Fiqh al-Adiyah wa-al-Adhkar - Abd al-Razzaq ibn Abd al-Muhsin al-Badr - (3/133)

Fiqh al-Adiyah wa-al-AdhkarAbd al-Razzaq ibn Abd al-Muhsin al-Badr

140 / Forms of Opening Supplication in Prayer

We have already discussed the various opening supplications with which the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—began the prayer, explaining some of their meanings and implications. It was also noted that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—did not consistently adhere to any one of them; rather, he would use one on some occasions and another on others. Anyone who reflects upon these opening supplications transmitted from the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—will find that they fall into three categories: those containing praise of Allah; those in which the servant declares his worship of Allah; and those containing supplication and request.

Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyya—may Allah have mercy on him—established a momentous principle in this regard and discussed its supporting evidence and proofs at length: the highest form of remembrance is that which praises Allah, followed by that in which the servant declares his worship of Allah, and then by the servant’s supplication. He then said—may Allah have mercy on him:

“Once this principle is understood, the best forms of opening supplication are those consisting solely of praise, such as: (Glory and praise be to You, O Allah. Blessed is Your name, exalted is Your majesty, and there is no deity other than You), and: (Allah is Most Great indeed; abundant praise belongs to Allah; and glory be to Allah morning and evening). The former, however, contains forms of praise not found in the latter, for it includes mention of the enduring righteous deeds, which are the finest words after the Quran. It also contains the phrases (Blessed is Your name) and (exalted is Your majesty), both of which are also found in the Quran. This is why most of the early generations began the prayer with it, and why Umar ibn al-Khattāb—may Allah be pleased with him—would recite it aloud to teach it to the people.

“Next in rank is the second category, in which the servant declares his worship, such as: (I have turned my face toward the One who originated the heavens and the earth…) This also includes supplication. If the worshipper follows the former opening with this one, he combines all three categories. This is the best of the opening supplications, as explicitly stated in a hadith. It was the view adopted by Abū Yūsuf and by the vizier Ibn Hubayra—one of Ahmad’s adherents and the author of al-Ifsāh. This is also how I begin the prayer.

١٤٠ / أنواع استفتاحات الصلاة سبق أن مرَّ معنا ذكرُ أنواع استفتاحات النَّبِيِّ ﷺ للصلاة، وبيانُ شيء من معانيها ودلالتها، وسبق الإشارةُ إلى أنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ لَم يكن يداومُ على نوعٍ من تلك الأنواع، بل يستفتح بهذا تارةً وبهذا تارة، ومَن يتأمَّل في هذه الاستفتاحات المأثورة عن النَّبِيِّ ﷺ يجدُ أنَّها على ثلاثة أنواع: نوعٌ فيه الثناءُ على الله، ونوعٌ فيه إخبارٌ من العبد عن عبادة الله، ونوعٌ فيه دعاءٌ وطلب. وقد قرَّر شيخ الإسلام ابن تيمية ﵀ أصلاً عظيماً في هذا الباب وأطال في ذِكر شواهده ودلائله، ألا وهو أنَّ أعلى الذِّكر ما كان ثناءً على الله، ويليه ما كان خبراً من العبد عن عبادة الله، ويليه ما كان دعاءً من العبد، ثم قال ﵀ عقب ذلك: "إذا تبيَّن هذا الأصل، فأفضلُ أنواع الاستفتاح ما كان ثناءً محضاً، مثل (سبحانك اللَّهمَّ وبحمدك، وتبارك اسمك، وتعالى جدُّك، ولا إله غيرك) ، وقوله: (الله أكبرُ كبيراً، والحمدُ لله كثيراً، وسبحان اللهِ بُكرةً وأصيلاً) ، ولكنْ ذاك فيه من الثناء ما ليس في هذا، فإنَّه تضمَّن ذِكرَ الباقيات الصالحات التي هي أفضلُ الكلام بعد القرآن، وتضمّن قوله: (تبارك اسمك وتعالى جدُّك) وهما من القرآن أيضاً، ولهذا كان أكثرُ السلف يستفتحون به، وكان عمرُ بن الخطاب ﵁ يجهر به يُعلِّمُه الناسَ. وبعده النوعُ الثاني وهو الخبر عن عبادة العبد، كقوله: (وجَّهت وجهي للذي فطر السموات والأرض.. الخ) ، وهو يتضمَّن الدعاء، وإن استفتح العبدُ بهذا بعد ذلك فقد جمع بين الأنواع الثلاثة، وهو أفضلُ الاستفتاحات كما جاء ذلك في حديثٍ مُصرَّحاً به، وهو اختيار أبي يوسف وابن هُبيرة الوزير، ومن أصحاب أحمد صاحبِ الإفصاح، وهكذا أستفتحُ أنا.