The Fifth Phrase

وَ لَهُ الْحَمْدُTo Him belongs all praise.

In other words, all praise, gratitude, honour, and thanksgiving belong to Him alone. Every bounty comes from Him and proceeds from His inexhaustible treasury.

This phrase brings the following glad tiding:

"O human being! Do not grieve over the passing of blessings, for the treasury of His mercy can never be exhausted. Do not lament the fading of pleasure by dwelling on its passing, for every blessing is the fruit of His infinite mercy. Since its tree lives forever, whenever one fruit passes another appears in its place. By reflecting that every blessing is a gracious bestowal from the Most Merciful, you can increase the delight you derive from it a hundredfold."

Just as a majestic sultan, by presenting you with an apple, grants you a pleasure far surpassing the taste of the apple itself, because it is a gift from the sultan himself, so too Allah, through the phrase:

وَ لَهُ الْحَمْدُTo Him belongs all praise.

opens for you the door to a spiritual delight a thousand times sweeter than the blessing itself. This comes through praising and thanking Him, recognising the Bestower, perceiving His favour, reflecting upon the manifestations of His mercy and His loving care, and contemplating the everlasting continuity of His bestowals.

The Sixth Phrase

يُحْيٖىHe gives life.

In other words, He alone is the Giver of life. He alone sustains life through provision and supplies everything life requires.

The lofty purpose of life, its most important results, and ninety-nine percent of its fruits belong to Him.

This phrase brings the following glad tiding to weak and mortal humanity:

"O human being! Do not weary yourself by placing the heavy burdens of life upon your own shoulders. Do not sink into sorrow by dwelling on life's transience. Do not regret your coming into this world by looking only at its worldly and insignificant fruits."

Your life, like a ship sailing upon the ocean of time, belongs to Hayy-i QayyūmAllah, the Ever-Living Sustainer of all creation.. He is the One Who provides all its needs and requirements. Moreover, your life possesses countless lofty purposes and precious results, and all of them belong to Him.

You are no more than a helmsman aboard this ship. Therefore, perform your duty well, then receive your reward and enjoy it. Reflect on how precious this ship of life truly is, how great its benefits are, and how Generous and Merciful its Owner is. Rejoice, give thanks, and know that when you fulfil your duty with integrity, all the fruits produced by this ship will, in one respect, be recorded in the register of your deeds, secure for you an everlasting life, and grant you eternal life.