Bukhari

Hadith Commentary:
No matter how much gratitude I express to Allah, Lord of all the worlds, Who revealed the Noble Qur’an, it is insufficient, for in this era of hardship and weakness of heart and body, I have completed twenty parts of Sahih al-Bukhari translated into Urdu and am now beginning the third stage, that is, Part 21. The circumstances are entirely unfavorable, yet I have strong hope in Allah, the Exalted, that He will, from the unseen, provide means and resources for the service and propagation of His Word and the noble sayings of His beloved Messenger, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and, as before, will enable the completion of the remaining parts as well, making it a source of guidance and rectitude for His beloved servants, male and female.

In the last ten days of the month of Jumada al-Thani, 1394 AH, I am beginning the drafting of this part.
Completion is in the hand of Allah alone.

Regarding Surah al-Fatihah, Hazrat Hafiz Sahib states:
"Ikhtussat al-Fatihah bi-annahā mabda’ al-Qur’an wa hāwiyatun li-jamī‘ ‘ulūmih li-ihtiwā’ihā ‘ala al-thanā’ ‘ala Allah wa al-iqrār li-‘ibādatih wa al-ikhlās lahu wa su’āl al-hidāyah minhu wa al-ishārah ilā al-i‘tirāf bi’l-‘ajz ‘an al-qiyām bi-ni‘amih wa ilā shā’n al-ma‘ād wa bayān ‘āqibat al-jāhidīn." (Fath al-Bari)

That is, the special characteristics of Surah al-Fatihah are that it is a treasury of the sciences of the Noble Qur’an, encompassing all the sciences of the Holy Qur’an. It consists of praise for Allah, the declaration from the servants for worship and sincerity towards Him, the seeking of guidance from Allah, the acknowledgment of one’s own incapacity, and faith-inspiring statements regarding the establishment of His blessings, etc., which are expressed by the tongues of the servants through this noble Surah.

Along with this, in this Surah there is also an expression of the reality of the Hereafter, and a pointing out of the evil end of those who deny Islam and the Qur’an.

Previously, a detailed article regarding this Surah has been provided, from which the readers must have obtained much information about this Surah.

Hadith Commentary:
➊
A similar incident occurred with Ubayy ibn Ka‘b radi Allahu anhu when he was praying in the Prophet’s Mosque.
He too was called by the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
(Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi, Fada’il al-Qur’an, Hadith: 2875)

➋
The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam declared this surah to be the greatest surah of the Noble Qur’an because reciting it brings immense reward, even though other surahs may be longer in length.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah has written, quoting from ‘Allamah Qurtubi:
Al-Fatihah is distinguished as the preface of the Noble Qur’an, encompassing the sciences of the Qur’an, for it contains praise and glorification of Allah, and from the servants, an expression of worship and sincerity.
It includes supplication to Allah for guidance and an expression of one’s humility, as well as faith-inspiring statements about His blessings, descriptions of the Hereafter, and the fate of the deniers.
(Fath al-Bari: 9/69)
Other benefits related to this hadith have already been mentioned in the Book of Tafsir.

Hadith Footnote:
Abu Sa'id bin Mu'alla: This is Abu Sa'id Harith bin Mu'alla al-Ansari. He passed away in the year 64 AH at the age of 64 years (radi Allahu anhu).

Benefits and Issues:
➊ In this hadith, there is an allusion to this verse of the Noble Qur’an:

“And indeed, We have given you seven oft-repeated [verses] and the Grand Qur’an.” (Al-Hijr, 15:87)
That is, “Certainly We have granted you the seven oft-repeated verses and the Grand Qur’an.”

➋ Surah Al-Fatihah is called “Sab‘ al-Mathani” (the seven oft-repeated) because it is recited in every unit (rak‘ah) of every prayer (salah).

➌ Surah Al-Fatihah is called the “Grand Qur’an” because it is a summary of all the subjects of the Noble Qur’an; that is, it contains the doctrine of monotheism (‘aqidah al-tawhid), practical monotheism (i.e., worshipping Allah alone and seeking help only from Him), His attributes, belief in the Hereafter, promise and warning, lessons from the stories of previous prophets and the righteous and disobedient among their communities, and the request for guidance—such important subjects are all present in it.

➍ If the desire to understand an important issue is created before explaining it, then it is understood well and remains memorable.