Class 1-Quran- Surah Fatiha
‘Quran- Surah Fatiha’
Surah Al-Fatiha
Surah al-Fatiha is the first surah of the Quran and is recited in each prayer as the Prophet ﷺ declared, “There is no salah (valid) without the opening chapter of the Book.” (Sahih Bukhari)On accepting Islam, a person should first memorize the Fatiha to be able to perform the prescribed prayers. Its meaning should be learnt and contemplated every time we offer salah.
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ
1. Bismillahir rahmaanir raheem In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
The Quran begins with the proper, unique, and personal name of God – Allah. ‘I begin with the name of Allah’ means a Muslim begins his recitation seeking the help of Allah. Allah is the God of mankind who alone deserves worship. No one else can take the name ‘Allah.’ Allah is the Most Gracious (ar-Rahman) Lord whose mercy extends to all creation. He is also especially Merciful (ar-Raheem) to the faithful.
الْحَمْدُ للّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
2. Alhamdu lillahi rabbil Aalameen (All) praise is (due) to Allah, Lord of the worlds
Allah deserves to be praised for the perfection of His qualities, material gifts, and spiritual blessings. Therefore, people should praise Him for everything He has given them. He alone deserves it. He is the Lord of the worlds, meaning He made everything that exists, maintaining it at every moment. He is the Lord who nourishes the believers with faith and good works.
الرَّحْمـنِ الرَّحِيمِ
3. Ar rahmaanir raheem The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful,
‘Most Gracious’ (Al-Rahman) and ‘Merciful’ (ar-Raheem) are two of the many names of Allah.
مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ
4. Maliki yawmid deen Sovereign of the Day of Recompense.
Allah alone is the Master of the Day of Judgment, the Day when human beings will be rewarded for their deeds. Reciting this verse in every rak’ah of payer constantly reminds a Muslim of the coming Judgment, and encourages him to do good and stay away from sins.
إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ
5. Iyyaka naabudu wa-iyyaka nasta-een It is You Alone we worship and You Alone we ask for help.
We only submit to You in worship and seek only Your help in everything we do. Everything is in Your hands. The verse tells us that a Muslim is not allowed to direct any act of worship, like prayer and asking for supernatural, help to anyone other than Allah. The verse connects the heart with Allah and purifies it of pride and the desire to show-off.
اهدِنَــــا الصِّرَاطَ المُستَقِيمَ
6. Ih dinas siratal mustaqeem Guide us to the straight path
Guide us and show us the straight path and make it easy for us. Make us firm on it till we meet You. The ‘Straight Path’ is Islam, the clear road leading to divine pleasure and Heaven shown by Muhammad, God’s last and final prophet. A slave of Allah cannot be happy and prosperous except by following it.
صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنعَمتَ عَلَيهِمْ غَيرِ المَغضُوبِ عَلَيهِمْ وَلاَ الضَّالِّينَ
7. Siratal latheena an Amta Alayhim ghayril maghdoobi alayhim walad daalleen The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked (Your) anger or of those who are astray.
The path followed by those who were blessed – the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous. They are the guided. Do not let us follow the path of two. First, those who earned divine anger because they knew the truth but did not act on it, and that is the example of the J e w s and whoever is like them. Second, do not let us follow the path of those who lost their way and were not guided, and that is the example of the Christians and their like. This is a prayer from a Muslim to purify his heart of stubbornness, ignorance, and misguidance. The verse also shows Islam is Allah’s greatest blessing. Those who know the way and walk on it are guided and, after the prophets they were, without doubt, the companions of Prophet Muhammad.
Reciting Al-Fatihah is required in Every Rak`ah of the Prayer «مَنْ صَلَّى صَلَاةً لَمْ يَقْرَأْ فِيهَا بِأُمِّ الْقُرْآنِ فَهِيَ خِدَاجٌ» (Whoever performs any prayer in which he did not recite Surah Fatiha, his prayer is incomplete.)
Al-Fatihah and the Prayer
Do you know that Allah responds and communicates with us when we recite Surah Fatiha. He replies to us after every Ayah SubhaanAllah! So we should give a small gap between each ayah and think of Allah replying us which will InshaAllah help us concentrate better in Salah and hence make our Salah more rewarding. Following is the way Allah will reply to us when we recite Surah Fatiha…
Muslim recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Prophet said, «مَنْ صَلَى صَلَاةً لَمْ يَقْرَأْ فِيهَا أُمَّ الْقُرْآنِ فَهِيَ خِدَاجٌ ثَلَاثًا غَيْرُ تَمَامٍ» (Whoever performs any prayer in which he did not read Umm Al-Qur’an, then his prayer is incomplete.) He said it thrice.
