Abu Hurairah (radiallaahu anhu) said: I have heard the
Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam) say:
"Allaah (the Mighty and Sublime) has said: I have divided prayer
between Myself and My servant into two halves, and My servant shall have what he
has asked for. When the servant says:
All praise belongs to Allaah the Rabb of all the Worlds.
Allaah (mighty and sublime be He) says: My servant has
praised Me. And when he says:
The Most Gracious the Most Merciful
Allaah (mighty and sublime be He) says: My servant has
extolled Me, and when he says:
Master of the Day of Judgement
Allaah (mighty and sublime be He) says: My servant has
glorified Me -and on one occasion He said: My servant has submitted to My power.
And when he says:
You alone do we worship and from You alone do we seek
help
He says: This is between Me and My servant, and My servant
shall have what he has asked for. And when he says:
Guide us to the Straight Path, the Path of those whom you have
favoured, not of those upon whom is Your anger, nor of those who are
astray
He says: This is for My servant, and My servant shall have what
he has asked for." [Reported
by Muslim, Maalik, at-Tirmidhee, Abu Daawood, an-Nasaaee and Ibn
Maajah]
Ibn al-Qayyim (rahimahullaah) said:
And when he says: All praise is due to Allaah the Rabb
of all the Worlds, he pauses for a short while waiting for the response of his
Lord: "My servant has praised Me." Then when he says: The Most
Gracious the Most Merciful, he waits for the response: "My servant has
extolled Me" and when he says: Master of the Day of Judgement, he waits for
the response: "My servant has glorified Me."
It is the delight of his heart, the pleasure of his eye and the
joy of his soul that his Lord says about him: "My servant" three
times. By Allaah! If the fumes of desire and the darknesses of the soul
were not upon the hearts, they would have flown out of happiness and joy that
their Lord, Maker and Diety says: "My servant has praised Me, My servant
has extolled Me and My servant has glorified Me."
Then there would have been space in his heart to witness (the
reality) of the three names which are the basis of all the Beautiful Names and
these are: Allaah, ar-Rabb and ar-Rahmaan...
...When he says: Master of the Day of Judgement, he witnesses
the glory which befits none but the the King, the Truth, the Manifest. So he
witnesses a very powerful and compelling King, to Whom the whole creation has
yielded, to Whom the faces are humbled, to Whom the the creation humbles itself,
and to Whom every possessor of power and honour submits. He witnesses with his
heart a King (Who is) upon the Throne of the Heaven...
...And then he says: You alone do we worship and from You alone
do we seek help, in which lies the secret of the creation and the affair, of the
world and the hereafter, and which contains the loftiest of goals and the most
excellent of means (of approach to Allaah). The loftiest of goals is
enslavement to Allaah and the most excellent of means is His help and
assistance. There is no diety deserving of worship in truth except He and there
is no helper in His worship besides Him. Therefore, His worship is the greatest
of goals and His aid is the loftiest of means...
...And these words contain the two types of Tawheed and they
are Tawheed ur-Ruboobiyyah and Tawheed ul-Uloohiyyah. Devotion to Allaah
is comprised in His names ar-Rabb and Allaah, so he is worshipped on
account of His Uloohiyyah, help is sought from Him on account of His Ruboobiyyah
and He guides to the Straight Path on account of His Mercy. The first part of
the surah therefore, mentions His names Allaah, ar-Rabb and ar-Rahmaan
for the purpose of the one who seeks His worship, help and guidance. He is alone
in being able to bestow all of that. There is no one who can aid others in
Allaah’s worship besides Allaah and none can guide (to the
Straight Path) except Him.
Then the caller realises with the speech of Allaah:
Guide us to the Straight Path, his extreme need for this (guidance). He is never
in need of any other thing as much as he is for this guidance. He is need of it
in every moment and at every glance of the eye...
Ibn al-Qayyim on the Hadeeth Qudsee : "I Have Divided the Prayer Between Myself and My Servant..."