Reflections on the Quran

Understanding Surahs Al-Fatihah & Al-Baqarah

Irfan Ahmad Khan

• Publisher: Kube Publishing Ltd
• Year: 2021
• eBook ISBN: 9780860378471
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Islamic Theology

Comments on the first two chapters of the Qur'an, "Surahs Al-Fatihah", and "Al-Baqarah".

Al-Fatihah

An Overview

The word al-Fatihah literally means opening. Al-Fatihah is the first surah (a unit or chapter) of the Qur’an. It contains seven ayat (sentences) that are short but full of meaning and wisdom. We know the surahs of the Qur’an were usually revealed in segments and often, it took quite a while for a surah to be completed. However, this is the first surah which was revealed as one complete single unit. The most common name used for the surah is al-Fatihah, though it has several other beautiful names such as Um-al-Qur’an, Surah al-Hamd, Surah al-Salat, Surah al-Shifa, al-Kafiyah, al-Kanz, Asas al-Qur’an, and As-Sab’al-Mathani. Every Muslim recites this surah at least seventeen times, every day, in the five daily prayers, as it is required to be recited in each rak‘ah.

Al-Fatihah, in seven short sentences, summarizes the basic teachings and message of the Qur’an. It informs a reader about tawhid or unity and supremacy of Allah subhanahu wa-Ta’ala, the Creator of mankind, and His basic attributes; how human beings should relate themselves with their sustainer Lord, who is the Owner of the universe; what should be the role of human beings in this worldly life; what happened to earlier peoples who followed divine teachings and to those who deviated, and ultimately, what is the destiny of human beings in the life Hereafter.

The surah begins with a simple and short confession of faith in the Creator i.e. Allah, “In the name of Allah”, who is al-Rahman and al-Rahim.

The meaning of Ilah

The word ilah is used in Arabic language for God (ma‘bud) who alone deserves worship and praise due to His being the Provider, all-Powerful, the Protector and the Exalted One. In the pre-Islamic era, to have personal gods was a common practice. Any one in need would take the liberty of choosing and worshiping a god who was supposed to benefit, relieve the person from difficulty, or as an intermediary bring him closer to the ultimate God. This is the reason why pre-Islamic Arabs had more than three hundred gods residing in the haram e Ka’bah, while Hinduism in India had more than a thousand functional gods and goddesses. The Qur’an refers to this phenomenon: “And they have taken other gods instead of Allah, that they may be a source of strength for them.” (Maryam 19:81). Similarly, they believed that their gods helped them in trade and in warfare, two of their most favoured activities, “And they have taken gods besides Allah, hoping that they will be helped.” (Yasin 36:74). In response, Al-Fatihah elaborates on this central theme of ilah.

The Quran’s invitation to Reflect

The Qur’an invites all human beings to use their faculties of observation, reason, and introspection to reflect on the history of mankind and try to understand who really qualifies to be worshiped as God. “Say all praise be to Allah, and peace be on those of His servants whom He has chosen, (ask them): Who is better, Allah or the false gods, that they associate with Him as His partners? Who is it that has created the heavens and the earth and sent down for you water from the sky and then We caused to grow therewith orchards full of beauty whose trees you could never grow? Is there any god associated with Allah. Nay, they are people who are veering away from the Right Path.” (al-Namal 27:59-60).

The Qur’an again and again invites people to reflect on the creation of the universe and their own being and existence to find out ‘Who as the Originator of the universe and the Creator of mankind’ deserves to be praised and glorified: “Those whom they call upon besides Allah have created nothing; rather they themselves were created. They are lifeless, not living, they do not even know when they will be resurrected. Your God is the One Allah. But the hearts of those who do not believe in the Hereafter are steeped in rejection of the Truth, and they are given to arrogance.” (al-Nahl 16:20-22). The Qur’an rejects, on rational grounds, all concepts with plurality of gods, including henotheism, wherein a hierarchy of gods ultimately ends up into One God. It insists that from eternity, the willful acceptance of the One and Only Creator, Sustainer and Lord has been the faith of humanity, and even the universe follows the principle of tawhid.

Tawhid Oneness of Allah as the foundation stone of Islam

Tawhid, Allah subhanahu wa-Ta’ala’s Oneness, reflected in the opening sentence of al-Fatihah, “in the name of Allah”, is the foundation stone of Islam. Al-Fatihah, therefore begins with Allah’s name and further defines, He is the Merciful, the Compassionate. This aspect is again elaborated by the Qur’an in several places: “He is Allah; there is no god but He. His is the praise in this world and in the Hereafter, His is the Command, and to Him, will all of you be brought back. (O Prophet) tell them: ‘Did you consider: if Allah were to make the night perpetual over you till the Day of Judgement is there a god other than Allah who can bring forth light for you? Did you not hear? Say: Think if Allah were to make the day perpetual over you till the Day of Judgement, is there a god other than Allah, who can bring in night for you in which you may rest? Will you not then see?’” (al-Qasas 28:70-72).

This very brief elaboration of the first word Allah used in the first ayah of al-Fatihah shows that the Qur’an right from the beginning invites its reader to use a rational and logical approach with keen observation of the universe and human beings’ own existence. The answer given in this first ayah is Allah alone is the Most-Kind and Compassionate Creator, as was held by all earlier Messengers of Allah, Nuh (Noah) Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses) and Esa (Jesus), peace be upon them, just to mention a few. This first ayah validates recognition of Allah alone as the Creator and Lord, which as mentioned above, is not only the core message of the Prophet

but of all earlier messengers. “We raised a Messenger in every community (to tell them) serve Allah and shun the evil one.” (al-Nahl 16:36). It creates a continuity of the common faith in the One and Only Creator of the worlds. Having touched upon this aspect, the ayah later elaborates on two major attributes of Allah subhanahu wa Ta’ala, al-Rahman and al-Rahim.

