Al-Fatihah
الفاتحة
Al-Fatihah
|
| Classification |
Makkan |
| Meaning of the name |
The Opening |
| Other names |
Umm al-Kitab (Mother of the Book)
Umm al-Qur'an (Mother of the Qur'an)
The Key
Surah al-Hamd (The Praise) |
| Time of revelation |
Early years of prophethood |
| Statistics |
| Sura number |
1 |
| Number of verses |
7 |
| Juz' number |
1 |
| Hizb number |
1 |
| Number of Rukus |
1 |
| Number of Sajdahs |
None |
| Harf-e-Mukatta'at |
No |
| Number of Ayats on particular subjects |
Praise of God: 3
Relation between Creator and creatures: 1
Prayer of the humankind: 3 |
| Previous Sura |
— |
| Next Sura |
Al-Baqara |
|
|
Sura Al-Fatiha (
Arabic:
سورة الفاتحة,
Sūratu al-Fātihah, "The Opening") is the first
chapter of the
Muslim holy book, the
Qur'an. Its seven
verses are a prayer for
God's guidance and stress the lordship and mercy of God. This chapter has a special role in daily prayers (
Salat), being recited at the start of each unit of prayer, or
rak'ah.
Interpretation of
the Meaning of Sura Al-Fatiha
Muslims believe that the Qur'an is a revelation from God in the Arabic language. Translations into other languages are considered by many to be merely superficial "interpretations" of the meanings and not reliable versions of the Qur'an. Although some Qur'an alone and liberal Muslims use translations as part of their daily prayers, they are used mainly for personal spiritual use by non-Arabic speakers.
The Arabic text with transliteration and translation in English is as follows: [Qur'an 1:1].
1:1 بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيم
Bismillāhi r-raḥmāni r-raḥīm
- In the name of God, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful:
1:2 الْحَمْدُ للّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِين
- Al ḥamdu lillāhi rabbi l-'ālamīn
- Praise be to God, the Lord of the Universe.
1:3 الرَّحْمـنِ الرَّحِيم
- Ar raḥmāni r-raḥīm
- The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
1:4 مَـالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّين
- Māliki yawmi d-dīn
- Master of the Day of Judgment.
1:5 إِيَّاك نَعْبُدُ وإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِين
- Iyyāka na'budu wa iyyāka nasta'īn
- You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help
1:6 اهدِنَــــا الصِّرَاطَ المُستَقِيمَ
- Ihdinā ṣ-ṣirāṭ al mustaqīm
- Guide us to the straight path;
1:7 صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنعَمتَ عَلَيهِمْ غَيرِ المَغضُوبِ عَلَيهِمْ وَلاَ الضَّالِّين
- Ṣirāṭ al-laḏīna an'amta 'alayhim ġayril maġḍūbi 'alayhim walāḍ ḍāllīn
- The path of those whom You have favoured, not of those who have deserved Your anger, nor of those who stray.
When recited during daily prayers, some schools of thought follow Sura Al-Fatiha by the word Amen (normally pronounced Amin).
