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2010-05-30
Al-Fatihah: A Short Introduction
Published in: Quran Studies
Al-Fatihah (الفاتحة) is the opening surah (chapter) of the Noble Qur'an which has 114 surahs of various lengths ranging from 288 ayaat (verses) in Surah Al-Baqarah to 3 ayaat in Surah Al-Kawthar. The Noble Qur'an was revealed over approximately 23 years.
Surahs in the Qur'an are classified as either Makkan or Madinean depending on whether they were revealed in Makkah Al-Mukarramah or in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah respectively. Al-Fatihah was one of the early surahs revealed in Makkah, and it was revealed as a complete surah in the present order of its ayaat.
Al-Fatihah gets its name from the Arabic base-word (verb) fataha which means he opened. Al-Fatihah therefore means "The Opening One", i.e. "The Opening Surah". It has several other names which reflect its attributes. It is thus called Umm Al-Kitab or "The Mother of the Book", as umm i.e. mother is here a word that denotes the origin and starting point, and kitab i.e. book refers to the Quran. It is also called Umm-Al Qur'an or The Mother of the Quran.
Another name of Al-Fatihah is Al-Saba Al Mathani (السبع المثاني) or the seven-oft repeated ones reflecting the fact that the seven verses of Al-Fatihah are the only verses of the Qur'an which must be read in every prayer. In Arabic al-saba means the seven and al-Mathani means the oft-repeated. It is as such also called simply Al-Mathani referring to its repetition in prayer.
Al-Fatihah is a dialogue and a protocol of approach of mankind to the Creator, the Sustainer and the True Guide. Al-Fatihah is about the Truth and about how mankind approaches Allah (SWT), first by reading in His Name, then by being grateful to Him whilst recognising His mastery over absolutely everything in All Worlds, recognising His greatest attributes, also realising that He is the Master of the Day of Reckoning, then confessing to Him (and Him alone) that it is to Him one prays and to Him (and Him alone) does one ask for ultimate support and then ask after this that He may show one the way to the straight and right path, the path of the righteous and not the path of the unrighteous and ultimately doomed.
Surahs in the Qur'an are classified as either Makkan or Madinean depending on whether they were revealed in Makkah Al-Mukarramah or in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah respectively. Al-Fatihah was one of the early surahs revealed in Makkah, and it was revealed as a complete surah in the present order of its ayaat.
Al-Fatihah gets its name from the Arabic base-word (verb) fataha which means he opened. Al-Fatihah therefore means "The Opening One", i.e. "The Opening Surah". It has several other names which reflect its attributes. It is thus called Umm Al-Kitab or "The Mother of the Book", as umm i.e. mother is here a word that denotes the origin and starting point, and kitab i.e. book refers to the Quran. It is also called Umm-Al Qur'an or The Mother of the Quran.
Another name of Al-Fatihah is Al-Saba Al Mathani (السبع المثاني) or the seven-oft repeated ones reflecting the fact that the seven verses of Al-Fatihah are the only verses of the Qur'an which must be read in every prayer. In Arabic al-saba means the seven and al-Mathani means the oft-repeated. It is as such also called simply Al-Mathani referring to its repetition in prayer.
Al-Fatihah is a dialogue and a protocol of approach of mankind to the Creator, the Sustainer and the True Guide. Al-Fatihah is about the Truth and about how mankind approaches Allah (SWT), first by reading in His Name, then by being grateful to Him whilst recognising His mastery over absolutely everything in All Worlds, recognising His greatest attributes, also realising that He is the Master of the Day of Reckoning, then confessing to Him (and Him alone) that it is to Him one prays and to Him (and Him alone) does one ask for ultimate support and then ask after this that He may show one the way to the straight and right path, the path of the righteous and not the path of the unrighteous and ultimately doomed.
© 2026 Dr. Shihab Ghanem. All rights reserved.