The Meaning of Al-Ḥamdu lillāhi Rabbil ʿĀlamīn — Praise Be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds
A hadith from Imam al-Riḍā (ʿa) tracing the divine interpretation of gratitude and creation through the Imams
Foundational Source: Thaqalayn, Ḥadīth #30
Below is one of the luminous narrations that establish the chain of light — through each Imam — on the meaning of “Al-ḥamdu lillāhi rabbil-ʿālamīn.”
It is presented in both Arabic and English for reflection and study.
English Translation (Thaqalayn 28–30)
28-30 Muhammad ibn Al-Qasim al-Isterabadi - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Yusuf ibn Muhammad ibn Ziyad and Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Sayyar quoted on the authority of their fathers, on the authority Al-Hassan ibn Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Musa ibn Ja’far ibn Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Al-Hussein ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib (s), on the authority of his father (s), on the authority of his grandfather (s),
“A man went to see Al-Ridha (s) and said, O son of the Prophet of God! Please tell me what the interpretation of the following Words of the Honorable the Exalted God is, ‘Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds.’ The Imam (s) said, “My father (s) narrated that my grandfather (s) quoted on the authority of the Ornament of the Worshippers (Imam as-Sajjad) (s), on the authority his father (s) that a man went to see the Commander of the Faithful (s) and said, ‘Please tell me what the interpretation of the following Words of the Honorable the Exalted God is, ‘Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds.’ The Commander of the Faithful (s) replied, “‘Praise be to Allah’ means that God has made His servants recognize some of His Blessings, since they cannot recognize all of His Blessings in detail, because they are much more than to be enumerated or recognized. Thus He says to them, ‘Say Praise be to Allah for the Blessings which the Lord of the Two Worlds has bestowed upon us.’All things consist of the created things including the animate and inanimate. He manages the animates with His Power, feeds them their sustenance, protects them behind His Own Shield and plans all of their affairs according to His Own Plans. He maintains the inanimate with His Might. He keeps what is held together from tearing apart and keeps what is in separate parts from collapsing into one. He keeps the sky from falling down except with His Own Permission, and prevents the Earthfrom sinking in except with His Own Permission, since He is Kind and Merciful to His servants.The Imam (s) continued, “‘The Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds’ means their Owner, their Creator, and the Provider of their daily bread through ways which they know of and ways which they do not know of. The daily sustenance is divided up. It will reach the Children of Adam no matter which way they go in this world. One’s piety will not cause an increase in it, neither will a wicked person’s corruption cause a decrease in his share of the daily bread. There is a veil in between one and his share of the daily bread, and he is running after his daily bread. If one tries to escape from his share of the daily bread, it will follow him just as death does. God - the Exalted the Magnificent - says, ‘Say, Praise be to Allah’ for the Blessings that He has granted us (the Divine Leaders) and because He has made a good mention of us (the Divine Leaders) in the Books of the past before we were even born. This makes it incumbent upon Muhammad (s) and the nation of Muhammad and their followers to praise Him for the nobilities which God has given them. That is why God’s Prophet (s) said, ‘When the Honorable the Exalted God appointed Moses, the son of Imran (s), and chose him to supplicate to Him, God rent the sea asunder for him, rescued the Children of Israel, granted him the Torah and the Tablets, Moses (s) saw his rank near his Lord - the Honorable the Exalted - and said, ‘O Lord! You have honored me in such a way that You have never honored anyone else before me.’ Then God - the Exalted the Magnificent - said, ‘O Moses! Don’t you know that Muhammad (s) is nobler near Me than all My angels and all My creatures?’ Moses (s) said, ‘O Lord! Now that Muhammad (s) is nobler for You than all Your creatures, are there any Households among the Households of the Prophets which are nobler for You than my Household?’ Then God - the Exalted the Magnificent - said, ‘O Moses! Don’t you know that Muhammad’s Household is nobler than all the Households of the Prophets just as Muhammad (s) is nobler than all the Prophets (s).’ Then Moses (s) said, ‘O Lord! Now that the Household of Muhammad is as such, is there any nation amongst the nations of the Prophets (s) which is nobler than my nation? You set up the clouds as shadows for them (my nation), sent down the Manna and quails for them and You rent the sea asunder for them.’ Then God the Exalted the Magnificent said, ‘O Moses! Don’t you know that the nation of Muhammadis the noblest of all My nations just as Muhammad is the noblest of all My creatures?’ Then Moses (s) said, ‘O Lord! I wish I could see them.’ Then the Honorable the Exalted God revealed to Moses (s), ‘You will not see them. It is not the time for them to come now. But you will see them in the Garden - the Eternal Garden and Paradise. You will see them in the presence of Muhammad. They will live among its Blessings and enjoy its everlasting good. Do you want Me to let you hear their words?’ Moses (s) said, ‘Yes, my Lord!’ God - the Exalted the Magnificent - said, ‘Stand in front of Me like a debased servant standing in front of a Magnificent King and stretch out your back.’ Then Moses (s) did that. Then our Lord - the Honorable the Exalted called out, ‘O nation of Muhammad!’ Then all of them replied from the loins of their fathers and from the wombs of their mothers, ‘Here I am at Your service, O Lord! Here I am. There are no partners for You. Here I am. Praise be to You. Blessings and the Kingdom are Yours. There are no partners for You.’Then the Imam (s) added, “The Honorable the Exalted God established this as the slogan of the Hajj pilgrims. Then our Lord - the Honorable the Exalted said, ‘O nation of Muhammad! This is My decree for you: My Mercy has overcome My Wrath, and My Forgiveness is ahead of My Chastisement. I will accept your supplications before you call Me. I will grant you (something) before you ask Me. I will take to Paradise whichever of you who visits Me having sincerely testified and practically honored that ‘There is no god but God; There are no partners for Him; Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger, and Ali ibn Abi Talib (s) is Muhammad’s brother - his Trustee and Master after him. It is obligatory to obey Ali (s) just as it is to obey Muhammad (s). After the two of them (Muhammad (s) and Ali (s)) the Masters are the Chosen Masters, the Purified ones, the Cleansed ones, the ones who will inform (the people) about the miracles of God and express the Proofs of God’, even if his sins are as much as the foam on the sea.”Then the Imam (s) added, “When the Honorable the Exalted God appointed Muhammad to the Prophethood, He said, O Muhammad! ‘Nor wast thou at the side of (the Mountain of) Tur when we called (to Moses)…’ that is, We called your (Muhammad) nation with this honor. Then the Honorable the Exalted God told Muhammad, ‘Say, ‘Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds’ for this nobility which was granted especially to me.”
