According to the prophet (sallallahu
‘alayhi wa sallam), Surah Al-Fatihah is considered as “the greatest Surah” of the Quran. The following provides information
about this great Surah along with its many benefits and virtues including its
use in healing.
The
many names of Surah Al-Fatihah
This chapter has a great many names,
each one indicating a different aspect of its meaning. In the eyes of Arabs if
a thing had many different names, this was an indication of its importance.
The popular names of this Surah are
the following:
- Al-Fatihah (The Opening) – It is named Al-Fatihah, the Opening – because it opens the Book and by it the recitation in prayer commences.
- Umm al-Quran (Mother of the Quran) – According to At-Tirmidhi on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “The chapter commencing with “All praises and thanks are due to Allah the Lord of the Worlds” is the Mother of the Quran, the Mother of the Book, the Seven Oft Repeated Verses and the Great Quran.” Ibn Jarir at-Tabari said that it was named so because the meaning of the entire Quran is summarized therein. The Arabs named anything that concisely summarizes something or comprises its most important part, Umm, or Mother.
- Umm al-Kitab (Mother of the Book) – Al-Bukhari said in the beginning of the Book of Tafsir in his Sahih: “It is named Umm al-Quran because it is the first chapter written in the Quranic texts and the recitation in prayer commences with it.”
- Sab’ul-Mathani (The Seven Oft Repeated Verses) – It is also named Sab’ul-Mathani, the Seven Oft Repeated Verses, because they are frequently recited and indeed recited in every rakaah of the prayer. Allah says in the Quran:
“And indeed, We have bestowed upon
you seven of Al-Mathani (the seven repeatedly recited Verses), (i.e. Surat
Al-Fatiha) and the Grand Quran. [Quran: Surah Al-Hijr (87)]”
- Al-Hamd (Praises to Allah) – It is also named Al-Hamd, the Praise, because it contains mention of hamd just as Al-Baqarah is named so because it contains mention of the cow. Some scholars also gave the reasoning that Al-Hamd comprises heart of Al-Fatihah.
- As-Salah (The Prayer) – It is named the Prayer because its recitation is a condition for the validity of the prayer.
- Ash-Shifa – It is also named Ash-Shifa’, the Cure, due to what Ad-Darimi reports on the authority of Abu Sa’id that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “The Opening of the Book is a cure to every poison.”
- Ar-Ruqyah – It is also named Ar-Ruqya, the Spiritual Cure due to the hadith of Abu Sa’id reported by Bukhari that after he had recited it to cure a person who had been bitten by a scorpion, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) asked him, “…And what made you to know that it was a ruqya.”
- Asas al-Quran (the Foundation of the Quran) – Ash-Sha’bi records on the authority of Ibn Abbas that he named it, and that he said, “The foundation of Al-Fatihah is, “Bismillah…” (With the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, and the Most Merciful.)
Other scholars have also named it as
Al-Kanz (the Treasure), Ash-Shukr (Gratitude), ad-Dua (Supplication),
Ash-Shafiyah (the sufficient), Al-Kafiyah (the Sufficient), Al-Wafiyah,
the Fulfillment and more.
Revelation
of Surah Al-Fatihah
It was revealed in Mecca as stated
by Ibn Abbas, Qatadah and Abu’l-Aliyah.
It is also postulated that it was
revealed in Madinah as stated by Abu Hurayrah, Mujahid, ‘Ata ibn Yasar and
Az-Zuhri. It is also said that it was revealed on two separate occasions – once
in Makkah and once in Madinah. However the first opinion is the most likely due
to Allah’s saying,
“We have sent to you the Seven Oft
Repeated Verses.” [Al-Hijr 15:87]
This verse was revealed in Makkah by
agreement of the exegeses.
The
Ruling of Reciting Al-Fatihah in Prayer
The opinion of the majority of the
scholars, amongst them Malik, Ash-Shafi’i and Ahmad, is that it is obligatory
to recite Al-Fatihah in the prayer and that the prayer is invalid without it.
Their opinion is based upon many proofs; from amongst them, the sayings of the
Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), who said that “There is no prayer for
the one who does not recite the Opening of the Book.”
Narrated ‘Ubâdah bin As-Sâmit
Allâh’s Messenger said,
“Whoever does not recite
Sûrat Al-Fâtihah in his prayer, his prayer is invalid. (Sahih Al-Bukhâri,
Vol.1, Hadîth No. 723).
In the case where one is a follower
in a congregational prayer then the scholars fell into three opinions with
regards to his reciting Al-Fatiha:
1. It is obligatory upon him to
recite it in all prayers.
2. It is upon him not to recite it
in all prayers.
3. He should recite it in those
prayers in which the recitation is silent, but not in those prayers in which
the recitation is loud.
Composition
of Surah Al-Fatihah
It consists of seven verses and
there is no difference of opinions concerning this.