Abu Hurayrah was asked, “[When] we stand behind the Imam” He said, “Read it to yourself, for I heard the Messenger of Allah say,
« قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: قَسَمْتُ الصّلَاةَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ عَبْدِي نِصْفَيْنِ وَلِعَبْدِي مَا سَأَلَ فَإِذَا قَالَ: [الْحَمْدُ للَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ ]، قَالَ اللهُ: حَمِدَنِي عَبْدِي وَإِذَا قَالَ:[الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ ]، قَالَ اللهُ: أَثْنى عَلَيَّ عَبْدِي، فَإذَا قَالَ:[مَـلِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ ]، قَالَ اللهُ: مَجَّدَنِي عَبْدِي وَقَالَ مَرَّةً: فَوَّضَ إِلَيَّ عَبْدِي فَإِذَا قَالَ:[إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ ]، قَالَ: هذَا بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ عَبْدِي وَلِعَبْدِي مَا سَأَلَ، فَإِذَا قَالَ:[اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ – صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ الضَّآلِّينَ ]، قَالَ اللهُ: هذَا لِعَبْدِي وَلِعَبْدِي مَا سَأَلَ»
(Allah, the Exalted, said, `I have divided the prayer (Al-Fatihah) into two halves between Myself and My servant, and My servant shall have what he asks for.’
If he says,[الْحَمْدُ للَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ ] (All praise and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of existence.) Allah says, `My servant has praised Me.’
When the servant says, [الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ ] (The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.) Allah says, `My servant has glorified Me.’
When he says,[مَـلِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ ] (The Owner of the Day of Recompense.) Allah says, `My servant has glorified Me,’ or `My servant has related all matters to Me.’
When he says,[إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ ] (You (alone) we worship, and You (alone) we ask for help.) Allah says, `This is between Me and My servant, and My servant shall acquire what he sought.‘
When he says, [اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ – صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ الضَّآلِّينَ ] (Guide us to the straight path. The way of those on whom You have granted Your grace, not (the way) of those who earned Your anger, nor of those who went astray), Allah says, `This is for My servant, and My servant shall acquire what he asked for.’).”
These are the words of An-Nasa’i, while both Muslim and An-Nasa’i collected the following wording, “A half of it is for Me and a half for My servant, and My servant shall acquire what he asked for.”
“This is also known as Hadith Qudsi Number 8”
The Summary of Al-Fatihah
The honorable Surah Al-Fatihah contains seven Ayat including the praise and thanks of Allah, glorifying Him and praising Him by mentioning His most Beautiful Names and most high Attributes. It also mentions the Hereafter, which is the Day of Resurrection, and directs Allah’s servants to ask of Him, invoking Him and declaring that all power and strength comes from Him. It also calls to the sincerity of the worship of Allah alone, singling Him out in His divinity, believing in His perfection, being free from the need of any partners, having no rivals nor equals. Al-Fatihah directs the believers to invoke Allah to guide them to the straight path, which is the true religion, and to help them remain on that path in this life, and to pass over the actual Sirat (bridge over hell that everyone must pass over) on the Day of Judgment. On that Day, the believers will be directed to the gardens of comfort in the company of the Prophets, the truthful ones, the martyrs and the righteous. Al-Fatihah also encourages performing good deeds, so that the believers will be in the company of the good-doers on the Day of Resurrection. The Surah also warns against following the paths of misguidance, so that one does not end up being gathered with those who indulge in sin, on the Day of Resurrection, including those who have earned the anger and those who were led astray.
Saying Ameen at the end
Muslim recorded that the Messenger of Allah said, «إِذَا قَالَ أَحَدُكُمْ فِي الصَّلَاةِ: آمِينَ، وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ فِي السَّمَاءِ: آمِينَ، فَوَافَقَتْ إِحْدَاهُمَا الْأُخْرَى غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ»
(When any of you says in the prayer, ‘Amin ` and the angels in heaven say, `Amin’, in unison, his previous sins will be forgiven.)
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TIPS FOR TEST: –
- Do not have to memorize the Hadeeths or anything in Arabic.
- Memorize the Hadeeth Qudsi 8 (only Allah’s replies)
- Should be able to write a brief Summary.