Understanding al (the) in Arabic.

Written by Fz.

Imagine you have a box will all kinds of praises in it. When you wish to give someone a praise, you put your hand into the box, with your eyes closed, grab one and give a praise item to him.

When you wish to give someone the praise, you put your hand into the box, with your eyes open, grab the one you like and give the praise item to him.

(Important to note that a and the always refer to only one item, never more than one.)

But sometimes you like a person so much, you extend your hand and give him the praise box with all the praises in it!


With that analogy in mind, when we say Hamdun in Arabic, it is like giving someone a praise item (meaning any praise).

When we say al-Hamdu, it is like giving someone the praise item (meaning a specific praise).

But in a certain context, when we say al-Hamdu, it is like giving someone the praise box! (or in other words: giving him all praise)

Hence, In al-faatiHah,

    al-Hamdu li llaahi

can mean

    the praise is for Allah

or

    the praise category (or in other words: all praise) is for Allah.


In this context, the first one doesn’t make much sense. When someone says the praise is for Allah, it raises the question: which praise do you mean?

Hence, in this context, the second meaning makes more sense, that is: All praise is for Allah.