1. religion and spirituality
2. islam

Surah 1
Al-Fatihah (The Opening)
‫سورة الفاتحة‬
1
The Qur’ān
Divine interpretation of the Book of Existence.
Al-Fatihah
(The Opening)
It is called Sūrat al-Fātihah
because it is the opening chapter of the Qur’ān.
2
Definitions
QUR’AN (‫ (قرآن‬- Continuous reading
(al-)Qur’ān: The Qur’ān; the last Book of God which He revealed to the
Prophet Muhammad,upon him be peace and blessings, as His last and universal
Message to conscious, responsible beings
(as-)Suhuf (pl. of as-Sahīfah): Scrolls given to some Messengers
(as- )Sunnah: The way of God’s Messenger,upon him be peace and blessings.
SURAH (‫)سورة‬
(as-)Sūrah: An independent chapter of the Qur’ān
3
Definitions
AYAH (singular) - AYAT (plural)
Definition of Ayah
(al-)‘Āyah: A manifest sign; miracle; lesson to be
taken from an event; each of the Qur’ān’s
independent sentences between two points (verses)
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Definitions
Āyātun bayyināt: The signs or messages which are
clear in meaning and content (as evidence of the
truth)
(al-)Āyat al-Kursīyy: The verse of the Divine Seat
of Dominion. It is verse 255 of Sūrat al-Baqarah,
which makes God known through some of His
Names and Attributes.
5
Definitions
(al-)Basmalah:
The phrase, Bismi’llāhir-Rahmāni’r-Rahīm, meaning
in (and with) the Name of God, the All-Merciful,
the All-Compassionate
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Definitions
(al-)Fard: Any obligatory religious act
(al-)Farā’id: Plural of al-fard. It is also used to
mean the science of sharing inheritance.
Fard ‘Ayn: Any act which is obligatory on every
Muslim who is mature, healthy, and sane
Fard Kifayah: A collective duty of the Muslim
community, so that if some people carry it out, no Muslim is
considered blameworthy, but if no one carries it out, all
incur a collective guilt.
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Definitions
(al-)Hadīth: Communication, narration, word or saying. As a
term, it denotes the record of whatever the Prophet (upon him be
peace and blessings) said, did, or tacitly approved. According to some
scholars, the word hadīth also covers reports about the sayings and
deeds, etc., of the Companions of the Prophet, in addition to those of
the Prophet himself. The whole body of Traditions is termed Hadīth,
and the science which deals with it is called ‘Ilm al-Hadīth.
Hadīth qudsī: A saying of God narrated by His Messenger but
not included in the Qur’ān
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Definitions
(al-)Mu’min: The Believer. A person who has faith in whatever must
be believed in and is a righteous and obedient servant of His
(al-)Munāfiq: One who is a believer outwardly or professes faith,
while one is an unbeliever inwardly and in reality
(al-)Mushrik: A polytheist: a person who commits Shirk (see Shirk)
– who associates partners with God in His Divinity, Lordship, and
Sovereignty, or in any of these
(al-)Muslim: One who believes in whatever is to be believed in and
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practices Islam in his daily life in submission to God; (law) one who
professes faith and, as a citizen of a Muslim st ate, joins a Muslim
congregation in the Prayer and pays the Zakāh
Definitions
(as-)Sirāt al-Mustaqīm: The only Straight Path to God, which the
Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings. demonstrated to
humankind and the jinn, and was manifested by way of the Qur’an and
Sunnah.
(as-)Sab‘u’l-Mathānī (Sab‘an mina’l-Mathānī):
Another name for Sūrat al-Fātihah, meaning the Seven Doubly-Repeated
Verses
(ar-)Rabb: Lord, Master; the Lord It has three sets of related meanings:
(i) Upbringer, Trainer, Sustainer, Nourisher;
(ii) Lord and Master;
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(iii)He Who directs and controls.
