The Secrets of Surat Al Fatiha

Translated from the book Khawater Qura’ania by Dr. Amr Khaled

What is the secret of this Surah? Why did the Qura’an start with this surah? Why is it called the (the mother of the Qura’an)? Why do we read it a minimum of 17 times in a day and night? Why a prayer cannot be right without it?

One of the companion of the prophet PBUH said : the prophet PBUH said to me:"I will teach you a Sura which is the greatest Sura in the Qur'an, before you leave the Masjid." Then he got hold of my hand, and when he intended to leave (the Masjid), I said to him, "Didn't you say to me, 'I will teach you a Sura which is the greatest Sura in the Quran?' He said, "Al-Hamdu-Lillah Rabbi-l-Alamin (i.e. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds) which is Al-Sab'a Al-Mathani (i.e. seven repeatedly recited Verses) and the Grand Qur'an which has been given to me." (Sahih Al Bukhari).

The secret of Surat Al Fatiha :

It contains the all the meanings of the Qura’an. You will find the goals of the whole Qura’an in Al Fatiha. How?

The Qura’an covers three main meanings which are required from the Muslim or the reader of the Qura’an :

1. Beliefs (In who do we belief?).
2. Acts of worship (How do we worship who belief in?).
3. Life methods (The method that Allah wanted for us).
Surat Al Fatiha covers all these three goals.

When you read (الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيم مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ (All] praise is [due] to Allah, Lord of the worlds. The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful, Sovereign of the Day of Recompense) Tawheed and belief in the Day of Judgment is the belief of the Muslim.

When it comes to the act of worship, you read إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ (It is You we worship and You we ask for help).

And when it comes to life method, you read اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ (Guide us to the straight path - The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray) and the whole Qura’an after surat Al Fatiha is elaborating those three main meanings.

Surat Al Fatiha reminds us of the fundamentals of Islam:

1. Allah’s blessings الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ.

2. Sincerity with a word إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ, means we only worship you , we ask your for help وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ.

3. Asking for good companion اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ (6) صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ.

4. Warning from bad companion غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ.

5. The names of Allah, with the focus of the two names of Allah الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. The root of Allah’s relation with humans is Rahma (Mercy) that is why it came twice ( the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful).

6. Straight path اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ.

7. The Day of judgment and preparing for it مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ and اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيم.

8. The importance of making dua’a and the etiquette of making dua’a, the surah ended with a dua.

9. Our Ummah (Nation) is one … that is why you find all the verses in this surah came in the form of plural even if the person is praying alone in his room, he still must use the plural form, so he knows he is part of one Ummah not alone in this Universe.

Manners and etiquette with Allah:

This surah teaches us the manners and etiquette with Allah, it is divided into two, the first part is tribute and compliment to Allah and the second part is the Dua. Whenever you pray you must start with tribute and compliment to Allah by calling him with his best names and thanking him for all the blessing then we ask for whatever we want. The amazing part in this surah is, the number of letters in the tribute is equal to the number of letters in the dua.

The dialogue with Allah

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 he/she says,

[الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ ] (The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.)
Allah says, `My servant has glorified Me.' When he/she 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/she 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/she 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.').''

So you feel when you are reading Surat Al Fatiha that Allah SWT is responding to you, what an honor?
Omar Ibn Abdul Aziz used to read Al Fatiha and after each ayah he pauses for a while, when people asked him for the purpose of that pause, he said: So I can listen to my lord’s answer.

Can you feel the importance of this Surah? Ibn Al Qayem said: Allah revealed 104 books, he collected the meaning of all those books in three books: The Torah, The Gospel or the Einjeel and the Qura’an and he collected the meanings of those three books in the Qura’an and he collected the meanings of the Qura’an in Surat Al Fatiha.

Why was it named Al Fatiha?

1. The simple meaning is because it started the Qura’an as it is the first surah in the mus-haf.

2. The deeper meaning, it is the key of the meaning of the Quran.

The prophet PBUH him said: ليس للعبد من صلاته الا ما عقل منها , this means Allah accepts from your prayer what read with understanding and concentration. None of us want to pray and gain nothing from it by being absent minded or not understanding so from now on let read surat Al Fatiha with a full understanding have a beautiful conversation with our creator, the creator of all Universe.