Surah al-Fatihah (The Opening) 1 : 2

Explanatory Note

Praise of God is the first feeling aroused in a believer’s heart at the mention of God. For man’s own existence is an aspect of God’s infinite grace, which engenders gratitude and reverence towards God. The manifestations of God’s munificence and generosity to man and other creatures abound everywhere and can be seen at every moment. To praise God at the beginning and at the end of every action is another fundamental principle of the Islamic faith. The Qur’ān says: “He is God; there is no deity but He. To Him belongs praise in the first and in the last...” [28: 70]
 
Nevertheless, God’s grace is such that when a believer says, ‘praise be to God,’ it is recorded for him as a good deed outweighing everything. `Umar ibn al-Khaţţāb, the Prophet’s Companion, relates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) told how a man once said, “Lord, I praise You as befits the majesty of Your face and the greatness of Your power.” The two angels accompanying that man could not evaluate the remark and referred to God Almighty, who commanded them: “Register it in his record as he said it, and I shall reward him as he deserves when he returns to Me.”