1
2
‫الر ِح ِيم‬
َّ ‫الر ْحما ِن‬
َّ ِ‫ِبس ِْم هللا‬
IN THENAME OF GOD, THEALL-MERCIFUL,THE ALLCOMPASSIONATE
‫ْال َحمْ دُ هّللِ َربه ِ ْالعَالَ ِمين‬
All praise and gratitude are for God, the Lord of the worlds,
3
‫الر ِح ِيم‬
َّ ‫الر ْحمـا ِن‬
َّ
The All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate,
4
‫ين‬
‫َما ِل ِك يَوْ ِم‬
ِ The‫ال ِده‬Master
of the Day of Judgment.
5
ُ ‫ست َ ِع‬
َ َّ‫اك نَ ْعبُدُ و ِإي‬
َ َّ‫ِإي‬
ْ َ‫اك ن‬
‫ين‬
You alone do We worship, and from You alone do we seek help.
6
‫اه ِدنَــــا ال ِ ه‬
‫ص َرا َط ال ُمست َ ِقي َم‬
Guide us to the straight path.
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َ ‫يه ْم‬
َّ ‫يه ْم َوالَ ال‬
ُ ‫غ ِير ال َمغ‬
َ ‫ض ِاله‬
َ ‫ِص َرا َط الَّ ِذ‬
‫ين‬
َ ‫ب‬
َ َ‫ين أَنعَمت‬
ِ ‫ضو‬
ِ َ ‫عل‬
ِ َ ‫عل‬
The Path of those whom You have favored, not of those who have incurred
(Your) wrath (punishment and condemnation), nor of those who are astray.
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Surat al Fatiha summaries the
whole Qur’an
QURAN
SURAT AL FATIHA
SALAT summaries all type worships of creation
SHADAH (The Testimony of Faith)
We read in Salat.
SALAT
SAVM (FASTING)
We do not eat, drink, talk…
HAJJ (The Pilgrimage to Makkah)
We face to Qibla (Kaba in Makkah)
Zakat (Almsgiving)
We devote our time to gain pleasure of
Allah
Kiyam (Standing) :
Represents prayers of
trees, mountains, and
angels who worship in
standing.
Ruku (Bowing) :
Represents prayers
of camels, sheep,
cows (4 legged
animals) and angels
who worship in
bowing.
Sajdah (Prostration ) :
Represents prayers of ants, butterflies, reptiles and
angels who worship in prostration all time.
SALAT BRINGS ALL THE
MINIATURES TOGETHER
UNIVERSE
QURAN
WORSHIP of
ALL CREATION
HUMAN
SURAT AL FATIHA
SALAT
The Greatest Surah in the Qur’an
The Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam) said,
“I will teach you a Surah which is the
greatest Surah in the Qur'an…”
He said, “Al-Hamdu-Lillah Rabbi-l-Alamin
which is Al-Sab'a Al-Mathani (seven repeatedly recited
Verses) and the Grand Qur'an which has been given to me.”
[Sahih Bukhari, Book #60, Hadith #1]
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Revealed by a Special Angel
Narrated Ibn Abbaas (radiyAllahu anhu):
“While the Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam) was
sitting with Jibreel (alayhi assalam), he heard a creaking sound above
him. Jibreel looked up and said,
“This is the sound of a gate that has been opened in heaven
today and has never been previously opened.”
Then an Angel descended through it and came to the Prophet
(sallAllahu alayhi wasallam) and said,
• “Rejoice in the good news of two lights that have been given to
you such as no prophet before you has been given.
• [They are] Surah al-Fatihah and the concluding [two] Ayat of
Surah al-Baqarah. You will never recite a word from them
without being given the blessings they contain."
[An-Nisaee and al-Haakim]
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Unique Virtues
Opening Surah in the Qur’an
 Beginning of book
 Commanded to recite 17 times a day
Every Surah in Qur’an is related to Surah al-Fatihah
 This Surah explains the whole Qur’an
 Everything in our life is related to this Surah
 We live with this Surah in our daily life
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 Understand it, live with it, and feel it
Key to every Surah,
Key to the whole Qur’an
With its marvelously brief and comprehensive
words, it balances praise and petition perfectly,
and it establishes four main themes or purposes
of the Qur’ānic guidance.
 (1) Existence and Unity of God,
 (2) Prophethood,
 (3) the Resurrection and afterlife, and
 (4) Worship and justice.
