The Last Holy Book
Quran is the last Holy book of Allah revealed upon His last Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Surah Al-Fatiha means “The Opening” as it is the first chapter of Holy Quran. It contains seven verses which are a prayer for the guidance, lordship and mercy of Allah. The meaning of the entire Quran is summarized in this Surah. It has its different names indicating it as a special blessing of Allah. Surah Al-Fatiha is one those chapters of Quran which holds great importance as Allah (SWT) said in the words given below:”And, Indeed, We have bestowed upon thee seven of the often repeated (verses), and this sublime Quran.”Surah Al-Fatiha is very important as one has to start with it when he begins his prayer.
Reciting Surah Al-Fatiha five times a day shows the nature of its greatness as a chapter as well as a Dua so that we can be benefitted. In any situation a person may be, be it a difficulty, an illness or a state of suffering or any other problems a person may face in his life Surah al-Fatiha is the cure of all the sufferings. This Surah is a prayer to your Lord for seeking guidance and mercy so that He showers His blessings upon us.Virtues of Surah Al-FatihaThere are many virtues of Surah Al-Fatiha.
Starting with the first virtue, it is the greatest chapter in the Quran. It mainly covers the topics discussed in Quran. Another virtue is that as it is recited five times a day during prayers so it is a pillar of prayer. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “Whoever does not recite Surah Al-Fatiha in his prayer, his prayer is invalid.”This Surah is contains the cure for the diseases as a companion once recited Surah Al-Fatiha to a person who got bit by a Scorpio and he was cured.
It is not just a cure for diseases but it is also a cure for the heart from the evil. It is a light to direct us towards the righteous path. As it has so many virtues it is known as the Mother of Quran. Tafseer of Surah Al-Fatiha. In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, and the Most Merciful”In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, and the Most Merciful” is the first ayah of this Surah.
This is also known as Bismillah which is good to recite before doing anything so that we are showered with the blessings of Allah Almighty.The letter BaaThe letter Baa can have three different meanings. First is with/ in the name of Allah. The second is seeking help of the name of Allah and the last seeking blessings with the name of Allah.Al-Rehman and Al-Raheem Al-Rehman and Al-Raheem are the names of Allah which mean mercy.
They are derived from the words raa, haa, meem and their meaning is mercy. Whether someone is a Muslim or a non-Muslim, good or bad he is always bestowed with Allah’s mercy. Not only humans but animals and every creature in this universe have His mercy. “My mercy encompasses all.”The difference between both of them is that Al-Rehman shows the vastness of mercy of Allah and Al-Rehman refers to the Allah’s (SWT) mercy which is specific for the believers.
All praise to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds All praise to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds is the second ayah.Many scholars consider that there is not any difference between hamd and shukar. Hamd means praise which is done in love for someone but shukr is different. Shukr is thanking someone in return of something.
The Meaning of Rabb
The word Rabb usually refers to Lord but it also means sustainer, master, nourisher and cherisher. Rabb usually shows the mastery and someone who has control over everything.
The Meaning of Aalameen
The Arabic word Aalameen comes from the root word ‘Ayn-Lam-mim’ which means to know, be aware, knowledge, science or by means of which something can be known. It comes from the word Alam and carries the significance of the meaning world or universe.
The Beneficent, the Most Merciful
This is the third ayah of Surah Al-Fatiha. The meaning of these words are already given before but the reason to repeat it again is that Allah (SWT) is giving emphasis on the fact that He is the only Lord who is forgiving and merciful.
The Only Owner of the Day of the Recompense
The fourth ayah is: “The Only Owner of the Day of the Recompense”. God is the Lord of the Day when all generations of mankind gather together on order to render an account of their conduct, and when each person will be finally rewarded or punished for his deeds.
The description of God as Lord of the Day of Judgment following the mention of his benevolence and compassion indicates that we ought to remember another aspect of God as well-namely, that He will judge us all, that He is so absolutely powerful, that on the Day of Judgment no one will have the power either to resist the enforcement of punishments that He decrees or to prevent anyone from receiving the rewards that He decides to confer. Hence, we ought not only to love Him for nourishing and sustaining us and for His compassion and mercy towards us, but should also hold Him in awe because of His justice, and should not forget that our ultimate happiness or misery rests completely with Him.
You (alone) we worship and you (alone) we ask for help The fifth ayah is: You (alone) we worship and you (alone) we ask for help. In this ayah it is being addressed that we worship Allah. The concept of worship is often misunderstood by people that it is only about prayers, fasting, and charity etc. Basically worship is everything one says or does for the pleasure of Allah. In other words worship is to obey. The ayah affirms the Lordship of Allah and affirms that worship is due to Him.6. Guide us on the straight pathThe sixth ayah is: Guide us on the straight path. This ayah is a Dua which make to Allah asking Him to guide us on the straight path.
We humans get so much involved in the daily affairs of our life and living with different people who may get us involved in bad deeds. Thus we ask for guidance from Allah so that He helps us stay away from the bad deeds and we follow the right path, the one He wants us to follow which is Siraat-e-Mustaqeem. Siraat means path which should reach its goal and should be the shortest route to get there. Mustaqeem means straight, correct etc. thus Siraat-e-Mustaqeem is the straight path or in other words the right path.
The path of those you have blessed, not of those with anger on them, nor of those who are astrayAllah (SWT) has explained the above ayah in another ayah:”Whosoever obeys Allah and the Messenger, they are with those whom Allah has favored, and the Prophets, the sincere, the martyrs and the righteous, and these are the best company. ” The people who have who have anger on them and who are astray are like Jews and Christians and are not favored and blessed by Allah the way the righteous people are. c)Impact of Surah Al-Fatiha on the life of a Muslim as servant of AllahSurah A-Fatiha has a great impact on the hearts of a Muslim as we recite it five times a day in our Namaz or Salah.
And to start our Duas we need to recite it first. This is because of the nature of its greatness as a Dua and as a chapter of Holy Quran. Whenever a person is suffering from any difficulty or problem he needs to recite Surah Al-Fatiha. This Surah contains guidance and cure. Whoever reads Surah Al-Fatiha with belief he will definitely find guidance. Surah al-Fatiha is a cure for physical and also spiritual ailments. Without this Surah, even the daily prayers are incomplete. It is indeed a great treasure that has been given to us by Allah (SWT) through the Holy Prophet (PBUH).
As a servant of Allah this Surah guides us towards the right path and good deeds. It creates a sense of gratitude among us as we realize that the hardships were actually the tests which were supposed to bring us closer to Allah (SWT). This makes us praise and thank Allah for all his blessings. This Surah makes us realize that as a servant we have to worship Allah only and ask Him for help so that he guides us on the right path and we are blessed by Him on the Day of Judgment.
