Surah Al-Faatiha (1) — Ayah 1

In authentic ahadith, its name has come as {’’فَاتِحَةُ الْكِتَابِ، اَلصَّلَاةُ، سُوْرَةُ الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِيْنَ، سُوْرَةُ الْحَمْدِ، اَلسَّبْعُ الْمَثَانِيْ، اَلْقُرْآنُ الْعَظِيْمُ، اُمُّ الْقُرْآنِ‘‘} and {’’اُمُّ الْكِتَابِ‘‘}, as is mentioned in the ahadith about the virtues of Al-Fatihah. The abundance of names is evidence of the abundance of meanings and subjects of the surah.

Virtues of Surah Al-Fatihah: ➊ Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "Once, while Jibreel (peace be upon him) was sitting with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), he heard a sound of a door opening above him, so he raised his head and said: 'This is a door from the heavens that has been opened today, and it has never been opened before today.' Then an angel descended from it, and he said: 'This angel has descended to the earth, and he has never descended before today.' The angel greeted and said: 'Receive the glad tidings of two lights that have been given to you, which were not given to any prophet before you: Al-Fatihah of the Book and the last verses of Surah Al-Baqarah. You will not recite a single letter from them except that it will be granted to you.'" [ مسلم، صلاۃ المسافرین، باب فضل الفاتحۃ… ۸۰۶ ]

➋ Abu Sa'id bin Al-Mu'alla (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed by me while I was praying. He called me, but I did not come until I had finished my prayer, then I came. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "What prevented you from coming?" I said: "I was praying." He said: "Did not Allah say: O you who believe! Respond to Allah and to the Messenger when he calls you?" Then he said: "Shall I not teach you the greatest surah in the Qur'an before you leave the mosque?" Then when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was about to leave the mosque, I reminded him, so he said: "'Alhamdulillahi Rabbil 'Alamin' is the 'Seven Oft-Repeated' (i.e., the seven verses that are recited repeatedly), and it is the Great Qur'an which has been given to me." [ بخاری، التفسیر، باب قولہ : «ولقد آتیناک سبعا… » : ۴۷۰۳ ]

➌ Abu Sa'id Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that we were on a journey, and when we stopped on the way, a girl came and said: "The chief of the tribe has been bitten by a snake and our people are not present, so is there anyone among you who can perform Ruqyah?" So, a man went with her, about whom we did not think he performed Ruqyah, he performed Ruqyah on him and he became healthy. The chief told him to take thirty sheep and gave us milk to drink. When he returned, we asked him: "Did you use to perform Ruqyah well?" He said: "No, I only performed Ruqyah with Umm al-Kitab." We said: "Do nothing until we reach the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)." When we came to Madinah, we mentioned this to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and he said: "How did he know that this is Ruqyah? (Divide the sheep) and keep my share as well." [ بخاری، فضائل القرآن، باب فضل فاتحۃ الکتاب : ۵۰۰۷ ] In a narration of Bukhari (5736), it is mentioned that these people had refused to host Abu Sa'id Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) and his companions, and when they requested Ruqyah, the companions (may Allah be pleased with them) set the condition of thirty sheep by saying that you did not host us. In Muslim (2201), it is mentioned that the one who performed Ruqyah was Abu Sa'id Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) himself.

➍ Khārijah bin Ṣalt’s uncle (ʿAlāqah bin Ṣiḥār al-Tamīmī, may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and accepted Islam. Then he returned and passed by some people who had a madman bound in iron chains. His family said: “Your companion (i.e., the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him) has come with goodness, so do you have anything with which you can treat him?” So I performed ruqyah on him with Fātiḥat al-Kitāb and he was cured. They gave me one hundred sheep. I came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and informed him (of the whole incident), so he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Did you recite anything else besides this?” I said: “No!” He said: “Take the sheep! By my life! Whoever eats with a false ruqyah (let him be), you have eaten with a true ruqyah.” [ أبوداوٗد، الطب، باب کیف الرقٰی : ۳۸۹۶ ]

➎ Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): “Whoever performed a prayer in which he did not recite Umm al-Qur’ān, it is incomplete.” He said this three times. So it was said to Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): “We are behind the imam.” He said: “Recite it to yourself, for I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: ‘Allah, the Exalted, said: I have divided the prayer (ṣalāh) between Myself and My servant into two halves, and for My servant is what he asks. So when the servant says «اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعٰلَمِيْنَ», Allah, the Exalted, says: “My servant has praised Me.” And when he says « الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ », Allah, the Exalted, says: “My servant has extolled Me.” And when he says « مٰلِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّيْنِ », He says: “My servant has glorified Me (declared My greatness),” and sometimes He says: “My servant has submitted himself to Me.” Then when he says « اِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَ اِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِيْنُ », He says: “This is between Me and My servant, and for My servant is what he asks.” Then when he says « اِهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيْمَ (5) صِرَاطَ الَّذِيْنَ اَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوْبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَ لَا الضَّآلِّيْنَ », He says: “This is for My servant, and for My servant is what he asks.”’” [ مسلم، الصلاۃ، باب وجوب قراء ۃ الفاتحۃ فی … : ۳۹۵ ]

Some Benefits:

➊ Just as there are differences in ranks among the messengers of Allah, and some of them are superior to others, our Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is the leader of the entire progeny of Adam. In the same way, Surah Al-Fatihah is greater than every surah of the Torah, the Gospel, and the Quran. Although many surahs are longer than it in terms of verses, in greatness it surpasses all, just as among the verses, Ayat al-Kursi is the greatest verse, even though there are many verses longer than it.

