘ Hamd ‘ is due to Allah alone. But Allah is not visible to us. As described earlier, the first precondition for ‘ Hamd ‘ is that one should feel the presence of the object of ‘ Hamd ‘. As a matter of fact, according to the Holy Quran you come to know Allah through his creation. Thus when we come across a beautiful and attractive object, we see it with our own eyes, our mind appreciates it and our tongue expresses the words of praise for the Creator. The Quran says:

Alhamdu lillahi allathee khalaqa alssamawati waal-arda wajaAAala alththulumati waalnnoora (6/1)

“ Hamd ‘ is due to Allah who created the heavens and the earth and made the darkness and the light ”.

The object of Allah’s creation that are lying scattered around us, in every nook and corner of the universe, are so beautiful, proportionate and attractive that they spontaneously create the feelings of praise for Him. Consequently it is incumbent upon man to explore nature and use the outcome of exploration for the benefit of humanity.

Inna fee khalqi alssamawati waal-ardi waikhtilafi allayli waalnnahari laayatin li-olee al-albabi. Allatheena yathkuroona Allaha qiyaman waquAAoodan waAAala junoobihim wayatafakkaroona fee khalqi alssamawati waal-ardi rabbana ma khalaqta hatha batilan subhanaka faqina AAathaba alnnari (3/190-191)

“ In the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the day and night, there are indeed signs for men who ponder over it, men who keep before themselves the divine law, standing, sitting and lying down on their sides and contemplate ( the wonders of ) creation in the heavens and the earth, (with the thought) our Rabb: Thou hast not created all this without purpose. Praise be to thee. Give us knowledge to discover the laws of nature to save ourselves from destruction”.

The Quran terms them علما ‘ Ulema ‘ , those who ponder over the phenomena of nature:-

Alam tara anna Allaha anzala mina alssama-i maan faakhrajna bihi thamaratin mukhtalifan alwanuha wamina aljibali judadun beedun wahumrun mukhtalifun alwanuha wagharabeebu soodun. Wamina alnnasi waalddawabbi waal-anAAami mukhtalifun alwanuhu kathalika innama yakhsha Allaha min AAibadihi alAAulamao inna Allaha AAazeezun ghafoorun… (35/27-28)

“ Do you not see that Allah send down rain from the sky? With it We then bring about produces of various colours. And in the mountains are newly created strata of rocks, white, red and various shades of colour, and intensely black. And so among men and crawling creatures and cattle are they of various colours. Those who possess the knowledge (of these sciences) really appreciate the mighty power of the laws of Allah and are afraid of going against them. They know that his laws are omnipotent and provide protection for those who abide by it ”.

There is yet another set of laws which are given to humanity for their guidance, which are as immutable as the physical laws, both arising from the common source. Those who ponder over these divine laws, given in the book of Allah, are also aroused by the mighty powers, beauty, proportion, utility and straight forwardness of these laws and spontaneously express the feelings of praise by saying:

Alhamdu lillahi allathee anzala AAala AAabdihi alkitaba walam yajAAal lahu AAiwajan (18/1)

“ Praise be to Allah who hath sent to his servant (P.B.U.H) the book and hath allowed therein no crookedness”.

Thus the Hamd of Allah can arise only after pondering over the laws that lie scattered in every nook and corner of this universe, as well as those given to mankind for its guidance through the messengers of Allah; those given to his last messenger (P.B.U.H) now lie safely inside the Quran.

The last Rasool of Allah (P.B.U.H) who made the ‘Hamd’ of Allah to prevail amongst mankind, thus came to be known as ‘ Ahmad ‘ i.e., the one who indulged in the ‘ Hamd ‘ of Allah to his utmost; and he himself thus became Muhammad which means the object of praise. That is why it was said:

“ And the hope that thy Rabb will send thee to the place of praise and glory”.

It was on account of his efforts that الدّين( the way of life prescribed by Allah) came : into : being; which was the praise of all those who witnessed it, from all over the world. It was on account of him that all those nations, who were committed to tyranny and high handedness, were washed off from the face of the earth.

FaqutiAAa dabiru alqawmi allatheena thalamoo waalhamdu lillahi rabbi alAAalameena (6/45)

“ Of the wrong-doors the last remnant was cut off. Praise to be to Allah, the cherisher of the worlds”.

