Hadha min fadli Rabbi

Hādhā min faḍli Rabbī (Arabic: هَـٰذَا مِن فَضْلِ رَبِّي‎) is an Arabic phrase whose translation in English nears "This, by the Grace of my Lord," or "This is by the Grace of my Lord." Generally speaking, the phrase is most often used to convey a sense of humility and most importantly, gratitude to God for having something, be it material or spiritual, or otherwise, such as a talent one may possess, or good health, good income, good spouse, children, etc.

When uttered by someone, it serves as a reminder that all things are from God alone, and thus, this phrase serves as a way to convey that all credit is due unto to Him alone. Additionally, it also serves as a way to express gratitude and appreciation of God for the thing possessed, given, or owned by the person. In this sense, the phrase is closely related to another Arabic term, namely, Alhamdulillah, which conveys the idea of "All praise be to God," or even, "Thank God," as it is most often understood by Muslims and Arabs (both Muslim and non-Muslim Arabs).

Although this phrase is generally observed to be used by Arabs (both Muslim and non-Muslim), non-Arab Muslim operators of the phrase also display its usage, especially those closely familiar with the Qur'an and those that possess a relatively simple and basic understanding of the Arabic language, given that the phrase is extracted from the Qur'an.

History of the phrase

This phrase comes from a verse of the Holy Qur'an in which it forms only a small part of the entire verse. In verse 40 of the 27th chapter of the Qur'an - Sura (sura=chapter) An-Naml, or The Ant - a story is related of the Prophet Solomon's interactions with Bilqis, also known as The Queen of Sheba. (See related article Islamic view of Solomon for the background of this story.)

Below is the translation by Abdullah Yusuf Ali of verses 38-42 of the above-mentioned chapter.

قَالَ يَا أَيُّهَا المَلَأُ أَيُّكُمْ يَأْتِينِي بِعَرْشِهَا قَبْلَ أَن يَأْتُونِي مُسْلِمِينَ {38
[Yusufali 27:38] He said (to his own men): "Ye chiefs! which of you can bring me her throne before they come to me in submission?"
قَالَ عِفْريتٌ مِّنَ الْجِنِّ أَنَا آتِيكَ بِهِ قَبْلَ أَن تَقُومَ مِن مَّقَامِكَ وَإِنِّي عَلَيْهِ لَقَوِيٌّ أَمِينٌ {39
[Yusufali 27:39] Said an 'Ifrit, of the Jinns: "I will bring it to thee before thou rise from thy council: indeed I have full strength for the purpose, and may be trusted."
قَالَ الَّذِي عِندَهُ عِلْمٌ مِّنَ الْكِتَابِ أَنَا آتِيكَ بِهِ قَبْلَ أَن يَرْتَدَّ إِلَيْكَ طَرْفُكَ فَلَمَّا رَآهُ مُسْتَقِرًّا عِندَهُ قَالَ هَذَا مِن فَضْلِ رَبِّي لِيَبْلُوَنِي أَأَشْكُرُ أَمْ أَكْفُرُ وَمَن شَكَرَ فَإِنَّمَا يَشْكُرُ لِنَفْسِهِ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ رَبِّي غَنِيٌّ كَرِيمٌ {40

[Yusufali 27:40] Said one who had knowledge of the Book: "I will bring it to thee within the twinkling of an eye!" Then when (Solomon) saw it placed firmly before him, he said: "This is by the Grace of my Lord! - to test me whether I am grateful or ungrateful! and if any is grateful, truly his gratitude is (a gain) for his own soul; but if any is ungrateful, truly my Lord is Free of all Needs, Supreme in Honour!"

Use of the phrase in graphics, calligraphy, and products

The phrase, hādhā min faḍli Rabbī, has been featured in many graphics, as well as in Islamic art and calligraphy, which gives an idea of the importance and significance of this phrase to Muslims.

Examples of graphics and products where this phrase is featured can be found in the following list:

Graphics and calligraphy

Products

  • Greeting cards and rectangular magnets featuring this phrase written on it can be found online at various outlets of Muslim creativity; such as CafePress, for example.

See also

Sources

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Thursday, March 31, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.