Hadith Qudsi
Allah SWT says, “I have divided the prayer
(Al-Fatihah) between Myself and my
slave equally and My slave shall be
granted what he asked for.”
[Sahih Muslim]
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Therefore when the slave says,
‘All praises and thanks are due to
Allah, the Lord of the universe’,
Allah says,
‘My slave has praised Me.’
When he says, ‘the Most
Beneficent, the Most Merciful,’
Allah says,
‘My slave has glorified Me.’
When he says, ‘Master of
the Day of Judgment,’
Allah says, ‘My slave
has related all matters to Me.’
When he says,
‘You alone we worship and
You alone we seek for help,’
Allah says, ‘This is between Me
and My slave and My slave shall
have what he requested.’
When he says, ‘Guide us to the
straight path, the path of those
whom You have favored, not of
those who earned Your anger, nor
of those who have gone astray’
Allah says, ‘This is for
My slave and My slave
shall have what he asked for.’
Omar ibn Abdul Aziz
(61 A.H. – 101 A.H.)
• 5th Khilafah (99 A.H. - 101 A.H.)
• Great grandson of Omar ibn Al-Khattab
• Recited Surah al-Fatihah with long pauses
• Waiting for Allah to answer him
• Enjoying the response of Allah SWT
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Names of Surah al-Fatihah
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Um Al-Qur’an
Mother of the Qur’an
Saba’ul Mathanee
7 repeated verses
Al-Qur’an Al-Atheem
The Glorious Qur’an
Um Al-Kitab
Mother of the Book
Al-Hamd
The Praise
As-Salah
The Prayer
Ash-Shifa
The Cure
Al-Ruqyah
The Remedy
Al-Waffiyah
The Complete One
11 points
to remember from
Surah al-Fatihah
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1. Reminder of Allah’s Favors & Bounties
َ ‫ْال َح ْمدُ هّللِ َربه ِ ْالعَالَ ِم‬
‫ين‬
Al Hamdu Lillahi Rabbil Aalameen
All praise and gratitude are for God, the Lord of the
worlds.
It should be noted that all praise and thanks are due to God
alone, and are His alone.
Wherever beauty, excellence and perfection occur, the
ultimate source is God.
No created beings, whether angels or humans, heavenly or
earthly objects, have anything other than a dependent
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excellence, beauty or perfection.
َ ‫ْال َح ْمدُ هّللِ َربه ِ ْالعَالَ ِم‬
‫ين‬
Al Hamdu Lillahi Rabbil Aalameen
All praise and gratitude are for God, the Lord of the
worlds.
“Worlds” translates the Arabic ‘ālamīn (singular, ‘ālam). The
word comes from ‘alam, ‘alāmah, meaning something by which
another thing is known. Thus, in this perspective, every
individual thing or set of things, from the tiniest sub-atomic
particles to the largest nebulae and galaxies, is a “world” and
indicates God.
The plural form (‘ālamīn) is particularly used for conscious
beings, giving the sense that everything that is created is as if
conscious, and signifying that its pointing to God’s Existence,
30 Unity and Lordship is extremely clear for conscious beings.
2. Reminder of the Names
and Attributes of Allah
‫الر ْحمـا ِن‬
َّ
Ar-Rahman
The All-Merciful
‫الر ِح ِيم‬
َّ
Ar-Rahim
the All-Compassionate
‫ه‬
‫ين‬
ِ ‫َما ِل ِك يَوْ ِم ال ِد‬
Maaliki yawm mid-deen
The Master of the Day of Judgment.
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3. Reminder of the main connection
between us and Allah (SWT)
‫الر ِحي ِم‬
َّ ‫الر ْحمـا ِن‬
َّ
Ar-Rahman Ar-Rahim
Most Gracious Most Merciful
Mercy
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Choose your way…
Illusion
There is no mercy,
no purpose in life.
Reality
God’s mercy
encompasses
everything.
Intention
I intend to look for alternative, for a better explanation, to look for the Source
Beliefs (Ingrained Thoughts)
God’s mercy encompasses everything.
God loves me! He takes care of me.
Emotions
Hope
Inner Peace
Excitement
Actions
Worry-free energy to solve
my problems
Even if I did it wrong, I can
try again!