With the elimination of tyrrann’s, the ‘Hamd’ of Allah came to be displayed all over the world.

The above said verse makes it clear that to bring about the revolution described above, the manifestation of the attribute of ‘ Power ‘ associated with Allah’s personality must come into play. It means that appreciation of the aesthetic aspect of Allah’s creation runs side by side with the display of Allah’s supreme power. That is why it is said:

The source of ‘ Hamd ‘ and Domination is Allah, and if the latter is not displayed along with the former the entire organisation of the universe shall disintegrate. On the other hand if the display of power is not associated with ‘ Hamd ‘ which is the result of the aesthetic aspect of creation, it assumes thworst from the tyrrany. That is why the Quran has said that Allah sent down ‘ Iron ‘ along with the book and the balance, (57 : 25). Without the power to establish الدين the teachings of the Quran remain only a sermon. The believers become حامدون by the reciprocal display of the force of the ‘ Iron ‘ and the Book’.

The above description has clarified the concept and the aim of the utterance, by a believer of the words الحمد الله .

It is not a mere utterance of words; it aims at bringing in to being the establishment of the way of life prescribed by the Creator, by exploring and gaining control of the forces of nautre and utilising them for the benefit of humanity, subject to divine guidance; and to eliminate all forces which form hurdles in its way.

In الحمد الله the word next to حمد is الله. It is a combination of letters ال and the word اله . لِ means ‘ for ‘. Thus the words الحمد الله means ‘ Hamd ‘ in its extreme and complete form is specifically due to Allah. The word الله is proper noun, used for Him alone. The root of the word اله is ا ل ه which bears the following concepts underlying it --- (1) to seek protection in a state of anxiety (2) to become perplexed (3) to be out of sight and to have an exalted status (4) to accept subservience of some body or to admit sovereignty of some body.

Accordingly, the Quranic word, ‘ Allah ‘ means the Supreme Existence which is out of sight, whose extremely exalted position leaves the human intellect perplexed, whose sovereignty regins supreme in the universe and to Whom subservience is due by all components of His creation.

A finite thing cannot grasp an infinite object. However, we know Him through his attributes given in the Quran. Accordingly, belief in Allah means to accept the sovereignty of One Whose attributes are described in the Quran.

The concept of a supreme authority exists amongst people all over the world, even amongst the most primitive tribes; and all of them bow down to it, although the picture of that authority is different in the minds of people belonging to different tribes and different religions, ‘ Yahawa’ of Jews, ‘ Father of Christians, ‘ Ishwar’ or ‘ Paremeshwar’ of Hindus and ‘ Yazdan ‘ of Zoroastrians, all bear a different concept. On the other hand, Allah described in the Quran, is different from all of them. It appears that the ‘ Rasools ‘ who appeared on the earth, from time to time, for the guidance of mankind, introduced the same concept of the Supreme Authority as given in the Quran but that it was gradually adulterated by man-made ideas and baser human sentiments, and ultimately made to disappear. Thus the self oriented concept of God in one religion becomes different from that of the other. That is why the Quran has said:

Thus the real concept of Allah is the one that arises out of the manifestation of the attributes of Allah as laid down in the Quran. Since the concept of God amongst the non-Muslims is of their own making, their belief in God is not the same as prescribed by the Quran. Thus it is said :

“ There is nothing whatever like into Him ”

It means not only that you can not form an idea of Allah’s Personality by means of an example ( because an example after all shall be that of a perceptible object and Allah’s personality is infinite and imperceptible; it also means that gods to whom the non-believers bow down, none of them is like Allah whose concept is given by Allah himself. And that is why the word ‘ Allah ‘ cannot be translated in to any other language, because a translation of the word الله. In to any language shall present the specific concept of those who speak that language. For example, the word ‘ God ‘ shall present the concept that is prevalent amongst Christians and the word ‘ Ishwar ‘ that of Hindus.

