| Hamd | |
| Arabic | حمد |
|---|---|
| Romanization | ḥamd |
| Literal meaning | "praise" |
Hamd (Arabic:حمد,romanized: ḥamd,lit. 'praise') is a word that exclusively praises God - whether written or spoken.[1] Thus, The word "Hamd" is always followed by the name of God (Allah) - a phrase known as theTahmid - "al-ḥamdu li-llāh" (Arabic:الحَمْد لله) (English: "praise be to God"). The word "Hamd" comes from theQur'an, andالحَمْد لله is the epithet or locution which, after theBismillah, establishes the first verse of the first chapter of theQur'an -al Fatiha Mubarak (the opening).[2][3]
A Hamd is usually written inArabic,Persian,Turkish,Bengali,Punjabi, orUrdu and recited all over the Muslim world, fromIndonesia toMorocco. AQawwali performance usually includes at least one Hamd, which is traditionally at the beginning of the performance.
In thefive pillars of Islam, the concept of Hamd is in each pillar to emphasize the importance of this word.[4] In thefirst pillarShahada, Muslims praiseAllah for the blessings of being bornMuslim and the belief in onegod and hisprophet. They also praise Him for giving them better health and wealth than those who suffer. Thesecond pillar isSalat which is performing prayer, Muslims pray five times a day in order to keep remembering Allah and this allows a direct link between the worshipper and God. In each prayer Muslims reciteSurah (passage),Al-Fatiha and choose the next surah they would like to recite, but Al-Fatiha must always be recited in order for prayers to be accepted. Thethird pillar is givingZakat which is the act of giving a percentage of a Muslim's income to certain classes of needy people; this allows Muslims to remember the poor and to never forget that everything belongs to Allah. Therefore they should be thankful for what they have at all times. Fasting is thefourth pillar, and this emphasizes the depth meaning of Hamd in the holy month ofRamadan. Muslims fast every year for a month from sunrise to sunset. This helps purify the worshiper's soul and helps them gain true sympathy with the hungry in addition to remind them of their blessings and amounts of food they have. Thefifth pillar isHajj, the pilgrimage toMecca, the concept of Hamd is implemented in the action of Muslims visiting theKaabah or House of God. In all five pillars inIslam, Hamd is used either by action or words. In all aspects of Islam, Hamd is used and can only be used for Allah alone. Hamd is the root word forAlHamdulillah which meanspraise to Allah. When a Muslim thanks or praises Allah for his favours and bounties it can be done by reciting the word or by act of prayer.[5]
Hamd is a word to be recited by every Muslim in order for him/her to keepAllah in mind. For example, when a Muslim sneezes, first thing they should say is HamdAllah praising God in every small or large situation. It is believed when a person sneezes, his or her soul is taken out for milliseconds and returned, therefore thankingAllah for returning the soul is a blessing. Muslims should always praise God no matter what state they are in. Hamd is always true and implies admiration, love and magnifying the creator. Hamd is sincere and true praise therefore when praisingAllah most deserving; called Mahmood which comes from the word Hamd. When Muslims sayAlHamdAllah, it is out of love, humility and complete submission to the oneness and perfection ofAllah.[5]
Some well-known Hamd singers areMishary Rashid Alafasy,Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan,Sabri Brothers,Najam Sheraz, Qari Waheed Zafar Qasmi and Muhammad al-Muqit. Some modernEnglish language singers of Hamd areYusuf Islam (formerly known as Cat Stevens),Sami Yusuf, Ahmed Mac andNusrullah Khan Noori. Hamd is a word that is used in the Islamic religion. Muslims use the word Hamd in many aspects in their lives. TheQuran starts with a Hamd opening chapter orSurah which isAl-Fatiha starts with praising God ("Allah"). It is found to be in the first Ayah, the first Surah in theQuran;Al-Fatiha . It is significant because it allows Muslims to remember ("Allah") throughout the day and to keep praising Him for his blessings.
Five Pillars of Islam[edit] |
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