Become agent of Hope
‫ين‬
ِ ‫َما ِل ِك يَوْ ِم ال ِده‬
Maaliki yawm mid-deen
The Master of the Day of Judgment.
Mālik => Master
means both owner and sovereign
Although God allows the existence of sovereigns in this world because He has
endowed humankind with free will, He will be the sole, absolute Sovereign on the
Day of Judgment.
“Whose is the absolute Sovereignty on that Day? It is
God’s, the One, the All-Overwhelming (with absolute
sway over all that exist).” (40: 16).)
4. Reminder that sincerity is only to Allah
ُ ‫ست َ ِع‬
َ َّ‫اك نَ ْعبُدُ و ِإي‬
َ َّ‫ِإي‬
ْ َ‫اك ن‬
‫ين‬
Iyyaka na’budu wa iyyaka na’stayeen
You alone we worship & You alone we seek for help
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As for the sincere servant of God, he is a
worshipping servant who does not degrade himself
to bow in worship, even before the greatest of the
creatures.
Servanthood in Islam is the only means to true
human freedom and dignity.
No one is greater than any other in being a servant
and, therefore, none is worthy of worship or
adoration. Every created being, whether a Prophet
or a common human, is equally removed from being
an object of worship.
The Prescribed Prayer (the Salāh) and the Pilgrimage
(the Hajj) are public occasions that demonstrate this
most clearly.
5. Reminder of the unity of the Ummah
ُ ‫ست َ ِع‬
َ َّ‫اك نَ ْعبُدُ و ِإي‬
َ َّ‫ِإي‬
ْ َ‫اك ن‬
‫ين‬
Iyyaka na budu wa iyyaka na’stayeen
You alone we worship and
You alone we seek for help
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Iyyaka na budu wa iyyaka na’stayeen
The collective aspect refers to
 (i) the individual person with all the systems and cells of
his/her body,
 (ii) the group(s) of believers who have come together at
any place or time to worship God, and
 (iii) to the whole body of believers throughout the world
who have turned to the Ka‘bah to worship.
6. Reminder to keep good company
‫اه ِدنَــــا ال ِ ه‬
‫ص َرا َط ال ُمست َ ِقي َم‬
Ihdinasiratal mustaqim
Guide us on the straight path
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Sirāt is used in the Qur’ān in the singular; the
word has no plural. This tells us that it is the
only road leading to God, although there are
many roads (sabīl) leading to the Path. It is
qualified with the adjective straight, meaning
that the Straight Path is the way of the Qur’ān,
with no crookedness at all (18: 1)
7. Warning against bad company
‫اه ِدنَــــا ال ِ ه‬
‫ص َرا َط ال ُمست َ ِقي َم‬
Ihdinasiratal mustaqim
Guide us on the straight path
It is the middle way having nothing to do with any extremes.
It is equally far
from communism and capitalism in economy,
from absolutism and anarchism in politics,
from realism and idealism in philosophy,
from materialism and spiritualism in belief,
from being exclusively this-worldly or exclusively other-worldly in
world-view.
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It is the middle way considering human psychology and
the realities of life and creation.
8. Istiqama - Reminder to stay
on the straight path
‫اه ِدنَــــا ال ِ ه‬
‫ص َرا َط ال ُمست َ ِقي َم‬
Ihdinasiratal mustaqim
Guide us on the straight path
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Path => Sirāt.
It is a way having ups and downs, one wide in some of its
parts and narrow in others, and difficult to walk on. It is
described in a Prophetic Tradition as a path or bridge with ups
and downs, one having walls on its sides, and doors and
windows opening on the outside. The walls are the rules of
the Islamic Sharī‘ah, which protect it from external attacks
and save those following it from veering off. The doors and
windows are the openings to things forbidden. Those
following the Path should not follow these openings lest they
go astray.
9. Reminder of the Hereafter: As-Sirat
َّ
َ
َ
َ
َ
‫يه ْم‬
‫ل‬
‫ع‬
‫ع‬
‫ن‬
‫أ‬
‫ين‬
‫ذ‬
‫ال‬
‫ط‬
‫ِص َرا‬
َ
َ‫مت‬
ِ
َ
ِ
Siratal latheena an ‘amta alayhim
The path of those who earned your favor
Even if one can, by studying creation and reflecting on it,
work out that there must be One Who has created it, none
can discover what the Straight Path is through reasoning
alone.
