Description of Hamd and Madh

All praise is for Allah Who sent His Messenger with guidance and True Religion so as to give is a supremacy over all other religions. And Allah is enough as a witness.

It is narrated that the Prophet (pbuh) said:

"A statemnt that does not begin with praise of Allah and blessing upon me, remains deficient and bereft of blessings." Abu Daud, 13/184

The same has been narrated about Bimillah also. that is the reason why the present author has tried to follow both Ahadith and has mentioned both Bismillah and Al-Hamdu Lillah.

Hamd means praising orally a grace regardless of being benefited by it, be it a favour or anything else, such as a statement that "I did Hamd of a certain person in connection with the prize he had been awarded or for his feat of boldness."
Shukr (thanking) is that praise which is done orally or emotionally or by any other organ of the body in lieu of some favour. This shows that the word Hamd is commonly used in one situation and the Suker in another situation.

Discribing the mutual difference between Hamd and Madh (praise) Ibn Al-Qaiyim writes that Hamb denotes stating qualities with love and respect; and Madh denotes only declaration of the quality it does not necessarily imply love and respect. That is why the connotation of Hamd is of a special nature and that of Madh a general.

In the word Al-Hamdu, the prefix Al has been used for comprehensiveness meaning that it includes all forms of Hamd. Some people have described it as a generic noun and have maintained that perfect Hamd is affirmed ony for Allah. This word shows that Allah has all the Attributes of perfection and beauty.

Lexicologically the word Rasool (Messenger) means a person who has been sent with a message. In teh technical terms of the Shari'ah, Rasool is that free man to whom Allah's revelations come and he is commanded to convey them to others. If he is not commanded to convey to others he is called a Nabi. Thus every Rasool is a Nabi but not every Nabi is a Rasool (prophet). The word Rasool signifies here the personality of Muhammad (pbuh) The meaning of Hdaya is to describe, and to guide. The Quran says:

(And as for Thamud, We showed and made clear to them the Path of Truth (Islamic Monotheism) through our Messenger(i.e. showed them the way of success), but they preferred blindness to guidance (Hidayah)."41;7

In this Quranic verse Hidayah means to guide. This meaning of Hidayah is common for all. It is in this sense that the Quran and the Prophet (pbuh) are called Haadi (the guide).

Hidayah also means favor and revelation. In this sense it is specially used for thos whom Allah gives Hidayah. Here it means all the true information, right faith, profitable knowledge and good deeds which were brought by the Prophet (pbuh).

Deen here means all commandments and laws which were sent to the Prophet (pbuh) by Allah, whether they are related to belief, statement, or deed. The word Haq means that which is proved and is real; its antonym is Batil which means a thing which has no reality.

It has been stated in a Quranic verse that Allah will make Islam dominant over all other religions through reasons and arguments. The sentence mentioned in the passage quoted above means that all the Attributes denoting perfection are proved for Allah in the highest degree. Allah is praised on account of those favours which He has bestowed upon mankind and which are beyond our comprehension. His greatest favour is that He sent Muhammad (pbuh) with the real religion and made it dominant over other religions on rational grounds. To bear witness in favour of Allah means that He helped His Messenger with His assistance, miracles and various evidencess.