You alone do we serve {4} and (from) You alone do we seek help
‘…and whoever does good willingly, then Allah is certainly One Who acknowledges, the Knower’ (Chapter 2: Verse 158)
‘There is no compulsion in religion.’ (Chapter 2: Verse 256)
The slave who willingly serves his master seeks only his help, we too as slaves of Allah (SWT) should seek only His help, because in fact, no other person can help us or anyone else.
“Say: Do you serve besides Allah (SWT) something which has no power, to harm or benefit you, while Allah (SWT) is Hearing, Knowing?” (Chapter 5: Verse 76)
Seeking help from others, amounts to shrik i.e. polytheism (Chapter 36: Verses 74–75) about which it is clearly laid down in the Quran:
‘Allah certainly does not forgive associating of partners with Him and He protectively forgives (any sin) other than that, to whom He wills; and one who associates partners with Allah (SWT) has indeed erred, going far astray (Chapter 4: Verse 116)
The terms Nabudu and Nastaiin indicate Aorist tense i.e. both present and future. When we recite this verse we are not only mentioning our present state but also making a commitment that in future too we will serve (worship) only Him and seek only His help because He is our only Fosterer, our Benefactor, One Who is Merciful to us and Who is our Master. If the ‘waw’, connecting Nabudu and Nastaiin is taken as explanatory then seeking Allah’s help will also be regarded as serving or worshipping Allah.