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The greatest favor or blessing of God for humanity is the Religion.
•People attain happiness in both worlds through it, and realize the
aim of their creation. In order to be able to find and follow the
true Religion, God points us towards some persons He has chosen
among people.
•He describes them as those whom He has favored. He presents
the Straight Path as their way, and
•He publicizes their identity in another verse (4: 69):
Whoever obeys God and the Messenger (as they must be
obeyed), then those are (and in the Hereafter will be, in Paradise)
in the company of those whom God has favored (with the perfect
guidance) – the Prophets, and the truthful ones (loyal and truthful
in whatever they do and say), and the witnesses (those who see
the hidden Divine truths and testify thereto with their lives), and
the righteous ones (in all their deeds and sayings and dedicated to
setting everything right). How excellent they are for companions!
•One who sincerely searches for such people finds them, because they shine in the
10. Reminder of the importance of du’aa
ُ ‫ست َ ِع‬
َ َّ‫اك نَ ْعبُدُ و ِإي‬
َ َّ‫ِإي‬
ْ َ‫اك ن‬
‫ين‬
You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help.
‫اه ِدنَــــا ال ِ ه‬
‫ص َرا َط ال ُمست َ ِقي َم‬
Guide us to the straight path.
َّ
َ
َ
َ ‫يه ْم‬
َ
َ
‫غ ِير‬
‫ل‬
‫ع‬
‫ع‬
‫ن‬
‫أ‬
‫ين‬
‫ذ‬
‫ال‬
‫ط‬
‫ِص َرا‬
َ
َ‫مت‬
ِ
َ
ِ
َّ ‫يه ْم َوالَ ال‬
ُ ‫ال َمغ‬
‫ض ِالهي َن‬
َ ‫ب‬
ِ ‫ضو‬
ِ َ ‫عل‬
The path of those on whom You have bestowed your grace,
not the path of those who earned your anger,
nor of those that went astray.
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The Qur’ān forbids us to follow the ways
of two groups:
1.those who have incurred God’s wrath
(punishment and condemnation), and
2.those who are astray
God’s wrath does not mean that God becomes angry in some way
analogous to us. Rather, His wrath means punishment and condemnation.
We read in the Qur’ān that those
• who kill a believer intentionally (4: 93),
• who cherish evil thoughts about God (48: 6),
• who flee the battlefield (8: 16),
• who have disbelieved after their belief (16: 106), and
• who argue concerning God after He has been acknowledged (42: 16)
• who disbelieved in God and slew His Prophets (2: 61);
• who refused to believe in Prophet Muhammad because of envy and racist
tendencies, even though they knew and recognized that he was a Prophet
(2: 90);
• who took a calf for worship after they believed in God (7: 152, 20: 86);
and
• who showed disrespect to the Sabbath, also incurred God’s wrath
(punishment and condemnation).
have incurred God’s punishment and condemnation.
The verbal noun meaning “astray” (dalāl) can refer to a broad range
of straying from the path – from the slightest lapse of a believer to
complete deviation from the Straight Path.
As a term,
•it denotes returning to unbelief after belief and exchanging
unbelief for belief (2: 108);
•associating partners with God either in His Essence or His
Attributes or acts (4: 116); and
•rejecting faith in all or any of the pillars of faith, namely
believing in the Existence and Unity of God (including Destiny),
in angels, in all the Divine Scriptures and Prophets, without
making any distinction among them with respect to believing in
them, and in the Resurrection and afterlife.
11. Reminder on how to address Allah
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1) In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent,
the Most Merciful.
2) All the praises and thanks are for Allah
the Lord of the Universe.
3) The Most Beneficent, The Most Merciful.
4) Master of the Day of Recompense.
Praise
5) You alone we worship, and You alone
we ask for help.
6) Guide us to the straight path.
7) The path of those on whom You have
bestowed your grace, not the path of those
who earned your anger, nor of those that
went astray.
Du’aa
‫آمين‬
Ameen
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