1. In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful.

2. All praise and gratitude is for Allah, Lord of the Worlds.

3. The Most Compassionate, Most Merciful.

4. Master of the Day of Judgement.

5. You alone we worship and You alone we ask for help.

6. Guide us along the Straight Path.

7. The Path of those You have blessed – not those You are displeased with or those who are astray.

Surah Al Fatihah [1:1-7] is the opening surah of the Quran. It was the first complete surah to be revealed, shortly after some of the first verses of revelation. No salah is complete without reciting this surah. A Muslim recites this a minimum of 17 times daily in their 17 fard rakahs. It is also known as:

• Al Sab’a al Mathani, the seven oft repeated verses. NOTHING in this world is or has been recited more often than this verse.
• Umm al Kitab, the Mother of the Book. It is the essence of the Quran, a preface and introduction to its message.

Fatihah is a f’il word in Arabic, referring to “the doer.” Rather than simply meaning The Opening, it refers to actively doing something, that is The Opener. It opens the Quran and opens our eyes, but requires us to be proactive. It contains five of the Greatest Names of Allah SWT.

Explanations

The Basmallah, the opening ayah of the Quran. This emphasises the importance of beginning everything that we do with, “In the Name of Allah.” It encompasses His Compassion and Mercy for all of His creation. No action is complete without this and every action that sincerely begins with the Basmallah is blessed.

Hamd means praise and thanks. Praise for all His Perfect Attributes and thanks for all He has given us. This world, our sustainance, our bodies, our material things, in fact everything. Rabb, or Lord, refers to the One Who is our Nurturer, Sustainer, Master, One who manages all things. One without Whom we would not be able to survive. Al ameen refer to all the worlds, discovered and yet to discover, the seen and unseen.

Rahman describes His all encompassing and overwhelming mercy, immediate, for everyone. Rahim describes a permanent trait, He is always merciful and specifically for His believers.

Malik means Master, Owner and King. Allah is the Master and Owner of the Day of Judgement. All Sovereignty belongs to Him. There is nothing anyone will be able to do on that Day without His permission. He alone will be the Owner of the Akhira.

In Arabic, placing the object (IYAKA – You) at the beginning of the sentence implies exclusivity, that is, “You alone”. This ayah is the essence of Tawheed, recognition of the One God worthy of worship to Whom we turn to and need help from in all matters. Allah SWT sent 104 books, the meanings of which were condensed into 3: the Torah, Bible and Quran. These were all condensed into the Quran, which was condensed into surah Fatihah, which was condensed into this verse.

We are always in need of guidance to maintain righteousness and piety and avoid the temptations of shaytan and our primal desires. The Straight Path is Allah SWT’s Path, that will lead us to Jannah. Guidance can be divine, our inner barometer of right and wrong, and religious, from His Books and Prophets.

The blessed are the Prophets, the truthful, those who testify to One God and the righteous [4:69]. MAGHDUBI ALAIHIM, those who have incurred Allah SWT’s displeasure or wrath. Those who are obstinate or hypocritical, or purposefully lead others astray. DAAALEEN, those who have gone astray. Those who are misguided or misled and cannot see the Truth. Most commentators ascribe these groups to include the misguided of the Jews and the Christians respectively.

Summary

Al Fatihah covers belief, worship and ethics of living. There are 4 verbs in this surah, 3 refer to us (we worship, we ask for help, we ask for guidance) and one to Allah SWT (He bestows His blessings). Verses 1-4 are praising Allah SWT and verses 5-7 are supplicating to Him, asking for His guidance. This teaches us the correct way to ask from Allah SWT, to praise Him first and then ask.

• 1-4. Unconditional praise of Allah SWT. He is Merciful and Compassionate. We acknowledge we will be resurrected and judged. He alone is the one who is deserving of unconditional worship and He alone is the One we can ask for help.
• 5-7. Asking for His guidance. We want His guidance along His straight path. The path of those He has blessed and favoured, not of those who have intentionally or unintentionally gone astray.

Al Fatihah sums up the relationship between the Creator and His creation. It is the prayer from the believer and the rest of the Quran is its answer.

Allah Almighty said: “I have divided prayer between Myself and My servant into two halves, and My servant shall have what he has asked for.” When the servant says, “All praise is due to Allah the Lord of the worlds,” Allah says: “My servant has praised Me.” When he says, “The Gracious, the Merciful,” Allah says: “My servant has exalted Me.” When he says, “The Master of the Day of Judgment,” Allah says: “My servant has glorified Me and my servant has submitted to Me.” When he says, “You alone we worship, You alone we ask for help,” Allah says: “This is between Me and My servant, and My servant will have what he has asked for.” When he says, “Guide us to the straight path, the path of those whom you have favored, not those who went astray,” Allah says: “This is for My servant, and My servant will have what he has asked for.” [Muslim]