unto perfection of all men cannot bear hatred towards them. He must recognize, in fact, that God is much more to all men than is a father to his sons.

The fourth main idea is carried in the words Raḥmān and Raḥīm. God is Loving and Beneficent; He has provided man with everything necessary for his development, physical as well as moral and spiritual; but still that development depends on the right use of outward things as well as of the inner faculties which are meant for this object. The choice is man’s whether he takes advantage of those means and reaches the goal, or rejects or ignores them and suffers the evil consequences thereof.

The fifth and sixth great ideas contained in the Fātiḥah are those conveyed in the words Mālik yaum al-dīn or Master of the Day of Requital. God is here called the Mālik or the Master, and not Malik or King. The two words are almost alike, but there is this vast difference between a Mālik and a Malik that the latter is bound to give to each what he deserves, but the former may, if he likes, forgive an offender altogether. There are some religions that lay so much stress on Divine justice that they refuse to recognize a God who can forgive offenders without having some compensation. Such a narrow view of Divine justice has a corresponding effect on the morals of a man. The word Mālik rejects this idea, and shows God to be a Master, Who can forgive if He likes, however great the offence may be. The addition of the words yaum al-dīn, the Day of Requital, is by way of reminder that man must face the consequence of his own deeds. There is no deed, good or bad, that is without a consequence, and if these consequences are not seen by man in this life, there is still a Day of Requital, even after death.

The seventh idea is contained in the words iyyāka na‘budu, the idea of rendering obedience to God with entire submission. This is meant to create in man the mentality of obedience to the Divine commandments, even when these are opposed to the commandments of some temporal authority or to his own wishes. This attitude also gives man the strength to carry out the Divine commandments.

The eighth idea is contained in the words iyyāka nasta‘īn (Thee do we beseech for help). The mental attitude which it is sought to create by these words is that of entire dependence on God and never despairing