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Chapter 1
AL-FĀTIḤAH
(The Opening)
Introduction
First comes that beautiful Sūrah,17
The Opening Chapter18 of Seven Verses,19
Rightly called the Essence of the Book.
It teaches us the perfect Prayer.
For if we can pray aright, it means
That we have some knowledge of Allah
And His attributes, of His relations
To us and His creation, which includes
Ourselves; that we glimpse the source
From which we come, and that final goal
Which is our spiritual destiny
Under Allah’s true judgement: then
We offer ourselves to Allah and seek His light.
Prayer is the heart of Religion and Faith
But how shall we pray? What words shall convey
The yearnings of our miserable ignorant hearts
To the Knower of all? Is it worthy of Him
Or of our spiritual nature to ask
For vanities, or even for such physical needs
As our daily bread? The Inspired One
Taught us a Prayer that sums up our faith,
Our hope, and our aspiration in things that matter.
We think in devotion of Allah’s name and His Nature;
We praise Him for His creation and His Cherishing care;
We call to mind the Realities, seen and unseen;
We offer Him worship and ask for His guidance;
And we know the straight from the crooked path
By the light of His grace that illumines the righteous.
*** *** ***
1 In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.20
2 Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer21 of the Worlds;
3 Most Gracious, Most Merciful; 4 Master of the Day of Judgement.
5 You do we worship, and Your aid we seek.22
6 Show us the straight way,23 7 The way of those on whom You bestowed Your Grace, those whose (portion) is not wrath,24 and who go not astray.25
17. Each chapter or portion of the Qur’ān is called a Sūrah, which means a Degree or Step, by which we mount up. Sometimes whole Sūrahs were revealed, and sometimes portions, which were arranged under the Prophet’s directions. Some Sūrahs are long, and some are short, but a logical thread runs through them all. Each verse of the Sūrah is called an Āyah (plural, Āyāt), which means also a sign. A verse of revelation is a Sign of Allah’s wisdom and goodness just as much as Allah’s beautiful handiwork in the material creation or His dealings in history are signs to us, if we would understand. Some Āyāt are long, and some are short. The Āyah is the true unit of the Qur’ān. [15]
[Throughout this book “Sūrah” will be used for Chapter in the text.—Ed.]
18. Fātiḥah = Opening Chapter: See note 1 at the end of this Sūrah. [16]
18a. By universal consent it is rightly placed at the beginning of the Qur’ān, as summing up, in marvellously terse and comprehensive words, man’s relation to God in contemplation and prayer. In our spiritual contemplation the first words should be those of praise. If the praise is from our inmost being, it brings us into union with God’s Will. Then our eyes see all good, peace, and harmony. Evil, rebellion, and conflict are purged out. They do not exist for us, for our eyes are lifted up above them in praise. Then we see God’s attributes better (verses 2-4). This leads us to the attitude of worship and acknowledgement (verse 5). And finally comes prayer for guidance, and a contemplation of what guidance means (verses 6-7).
God needs no praise, for He is above all praise; He needs no petition, for He knows our needs better than we do ourselves; and His bounties are open without asking, to the righteous and the sinner alike. The prayer is for our own spiritual education, consolation, and confirmation.
That is why the words in this Sūrah are given to us in the form in which we should utter them. When we reach enlightenment, they flow spontaneously from us. [18]
19. These seven verses form a complete unit by themselves, and are recited in every prayer and on many other occasions. Cf. 15:87. [17]
20. The Arabic words Raḥmān and Raḥīm, translated “Most Gracious” and “Most Merciful” are both intensive forms referring to different aspects of Allah’s attribute of Mercy. The Arabic intensive is more suited to express Allah’s attributes than the superlative degree in English. The latter implies a comparison with other beings, or with other times or places, while there is no being like unto Allah, and He is independent of Time and Place. Mercy may imply pity, long-suffering, patience, and forgiveness, all of which the sinner needs and Allah Most Merciful bestows in abundant measure. But there is a Mercy that goes before even the need arises, the Grace which is ever watchful, and flows from Allah Most Gracious to all His creatures, protecting them, preserving them, guiding them, and leading them to clearer light and higher life. For this reason the attribute Raḥmān (Most Gracious) is not applied to any but Allah, but the attribute Raḥīm (Merciful), is a general term, and may also be applied to men. To make us contemplate these boundless gifts of Allah, the formula: “In the name of Allah Most Gracious, Most Merciful”: is placed before every Sūrah of the Qur’ān (except the ninth), and repeated at the beginning of every act by the Muslim who dedicates his life to Allah, and whose hope is in His Mercy
Opinion is divided whether the Bismillāh should be numbered as a separate verse or not. It is unanimously agreed that it is a part of the Qur’ān. Therefore it is better to give it an independent number in the first Sūrah. For subsequent Sūrahs it is treated as an introduction or headline, and therefore not numbered. [19]
21. The Arabic word Rabb, usually translated Lord, has also the meaning of cherishing, sustaining, bringing to maturity. Allah cares for all the worlds He has created.
There are many worlds, astronomical and physical worlds, worlds of thought, spiritual world. and so on. In every one of them, Allah is all-in-all. We express only one aspect of it when we say: “In Him we live, and move, and have our being.” The mystical division between (1) Nāsūt, the human world knowable by the senses, (2) Malakūt, the invisible world of angels, and (3) Lāhūt, the divine world of Reality, requires a whole volume to explain it. [20]
22. On realising in our souls Allah’s love and care, His grace and mercy, and His power and justice (as Ruler of the Day of Judgement), the immediate result is that we bend in the act of worship, and see both our shortcomings and His all-sufficient power. The emphatic form means that not only do we reach the position of worshipping Allah and asking for His help, but we worship Hi...