➋ The name of this surah is "Fatihah" because the Book of Allah begins with it. The recitation in prayer also begins with it. In Qamus it is stated: {’’ فَاتِحَةُ كُلِّ شَيْ ءٍ اَوَّلُهُ ‘‘} "The Fatihah of everything is called its beginning."

➌ The name of this surah is {’’ اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعٰلَمِيْنَ ‘‘} or {’’سُوْرَةُ الْحَمْدِ‘‘} because comprehensive praise of Allah Almighty is mentioned in it.

➍ Its name is {’’اَلسَّبْعُ الْمَثَانِيْ‘‘} because it consists of seven verses that are repeated in every rak'ah of every prayer (whether obligatory or voluntary), and are recited abundantly outside of prayer as well. See Surah Al-Hijr (87).

➎ Its names "Umm al-Quran, Umm al-Kitab, Al-Quran al-Azim" are because all the fundamental subjects of the Noble Quran are briefly mentioned in it, and the rest of the Quran is their detail. Thus, in the initial verses, all the attributes of perfection of Allah Almighty, His praise, glorification, and exaltation are mentioned, as has been mentioned above in the hadith of Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) and will be explained further in the commentary of the verses. In {’’ يَوْمِ الدِّيْنِ ‘‘} the Hereafter, reward and punishment, and promises and warnings are mentioned. In {’’ اِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ ‘‘} the servants are taught to ask only from Allah, to humble themselves before Him, to dedicate all their acts of worship—whether verbal, physical, or financial—exclusively to Him, and to declare Him free from every partner. This is called "Tawhid al-Uluhiyyah," and all the prophets came with this message. In {’’ وَ اِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِيْنُ ‘‘} the teaching is to completely submit oneself to Allah Almighty, to rely only on Him, and to seek help from Him alone in worship and all other matters, for if His help is not there, nothing can be accomplished. This is called "Isti'anah." In {’’ الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيْمَ ‘‘} all the rulings of Shariah, the entire Islam, and the whole Quran are included. In {’’ اِهْدِنَا ‘‘} the teaching is to pray for steadfastness on the straight path at every moment of life, until the last breath, and even until reaching Paradise. In {’’ اَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ ‘‘} there is a reference to the history and events of the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous, and encouragement to adopt righteous deeds like theirs, so that one may enter Paradise with them. In {’’ الْمَغْضُوْبِ عَلَيْهِمْ ‘‘} the history of the Jews and all those nations is mentioned who, despite knowing the truth, persisted in opposing it, and in {’’ الضَّآلِّيْنَ ‘‘} there is a reference to the Christians and all those who went astray from the right path, and there is an exhortation to avoid the evil deeds of both these groups, so that one may be saved from entering Hell with them. (Al-Qasimi) The mention of further subjects of the Noble Quran in these seven verses will also come in the separate commentary of each verse. (Insha Allah al-Aziz)

➏ The name of this Surah is "Salat" because Allah Almighty said, "I have divided Salat between Myself and My servant into two halves," and He explained this with Surah Al-Fatihah. It is understood that the "Salat" (prayer) without this "Salat" (Fatihah) is not "Salat" (prayer) at all, as Ubadah bin Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): [ لَا صَلَاةَ لِمَنْ لَّمْ يَقْرَأْ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ ] "There is no prayer for the one who does not recite Surah Al-Fatihah." [ بخاری، الأذان، باب وجوب القراء ۃ للإمام… : ۷۵۶۔ مسلم : ۳۹۴ ]

➐ Some people have said that the secrets of the entire Quran are in Surah Al-Fatihah, the secrets of Al-Fatihah are in {’’ بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ ‘‘}, the secrets of {’’ بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ ‘‘ } are in its "Ba", and the secrets of the "Ba" are in its dot. However, this interpretation of all the subjects of the Quran being contained in Surah Al-Fatihah is not correct; in fact, this is the way of those who neither want to understand the Quran nor act upon it, but rather, by giving their invented ways the name of the Quran, are misleading Muslims. (Al-Manar)