POINTS TO PONDER

Can all this beauty, harmony, balance, continuity, sustainability, and synergy be possible without an originator, creator and sustainer? Could several competing and conflicting gods, together, produce even a mosquito, a fly or an ant?

The message of tawhid that the first ayah contains is a recurring central theme throughout the Qur’an. That is why al-Fatihah begins in the name of Allah, the One and the Only Creator, the Owner of mankind and the universe. The Qur’an is not the only revelation which invites mankind towards Allah as the only creator. Several other religions believe in an Ultimate God. The Old Testament for example mentions: “Hear O Israel: The Lord our God the Lord is One.” (Deuteronomy 6:4). “I am the Lord, and there is non-else, there is no God besides me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me.” (Isaiah 45:5). In Hinduism, at least a section claims to believe ultimately in One God named Brahman in the north and Vishnu and Ganesh in the south of India. “He is one God, hidden in all beings, all pervading, the self within all beings, watching our all works, dwelling in all beings, the witness, the perceiver, the only one, free from qualities.” (Svetasvatara upanishad 6:11). The difference however is outstanding. Allah is Unique, Absolute and has no progeny, no life partner, consort or associate. Whilst Hinduism maintains belief in plurality of gods and goddesses, and Christianity has come to believe in three in one.

The culture of Bismillah

The frequent recitation of this invocation; the first ayah of al-Fatihah “in the name of Allah” or bismillah, is an Islamic cultural norm. This remarkable opening statement of the Qur’an al-Karim, not only refers to two major attributes of Allah, al-Rahman and al-Rahim, or His compassion, grace, love, forgiveness and kindness but also teaches humans how to begin their journey into the world of knowledge, culture, civility and mercy. That before one enters into a meaningful relation with the Qur’an al-Karim, one should learn the manner of seeking sincerely Allah’s kind support in trying to discern the truth. In the quest of getting divine guidance and ultimate knowledge, the adab or etiquette of beginning an action with none other but the name of Allah subhanahu wa Ta’ala, is to be observed.

Allah’s Infinite Compassion

The opening: “In the name of Allah, al-Rahman, al-Rahim”, introduces a revolutionary approach in the history of world religions. It tells us that the Creator and Sustainer is not only the Compassionate One, but His infinite compassion is beyond human imagination. No mind can perceive or capture the greatness of His Mercy. Most of the world religions have ended up in personifying their deities. Hinduism developed a large number of personified functional gods; god of war or fire (Indra), god of wealth (Lakshmi), god of death or sacrifice (Kali) and so on. Even Buddhism which had no place for a god, very soon developed into two major schools of thought and idolized Buddha in gold and precious stones. The original concept of Bodhisatva, Tathagata and Bhagavan was reduced to a finite idol made from gold or stone.

An Allah-centric world-view

The Islamic world view is Allah-centric. Everything moves under His Authority, Kindness and Blessings. He is not only Merciful but also Unique and Transcendent. No finite human mind can grasp Him due to His being infinite. His Rububiyah, Rahmah and ‘Adalah is greater than the capacity of all universes and galaxies put together. He alone as the Master of Universes qualifies to be the Praised One, Lord of the Day of Judgement.

The ayah بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم (Bismillah Arrahman Arrahi...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Transliteration Table
• Foreword
• Preface
• Introduction
• Surah Al-Fatihah
• Explanatory Notes Related to the Study of Surah Al-Fatihah
• Overall Structure of Surah Al-Baqarah
• Who Will Gain Guidance from the Book
• Those Who Have Already Taken a Stand Against the Truth
• They Who Only Say They are Believers
• Essential Message of the Book
• The Story of Adam and the Primordial Covenant
• Divine Expectations from the Children of Israel
• A Critical Survey of Their Performance
• Merely Making a Covenant is Not Sufficient
• The Children of Israel’s Disregard of Their Covenant
• How the Scholars Muddled the Divine Text
• Social Implications of the Covenant
• Turning into a Disbelieving Community
• Causes of this Continuing Kufr
• Using The Book for Worldly Gains
• Disrespecting the Prophet and Instigating the Believers
• Concluding Remarks
• Reviving Abraham’s Tawhidic Movement
• Being Proud of Your Spiritual Heritage Will Not Help
• Change of Qiblah Symbolizes Transfer of Leadership
• Your Commitment to the Tawhidic Movement Will Be Tested
• Make the Divine Book Your Guide in Life
• The Truly Virtuous People
• Two Articles of the Qur’anic Law
• Fasting During the Qur’anic Month to Develop Taqwa
• Be Straightforward
• Another Programme to Develop Taqwa
• Solidarity of the Community
• Jihad and a Balanced Approach to Spending
• Co-[Ubudiyah (Fellowship of [Ibad) on the Micro Level
• The Revival of a Believing Community
• Who Will Receive Guidance?
• How Some Persons Fail to Receive Guidance, While Others Receive More and More Intellectual Satisfaction
• Significance of Spending in His Way and Sharing
• A Diametrically Opposed Attitude
• Clarity in Financial Dealings
• The Covenant of the Present Believing Community
• Glossary
• Index of Important Themes of Reflections