Glorification Of God Book

Ch 19 — Praise Be to God (Alhamdulillah)

Glorification Of God Book — Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

Badges mark quoted or attributed material (Qur'an, hadith, another author, an opposing view). Unbadged passages are Maulana Wahiduddin Khan's own words.

Contents (44 chapters)
  1. Foreword
  2. Ch 1 — The Majesty of God in the Vast Universe
  3. Ch 2 — The Consciousness in Human Nature of God's Existence
  4. Ch 3 — The Omnipotent God and Helpless Man
  5. Ch 4 — Glorification of God
  6. Ch 5 — Consciousness in Nature
  7. Ch 6 — Limitless Majesty of God
  8. Ch 7 — Relationship with God
  9. Ch 8 — Two Aspects of God-Realization
  10. Ch 9 — The Importance of the Fear of God
  11. Ch 10 — Loving God the Most
  12. Ch 11 — Love, Obedience
  13. Ch 12 — Love of God
  14. Ch 13 — Closeness to God
  15. Ch 14 — Two Levels of Realization (Maarifah)
  16. Ch 15 — Making God One's Supreme Concern
  17. Ch 16 — Submission to God
  18. Ch 17 — Acknowledgement of God
  19. Ch 18 — Cause of the Failure to Love God
  20. Ch 19 — Praise Be to God (Alhamdulillah)
  21. Ch 20 — The Source of the Love of God
  22. Ch 21 — The Price of the Love of God
  23. Ch 22 — Strong, Emotional Attachment to God
  24. Ch 23 — Real Love, Relative Love
  25. Ch 24 — Two Categories of Paradise
  26. Ch 25 — Intense Love of God
  27. Ch 26 — Strong Believer, Weak Believer
  28. Ch 27 — People Worth Envying
  29. Ch 28 — Sacred Narration
  30. Ch 29 — A Case of Exceptional Mercy
  31. Ch 30 — God in Our Hearts
  32. Ch 31 — The Remembrance of God
  33. Ch 32 — Two Lifestyles
  34. Ch 33 — The Power of Helplessness
  35. Ch 34 — Crying in Remembrance of God
  36. Ch 35 — The Spirit of Religion
  37. Ch 36 — God's Pleasure, Man's Pleasure
  38. Ch 37 — Initial Hamd (Praise), Ultimate Hamd
  39. Ch 38 — Thankfulness and Acknowledgement
  40. Ch 39 — The High Degree of the Divine Experience
  41. Ch 40 — The Feelings of Worship
  42. Ch 41 — The Experience of God
  43. Ch 42 — Seeking God's Pleasure
  44. Ch 43 — In the Company of God

Two Aspects of God-realization p. 3

The personality of a believer is made up of these two feelings. On the one hand, he loves God the most. And on the other hand he fears God the most. p. 22

There are two aspects of God’s realization—Love and Fear. On the one hand, God is very compassionate, and on the other hand, He is very just. When man thinks of the unbounded mercy of God, he develops the feeling which has been called in the Quran, “Loving God Most.” (2:165) Similarly when man thinks of God as being just, he has that feeling which has been alluded to when the Quran speaks of: “those who stand in awe of none but God.” (9:18) p. 22original + quote

The personality of a believer is made up of these two feelings. On the one hand, he loves God the most. And on the other hand he fears God the most. The love of God is such as is filled with agony. Similarly, the fear of God is such as is filled with the love of God. This is a relationship which man hopes to have with the Being he fears lest He deprives him of His blessings. This is the combination of love and fear which can be felt but cannot be expressed in words. p. 22

This is the sign of a high level of realization, in which there is peace as well as agony. A high level of realization implies hope as well as fear. A high level of realization brings conviction as well as uncertainty. A high level of realization embraces closeness as well as distance. A high level of realization is a place where sometimes the believer is sure that he has reached his destination, while sometimes he is in doubt as to whether or not he is on his way to the right destination. At times he has this feeling that he has reached a full stop, while at other times, he is in doubt as to whether he is still at the stage of the comma. This feeling of love and fear is true realization, another name for which is maarifah. p. 23

PRAISE BE TO GOD (ALHAMD-O-LILLAH) p. 23

When man has an ocean of gratitude for God’s innumerable blessings, he spontaneously utters words of praise in universal acknowledgement. This is true Alhamd-o-lillah. p. 46

The second verse of the Quran is, “Praise be to God, the Lord of the Universe.” (1:2) These are words which it takes but a moment to repeat. But if these words have to express true realization of God, their significance is so great that nothing can be greater. That is why, there is a Hadith which has this to say: “Alham du Lillah, fills up man’s balance (of good deeds) or scale of action.” (Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 223) p. 46original + quote

When one thinks that the universe came into being fifteen billion years ago, and that it is still expanding, one finds this extremely frightening. Then, when man thinks about his own creation, he finds that his existence is a miracle, no part of which can be reproduced, however minute. p. 46

Then man thinks about how God sends him light and heat from the sun in the space and has provided him a continuous supply of oxygen through the air. The earth gives him a variety of produce. It also gives him stability through the force of gravity. In fact, a complete life support system has been established for his special benefit. p. 47

Thinking upon these things man feels that he owes oceans of gratitude to God. It is as if his soul has been engulfed by a huge divine storm, which has had a thrilling effect upon his mind. When man experiences these indescribably godly feelings, he spontaneously utters words of praise in universal acknowledgement. This is true gratitude to God. It is these feelings of praise to God which have been expressed thus in the Quran: “Praise be to God, the Lord of the Universe.” (1:2) p. 47original + quote