The next question arises, why is it essential to believe in Allah? How does it affect the human life? One man accepts the Christian concept of ‘ God ‘, the other the Hindu Concept of ‘ Ishwar ‘ and still other the Quranic concept of ‘ Allah ‘. Does it make any difference in the practical lives of these different sets of people? The answer is yes. To believe and act according to the laws, prescribe in the Quran, for the guidance of mankind, changes the entire outlook on life. According to the holy Quran, man is composed of two different entities: Physical body and Personality or Self. The physical body is controlled by the physical laws, as is the case with other animals; the human personality on the other hand is controlled by the laws revealed to the Allah’s messengers. Physical body is destructible and undergoes constant metabolic changes, while human personality has got potentialities which, when actualised, make the developed personality indestructible and capable of further evolution. The development of human personality is controlled by human actions. This is a world of cause and effect. In other words every human action is rewarded. An act may be good or bad. A good act is one which is consistent with the divine laws; a bad act is one which is inconsistent with them. A good act produces a positive or constructive effect on human personality and a bad act has a negative or disintegrating effect. The act may be manifest or concealed, it makes no difference. In requires no outside policing. The reaction is automatic as in other phenomena of nature. The aim of human life is the development of man’s personality, because as said already, it becomes capable of passing on to the higher stage of evolution.

On the other hand, it is essential for a certain person to have knowledge of the fact that his personality is actually undergoing the process of development. Without it, one may be under self-deception regarding his own personality, as is the case with mystics. The personality in its perfect form is that of Allah Himself and the divine attributes described in the Quran are the different facets of that Supreme Personality. Leaving aside certain attributes which are specifically related to Allah’s personality, as for example, ‘ Being beyond the realm of time and space’, the rest of those described in the Quran are placed in the human personality in a potential or undeveloped form. As the human personality undergoes development, these potential attributes graudally assume a manifest form. Thus to check either the presence or absence of development of human personality, or to check the stage of its development, the attributes of Allah described in the Quran serve as an objective standard; and this acts as a deterrent to self-deception. On the other hand it serves as the basic aim, as well as the basic necessiety of belief in Allah. But as stated earlier, the development of human personality can take place only by leading a life consistent with the laws and Permanent Values which lie safely preserved in the pages of the Quran; which means to accept the sovereignty of Allah and to act accordingly. The entire creation of Allah is subservient to Him. The inanimate objects receive direct guidance through physical laws which are placed in their very substance. The animals receive direct guidance through instinct as well as physical laws. Man, however, is governed by two distinct sets of law; his physical body being controlled by the same physical laws and instincts as in the case of other animals but his personality is controlled indirectly by a set of laws received by through the messengers of Allah and which today lie safely inside the pages of the Quran. The entire organic and inorganic world, including the physical body of man are bound to obey the laws initiated by Allah for their existence.

But as regards human personality and the given to man for its development, man is bestowed with the faculty of freedom of choice. He can choose to follow that guidance or reject it. However, if he chooses to follow, it cause the development of his personality; and if he chooses to disobey, his personality disintegrates and remains undeveloped. The existence and development of human physical body can take place even if man is cut off from the society but the development of human personality can occur only through social living. That is why the Quran is against Monasticism:

“ But the monasticism which they invented, we did not prescribe for them”.

That is the programme prescribed by the Quran for the believers who are ordained further to live a life in company with the truthful:

According to the holy Quran, the condition laid down for admission in to ‘ Jannah’ ( a life of peace and plenty is to live in the company of those who are subservient to the divine laws:

“And you enter the company of those who are subservient to me and you enter Jannah”.

Accordingly the Quran prescribes social laws for mankind. Those who believe in the concept of secularism say that the social laws should be framed by the human society itself. But the Quran says that such man-made laws are bound to create chaos and disruption amongst mankind and this is borne out by human history. The social laws, the Quran says, must arise from the same source from which the physical laws came into existence, the perfect order and beauty of which you can observe in the vast spaces of the universe. The social laws given to mankind now lie safely inside the Quran (15/9).

A section of the secularists admit that the physical world is the creation of God but they do not believe in the divine origin of social laws. Such people are described by the Quran as follows:

Qul limani al-ardu waman feeha in kuntum taAAlamoona. Sayaqooloona lillahi qul afala tathakkaroona. Qul man rabbu alssamawati alssabAAi warabbu alAAarshi alAAatheemi. Sayaqooloona lillahi qul afala tattaqoona. Qul man biyadihi malakootu kulli shay-in wahuwa yujeeru wala yujaru AAalayhi in kuntum taAAlamoona. Sayaqooloona lillahi qul faanna tusharoona (23/84-89)

“Say: ‘ To whom belongs the earth and all beings therein? (say) if you know’’. They will Say, ‘ To god, Say:’ Yet will you not receive admonition? Say: Who is the sustainer of the seven heavens and the Rabb with the supreme authority? They will say (‘They belong) to God’. Say: ‘ Then are you not afraid of going the wrong way? Say: ‘ Who it is in whose hands is the governance of all things—Who protects (all), but is not protected (of any)? (Say) if you know’ They will say, ‘it belongs to God’. Say: Then how are you deluded?”