➑ The relationship of Surah Al-Fatihah with other Surahs: (1) The creation, nurturing, and protection of all things in the universe are under {’’ رَبِّ الْعٰلَمِيْنَ ‘‘} and {’’ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ ‘‘}. (2) All Quranic verses regarding Tawhid are under {’’ اِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَ اِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِيْنُ ‘‘}. (3) The mention of justice and fairness in the story of Dawud (peace be upon him) and in all other places is under {’’ مٰلِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّيْنِ ‘‘}. (4) The sacrifice of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) is under {’’ اِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ ‘‘}, and his and all the prophets' supplications are under {’’ اِهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيْمَ ‘‘}. (5) The healing of Ayyub (peace be upon him), the salvation of Yunus (peace be upon him), the safety of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) in the fire, Zakariya (peace be upon him) receiving offspring in old age, etc., all are under {’’ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ ‘‘}. (6) The conditions and events of the believers and the righteous, and their good end, are under the last verse. Similarly, the conditions and events of the wicked and rebellious, and their evil end, are also under this verse. In the same way, understand all other verses and events accordingly. (7) The rejection of Satan due to arrogance is an example of {’’ الْمَغْضُوْبِ عَلَيْهِمْ ‘‘}. (Badee' al-Tafaseer)

➒ Although this Surah is the word of Allah, it was revealed to teach the servants how they should say. The proof of this is the previous hadith that when the servant says this, Allah says such and such. In this, the servant is taught the way to ask from Allah: first, His praise and glorification should be done, then the relationship of being His servant should be mentioned and servitude should be presented as a means, after that, while seeking help from Allah, the real objective should be asked for, which is the request for guidance to the straight path, and there is no request more important than this. That is why some scholars have named it "Ta'leem al-Mas'alah," meaning the Surah that teaches the way of asking.

➓ Some people make supplications by means of the names of living or deceased people, saying, "O Allah! For the sake of so-and-so, or by the means of so-and-so, or by the honor of so-and-so, accept my supplication." This is a Bid'ah (innovation) and is not established from the Qur'an and Sunnah. And if one holds the belief that by mentioning the names of these elders, they can compel Allah to accept, then this is shirk, which the polytheists of Arabia were involved in. See Surah Yunus (18) and Surah Zumar (3). The correct means that is established is to supplicate by means of Allah's essence and attributes, or by means of one's own righteous deed, as is in {’’ اِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ ‘‘}, and as in Al-Imran (193) where supplication was made by means of faith, and the three companions of the cave supplicated by means of their own sincere deeds. [ بخاری، أحادیث الأنبیاء، باب حدیث الغار : ۳۴۶۵، عن ابن عمر رضی اللہ عنھما ] Or to ask a living person to supplicate, as the Companions (Sahabah) (may Allah be pleased with them) used to ask the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) to supplicate, and Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to ask Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) to supplicate for rain. [ بخاری، فضائل أصحاب النبی صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ، باب ذکر العباس بن عبد المطلب رضی اللہ عنہ : ۳۷۱۰، عن أنس رضی اللہ عنہ ] Other than these three forms, all other forms of means are either Bid'ah (innovations) or fall under the category of shirk, so it is necessary to avoid them.

⓫ This Surah is an excellent Ruqyah; the removal of dangerous illnesses like snake venom and difficult-to-cure diseases like insanity is proof of its immense healing effect. My sister was disabled in one leg and used to walk with the help of a crutch; her healthy leg also became useless, and the whole family was caught in severe distress. My father was advised by a scholar to perform Ruqyah with Surah Al-Fatihah. On the thirteenth day, my sister stood on her leg with the support of a wall, and then her leg became completely healthy. It has been almost forty years, and to this day she walks on that leg with a crutch. I myself faced two or three extremely severe illnesses in my life; along with treatment, the family continued to perform Ruqyah with Surah Al-Fatihah. Although it took some time, Allah Almighty granted healing. (Alhamdulillah)

⓬ These hadiths prove the permissibility of taking payment for Ruqyah with the Qur'an. The words of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him: [ اِنَّ اَحَقَّ مَا اَخَذْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ اَجْرًا كِتَابُ اللّٰهِ ] (The thing most deserving for which you take payment is the Book of Allah) [ بخاری، الطب، باب الشروط فی الرقیۃ بفاتحۃ الکتاب : ۵۷۳۷ ] are evidence of this. Payment for writing, printing, binding, buying and selling, and teaching the Book of Allah is a most pure payment. The People of the Book were reproached for taking a small price in exchange for Allah's verses because they concealed the truth and gave false verdicts for worldly gain. For details, see Surah Al-Baqarah (41, 79, 174) and Aal-e-Imran (187).

