SOORAH AL-FAATIHAH (THE OPENING)
| 1 | In the Name of Allaah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. | |
| 2 | All the praises and thanks be to Allaah, the Lord [1] of the 'Alameen (mankind, jinns and all that exists). [2] | |
| 3 | The Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. | |
| 4 | The Only Owner (and the Only Ruling Judge) of the Day of Recompense (i.e. the Day of Resurrection) | |
| 5 | You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything). | |
| 6 | Guide us to the Straight Way [3] | |
| 7 | The Way of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace [4], not (the way) of those who earned Your Anger [5] (such as the Jews), nor of those who went astray (such as the Christians). [6], [7], [8] | |
[1] (V.1:2) Lord: The actual word used in the Qur'aan is Rabb. There is no proper equivalent for Rabb in the English language. It means the One and the Only Lord for all the universe, its Creator, Owner, Organizer, Provider, Master, Planner, Sustainer, Cherisher, and Giver of security. Rabb is also one of the Names of Allaah.
We have used the word "Lord" as the nearest to Rabb. All occurences of "Lord" in the interpretation of the meanings of the Noble Qur'aan actually mean Rabb and should be understood as such.
[2] (V.1:2) Narrated Aboo Sa'eed bin Al-Mu'alla: While I was praying in the mosque, Allaah's Messenger (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) called me but I did not respond to him. Later I said, "O Allaah's Messenger, I was praying." He said, "Didn't Allaah say, 'Answer Allaah (by obeying Him) and His Messenger when he (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) calls you.' " (V.8:24).
He then said to me, "I will teach you a Soorah which is the greatest Soorah in the Qur'aan, before you leave the mosque." Then he got hold of my hand, and when he intended to leave (the mosque), I said to him, "Didn't you say to me: I will teach you a Soorah which is the greatest Soorah in the Qur'aan?" He said, "Al-Hamdu-Lillahi Rabbi-l 'Alameen [i.e. all the praises and thanks be to Allaah, the Lord of the 'Alamin (mankind, jinns, and all that exists)",] Soorah Al-Fatihaah which is the As-Sabaa Al-Mathaani (i.e. seven repeatedly recited Verses) and the Grand Qur'aan which has been given to me." (Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree, Vol. 6, Hadeeth No. 1).
[3] (V.1:6) Guidance is of two kinds:-
Guidance of Taufiq and it is totally from Allaah, i.e. Allaah opens one's heart to receive the truth (from disbelief to Belief in Islaamic Monotheism).
Guidance of Irshaad through preaching by Allaah's Messengers and pious preachers who preach the truth i.e. Islaamic Monotheism.
[4] (V.1:7) i.e. the way of the Prophets, the Siddeeqoon (i.e. those followers of the Prophet, who were first and foremost to believe in him, like Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq), the martyrs and the righteous, [as Allaah SWT said: "And whoso obeys Allaah and the Messenger (Muhammad sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam), then they will be in the company of those on whom Allaah has bestowed His Grace, of the Prophets, the Siddeeqoon, the martyrs, and the righteous. And how excellent these companions are!" (4:69)].
[5] (V.1:7) Narrated Adi bin Haatim (radiAllaahu 'anhu):
I asked Allaah's Messenger (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) about the Statement of Allaah: 1. "Ghairil maghdubi 'alaihim [not (the way) of those who earned Your Anger]," he (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) replied: "They are the Jews". And 2. Walad-Daalli'n (nor of those who went astray), he (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) replied: "The Christians, and they are the ones who went astray". [This Hadeeth is quoted by At-Tirmidhi and Musnad Abu Daawood].
[6] (V.1:7) Narration about Zaid bin 'Amr bin Nufail.
Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Umar (radiAllaahu 'anhu). The Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) met Zaid bin 'Amr bin Nufail in the bottom of (the valley of) Baldah before the descent of any Divine revelation to the Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam). A meal was presented to the Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) but he refused to eat it. (Then it was presented to Zaid) who said, "I do not eat anything which you slaughter on your Nusub* in the name of your idols. I eat only those (animals meat) on which Allaah's Name has been mentioned at the time of (their) slaughtering." Zaid bin 'Amr used to criticise the way Quraish used to slaughter their animals and used to say, "Allaah has created the sheep and He has sent the water for it from the sky, and He has grown the grass for it from the earth; yet you slaughter it in others than the Name of Allaah." He used to say so, for he rejected that practice and considered it as something abominable.
* Nusub: See the glossary
Narrated Ibn 'Umar (radiAllaahu 'anhu): Zaid bin 'Amr bin Nufail went to Shaam (the region comprising Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan), enquiring about a true religion to follow. He met a Jewish religious scholar and asked him about their religion. He said, "I intend to embrace your religion, so tell me something about it." The Jew said, "You will not embrace our religion unless you receive your share of Allaah's Anger." Zaid said, "I do not run except from Allaah's Anger, and I will never bear a bit of it if I have the power to avoid it. Can you tell me of some other religion?" He said, "I do not know any other religion except Haneef (Islaamic Monotheism)" Zaid enquired, "What is Haneef?" He said, "Haneef is the religion of (the Prophet) Abraham (alayhi salam), he was neither a Jew nor a Christian, and he used to worship none but Allaah [(Alone) - Islaamic Monotheism]." Then Zaid went out and met a Christian religious scholar and told him the same (as before). The Christian said, "You will not embrace our religion unless you get a share of Allaah's Curse." Zaid replied, "I do not run except from Allaah's Curse, and I will never bear any of Allaah's Curse and His Anger if I have the power to avoid them. Will you tell me of some other religion?" He replied, "I do not know any other religion except Haneef (Islaamic Monotheism)." Zaid enquired, "What is Haneef?" He replied, "Haneef is the religion of (the Prophet) Abraham (alayhi salam), he was neither a Jew nor a Christian, and he used to worship none but Allaah [(Alone) - Islaamic Monotheism]." When Zaid heard their statement about (the religion of) Abraham, he left that place, and when he came out, he raised both hishands and said, "O Allaah! I make You my Witness that I am on the religion of Abraham".
Narrated Asmaa' bint Abee Bakr (RA): I saw Zaid bin 'Amr bin Nufail standing with his back against the Ka'bah and saying, "O people of Quraish! By Allaah, none amongst you is on the religion of Abraham except me." She added: He (Zaid) used to preserve the lives of little girls; if somebody wanted to kill his daughter he would say to him, "Do not kill her for I will feed her on your behalf." So he would take her, and when she grew up nicely, he would say to her father, 'Now if you will (wish), I will give her to you, and if you will (wish), I will feed her on your behalf." (Saheeh Al-Bukharee, Vol. 5, Hadeeth No. 169).
[7] (V.1:7): Narrated 'Ubadah bin As-Samit (radiAllaahu 'anhu): Allaah's Messenger (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) said, "Whoever does not recite Soorah Al-Faatihah in his prayer, his prayer is invalid." (Saheeh Al-Bukharee, Vol. 1, Hadeeth No. 723).
[8] (V.1:7): Narrated Aboo Hurairah (radiAllaahu 'anhu): Allaah's Messenger (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) said, "When the Imaam says: Ghairil-maghdoobi 'alaihim walad-daalli'n. [i.e. not the way of those who earned Your Anger, nor the way of those who went astray (1:7)], then you must say, 'Ameen, for if one's utterance of Ameen coincides with that of the angels, then his past sins will be forgiven. (Saheeh Al-Bukharee, Vol. 6, Hadeeth No. 2).
Soorah 114