into light. The Mother of the Quran is the Opening of the Book. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said in an authentic hadith:

“Allah says: ‘I have divided the prayer into two halves between Myself and My servant: half is for Me and half is for My servant, and My servant shall have what he asks for. When the servant says, “All praise is for Allah, Lord of the worlds,” Allah says, “My servant has praised Me.” When he says, “The Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful,” Allah says, “My servant has extolled Me.” When he says, “Master of the Day of Judgment,” Allah says, “My servant has glorified Me.” When he says, “You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help,” Allah says, “This is between Myself and My servant, and My servant shall have what he asks for.” When he says, “Guide us to the straight path—the path of those You have blessed, not those who have incurred Your wrath, nor those who have gone astray,” He says, “These are for My servant, and My servant shall have what he asks for.”’”

This “surah” thus contains praise for Allah—to Him belongs all praise in this world and the Hereafter—and supplication by the servant. It contains worship devoted to Allah alone and the servant’s seeking help. The Lord’s right, then, is that He be praised and that He alone be worshipped. These two things—“praising the Lord and affirming His oneness”—are the foundation upon which the whole religion rests.

The “question of volitional attributes” is part of praising Him fully. Whoever does not affirm these attributes cannot affirm at all that Allah is praiseworthy or that He is Lord of the worlds. Praise is the opposite of blame: praise means speaking of the praiseworthy qualities of the one praised while loving him, whereas blame means speaking of the faults of the one blamed while hating him. All blameworthy qualities are summed up in doing evil, just as all praiseworthy qualities are summed up in doing good. If He does good by His will and power, He deserves “praise.” Thus, one who has no act of his own will subsisting in him—indeed, who is not even capable of such an act—can be neither a creator nor Lord of the worlds.