Scholars have differed concerning
the statement “Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Raheem” (with the
Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Most Merciful.” The majority of
the reciters of Kufa postulate that the “verse of Bismillah” comprises an
independent verse of Al-Fatihah and this are also the opinion of a group of the
Sahabah, Tabi’in and a large group of the later scholars. However the reciters
and jurists of Madinah regard it to be part of a verse, and not an independent
verse, or not a verse at all.
Those who postulate that “Bismillah”
is not a verse of Al-Fatihah state that the seventh verse commences with the
words, “not [the path] of those who have earned [Your] Anger …” (This is
because there is no disagreement that Surah Al-Fatihah has seven verses.)
The
Virtues of Surah Al-Fatihah
There are a number of hadith
explaining to us the great virtue of this surah. They are summarized as
follows:
Allah
responds to the believer when he recites Surah Al-Fatiah
Sahih Muslim records on the
authority of Abu Hurayrah (R), who said that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam) said,
“Allah, the Glorious and
Exalted said, “I have divided the prayer between myself and my servant equally
and my servant shall be granted what he asked for.” Therefore, when the servant
says, ‘All praises and thanks are due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds’, Allah
says, ‘My servant has praised Me.’ When he says,’The All-Merciful, the Most
Merciful,’Allah says, ‘My servant has extolled Me.’ When he says, ‘Master of
the Day of Judgment,’ Allah says, ‘My servant has glorified Me.’ When he says,
‘You Alone we worship and Your aid Alone do we seek,’ Allah says, ‘this is
between Me and My servant and My servant shall have what he requested.’ When he
says, ‘Guide us to the Straight Path, the Path of those whom You have favored,
not [the path] of those who have earned [Your] anger, nor of those who have
gone astray,’ Allah says, ‘this is for My servant and My servant shall have
what he asked for.’ “
“Mother
of the Quran”
At-Tirmidhi records on the authority
of Abu Hurayrah who said that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa
sallam) said,
[The chapter commencing
with],”All praises and thanks are due to Allah the Lord of the worlds” is the
Mother of the Quran, the Mother of the Book, the Seven Oft Repeated Verses and
the Great Qur’an.”
Unlike
other revelations
Ahmad records on the authority of
Abu Hurayrah (radiyAllahu’anhu) who said (in part of the hadith) that “The Prophet
(sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) called Ubayy ibn Ka’b and told him that,
“…Would you like me to
teach you a Surah the likes of which is not to be found in the Tawrah, Injil,
Zabur or the [rest of the] Quran?” He said, “Yes O Messenger of Allah”‘The Prophet
(sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, ‘I hope that I will not leave this door
until you know it.’
“Ubayy said, ‘then he
took hold of my hand and talked to me while I slowed down fearing that we may
reach the door before he finished talking. When we did reach it I asked him,
‘What is the Surah you promised me, O Messenger of Allah?’ He said, “What is
the Surah you recite in prayer?” So I recited the Mother of the Quran upon
which he said, ‘By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, Allah has not revealed the
likes of it in the Torah, Injil, Zabur or the [rest of the] Quran. It is the
Seven Oft-Repeated verses.’ “
Greatest
Surah of the Quran
Ahmad records on the authority of
Abu Sa’ad ibn Al-Mu’alla who said (in part of the hadith) that the Prophet
(sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said,
“…I will teach a Surah
which is the greatest Surah in the Quran before you leave the Masjid.’ Then he
took hold of my hand and when he intended to leave [the Masjid], I asked him,
“Did you not say that you would teach me a Surah which is the greatest Surah in
the Qur’an?” He replied, ‘Yes. It is [the Surah commencing with], “All praise
and thanks are due to Allah.” It is the Seven Oft-Repeated verses and the Great
Qur’an that has been given to me.’ “
Surah
Al-Fatehah part of the two lights given to the prophet (s)
Sahih Muslim records on the
authority of Ibn Abbas (radiy Allahu ‘anhu) who said,
“While the Messenger of
Allah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was sitting with Jibril he heard a
creaking sound above him. Jibril looked up and said, “This is [the sound of] a
gate that has been opened in heaven today and has never been previously
opened.” Then an Angel descended through it and came to the Prophet (sallallahu
‘alayhi wa sallam) and said, ‘Rejoice in the good news of two lights that have
been given to you such as no Prophet before you has been given. [They are]
Surah Al-Fatihah and the concluding [two] verses of Surah Al-Baqarah. You will
never recite a word from them without being given the blessings they contain.’
“
The Most Noble and excellent part of the Quran
An-Nisai records on the authority of
Anas that the prophet said,
“Should I not inform you
of the most noble and excellent part of the Quran?” He then recited “All praise
and thanks are due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds”
Mujahid said, ‘When this chapter was
revealed it bore down heavily upon iblis and he let out a loud wail in lament…’
The Surah appears below in its
entirety.
2
All the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the Alameen (mankind, jinns
and all that exists).
4
The Only Owner (and the Only Ruling Judge) of the Day of Recompense (i.e. the
Day of Resurrection)
7
The Way of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace, not (the way) of those
who earned Your Anger, nor of those who went astray. [Quran, Surah Al-Fatihah]
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