“ And it is He Who is the Sovereign in heaven and Sovereign on earth (to Whom subservience is due). I.e., in the physical world and in the human world”.

The belief in Allah means that one should submit to both set of laws, given by him to mankind, direct and indirect. If Allah is considered to be Sovereign in the physical world and not in the human affairs, it shall result in chaos all round. Thus it is said:

“ If there were in the heavens and the earth other sovereigns besides Allah there would have been confusion and disruption in both”.

Not only that the Quran considers the application of man-made law, in human society, to be contrary to belief in allah, it goes a step further and says:

Afaraayta mani ittakhatha ilahahu hawahu waadallahu Allahu AAala AAilmin wakhatama AAala samAAihi waqalbihi wajaAAala AAala basarihi ghishawatan faman yahdeehi min baAAdi Allahi afala tathakkaroona (45/23)

“ Then you see such a one who takes as his sovereign his own vain desires? Allah has, knowing (him as such) left him astray and sealed his hearing and his understanding and laid cover over his sight. Who then will guide him after Allah has withdrawn guidance? Will you not then receive admonition?”.

Accordingly, such people who become subservient to their own vain desires, lose the capacity of using their faculties of seeing, hearing and thinking in the right direction. Thus inspite of their being knowledgeable people they lead themselves to a path of destruction, from which they cannot escape without coming back to the subservience of the divine laws.

Human sentiments --- Before the revelation of the Quran to Muhammad (peace be upon him), Mysticism made deep inroads into the human society. Mystics believe that one can achieve the nearness of God after crushing his sentiments. This is against the teaching of the Quran. Human actions are based on emotions, without which man is like a piece of stone. The Quran ordains man to keep his sentiments under control of the divine guidance:

“ And who is more astray than the one who follows his own lusts, devoid of guidance from Allah”.

Bali ittabaAAa allatheena thalamoo ahwaahum bighayri AAilmin faman yahdee man adalla Allahu wama lahum min nasireena (30/29)

“ Nay the wrong doers (merely) follow their own lusts. Being devoid of knowledge. But who will guide those whom Allah leaves astray? To them there will be no helpers.”

Thus the Quran does not prohibit the use of desires and sentiments. It rather advises man to make use of them but not without divine guidance and knowledge; because if they go astray they put themselves outside the pale of the knowledge of what is for their own good.

‘ RABB ‘

The next word in الحمد لله رب العالمين after الله is ربّ Rabubiyyat is one of the attributes or basic characteristics of Allah and it means – the provision of sustenance to an object from its initial stage to the stage of its final destination. One who provides this nourishment and sustenance to the inumerable creatures in the universe is called ‘ Rabb’ by the Quran.

Life on this earth evolved from unicellular organisms to multicellular organisms of complex nature. As soon as a new type evolves, it becomes a potential ancestor for many simultaneous descendent lines and each line becomes specially adapted in a particular way. The evolution thus forms the pattern of a branching tree. The Quran says:

It is said further that creatures in their evolutionary history have passed through different stages, each type of creatures remained temporarily in one particular stage and was then handed over to the next stage for further disposal and that Allah knows their nutritional needs at every stage which are met with according to his laws:

Wama min dabbatin fee al-ardi illa AAala Allahi rizquha wayaAAlamu mustaqarraha wamustawdaAAaha kullun fee kitabin mubeenin (11/6)

“ There is not a moving creature on the earth but its sustenance depends on Allah. He knows how long a creature shall stay temporarily in one stage and when it shall be handed over to the next stage ( and what type of nutrition they need at each particular stage). All this is in clear record.”