(Ayah 1){ بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ:} Shaykh al-Mufassireen Tabari (may Allah have mercy on him) says: "Allah Almighty taught His Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) etiquette, that before all his tasks and important occasions, he should mention the Most Beautiful Names of Allah and His Exalted Attributes. And through him (peace be upon him), He taught all His creation the method that they should begin their speech, their letters, books, and all necessary tasks with this. To the extent that {’’ بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ ‘‘} (with the name of Allah), it is not even necessary to state what is to be done with the name of Allah; the omitted word is itself clear, whether I read with the name of Allah, or eat, or do such-and-such task. Here, {’’ اسم‘‘} (name) is in the meaning of {’’تَسْمِيَةٌ‘‘} (to mention the name), just as {’’كَلَامٌ‘‘ ’’تَكْلِيْمٌ‘‘} (to speak) is in the meaning of and {’’عَطَاءٌ‘‘ ’’اِعْطَاءٌ‘‘} (to give) is in the meaning of. The meaning is that I read (or do any task) with mentioning and remembering the name of Allah, and I begin the recitation (or any task) with mentioning His Most Beautiful Names and Exalted Attributes." In short, the word {’’ اللّٰه ‘‘} is the proper noun of that Being who is the Most High and Supreme, and the Creator and Owner of all. The root of this word is {’’اِلَاهٌ‘‘}. When "al" was added, it became {’’اَلْاِلَاهٌ‘‘}. Due to frequent usage, for ease, the hamzah of {’’ اِلاَهٌ ‘‘} was omitted, and the "lam" of "al" was assimilated into the "lam" of {’’اِلَاهٌ‘‘}, and after the "lam" of {’’اِلَاهٌ‘‘}, the following "alif" was also omitted in writing due to frequent usage, so the word became {’’ اللّٰه ‘‘}. This is {’’فِعَالٌ‘‘} in the meaning of "maf'ool," that is, {’’اِلَاهٌ‘‘} in the meaning of {’’مَأْلُوْهٌ‘‘}, meaning the One who is worshipped. The explanation of {’’الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ ‘‘} is coming in the next verse.

In Surah An-Naml, by unanimous agreement, it is a part of the verse. It has been written at the beginning of Surah Al-Fatihah and other surahs with the consensus of the Companions, which proves that it is a part of every surah except Surah At-Tawbah. Its revelation with every surah is also established by Sahih hadith. Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) says that the Prophet (peace be upon him) would not know the separation of one surah from another until {’’ بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ ‘‘} was revealed to him. [ أبوداوٗد، الصلاۃ، باب من جھر بھا : ۷۸۸ ]

Surah Al-Fatihah is the very first surah of the Noble Quran, which has been mentioned with great virtue in the hadiths. Fatihah means beginning and commencement. That is why it is called Al-Fatihah, i.e., Fatihatul Kitab.

Its several other names are also established from the hadiths, such as Umm al-Quran, Al-Sab’ al-Mathani, Al-Quran al-Azeem, Al-Shifa, Al-Ruqyah (Ruqyah), and other names. One of its important names is Al-Salat as well, as mentioned in a Hadith Qudsi where Allah Almighty said: «قسمت الصلوة بيني وبين عبدي.» [الحديث صحيح مسلم كتاب الصلوة] I have divided «صلوة» (prayer) between Myself and My servant.

The meaning is Surah Al-Fatihah, half of which is about the praise and glorification of Allah Almighty, His mercy, Lordship, justice, and sovereignty, and the other half is supplication and entreaty that the servant makes in the presence of Allah. In this hadith, Surah Al-Fatihah is referred to as prayer, which clearly shows that its recitation in prayer is very necessary. Thus, in the statements of the Noble Prophet ﷺ, this has been explained in detail. He said: «لاصلوة لمن لم يقرا بفاتحه الكتاب» [صحيح بخاري و مسلم] The prayer of the one who has not recited Surah Al-Fatihah is not valid.

In this hadith, the word «من» is general, which includes every person who prays, whether praying alone or behind an imam as a follower. Whether the prayer is silent or aloud, obligatory or voluntary, it is necessary for every person praying to recite Surah Al-Fatihah. This generality is further supported by the hadith in which it is mentioned that once, during the Fajr prayer, some of the noble companions, may Allah be pleased with them all, were also reciting the Quran along with the Noble Prophet ﷺ, due to which the recitation became heavy upon him ﷺ. After the prayer ended, when he ﷺ asked, “Were you also reciting along with me?” They replied in the affirmative, so he ﷺ said: «لاتفعلوا الابام القرآن فانه لاصلوة لمن لم يقرابها» Do not do so (i.e., do not recite along with me), but do recite Surah Al-Fatihah, because without its recitation, the prayer is not valid [ابوداؤد، ترمذي، نسائي]

In the same way, it is narrated from Abu Hurairah ؓ that the Prophet ﷺ said: «من صلى صلوة لم يقرا فيها بام القرآن فهي خداج. ثلاثا غير تمام» Whoever prayed without Al-Fatihah, his prayer is incomplete. He ﷺ said this three times. It was asked to Abu Hurairah ؓ: «انانكون وراء الامام» We pray behind the Imam, what should we do then? Abu Hurairah ؓ replied: «اقرا بها فى نفسك» When you are behind the Imam, recite Surah Al-Fatihah to yourself. [صحيح مسلم]

From both of these hadiths, it is clear that what is mentioned in the Quran ﴿وَاِذَا قُرِئَ الْقُرْاٰنُ فَاسْتَمِعُوْا لَهٗ وَاَنْصِتُوْا لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُوْنَ﴾ [7: 24]

