Surah Al-Fatihah, The Opening

Surah 1 · 7 verses · revealed at Mecca

Al-Fatihah means "the Opening", and the name is literal. It stands first in the written order of the Qur'an and is the first thing any reader meets. It is seven verses long, and it is almost certainly the most frequently recited passage of scripture anywhere in the world.

That claim is worth spelling out, because it is arithmetic rather than rhetoric. Al-Fatihah is recited in every unit of every obligatory prayer. Someone keeping the five daily prayers recites it at least seventeen times a day. Across a lifetime the count passes a hundred thousand. Nothing else in any scriptural tradition is repeated at that rate.

The surah collected a number of names over the centuries, and each says something about how it was understood. Umm al-Kitab, the Mother of the Book. Al-Sab' al-Mathani, the Seven Oft-Repeated. Al-Hamd, the Praise. Al-Shifa', the Cure.

Its shape is worth noticing. The first three verses speak about God — praise, lordship over all the worlds, mercy, and authority over the Day of Judgement. The fourth verse turns, and from there the surah speaks to God: You alone we worship, You alone we ask for help. The remaining verses are a request. Only one thing is asked for in the whole surah, and it is not wealth, or safety, or relief from difficulty. It is guidance along a straight path.

Nearly all the classical authorities place Al-Fatihah in the Meccan period, and early within it. A minority held it to be Medinan, and some suggested it was revealed twice, once in each city.

Surah Al-Fatihah on this site

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Surah Al-Fatihah, The Opening

Surah Al-Fatihah on this site

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