However, ‘ Rabubiyyat ‘ includes not only the provision or nourishment but also the provision of different patterns of development, safety and stability, along with the elimination of all that is surplus at different evolutionary stages of Allah’s creation, so as to bring about the realisation of their potentialities. Now let us quote here a few examples to illustrate the different patterns of nourishment amongst living organisms that evolved on the earth---

Example 1.-

Life appeared on earth in the form of cells. The cells that exist today are composed of the same types of chemicals which constituted the first cells on the earth, billions of years ago i.e., water, minerals, adenosine phosphates, poly-saccharides, fats, proteins and nucleic acids. The early cells drew inorganic as well as organic matter directly from sea water, for their nourishment. This was a simple form of nutrition. There had been tremendous expansion of living mass from the first cells on the earth. It makes an interesting study from the Quranic point of view, how with the gradual disappearance of free molecular food from the oceans, the nutrition of a vast number of organisms that branched out from the first cells, could be maintained? This happened in the following ways:-

Parasitism—- With the disappearance of free molecular food from the oceans, organisms began to procure food from the bodies of living organisms. One cell could invade another cell for obtaining food. This type of procuring food is called parasitism. Even today viruses and bacteria get their food by parasitism.

Saprotrophism------ Here the organisms began to live on dead bodies of other organisms. Many types of bacteria adopted this method of obtaining food.

Holotrophism------It is the process of eating whole living cell. In parasitism the smaller cell eats the substance of the larger cell, while in holotrophism, the larger cell engulfs and eats the smaller cell.

It is evident from the above description that the above three methods of food gathering did not add anything to the total food stores on the earth. It was just one cell eating the other, dead or alive. Thus unless some new food sources had become available, life would have gradually ceased to exist on the earth such food sources did evolve within the cells and the cells started manufacturing foods themselves.

In early stages, the nutrients were produced by methane, ammonia and water, and energy was supplied by the sun and lightening in the clouds surrounding the early earth. This method of food production became inadequate at a later stage. As with the disappearance of the permanent clouds, lightening became rare and with the formation of CO₂screen in the earth’s atmosphere, high energy solar radiation became unavailable. Thus evolution of some new methods of manufacturing organic compounds became necessary. Water was still abundently available and in addition to methane and hydrogen cyanide, carbon dioxide was available directly within cells as source of carbon, this being the product of respiration. With water and carbon dioxide, cells could produce organic compounds provided a source of energy was available. ATP could spply such an energy, but this itself was an organic compound and its production depended on an external source of energy. This cells could continue to exist only if they had evolved methods of utilizing external sources of energy. This happened in two different ways:

Chemosynthesis – Early Monera and Protista especially certain types of bacteria started extracting energy from sulphur, iron and nitrogen compounds. They absorbed these compounds into their bodies and on account of certain reactions that took place, bonds were broken and bond energy became available for the synthesis of carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and water. But the process had its limits as it depended on the availability of certain chemicals.

Photosynthesis—Another method in which materials and energy could be available in abundance came into existance. A huge store of energy was present in light rays of the sun. Only an energy – trapping substance was required within the cell. Such substance came to be evolved in the form the Chlorophyll. The process of manufacturing organic compounds by means of Chlorophyll and light rays came to be known as photosynthesis and is still used by the plant cells all over the world. It saved the living organisms from premature extinction.

We note that out of the five food procuring methods that came into existence, sooner or later, i.e. Parasitism, Saprotrophism, Holotrophism, Chemosynthesis and Photosynthesis, only the last two added to the total food supply on the earth. It appears that Monera adapted all methods of getting food except eating. Protista adapted photosynthesis as well as holotrophism (eating). Two different types of organisms evolved from Protista. One group specialized in photosynthesis and all the plants on earth evolved from this group. The other group specialised in holotrophism (eating) and at became animals.

The above discription of nutritional evolution illustrates a beautiful link in the chain of Allah’s Rabubiyat.

