Muslims -- many of them fairly good ones, at least so-called -- would like to take credit for what they speak, write and do.
In general for all that they are and for all that they do. Many of them use important-sounding words like "accomplished" and "achieved" and "produced" and even "created" to produce and flaunt a list of all the things, events and activities they find themselves associated or identified with in this world.
How little do they realize that this world has only one actor, only one doer of things, and it is not they! Pitiful, pathetic humans that they are -- the healthiest, strongest, toughest and the most resourceful ones among them.
And if there is praise to be claimed, or given, and there is plenty, that praise must be given, all of it, to the real actor, the real doer of things -- Fa'alul Limaa Yureed -- and not to all kinds of pretenders and wannabes.
And that praise must be free from the taint of Shirk.
That is right, you may not know it, but there is Shirk in Alhamdulillah!
Like in so many other things that we say or do. Like in practically everything.
Your local Mullas can fight all they want over what is Little Shirk and what is Large Shirk. But to me Shirk is Shirk, period.
For, one single Alhamdulillah, spoken with full and proper understanding, doesn't leave room for inserting other names in the list.
Nor does it even leave open the door for uttering any other words -- unless they are all subsumed under the broad umbrella of Alhamdulillah as subsets, specifics, details and commentary.
So, it is Allah all the way -- and no one else.
It is him and him alone: In the beginning as well as in the end: Huwal Awwalu Wal Aakhiru! just like the Qur'an says.
Walhamdulillah!
END