When the Quran is recited, listen to it and remain silent, or the hadith «واذا قرا فانصتوا» (if authentic) When the Imam recites, remain silent. This means that in audible prayers, the followers should listen silently to the rest of the recitation except for Surah Al-Fatihah. Do not recite the Quran with the Imam. Or the Imam should recite the verses of Surah Al-Fatihah with pauses so that the followers can also recite Surah Al-Fatihah according to the authentic hadiths, or the Imam should pause after Surah Al-Fatihah so that the followers can recite Surah Al-Fatihah. In this way, there remains no contradiction between the Quranic verse and the authentic hadiths, all praise is due to Allah. Both can be acted upon. Whereas, prohibiting Surah Al-Fatihah would prove, God forbid, that the Quran and hadiths are in conflict and only one of them can be acted upon. It is not possible to act upon both at the same time. «فتعوذ بالله من هذا.» See the footnote of Surah Al-A'raf verse 24 (For research on this issue, refer to the book Tahqiq al-Kalam by Maulana Abdul Rahman Mubarakpuri and Tawdhih al-Kalam by Maulana Irshad ul-Haq Athari, may Allah protect him, etc.). Here, it should also be clear that according to Imam Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله, the opinion of the majority of the Salaf is that if the follower is listening to the Imam's recitation, he should not recite, and if he is not listening, then he should recite. [مجموع فتاوي ابن تيميه 23/265]

1. This surah is Makki. Makki or Madani means that the surahs revealed before the Hijrah (13th year of Prophethood) are Makki, whether they were revealed in Makkah Mukarramah or its surroundings, and Madani are those surahs that were revealed after the Hijrah, whether they were revealed in Madinah or its surroundings or even far from it, even if they were revealed in Makkah and its surroundings. Regarding «بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ», there is a difference of opinion as to whether it is an independent verse of every surah, or a part of the verse of every surah, or it is only a verse of Surah Al-Fatiha, or it is not an independent verse of any surah, but is written at the beginning of every surah only to distinguish it from another surah. The scholars of Makkah and Kufa have considered it a verse of every surah including Surah Al-Fatiha, while the scholars of Madinah, Basra, and Shaam have not accepted it as a verse of any surah, except for verse number 30 of Surah An-Naml, in which by consensus «بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ» it is a part. Similarly, there is also a difference of opinion regarding reciting it aloud (in audible prayers). Some are of the opinion that it should be recited aloud, and some say it should be recited quietly (in a low voice). Most scholars have considered reciting it quietly to be better. «بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ» has been separated right at the beginning, that is, I read or begin or recite in the name of Allah. It has been emphasized to recite "Bismillah" before starting every important task. Thus, it has been commanded to recite it before eating, slaughtering, ablution, and intercourse «بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ». However, at the time of reciting the Noble Qur'an, before «بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ», it is also necessary to recite «اَعُوْذُ باللّٰهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطٰنِ الرَّجِيْمِ», when you begin to recite the Noble Qur'an, seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Satan.

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

The Command of Ta'awwuz Before Recitation:

Before starting the recitation of the Noble Quran, one must certainly recite ﴿ اَعوذ باللّٰه من الشيطٰن الرّجيم ﴾. Because Allah has said in the verse:
﴿ فَاِذَا قَرَاْتَ الْقُرْاٰنَ فَاسْتَعِذْ باللّٰهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطٰنِ الرَّجِيْمِ﴾ [16: 98]
“When you recite the Quran, seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Satan.” And it is obvious that refuge is sought from something harmful or from an enemy, and it is sought from a being who is more powerful than that harmful enemy. Since Satan influences human thought in an imperceptible way, therefore, this supplication is, in reality, a prayer to be protected from misguidance during the recitation of the Quran and to obtain guidance from the Quran. Moreover, this is the supplication that Allah Himself has taught His servants and commanded them to recite.

Virtues of Surah Al-Fatiha:

Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas ؓ narrates that one day Jibreel ؑ was sitting with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when he heard a loud sound above him. He raised his head and said: “This is a door in the heaven which has never been opened before today.” Then he said: “This is an angel who has never descended to earth before today.” Then that angel greeted you ﷺ and gave glad tidings of two lights and said: “These two lights are being given to you, which were not given to any prophet before you. One is Surah Al-Fatiha and the other is the last two verses of Surah Al-Baqarah. Whenever you recite any word from these two, you will surely be granted what you ask for.” [صحيح مسلم۔ كتاب فضائل القرآن۔ باب فضل الفاتحه ]

The Different Names of Surah Al-Fatiha:

Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id bin Ma'la ؓ narrates that you said to me: “Shall I not tell you a Surah from the Quran which is greater than all other Surahs of the Quran? And that is ﴿اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِيْنَ﴾, which is «سَبْعًا مِّنَ الْمَثَانِيْ» and the Great Quran which has been given to me.”
[بخاري: كتاب التفسير، سورة انفال: 24 __QUR_3__]
(3) Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah ؓ narrates that the Prophet ﷺ said: Surah Al-Hamd is Umm al-Quran, Umm al-Kitab, and the repeated seven verses. [ترمذي: ابواب التفسير، تفسير سورة محمد ]
The most famous name of this Surah is Al-Fatiha, which means “the opener,” i.e., preface, introduction, or foreword. Regarding this, scholars have two opinions: one is that this Surah is a supplication taught to the servants so that they may seek guidance from Allah in this manner, and the rest of the Quran is the answer to this supplication. Their explanation is that one of the names of this Surah is Surah Al-Du'a as well. The second opinion is that this Surah is a concise summary of all the subjects of the Quran. Then the summary of this Surah is
﴿ اِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَاِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِيْنُ﴾.
According to us, the second opinion is more correct, and there are the following two reasons for it:
1. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ himself called this Surah the Great Quran, Umm al-Kitab, and Umm al-Quran, which means that this Surah is the summary of the entire Quran.
2. Even a cursory glance at the verses of this Surah reveals that it contains the summary or concise mention of the entire Quran. The detail of this summary is that the scholars of tafsir have divided the subjects of the Quran into five categories, which are:

(1)
Reminder of Allah’s Blessings (Tadhkir bi-Ala’illah):

That is, the mention of those blessings of Allah which are necessary for human life and its survival, and this includes the mention of the earth, sky, moon, sun, winds, clouds, etc.

(2)
Reminder of the Days of Allah (Tadhkir bi-Ayyamillah):

That is, the mention of events and incidents with the creation, which includes the stories of the prophets and the mention of nations destroyed due to disobedience.

(3)
Reminder of Death and What Comes After (Tadhkir bil-Mawt wa Ma Ba’dahu):

That is, the conditions of the Hereafter after death. This includes accountability before Allah and all the conditions of Paradise and Hell.

(4)
The Science of Rulings, i.e., the Laws of Shariah:

The real purpose of the reminder of Allah’s blessings, the reminder of the days of Allah, and the reminder of death is that through their mention, a person is encouraged to willingly and eagerly fulfill the commands of Shariah.

(5)
The Science of Argumentation (Ilm al-Mukhasamah):

That is, the refutation of the false beliefs of misguided sects.
Now see, in the first three verses of this Surah, i.e., from Bismillah al-Rahman al-Raheem to the second time al-Rahman al-Raheem, there is mention of Allah’s general Lordship and the vastness of His mercy, and this falls under the reminder of Allah’s blessings. The fourth verse ﴿مٰلِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّيْنِ﴾ falls under the reminder of death. The fifth verse ﴿اِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَاِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِيْنُ ﴾ is the essence of the science of rulings. The sixth verse contains supplication to Allah and connection with Allah, and this also falls under the science of rulings. And in the seventh verse, there is both the reminder of the days of Allah and the science of argumentation. In this respect, this Surah is indeed a concise index of the Quran, and the summary of this entire Surah is the verse ﴿اِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَاِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِيْنُ﴾, i.e., man should worship only one Allah, in which there is not even a hint of shirk.
This Surah is also named Al-Shifa and Al-Ruqyah, and the reason for these names is the following hadith:
Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id Khudri ؓ says that several companions of the Prophet ﷺ reached a tribe of the Arabs who did not host them. Coincidentally, the chief of that tribe was stung by a scorpion. They came to the companions and said: “Does anyone among you have any remedy or incantation for a scorpion sting?” They said: “Yes, we do. But since you did not host us, we will take compensation for it.” They agreed to give some goats (according to another narration, 30 goats). One companion (Abu Sa'id himself) began to recite Surah Al-Fatiha. He would recite Surah Al-Fatiha and blow (on the patient). Within a few days, the chief recovered. (As promised) the people of the tribe brought the goats, but the companions hesitated (whether they should take the compensation or not) and said that until we ask the Prophet ﷺ, we should not take these goats. They asked you ﷺ, and you ﷺ said: “How did you know that Surah Al-Fatiha is an incantation? Take the goats and set aside my share as well.” And in the narration of Ibn Abbas ؓ, when the companions reached Madinah, someone said: “O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, this person (Abu Sa'id Khudri ؓ) has taken a wage for reciting the Book of Allah.” You ﷺ said:
«إِنَّ أَحَقَّ مَا أَخَذْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا كِتَابُ اللَّهِ»
(The Book of Allah is most deserving of being taken a wage for) [بخاري۔ كتاب الطب والرقي۔ باب الرقي بفاتحة الكتاب]
From this hadith, the following points are known:
1. The companions demanded compensation only because the people of that village had refused to host them, especially in those days when travel resources were limited, slow, and there were no hotels, etc., and the custom of the land was that refusing hospitality was considered equivalent to murder.
2. If there is a need for ruqyah (spiritual healing), it should be done only with the Book of Allah, or at least the one performing ruqyah should not recite polytheistic or meaningless words.
3. Those in need may take compensation for ruqyah.
As for making ruqyah an independent profession, or writing amulets by making grids/squares or with meaningless words, dissolving them in water and making people drink it, hanging them around the neck or tying them elsewhere, all such acts are not permissible in Shariah, and its details will come in Surah Al-Qiyamah. Also, this Surah is named Surah Al-Salah, Surah Al-Du'a, and Ta'leem al-Mas'alah (the etiquette of asking).