Example --2

With the passage of time, cells became organized into complex multicellular organisms because at any level, a higher organization is functionally more efficient than the lower one. For instance non-aggregated cells require more energy and material for their individual survival than if the same number of cells were united to form a tissue. There are two reasons for it. Firstly because duplication of effort is avoided. For example a single cell is exposed to environments all round and thus has got to spend energy and materials to protect itself against the effects of environments from all sides. On the other hand, in the case of a compact aggregated tissue, only the cells at the periphery are in direct contact with the environments and they only take up protective functioning. Secondly in an aggregated tissue not only that a duplication of effort is avoided, there is also a continuity of effort. For example a unicellurlar organism has got to perform all the functions of respiration, digestion, excretion, locomotion and reproduction etc. The whole cell surface is involved, say in the case of feeding and locomotion. Thus it can perform only one function at a particular time, the others being temporarily suspended in the meantime. As reproduction is also the function of the same cell, it suspends both feeding and locomotion. In multicellular organisms, on the other hand, there is a division of labour. Every individual function is the responsibility of a particular group of cells. For example movement is the responsibility of the muscle cells, digestion is the function of the alimentary canal, secretion is the function of glands and so on. Thus each group of cells is specialized in a particular way and the provision of nutrition is taken up by the cells of the alimentary canal only.

Example ---3

In still higher forms of animals, there developed a division of labour so that the nutrition of some individuals became dependent on the others. A few individual organisms of the same kind make up a family. A number of families together make a herd or tribe. Next higher organization where the number organisms of same kind is very large and which occupy a given area is called a population. In some cases a population is a far more closely knit group. The unifying link being not only interbreeding but the individuals live together in an integrated manner so that each contributes in some special way to the welfare of all. Such special type of organization is called a Society. Societies are characteristics of animals, i.e insects and vertebrates. They are highly developed among termites and many ants, bees and wasps. Each member of an insect society is guided by an inherent instinct and is bound to follow the way shown by it. The Holy Quran calls it “ Wahi” (revelation). We may produce as an example the honey bee society. A honey bee society consists of three social ranks. Only one of them is a queen who is the mother of all the members of the colony; several hundreds are drones and the rest are all workers. The queen and the stingless drones are reproductive. The queen lays the eggs and the drones fertilize the new queens. The daily work and strife of the colony devolves upon the workers , who are sexually developed females in which reproductive system is vestigeal. They, therefore, do not lay eggs but spend their time carrying water, collecting nectar and pollen, secreting wax, building the combs, collecting food for all castes, attending the queen and rearing the young, and cleansing, airing and defending the hive. Thus division of labour have developed at this stage and the function of procurement of food and water devolves on one particular group but not all the individuals of the society.

Waawha rabbuka ila alnnahli ani ittakhithee mina aljibali buyootan wamina alshshajari wamimma yaAArishoona. Thumma kulee min kulli alththamarati faoslukee subula rabbiki thululan yakhruju min butooniha sharabun mukhtalifun alwanuhu feehi shifaon lilnnasi inna fee thalika laayatan liqawmin yatafakkaroona (16/68-69)

“ And thy ‘ Rubb ‘ placed in the bee His guidance to build its hives in hills and in trees and from where to control ( its operations). Then to eat of all kinds of fruits and obediently follow the path of thy Rabb. Then comes forth from their bellies a drink of varying hues, wherein is healing for mankind, Verily in this is a sign for those who think over it.

Example---4

Let us describe here another remarkbale link in the chain of Allah’s Rabubiyyat. We know that fish and amphibia lay eggs inside the natural bodies of water. The eggs are in direct contact with water which is the source of their nourishment. There is no danger of drying up either. The eggs are thus without any protective shell. In reptiles and birds, on the other hand, the eggs needs protection against desiccation and physical shock. Hence it is protected by shell and amniotic fluid has developed as a shock absorber. As long as the embryo remains within a shell it is not capable of obtaining food from outside. Hence a big store of yolk withen the egg itself. The shell itself is a unique specimen of Allah’s creation. It allows air for respiration to pass through, yet the water is not allowed to evaporate. In mammals the egg become well protected inside the uterus. Thus the shell is eliminated. The nutrition and respiration are carried through the mother’s blood. Thus the quantity of yolk is insignificant, just to sustain the embryo during the period of its journey through the Fallopian tube and before it gets embedded in the uterine wall. At birth after the new born gets disconnected from the placenta, the milk food is ready in the mother’s breasts.

