(1–2) “In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. All praise belongs to Allah, to whom belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on earth. To Him belongs all praise in the Hereafter, and He is the All-Wise, the All-Aware. He knows whatever enters the earth and whatever emerges from it, whatever descends from heaven and whatever ascends into it. And He is the Most Merciful, the Ever-Forgiving.”

Praise means extolling someone for praiseworthy attributes and excellent deeds. All praise therefore belongs to Allah Most High, for all His attributes are worthy of praise because they are attributes of perfection, and all His deeds are worthy of praise because they are either acts of grace, for which He is praised and thanked, or acts of justice, for which He is praised and whose wisdom is acknowledged.

Here, He praises Himself because “to Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on earth,” all of them His possessions and servants, whom He governs in a manner worthy of praise. “To Him belongs all praise in the Hereafter,” because in the Hereafter His praiseworthiness will become manifest and He will be extolled in a way that does not occur in this world. When Allah Most High has judged among all creatures, and all people and created beings have witnessed His judgement and the perfection of His justice, equity, and wisdom therein, they will all praise Him for it. Even those who are punished will enter the Fire only with hearts filled with praise for Him, acknowledging that this is the consequence of their own deeds and that He is just in His judgement to punish them.

As for the manifestation of His praiseworthiness in the abode of bliss and reward, it is something attested by numerous reports and affirmed by both revealed and rational evidence. In Paradise, its people will witness the unceasing succession of Allah’s blessings, the abundant flow of His goodness, the multitude of His favors, and the vastness of His gifts. No wish or desire will remain in their hearts without their being given more than they wished and desired. Indeed, they will be granted blessings that they had never wished for or even imagined.

What, then, do you suppose their praise of their Lord will be like in such a state? Moreover, in Paradise all distractions and impediments that hinder the knowledge, love, and praise of Allah will vanish. This will be dearer to its people than every other blessing and more delightful than every other pleasure. Thus, when they behold Allah Most High and hear His words as He addresses them, this will cause them to forget every other delight. Their remembrance of Him in Paradise will be as natural as breathing and will continue at all times. Add to this that, at every moment in Paradise, its people will behold aspects of their Lord’s greatness, majesty, beauty, and boundless perfection that will inspire them to praise and extol Him perfectly.

“And He is the All-Wise” in His dominion and governance, and wise in His commands and prohibitions. “The All-Aware”: the One who knows the innermost and hidden realities of all things. He therefore elaborates upon His knowledge, saying: “He knows whatever enters the earth”—such as rain, seeds, and living creatures—“and whatever emerges from it,” including every kind of plant and every variety of animal; “whatever descends from heaven,” including angels, provisions, and divine decrees; “and whatever ascends into it,” including angels, souls, and other things.

After mentioning His creatures, His wisdom concerning them, and His knowledge of their conditions, He mentions His forgiveness and mercy toward them, saying: “And He is the Most Merciful, the Ever-Forgiving.” That is, mercy and forgiveness are His attributes, and their effects have never ceased to descend upon His servants at all times, according to the extent that they fulfill the causes that call for them.