Surat Al-Fatihah (Arabic: الفاتحة) is the 1st chapter of the Holy Quran. Reciting Surat Al-Fatihah is one of the best actions that have the honor of being repeated in a Muslim’s prayers, whether it is the obligatory five days, the combination, the holidays, or the Sunnahs. No prayer is valid if the Fatihah is omitted from its rak’ahs, according to the saying of the Prophet ﷺ: “There is no prayer for the one who does not read Al-Fatihah”.
The virtue of reciting Surah Al-Fatihah
Surat Al-Fatihah has several names, including: The Mother of the Book, The Mother of the Quran, The Seven Repeated Ones, The Surah of Praise and Gratitude, The Loyal One, The Treasure, The Light, The Cure, and Opener of the Book and Prayer, and because of its great status, it began with the attributes of beauty and mercy among the attributes of Allah ﷻ.
Al Fatihah begins with: “My name is Allah, Blessed and Most Gracious, Most Merciful” so that a person does not despair, become dismayed, or dare to sin, and if so happens, a person repents, returns, and asks for forgiveness. The Surah is a reminder of the comprehensive mercy of Allah ﷻ which exceeds what is contained in the hearts of mothers, fathers, and all the merciful.
The virtue of reading Surat Al-Fatihah.
Surat Al-Fatihah contains the best supplications; By asking for guidance to the straight path, it also includes the etiquette of supplication; With praise first, then glorification, singling out servitude to God ﷻ, and seeking help from Him alone. The Messenger ﷺ said: “If one of you prays, let him begin by praising God ﷻ, then pray for the Prophet (ﷺ) and then let him supplicate for whatever he wishes after that”.
Narrated Abu Sa`id Al-Mu’alla
While I was praying, the Prophet ﷺ called me but I did not respond to his call. Later I said, “Oh Allah’s Apostle! I was praying.” The Prophet ﷺ said, “Didn’t Allah say: ‘O you who believe! Give your response to Allah (by obeying Him) and to His Apostle when he calls you’?”
He then said, “Shall I not teach you the most superior Surah in the Qur’an?” He said, ‘(It is), ‘Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. ‘ (i.e., Surat Al-Fatiha) which consists of seven repeatedly recited verses and the Magnificent Qur’an which were given to me.”
The Light from Heaven
An Angel addressed the Prophet ﷺ saying,
“Rejoice in two lights brought to you which have not been brought to any prophet before you, Al-Fatihah, and the last verses of Al- Baqarah”.
Imam Muslim narrated from the Sahih Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ, on the authority of Ibn Abbas (may God be pleased with them both) that he said: “While Jibril (Archangel Gabriel -Peace be upon him-) was sitting with the Prophet ﷺ, he heard something from above him, so he raised his head and said: "This is a door from heaven that has never been opened before today”. An angel descended from it, and so he said: “This is an angel who descended to earth who has never descended before today”. So he greeted him and said: “Rejoice in the two lights you have been given that no prophet before you was given: Fatihat al-Kitab (Surat Al Fatiha), and the endings of Surat Al-Baqarah, You will never recite a letter from them for which you will not be given (a reward)”.
The Supplication
Surat Al-Fatihah has virtue in answering prayers. It is the surah with which the Holy Qur’an opens, and it is also the surah with which the prayer opens (starts), therefore it is desirable to open the supplication with it because it will be a reason in answering prayers, with Allah’s ﷻ will.
It is mentioned in the Holy Hadith that Allah ﷻ says: “I divided the prayer between Me and my servant into two halves: half of it is for me and half for my servant, and my servant gets what he asks for,
So if the servant says: {Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds}
God ﷻ says: My servant has praised me.
and if he says: {The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful}
God ﷻ says: My servant praised me.
and when he says: {Master of the Day of Judgment}
God ﷻ says: My servant glorified me or says: Delegate to me my servant.
and when he says: {You we worship and You we seek help from}
God ﷻ says: This verse is between me and my servant in two halves, and my servant gets what he asks for.
so if he says: {Guide us The straight path, the path of those whom You have bestowed, not of those upon whom You have incurred wrath, nor of those who have gone astray}
God ﷻ says: These are for my servant, and for my servant what he asks.
The Cure:
Narration from Sahih Bukhari: There's a famous Hadith narrated by Abu Sa'id al-Khudri that a group of companions were on a journey when one of them got stung by a scorpion. They tried various remedies, but nothing worked. Finally, they asked a nearby tribe for help, but the chief demanded payment. When they couldn't afford it, the chief refused to help. However, one of them suggested reciting Surah Al-Fatihah as a form of payment. When they did so, the person who was stung was instantly cured, and they returned to the Prophet ﷺ to inform him about what happened. The Prophet ﷺ then remarked that the Surah Al-Fatihah serves as a cure for various ailments.
Throughout history and in contemporary times, Muslims have shared accounts of physical ailments being alleviated or healed through the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah. These anecdotes often involve sincere supplication, faith in Allah's mercy, and trust in the Quranic verses as a means of seeking divine intervention.
The Healing:
Ruqyah is the Islamic practice of seeking healing through the recitation of Quranic verses and supplications. Surah Al-Fatihah is often recited as part of Ruqyah sessions, indicating its recognized role in spiritual healing within Islamic tradition.
Countless Muslims across cultures and generations have shared personal experiences of finding solace, relief, and healing through the recitation and contemplation of Surah Al-Fatihah during times of distress, illness, or spiritual turmoil. While subjective, these testimonials reflect the profound impact of Surah Al-Fatihah on the hearts and minds of believers.
Islamic teachings emphasize the importance of faith (iman) and sincere intention (niyyah) in spiritual practices and supplications. Believers approach the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah with trust in Allah's mercy and the conviction that His words have the power to bring healing and blessings.
Translation and Pronunciation:
In the video below is a recitation that includes pronunciation and English translation. Kindly do not forget to leave a Like, and subscribe to their channel.
