Fath al-Rabbani

Benefits: … How has Surah al-Fatihah been divided between Allah Ta’ala and His servant? The following hadith explains this in detail: It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “Whoever performs a prayer in which he does not recite Umm al-Qur’an (in another narration: the Opening of the Book), then that prayer is incomplete, it is incomplete, not complete.” Abu Sa’ib said to Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu: “Sometimes I am behind the imam (so how should I recite al-Fatihah at that time)?” Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu, in response, pressed my arm and said: “O Persian! Recite it within yourself, for I heard the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam say: Allah Ta’ala says: ‘I have divided the prayer (i.e., Surah al-Fatihah) between Myself and My servant into two halves; half of it is for Me and half is for My servant, and for My servant is what he asks.’” Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu says that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “Recite al-Fatihah. When the servant says: {اَلَحْمْدُ لِلّٰہِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِیْنَ}, Allah says: ‘My servant has praised Me.’ When the servant says: {اَلرَّحْمٰنِ الرْحِیْمِ}, Allah says: ‘My servant has extolled Me.’ When the servant says: {مَالِکِ یَوْمِ الدِّیِن}, Allah says: ‘My servant has glorified Me.’ And He says: ‘This (next verse) is between Me and My servant.’ When the servant says: {إِیَّاکَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِیَّاکَ نَسْتَعِیْنُ}, He says: ‘I grant this to My servant, and for My servant is what he asks.’ When the servant says: {اِھْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَـقِیْمَ۔ صِرَاطَ الَّذِیْنَ أَ نْعَمْتَ عَلَیْہِمْ غَیْرِ الْمَغْضُوْبِ عَلَیْہِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّیْنَ}, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, says: ‘This is for My servant, and for My servant is what he asks.’” … Whoever performs prayer and does not recite Umm al-Qur’an, that is, Surah al-Fatihah, in it, then that prayer is deficient, deficient, incomplete. Abu Sa’ib said to Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu: “Sometimes I am behind the imam (so how should I recite al-Fatihah at that time)?” Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu, in response, pressed my arm and said: “O Persian! Recite it within yourself, for I heard the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam say: Allah Ta’ala says: ‘I have divided the prayer (i.e., Surah al-Fatihah) between Myself and My servant into two halves; half of it is for Me and half is for My servant, and for My servant is what he asks.’” Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu says that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “Recite al-Fatihah. When the servant says: {اَلَحْمْدُ لِلّٰہِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِیْنَ}, Allah says: ‘My servant has praised Me.’ When the servant says: {اَلرَّحْمَنِ الرْحِیْمِ}, Allah says: ‘My servant has extolled Me.’ When the servant says: {مَالِکِ یَوْمِ الدِّیِن}, Allah says: ‘My servant has glorified Me.’ And Allah Ta’ala says: ‘This (next verse) is between Me and My servant.’ When the servant says: {إِیَّاکَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِیَّاکَ نَسْتَعِیْنُ}, He says: ‘I grant this (the second part of the verse) to My servant, and for My servant is what he asks.’ When the servant says: {اِھْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَـقِیْمَ۔ صِرَاطَ الَّذِیْنَ أَ نْعَمْتَ عَلَیْہِمْ غَیْرِ الْمَغْضُوْبِ عَلَیْہِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّیْنَ}, Allah Ta’ala says: ‘This is for My servant, and for My servant is what he asks.’ (Muslim: 395, and the wording is from Ahmad)

In the ahadith of this chapter, the virtue of Surah al-Fatihah is mentioned. This is the great surah which, due to its content, has been made obligatory in every rak‘ah of every prayer.