Example—5

Of all the minerals of the planet earth, water is the most abundant one. Nearly three-fourth of the earth’s surface is covered with water and it is also contained in large amounts in the atmosphere and in the lithosphere. It is also the major component of living matter. The basic water cycle is quite familiar. Heat of the sun evaporates water which is thus transferred from hydrosphere to the atmosphere. The evaporated water cools and condenses when it reaches high altitudes. Clouds are formed and after precipitation as rain or snow, water is returned to the hydrosphere. This is the most massive process of any kind on the earth, consuming more energy and more material than any other. The rain water as we know comes into contact with gases and rocks and the process of erosion thus gradually turns fresh water into salt water. These two bodies of fresh water and salt water thus constantly move in a gigantic global cycle. They are free to intermingle and do intermingle and yet they are kept apart by the physical laws of heat and gravitation which serve as a barrier in between two types of water. This colossal phenomenon of the hydrological process and the barrier between two segments of hydrosphere is a glorious manifestation of Allah’s “ Rabubiyat “ but for this the life on the land could not exist. The Quran say:

Afaraaytumu almaa allathee tashraboona. Aantum anzaltumoohu mina almuzni am nahnu almunziloona Law nashao jaAAalnahu ojajan falawla tashkuroona.(56/68-70)

“ Do you not observe the water which you drink? Do you bring it down from the clouds or do we? If it were Our will, We could make it salty ( and bitter) then why do you not give thanks?”

It means that it was the divine plan not to allow salinity to accumulate in all parts of hydrosphere because in that case life on the land could not continue further.

When one ponders over the ways and means provided by Allah for the sustenance of His creation, he is bound to proclaim الحمد لله رب العالمين. That the manifestation of Allah’s attribute of ‘ Rabubiyyat’ is not confined to any one unit of animate or inanimate objects. It prevails all over the universe for which the word عالمين is used.

عالمـين --- In الحمد لله رب العالمين, the word عالمين comes after the word ربّ The root of the word عالمين is ع ل م which mean ‘ to know’, to recognise. Thus عَاِلم means ‘ one who knows’: a knowledgeable person and عَاَلَم means a sign from which a certain thing could be know or recognised, as for instance a flag, or an insignia on the arm of a soldier which indicates that he belongs to so and so a unit. Allah’s personality is beyond human perception, but He can be recognised from His creation. The presence of the physical world indicate that there is a Creator behind it. The word عالمين is the plural of the word عَاَلَمThere are innumerable physical worlds but there is one Creator. Hence the word عالمين.

Allah’s creation did not stop at some particular point in the past. It continues increasingly. The Quran says:

That is why Allah is رب العلمين , the One Who sustain every componet of the innumerable physical worlds of His creation. The word عالمين might also mean ‘ the different nations of the world’. The Quran has also used this word in this sense. As for example, the Quran calls itself:

(12/1-4) ذكـر للعالمين “ message for all sections of humanity” or

Similarly the Quran calls the Rasool (P.B.U.H): رحمت للعالمين “ The one who provided a pattern of living to mankind”.

Thus رب العالمين comes to mean the Cherisher and Sustainer of all the different types of creation in the universe and not of any one tribe, nation or species.

The root of the word رحمن ‘Rehman’ and رحيم ‘ Raheem ‘ is ر ح م. The word رحمت is also from the same root, and it stands for mean of nourishment manifest or hidden provided to a certain person or a thing , according to need. A mother’s uterus is called رحم مادر as it provides nourishment to a fetus. A fetus has got all the potentialities of a full fledged human being and its nourishment growth and development is provided free as a gift, in an atmosphere of perfect ease and harmony. This is an example of ‘ Rahmat’ provided by Allah. Thus Raheem means “ One who provides nourishment within a specified pattern”.

The question arises why two different words رحمن and رحيم have occurred in Quran? In most of the English translations, these two words have been translated as “ Merciful and Gracious”, but this does not signify the true import of these words. Arabic is scientific and methodical language. Arabic words arise from a root called ماده. The words that take origin from particular ماده belong to different groups formed on the basis of their vocal expression. Such groups are called اوزان ‘ Auzan ‘ ( singular وزن ‘ wazan’) , or ابواب ‘ Abwab’ (singular باب ‘ Bab, means door). Although the basic meaning of all the words that arise from a common root (ماده) is the same, yet the words that come under the heading of a particular ‘wazan’, have got a distinct characteristic which differs from the characteristic of the words which belong to the same root but to a different ‘wazan’. The words رحيم ‘ Raheem’ and رحمن ‘ Rahman’ arise from the same root ماده which is رح م bu