الحديث الثلاثون – تفسير الحمد لله رب العالمين
جاءَ رَجُل إِلى الرِّضا عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ فَقالَ لَهُ: يَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ قَوْلِهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعالَمِينَ مَا تَفْسِيرُهُ فَقَالَ لَقَدْ حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، عَن جَدِّي عَنِ الْبَاقِرِ، عَن زَيْنِ الْعَابِدِينَ، عَن أَبِيهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ أَنَّ رَجُلاً جَاءَ إِلَى أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ فَقَالَ أَخْبِرْنِي، عَن قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعالَمِينَ مَا تَفْسِيرُهُ فَقَالَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ هُوَأَنْ عَرَّفَ عِبَادَهُ بَعْضَ نِعَمِهِ عَلَيْهِمْ جُمَلاً إِذْ لا يَقْدِرُونَ عَلَى مَعْرِفَةِ جَمِيعِهَا بِالتَّفْصِيلِ لانَّهَا أَكْثَرُ مِنْ أَنْ تُحْصَى أَوْ تُعْرَفَ فَقَالَ لَهُمْ قُولُوا الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ عَلَى مَا أَنْعَمَ بِهِ عَلَيْنَا رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ وَهُمُ الْجَمَاعَاتُ مِنْ كُلِّ مَخْلُوقٍ مِنَ الْجَمَادَاتِ وَالْحَيَوَانَاتِ فَأَمَّا الْحَيَوَانَاتُ فَهُوَيَقْلِبُهَا فِي قُدْرَتِهِ وَيَغْذُوهَا مِنْ رِزْقِهِ وَيُحَوِّطُهَا بِكَنَفِهِ وَيُدَبِّرُ كُلّاً مِنْهَا بِمَصْلَحَتِهِ وَأَمَّا الْجَمَادَاتُ فَهُوَيُمْسِكُهَا بِقُدْرَتِهِ يُمْسِكُ الْمُتَّصِلَ مِنْهَا أَنْ يَتَهَافَتَ، وَيُمْسِكُ الْمُتَهَافِتَ مِنْهَا أَنْ يَتَلاصَقَ، وَيُمْسِكُ السَّماءَ أَنْ تَقَعَ عَلَى الأَرْضِ إِلاّبِإِذْنِهِ وَيُمْسِكُ الأَرْضَ أَنْ تَنْخَسِفَ إِلا بِأَمْرِهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِعِبَادِهِ رَءُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ.قَالَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ وَرَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ مَالِكُهُمْ وَخَالِقُهُمْ وَسَائِقُ أَرْزَاقِهِمْ إِلَيْهِمْ مِنْ حَيْثُ يَعْلَمُونَ وَمِنْ حَيْثُ لا يَعْلَمُونَ فَالرِّزْقُ مَقْسُومٌ وَهُوَيَأْتِي ابْنَ آدَمَ عَلَى أَيِّ سِيرَةٍ سَارَهَا مِنَ الدُّنْيَا لَيْسَ تَقْوَى مُتَّقٍ بِزَائِدِهِ وَلا فُجُورُ فَاجِرٍ بِنَاقِصِهِ وَبَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَهُ سِتْرٌ وَهُوَطَالِبُهُ وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ يَفِرُّ مِنْ رِزْقِهِ لَطَلَبَهُ رِزْقُهُ كَمَا يَطْلُبُهُ الْمَوْتُ فَقَالَ اللَّهُ جَلَّ جَلالُهُ قُولُوا الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ عَلَى مَا أَنْعَمَ بِهِ عَلَيْنَا وَذَكَرَنَا بِهِ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فِي كُتُبِ الأَوَّلِينَ قَبْلَ أَنْ نَكُونَ فَفِي هَذَا إِيجَابٌ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ وَعَلَى شِيعَتِهِمْ أَنْ يَشْكُرُوهُ بِمَا فَضَّلَهُمْ وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ قَالَ لَمَّا بَعَثَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ مُوسَى بْنَ عِمْرَانَ وَاصْطَفَاهُ نَجِيّاً وَفَلَقَ لَهُ الْبَحْرَ وَنَجَّى بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَأَعْطَاهُ التَّوْرَاةَ وَالأَلْوَاحَ رَأَى مَكَانَهُ مِنْ رَبِّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَقَالَ يَا رَبِّ لَقَدْ أَكْرَمْتَنِي بِكَرَامَةٍ لَمْ تُكْرِمْ بِهَا أَحَداً قَبْلِي فَقَالَ اللَّهُ جَلَّ جَلالُهُ يَا مُوسَى أَمَا عَلِمْتَ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً صَلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ أَفْضَلُ عِنْدِي مِنْ جَمِيعِ مَلائِكَتِي وَجَمِيعِ خَلْقِي قَالَ مُوسَى يَا رَبِّ فَإِنْ كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَكْرَمَ عِنْدَكَ مِنْ جَمِيعِ خَلْقِكَ فَهَلْ فِي آلِ الأَنْبِيَاءِ أَكْرَمُ مِنْ آلِي قَالَ اللَّهُ جَلَّ جَلالُهُ يَا مُوسَى أَمَا عَلِمْتَ أَنَّ فَضْلَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَلَى جَمِيعِ آلِ النَّبِيِّينَ كَفَضْلِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَلَى جَمِيعِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ فَقَالَ مُوسَى يَا رَبِّ فَإِنْ كَانَ آلُ مُحَمَّدٍ كَذَلِكَ فَهَلْ فِي أُمَمِ الأَنْبِيَاءِ أَفْضَلُ عِنْدَكَ مِنْ أُمَّتِي ظَلَّلْتَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْغَمَامَ وَأَنْزَلْتَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَنَّ وَالسَّلْوَى وَفَلَقْتَ لَهُمُ الْبَحْرَ فَقَالَ اللَّهُ جَلَّ جَلالُهُ يَا مُوسَى أَمَا عَلِمْتَ أَنَّ فَضْلَ أُمَّـةِ مُحَمَّـدٍ عَلَـىجَمِيعِ الأُمَمِ كَفَضْلِه عَلَى جَمِيعِ خَلْقِي فَقَالَ مُوسَى يَا رَبِّ لَيْتَنِي كُنْتُ أَرَاهُمْ فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِلَيْهِ يَا مُوسَى إِنَّكَ لَنْ تَرَاهُمْ فَلَيْسَ هَذَا أَوَانَ ظُهُورِهِمْ وَلَكِنْ سَوْفَ تَرَاهُمْ فِي الْجِنَانِ جَنَّاتِ عَدْنٍ وَالْفِرْدَوْسِ بِحَضْرَةِ مُحَمَّدٍ فِي نَعِيمِهَا يَتَقَلَّبُونَ وَفِي خَيْرَاتِهِ يَتَبَحْبَحُونَ أَفَتُحِبُّ أَنْ أُسْمِعَكَ كَلامَهُمْ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ إِلَهِي قَالَ اللَّهُ جَلَّ جَلالُهُ قُمْ بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ وَاشْدُدْ مِئْزَرَكَ قِيَامَ الْعَبْدِ الذَّلِيلِ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ الْمَلِكِ الْجَلِيلِ فَفَعَلَ ذَلِكَ مُوسَى عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ فَنَادَى رَبُّنَا عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَا أُمَّةَ مُحَمَّدٍ فَأَجَابُوهُ كُلُّهُمْ وَهُمْ فِي أَصْلابِ آبَائِهِمْ وَأَرْحَامِ أُمَّهَاتِهِمْ لَبَّيْكَ اللَّهُمَّ لَبَّيْكَ لا شَرِيكَ لَكَ لَبَّيْكَ إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ وَالنِّعْمَةَ لَكَ وَالْمُلْكَ لا شَرِيكَ لَكَ قَالَ فَجَعَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ تِلْكَ الإِجَابَةَ شِعَارَ الْحَجِّ ثُمَّ نَادَى رَبُّنَا عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَا أُمَّةَ مُحَمَّدٍ إِنَّ رَحْمَتِي سَبَقَتْ غَضَبِي وَعَفْوِي قَبْلَ عِقَابِي فَقَدِ اسْتَجَبْتُ لَكُمْ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ تَدْعُونِي وَأَعْطَيْتُكُمْ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ تَسْأَلُونِي مَنْ لَقِيَنِي مِنْكُمْ بِشَهَادَةِ أَنْ لا إِلَهَ إِلا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ صَادِقٌ فِي أَقْوَالِهِ مُحِقٌّ فِي أَفْعَالِهِ وَأَنَّ عَلِيَّ بْنَ أَبِي طَالِبٍ أَخُوهُ وَوَصِيُّهُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ وَوَلِيُّهُ وَيَلْتَزِمُ طَاعَتَهُ كَمَا يَلْتَزِمُ طَاعَةَ مُحَمَّدٍ وَأَنَّ أَوْلِيَاءَهُ الْمُصْطَفَيْنَ الْمُطَهَّرِينَ الْمُبَانِينَ بِعَجَائِبِ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَدَلائِلِ حُجَجِ اللَّهِ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمَا أَوْلِيَاؤُهُ أَدْخَلْتُهُ جَنَّتِي وَإِنْ كَانَتْ ذُنُوبُهُ مِثْلَ زَبَدِ الْبَحْرِ قَالَ فَلَمَّا بَعَثَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ نَبِيَّنَا مُحَمَّداً صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ قَالَ: يَا مُحَمَّدُ وَمَا كُنْتُ بِجَانِبِ الطُّورِ إِذْ نَادَيْنَا أُمَّتَكَ بِهَذِهِ الْكَرَامَةِ ثُمَّ قَالَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لُِمحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ قُلِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعالَمِينَ عَلَى مَا اخْتَصَّنِي بِهِ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْفَضِيلَةِ وَقَالَ لامَّتِهِ قُولُوا أَنْتُمْ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعالَمِينَ عَلَى مَا اخْتَصَّنَا بِهِ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْفَضَائِلِ.
Reflection
This narration itself travels through the chain of Imams — a neural–spiritual current of knowledge.
Just as a synapse transfers light between neurons, this isnād transfers light between hearts.
To recite from each Imam daily is to participate in this living transmission — to let the brain’s twelve pathways remember their origin: “Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds.”
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