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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!