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The Blessed Names of Sūrah Al-Fātiha

The Opening Chapter of The Holy Qur’ān

Name Meaning
Al-Fātiha The Opening
Al-Fātihat u’l Kitāb The Opening of the Book
Al-Fātihat u’l Qur’ān The Opening of the Qur’ān
Umm u’l Kitāb The mother of the Book
Umm u’l Qur’ān The mother of the Qur’ān
As-sab’ u’l Mathānī
wa'l Qur'ān i'l 'Azīm 		The seven oft-repeated verses
and the Grand Qu'rān
Wāfiyah Complete, Total
Wāqiyah Protection
Kanz Treasure
Kāfiyah Sufficient
Al-Asās The Foundation
Nūr Light
Al-Hamd The Praise of Allāh
Ash-Shukr The Thankfulness of Allāh
Al-Hamd u’l Ūlā The First and Foremost Praise of Allāh
Al-Hamd u’l Quswā The Utmost Praise of Allāh
Ar-Ruqya The prayer for faith healing
Ash-Shifā’ The Cure, the Healing
Ash-Shāfiya The Remedy, the Medication
Sūrat u’s Salāh The Sūrah recited in daily prayer
Sūrat u’d Du’ā The Sūrah of supplication to Allāh
Sūrat u’t Talab The Sūrah of seeking (to be guided by Allāh)
Sūrat u’s Su’āl The Request to Allāh
Ta’līm u’l mas’alah Instruction about how to beseech Allāh
Munājāt Invocation to Allāh begging deliverance
At-Tafwīd The Total Trust in Allāh
Al-Mukāfa’ah The Chapter of the Reward from Allāh
Afdalu suwar i’l Qur’ān The Best Chapter of the Qur’ān
Akhyaru Sūrah min suwar i’l Qur’ān The Choicest Chapter of the Qur’ān
A’zamu Sūrah fi’l Qur’ān The Greatest Chapter in the Qur’ān
Al-Minnah Kindliness, Graciousness
Al-Majziyah The Reward from Allāh
Al-Munjiyah The Salvation
Sūrah ath-Thaqalayn The Sūrah for mankind and jinn
Sūrah Majma’ i’l Asmā’ The Sūrah that combines all the names

Source: These names of Sūrah al-Fātiha have been identified by As-Sayyid Muhammad Haqqī an-Nāzilī in Khazīnat u’l Asrār al-Kubrā wa Jalīlat u’l Adhkār ( A Treasure of Great Spiritual Mysteries and Sublime Remembrances of Allāh), Dār u’l Kitāb al-‘Arabī, Beirut, 1349 A.H, p. 112-117. His main source is the Hadīth Sharīf, the blessed Sayings of our beloved Prophet Muhammad Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam.

Sūrah al-Fātiha: A Special Blessing from Allāh

Al-Fātiha or the “Opening One” is the name of the first Sūrah or Chapter of the Holy Qur’ān. It is the best, the choicest and the greatest chapter of the Holy Qur’ān. The Beloved Holy Prophet Muhammad Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam said that no previous ummah (religious community) had received such a great Sūrah. It is popularly known as Al-Hamd (The Praise of Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta’ālā). It consists of seven verses which are especially referred to in the Holy Qur’ān as As-Sab’al-Mathānī or the Seven Often-repeated verses”.

Sūrah al-Fātiha is the most important du’ā (supplication to Allāh) for a Muslim. It is recited in every rak’a of salāh (regular prayer) and after every salāh. It begins every supplication after which other supplications are added if desired. It begins as well as brings to a conclusion every congregation of Dhikr (remembrance of Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta’ālā) and Mawlid u’n Nabī, the celebration of the birth of Prophet Muhammad Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam. It is the first Sūrah that every Muslim memorizes. It is a supplication for faith-healing as well: those for whom it is recited get cured of their illness as we learn from one of the Hadīth (Sayings) of Prophet Muhammad Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa Sallam. The Mercy of Allāh, Subhānahū wa Ta’ālā descends on those who recite it and angels gather to hear its recitation.

Imām al-Ghazālī Rahmatullāhi‘alayh has recommended its recitation a hundred times a day, that is, 21 times after Fajr salāh, 22 times after Zuhr salāh, 23 times after ‘Asr salāh, 24 times after Maghrib salāh and 10 times after‘Ishā salāh. Sūrah al-Fātiha is indeed a special blessing from Allāh Subhānahū wa Ta’ālā.

Key to the Arabic Transliteration

Siddīq Osman Noormuhammad
Ramadān 1423/November 2002
Toronto, Canada.

Al-Fātiha!

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