Recitation of Al-Fatiha Behind the Imam:

Accordingly, Abu Hurairah ؓ narrates that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever prayed and did not recite Umm al-Quran in it, his prayer is incomplete, incomplete, incomplete and unfinished.” Abu Hurairah ؓ was asked: “Abu Hurairah! Sometimes I am behind the Imam?” He replied: “O son of Farsi, recite it in your heart (quietly), because I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say that Allah the Exalted said: I have divided the prayer (Surah Al-Fatiha) between Myself and My servant into two halves. Half is for Me and half is for My servant, and My servant will have what he asks for. My servant stands (in prayer) and says
﴿اَلْحَمْدُ للهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِيْنَ﴾
then Allah the Exalted says: My servant has praised Me. Then he says
﴿الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ﴾
then Allah the Exalted says: My servant has extolled Me. Then he says
﴿ مٰلِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّيْنِ﴾
then Allah the Exalted says: My servant has glorified Me. And
﴿اِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَاِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِيْنُ﴾
is shared between Me and My servant, and the rest of the Surah is for My servant, and My servant will have what he asked for.” [مسلم۔ كتاب الصلوة۔ باب وجوب قراءة الفاتحة فى كل ركعة۔ ترمذي۔ ابواب التفسير۔ سورة الفاتحة]
Sayyiduna Ubadah bin Samit ؓ narrates that the Prophet ﷺ said:
«لاَ صَلٰوةَ لِمَنْ لَّمْ يَقْرَا بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ»
[بخاري كتاب الاذان]
And Imam Bukhari has even named a chapter with these words. «وجوب القرأة للامام و المأموم فى الصلوة كلها فى الحضر والسفر وما يجهر فيها وما يخافت» From the generality of the words of this chapter, it is clear that whether one is praying alone, as a follower, or as an Imam, whether the prayer is silent or aloud, in every case and in every rak'ah, reciting Surah Al-Fatiha is obligatory.
In a narration from Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood, Ahmad, and Ibn Hibban, it is stated that you asked us: “Do you recite anything behind your Imam?” We said: “Yes.” You ﷺ said: “Do not recite anything except the Opening of the Book (Al-Fatiha), because whoever does not recite Al-Fatiha, his prayer is not valid.” [سبل السلام۔ كتاب الصلوة۔ باب صفة الصلٰوة حديث نمبر 13]
Thus, a total of ten names of Surah Al-Fatiha are known. «سورة الفاتحة، الحمد، سبعا من المثاني، أم القرآن، أم الكتاب، الشفاء، الرقية، الدعاء، تعليم المسئلة، الصلوة» And some have written even more than this.

Time of Revelation:

In terms of the order of revelation, this Surah is the fifth. That is, it was revealed in the very early period of Islam, and this is the first Surah that was revealed in its entirety at once.
[2]
Is Bismillah al-Rahman al-Raheem a Part of Surah Al-Fatiha?

