The whole world, nay, the entire universe, is built on NEED and its FULFILMENT. Let us limit our sight to the animal and plant world on earth.
When we are in our mother’s body, we need air, moisture, nutrients (which come from food), air, warmth and a lot of other needs, which are fulfilled through the umbilical cord that connects our bodies to our mother.
Whether we are plant or animal, we are in need every second. Every second that need for air, water, light, darkness (for rest), food in hundreds of forms, including the food (nutrition) supplied to plants and trees directly from the earth via its roots. Without constant fulfilment of need (like oxygen for fish in water, warmth for humans in icy continent of Antarctica and hundreds of other needs) nothing will survive.
When we are born, we are totally dependent on our mother for everything from nutrition to change of “bed” every two hours. We take three to four years even to know the basics of our immediate environment: father, mother, bed, food, water, other things and people around us. We have so many needs that we cannot survive without their fulfilment.
Even after we grow up, our needs do not go away, but multiply: need for good education, job, marriage, home for a small family of our own, the needs of our old parents. Needs grow, and their fulfilment also grows.
So, who fulfils the endless needs of the sun, moon, stars, other heavenly bodies? And of the oceans and plants and animals that live in them? Who fulfils our needs from mother’s womb to childhood, adulthood and through old age?
The answer to all this is God. He created everything and made them needy. He fulfils all needs. By His very Nature, God fulfils everyone’s need, but if we pray to Him, He fulfils our needs with His Blessings and Grace, which makes our lives happier and better fulfilled, because we can’t be truly happy and satisfied without God’s Blessings.
Allah being the Creator and Provider of everyone and everything, is the best Sustainer. He fulfils everyone’s needs. He is the Most Merciful and Beneficent. All these qualities are mentioned in the first part of Surah Fatiha (literally, the opener). This Surah contains Allah’s qualities as our Sustainer and Lord of Day of Judgement. The second half of the Surah, includes our dua to fulfil all our needs, including leading us along the straight path that goes to Him and the endless bounties it carries, seeking protection from going astray.
It also allows us to ask for everything from our Creator, Sustainer, Fulfiller of all our needs, including Maghfirah (Allah’s pardon) and Jannah (paradise). So, move along on this great path.