Surah Al-Fatiha سورة الفاتحة

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيم

Surah Al Fatiha "The opener" is the first chapter of the holly Qur'an  Its seven verses are a prayer for Allah's guidance, and stress His lordship and mercy. This chapter has an essential role in daily prayers; We Muslims recite the Surah Al-Fatiha seventeen times a day, at the start of each unit of prayer.

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰ نِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِ ينَ

Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds:

الرَّحْمَٰ نِ الرَّحِيمِ

The Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.

مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ

The Only Owner (and the Only Ruling Judge) of the Day of Recompense (i.e. the Day of Resurrection)

إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِين

Thee (alone) we worship; Thee (alone) was ask for help.

اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَق ِيمَ

Guide us to the Straight Way

صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُو بِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّي نَ

The path of those whom Thou hast favoured; Not (the path) of those who earn Thine anger nor of those who go astray.

The benefits of reciting Surah Fatiha are described in the following hadith³ of the the Holy Prophet Muhammad:

Abu Huraira has heard God's messenger declare that God most high had said, " I have divided the prayer into two halves between me and my servant, and my servant will receive what he asks." When the servant says, " Praise be to God, the Lord of the universe, " God most high says, " My servant has praised me." When he says, "The compassionate, the Merciful," God most high says, "My servant has lauded me." When he says, "Possessor of the day of judgment," He says," My servant has glorified me." When he says, "Thee do we worship and of Thee do we ask help," He says, "This is between me and my servant, and my servant will receive what he asks."Then when he says, "Guide us in the straight path, the path of those to whom Thou art generous, not of those with whom Thou art angry nor of those who go astray," He says, "This is for my servant, and my servant will receive what he asks." Surah Faatihah is among the greatest gifts which were bestowed upon the Holy Prophet according to the following verse of the Holy Qur'an4: Wa laqad 'aataay-naaka Sab-'am-minal-masaanii wal-Qur-'aanal-'Aziim. (15:87) "We have given thee seven of the oft-repeated (verses) and the great Qur'an" (15:87) The Status of Surah Fatiha described in the above ayat of the Holy Qur'an has been explained in the following hadith5: Abu Huraira told that when God's messenger once asked Ubayy b. Ka'b how he recited the course of prayer and he recited Umm al-Qur'an, he said, "By Him in whose hand my soul is, nothing like it has been sent down in Torah, the Injil, the Zabur, or the Qur'an and it is seven of the oft-repeated verses and the mighty Quran which I have been given." The following extract from the Khutba of Hazrat Ali6 (a.s.) clearly describes the relationship between Allah and human beings: "All praise be to God who is sublime due to His power and might. Who is near everything due to His knowledge, kindness and mercy. He alone can bestow every advantage, utility and gain, can grant every celebrity, eminence and fame, and can protect from worst kind of calamities and misfortunes. I praise and thank Him for His constant favours and for His vast bounties and for His lasting protection. It is my firm belief that He is Eternal and existed before anything came into existence and that He is the Mighty Creator. I seek His guidance because He is nearest source of guidance to me. I beseech Him for His help because he is Mighty enough to help me wherever and whenever I need it. I trust Him because He can protect and assist me to overcome every difficulty."