It has already been mentioned in the time of revelation of ﴿بسم الله الرحمٰن الرحيم﴾ that in it, “Read” or “Begin” is omitted. That is why we have added the word (begin) in the translation. Now the remaining discussion is whether this verse is a part of Surah Al-Fatiha or not. And its importance is whether the Imam should recite it aloud in audible prayers or quietly?
Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas ؓ narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would not recognize the end of a Surah until ﴿بسم الله الرحمٰن الرحيم﴾ was revealed [ابوداؤد۔ كتاب الصلوة۔ باب ماجاء من جهر بها] which means that ﴿بسم الله الرحمٰن الرحيم﴾ was revealed as many times as the number of Surahs (except Surah Al-Tawbah), i.e., 113 times.
Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik ؓ narrates that one day we were sitting in the gathering of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when a kind of drowsiness overtook him. Then he raised his head smiling. We asked: O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! What made you smile? He said: “Just now a Surah has been revealed to me.” Then he recited ﴿بسم الله الرحمٰن الرحيم﴾ and recited the entire Surah ﴿اِنَّآ اَعْطَيْنٰكَ الْكَوْثَرَ﴾. [مسلم: كتاب الصلوة، باب حجة من قال البسملة آية من اول كل سورة سواء براءة]
Imam Muslim has brought this hadith under the chapter whose title translates as: “The evidence of those who say that ﴿بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْم﴾ is a part of every Surah.” According to this evidence, Bismillah al-Rahman al-Raheem is not only a part of Surah Al-Fatiha but a part of every Surah.
Moreover, this verse is also an independent verse in Surah Al-Naml. [27: 30] In addition, according to the explicit statement of the Quran, Surah Al-Fatiha has seven verses. And these seven verses are only complete when ﴿بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْم﴾ is counted as the first verse of Surah Al-Fatiha. All these reasons indicate that the recitation of this verse should be aloud. In this regard, contradictory narrations are found. The most famous is the narration from Sayyiduna Anas ؓ, which is narrated by Bukhari, Muslim, Nasa’i, etc., that Sayyiduna Anas ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr ؓ, and Sayyiduna Umar ؓ used to start the prayer with ﴿اَلْحَمْدُ الله رَبِّ الْعَالَمِيْنَ﴾, and in Muslim, these words are added: ﴿بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْم﴾ “They did not recite it at the beginning of the recitation nor at the end.”
Now it is clear that the phrase narrated in Muslim contains exaggeration, otherwise, when is ﴿بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْم﴾ at the end of Surah Al-Fatiha? And those who believe in reciting Bismillah aloud interpret this to mean that after Surah Al-Fatiha, when you would recite another Surah, you would not recite Bismillah aloud at its beginning.
Now, in contrast, consider the following hadith from Nasa’i:
Nuaim Mujmir says that I prayed behind Abu Hurairah ؓ, and he recited ﴿بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْم﴾. Then he recited Umm al-Quran until he reached
﴿وَلاَالضَّالِيْنَ﴾, then he said Ameen. Then whenever he would prostrate or stand up after sitting, he would say Allahu Akbar. Then when he finished the prayer, he said: “By the One in Whose hand is my soul, my prayer is the most similar to the prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ among all of you.” [نسائي۔ كتاب الصلوة۔ باب قراءة بسم الله الرحمٰن الرحيم]
The author of Sabil al-Salam says that this is the most authentic hadith, and it supports the principle that the ruling for recitation in Fatiha is the same as for Bismillah, whether it is recited aloud or quietly. Because from Abu Hurairah’s statement, “My prayer is the most similar to the prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ among all of you,” it is clear that you used to recite Bismillah. Although it is possible that by this, Abu Hurairah ؓ meant most of the actions and words of the Prophet’s ﷺ prayer, but this is against the apparent meaning, and it is unlikely that any companion would introduce a new act in his prayer that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not do. [سبل السلام مطبوعه دار نشر الكتب الاسلاميه۔ شيش محل روڈ لاهور۔ الجزء الاول ص 173]
Also, the author of Sabil al-Salam says: “The scholars have discussed this issue at length, and some prominent personalities have even written books on it. And it has been clarified that the above narration from Sayyiduna Anas ؓ is disturbed (mudtarib). Ibn Abd al-Barr says in ‘Al-Istidhkar’ that the result of investigating all the narrations of Sayyiduna Anas ؓ is that due to this disturbance, no jurist can use it as evidence, neither for those who recite Bismillah nor for those who do not. When Sayyiduna Anas ؓ was asked about it, he said: ‘I have grown old and forget, so there is no evidence in it.’” [ايضاً، ص 172]
Some scholars neither believe in reciting this verse aloud nor consider it a part of Surah Al-Fatiha, and to complete the count of seven verses, they write the number 5 after ﴿صِرَاطَ الَّذِيْنَ اَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِم﴾, which is the sign of a verse according to the Kufans, but this is not a unanimously agreed verse. Then, interestingly, they also write “la” on this 5, meaning that stopping here is prohibited, and this is done only to avoid considering Bismillah as a part of Al-Fatiha or reciting it aloud in audible prayers.
The King Fahd Complex has adopted a moderate approach in the Quran printed for Arab countries, which is that in Surah Al-Fatiha, this verse is considered a part of the Surah, and the number one is written on it. After ﴿اَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ﴾, nothing is written. However, in the rest of the Surahs, this verse is not considered a part of the Surah, which by itself resolves the issue that before Surah Al-Fatiha, it is better to recite this verse aloud in audible prayers and quietly in other Surahs.
[3] Both Rahman and Raheem are intensive forms and are attributive names of Allah derived from mercy. But in the word Rahman, there is much more intensity than in Raheem, so much so that Rahman is considered the second most important personal name of Allah after Allah itself. This is explicitly mentioned in numerous verses of the Quran, for example:
﴿ الرَّحْمَٰنُ عَلَّمَ الْقُرْآن﴾ [ 55۔ 1]
﴿ اَلرحمٰن عَلَي الْعَرْشِ اسْتَويٰ﴾ [5: 20]
﴿قُلِ ادْعُوا اللّٰهَ اَوِ ادْعُوا الرَّحْمٰنَ اَيًّا مَّا تَدْعُوْا فَلَهُ الْاَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنيٰ وَلَا تَجْهَرْ بِصَلَاتِكَ وَلَا تُخَافِتْ بِهَا وَابْتَغِ بَيْنَ ذٰلِكَ سَبِيْلًا﴾ [17: 110]
In this respect, all the attributes of Allah can be found in His creation except Rahman. A human can be Raheem, Ra’oof, Kareem, etc., but only Allah can be Rahman. That is why it is mentioned in an authentic hadith that the two names most beloved to Allah are Abdullah and Abdur-Rahman. [ترمذي: ابواب الادب، باب ماجاء ما يستحب من الاسماء] Most scholars have tried to explain the difference between Rahman and Raheem by the different forms of quality and quantity of mercy. And a common saying is «رحمٰن فى الدنيا رحيم فى الاخرة» that is, Allah is Rahman in this world, bestowing mercy equally upon Muslims, disbelievers, and polytheists, and Raheem in the Hereafter, bestowing mercy only upon the believers. Another explanation is that the attribute of Rahmaniyyah entails such blessings and mercies that are necessary for the existence and survival of life, and this includes not only humans but all living creatures, such as the creation of the sun, moon, light and darkness, air, water, and earth, which provide for all the necessities of life. Also, a mother’s affection and the demands of natural love are included in this. And Raheem refers to that mercy which comes to aid at the time of distress or need. «والله اعلم بالصواب»