Al-Fatiha

Template:Short description Template:Infobox surah {{#invoke:Listen|main}} Template:Quran

File:Headings for Chapter 1, al-Fatiha, and for Chapter 2, al-Baqara (CBL Is 1431, f.9b).jpg

Headings for Al-Fatiha, and for Chapter 2, Al-Baqara. From the Qur'an of Ibn al-Bawwab. Baghdad, 1000/1001. Chester Beatty Library

Al-Fatiha (Template:Langx) is the first chapter (Template:Transliteration) of the Quran. It consists of seven verses (Template:Transliteration) which consist of a prayer for guidance and mercy.<ref name="qtaf">Template:Qtaf</ref>

Al-Fatiha is recited in Muslim obligatory and voluntary prayers, known as salah. The primary literal meaning of the expression "Al-Fatiha" is "The Opener/The Key".

BackgroundEdit

The most commonly accepted view about the origins of the surah is the view of Ibn Abbas, among others, that Al-Fatiha is a Meccan surah, although some believe that it is either a Medinan surah or was revealed in both Mecca and Medina.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Most narrators recorded that al-Fātiḥah was the first complete Surah revealed to Muhammad.<ref name="Maududi" />

The name Al-Fatiha ("the Opener") could refer to the surah being the first in the Mus'hafs, the first to be recited in each rakat of salah, or to the manner of its usage in many Islamic traditions as an opening prayer. The word itself comes from the root Template:Transliterate (ف ت ح), which means "to open, explain, disclose, conquer", etc.<ref name="Maududi" /><ref>Joseph E. B. Lumbard "Commentary on Sūrat al-Fātiḥah", The Study of the Quran. ed. Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Caner Dagli, Maria Dakake, Joseph Lumbard, Muhammad Rustom (San Francisco: Harper One, 2015), p. 3.</ref> Al-Fatiha is also known by several other names, such as Al-Hamd (The Praise), As-Salah (The Prayer), Umm al-Kitab (Mother of the Book), Umm al-Quran (Mother of the Quran),<ref>Template:Href</ref><ref name="qtaf" /> Sab'a min al-Mathani (Seven Repeated Ones, from Quran Template:Qref),<ref name="khoi">Template:Cite book</ref> and Ash-Shifa' (The Cure).<ref>Joseph E. B. Lumbard, "Introduction to Sūrat al-Fātiḥah", The Study Quran. ed. Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Caner Dagli, Maria Dakake, Joseph Lumbard, Muhammad Rustom (San Francisco: Harper One, 2015), p. 3.</ref><ref name=":2">Template:Cite book</ref>

SummaryEdit

Surah Al-Fatiha is narrated in the Hadith to have been divided into two halves between God and his servant (the person reciting), the first three verses being God's half and last three being the servant's.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> There is disagreement as to whether the Bismillah is the first verse of the surah, or even a verse in the first place.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

The chapter begins by praising God with the phrase and stating that it is God who is the lord of the worlds (verse 1/2),<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> that He is the Most Gracious and Most Merciful (verse 2/3),<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and that He is and will be the true owner of everything and everyone on the Day of Judgement (verse 3/4).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

"If you tried to count Allah's blessings, you would never be able to number them. Indeed, humankind is truly unfair, ˹totally˺ ungrateful" (Template:Qref).

The final three verses, which comprise the servant's half, begin with the servant stating that they worship and seek only God's help (verse 4/5), asking Him to guide them to the Sirat al-Mustaqim (the Straight Path) of those who God has been bountiful to, and not of those who have earned his anger (verses 5-6/6-7).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Some Muslim commentators have interpreted these verses in a more general sense and not referring exclusively to any specific group of people.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=":1">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Maududi">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Overcite However, some Muslim commentators believe Jews and Christians are examples of those evoking God's anger and those who went astray, respectively.<ref name="Leaman">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="interpretation2">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Qtaf</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite AV media Template:Cbignore</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name = "ExplantionQur'an">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Overcite

Verses and meaningEdit

Template:Rtl-para [bi-smi-llahi-r-raḥmāni-r-raḥīm(i)]
Template:Verse In the name of God, the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful.
Template:Rtl-para [al-ḥamdu li-llāhi rabbi-l-ʿālamīn(a)]
Template:Verse All praise is for Allah—Lord of all worlds,
Template:Rtl-para [ar-raḥmāni-r-raḥīm(i)]
Template:Verse the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,
Template:Rtl-para [māliki yawmi-d-dīn(i)]
Template:Verse Master of the Day of Judgment.
Template:Rtl-para [iyyāka naʿbudu wa-iyyāka nastaʿīn(u)]
Template:Verse Thee [alone] we worship and Thee [alone] we ask for help.
Template:Rtl-para [ihdina-ṣ-ṣirāṭa-l-mustaqīm(a)]
Template:Verse Guide us along the Straight Path,
Template:Rtl-para [ṣirāṭa-llaḏīna anʿamta ʿalayhim ghayri-l-maḡḍūbi ʿalayhim wa-la-ḍ-ḍāllīn(a)]
Template:Verse the Path of those Thou hast blessed—not those Thou art displeased with, or those who are astray.

Benefits and virtuesEdit

Muslims attribute special significance to some surahs for their virtues and benefits (Template:Langx) described in the hadith. Acceptance of the different hadith varies between Sunni and Shia Muslims, and there is a variety of terms to classify the different levels of confirmed authenticity of a hadith. However, both Sunnis and Shia believe Al-Fatiha to be one of the greatest surahs in the Quran, and a cure for several diseases and poisons, both spiritual and mental.<ref name=":2" />