This Surah is named Al-Fatihah because of its subject matter. Fatihah is that which opens a subject or a book or any other thing. In other words, Al-Fatihah is a sort of preface.
Surah Al-Fatihah is one of the very earliest Revelations to the Holy Prophet. As a matter of fact, we learn from authentic traditions that it was the first complete Surah that was revealed to Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him). Before this, only a few miscellaneous verses were revealed which form parts of Alaq, Muzzammil, Muddaththir, etc.
This Surah is in fact a prayer that Allah has taught to all those who want to make a study of His book. It has been placed at the very beginning of the Quran to teach this lesson to the reader: if you sincerely want to benefit from the Quran, you should offer this prayer to the Lord of the Universe.
This preface is meant to create a strong desire in the heart of the reader to seek guidance from the Lord of the Universe Who alone can grant it. Thus Al-Fatihah indirectly teaches that the best thing for a man is to pray for guidance to the straight path, to study the Quran with the mental attitude of a seeker searching for the truth, and to recognize the fact that the Lord of the Universe is the source of all knowledge. He should, therefore, begin the study of the Quran with a prayer to Him for guidance.
From this theme, it becomes clear that the real relation between Al-Fatihah and the Quran is not that of an introduction to a book but that of a prayer and its answer. Al-Fatihah is the prayer from the servant and the Quran is the answer from the Master to the servant's prayer. The servant prays to Allah to show him guidance and the Master places the whole of the Quran before him in answer to his prayer, as if to say, "This is the Guidance you begged from Me."
Surah Al-Fatihah(The Opener). |
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Ayah 1 |
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. |
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ |
Ayah 2 |
Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds; |
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ |
Ayah 3 |
Most Gracious, Most Merciful; |
الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ |
Ayah 4 |
Master of the Day of Judgment. |
مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ |
Ayah 5 |
Thee do we worship, and Thine aid we seek. |
إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ |
Ayah 6 |
Show us the straight way, |
اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ |
Ayah 7 |
The way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace, those whose (portion) is not wrath, and who go not astray. |
صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ |
is the holy scripture of Islam. Muslims believe that it is the literal word of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى), revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) over a period of 23 years. The Quran is cohmposed of 114 Suras (chapters) and contains 6,236 Ayat (verses). Muslim beliefs and practices are based on the Quran and the Sunnah (the teachings and example of Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) .
The Meccan Surahs are the earliest revelations that were sent down to the Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم). They were revealed in Mecca, hence their name. These revelations form the foundation of the Islamic faith and contain guidance for Muslims on how to live their lives. The Meccan Surahs are also notable for their poetic beauty and lyrical prose.
The Medinan Surahs of the noble Quran are the latest 24 Surahs that, according to Islamic tradition, were revealed at Medina after Prophet Muhammad's (صلى الله عليه وسلم) hijra from Mecca. These Surahs were revealed by Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) when the Muslim community was larger and more developed, as opposed to their minority position in Mecca.