The study of selected Surahs (Chapters)

Surah Al-Fatiha (The Opening) (Qur’an, 1)

﴾٣﴿الرَّْحمـِِ الرَِّيِِم ﴾٢﴿اْلْمْمُد لِلَّـِه رمبِّ اْلعمالمِمنيم ﴾١﴿ـِِ الرَِّيِِم ِبْسِم اللَّـِه الرَّْحم يِ كم نمْستمِعنُي ﴾٤﴿مماِلِك يـمْوِم الدِِّ كم نـمْعُبُد ومِإَّيَّ اْهِدَنم الصِّرماطم اْلُمْستمِقِمم ﴾٥﴿ِإَّيَّ

﴾٧﴿ممْغُضوِب عملمِِْهْم ومَلم الضَّالِِّنيم ِصرماطم الَِّذي م أمنْـعمْمتم عملمِِْهْم غمْْيِ الْ ﴾٦﴿

﴾1﴿ In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. ﴾2﴿ All the praises and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the mankind.﴾3﴿ The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. ﴾4﴿ The Owner (and Judge) of the Day of Recompense. ﴾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 of those who earned Your Anger, nor of those who went astray.

Name and Background

This Surah is named Al-Fatiha because of its subject matter. Fatiha is from Arabic root word Fa-ta-ha meaning ‘to open’ or ‘the opener’. Al-Fatiha is the preface for the Qur’an meant to create a strong desire in the heart of the reader to seek guidance from the Lord of the Universe. It is one of the very earliest revelations to the Prophet (saw) in Makkah. It was the first complete Surah which was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (saw). Before this, only a few verses were revealed which form parts of Alaq, Nun, Muzammil and Mudathir.

Due to its importance, it has been placed at the very beginning of the Qur’an. Furthermore, it is the opening chapter of the five daily prayers. The relationship between Al-Fatiha and the Quran is not only that of an introduction to the Book but that of a prayer of a servant to Allah and an answer from Allah to His servant.

Other names of Suratul Fatiha

Al-Fatiha has many great names, each one indicating a different aspect of its meaning and significance. In the Arab tradition, if a thing had many different names, it was an indication of its high status. The following are the popular names of this Surah.

a) Al-Hamd (Praises). It begins with the mentioning of Praises. b) Ummul-Quran/Kitab (Mother of the Quran/Book). It comprises the most

important part of the Qur’an.

c) Mathani (The Oft Repeated Verses). This is because they are frequently recited in prayers. (Qur’an, 15:87)

d) Ash-Shifa (The Cure). The Prophet said: “It is a cure to every poison.” It cured a person bitten by a scorpion.

e) Ar-Ruqyah (The Spiritual Healer). If recited upon the affected person, it liberates him from the possession of the evil eyes.

f) Ad-Dua (Supplication). In it there is supplication. g) As-Swalah (prayer). Because it is recited in every prayer.

Significance of Suratul Fatiha Surah Al-Fatiha is the greatest chapter of the Qur’an. With this Surah the Qur’an

begins, and with this Surah, Salah begins. Al-Fatiha is the gist of the Qur’an, and the rest of the Qur’an is its explanation. This is the first chapter that was revealed upon Prophet Muhammad (saw) in complete (i.e., as a whole). The following are the significance of Al-Fatiha.

a) It is the greatest chapter in the entire Qur’an, as it consist the complete essence of the Islamic faith.

b) Through it, Allah communicates with His servant five times a day through daily prayers.

c) Through Al-Fatiha, a servant praises, pledges loyalty and then Allah responds to the servant’s needs.

d) It serves as a reminder for man to always worship Allah and never associate Him with other deities.

e) It is the opening of swalah, thus a pillar and a condition for one’s prayer to be accepted by Allah.

f) Al-Fatiha is a great form of supplication to the Almighty God as it is a source of Allah’s Mercy on mankind.

g) Al-Fatiha has combined the healing of the soul, the mind and the body as it serves as a mental therapy.

h) It contains all the forms of Tawheed (unity of Lordship, unity of Worship and unity of His Attributes)

i) It is the greatest gift given to Prophet Muhammad (saw) which was not given to any other prophet before him.

Surah Al-Fatiha is not like any other chapter of the Qur’an; rather it is the key and

essential segment of Islam observed in salah. It highlights the dignity of Allah in the most desirable manner, in which a person asks Allah to grant him guidance towards the right path.

Surah An-Nasr (Victory) (Qur’an, 110)

ِبْسِم اللَّـِه الرَّْحمـِِ الرَِّيِمِ فمسمبِِّْح ﴾٢﴿ ومرمأمْيتم النَّاسم يمْدُخُلونم ِف ِديِ اَّللَِّ أمفْـوماًجا ﴾١﴿ ِإذما جماء نمْصُر اَّللَِّ وماْلفمْتحُ

﴾٣﴿ ِِبمْمِد رمبِّكم وماْستـمْغِفْرُه إِنَّهُ كمانم تـموَّابً In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.﴾1﴿ When comes the Help of Allah and the conquest (of Makkah), ﴾2﴿ And you see that the people enter Allah's religion in crowds, ﴾3﴿ So glorify the Praises of your Lord, and ask for His Forgiveness. Verily, He is the One Who accepts repentance and forgives.

Name and Background This Surah takes its name from the word Nasr occurring in the first verse which means

victory, (i.e., the conquest of Makkah). This Surah was sent down on the occasion of the days of the Farewell Pilgrimage at Mina, and after it, the Prophet (saw) rode his she camel and gave his well known Sermon. No complete Surah was sent down to the Prophet (saw) after it. There was an interval of about three months and some days between the revelation of Surah An-Nasr and the demise of the Holy Prophet (saw).

The Subject Matter

In this Surah, Allah informs His Messenger (saw) that when Islam attained complete victory in Arabia and the people started entering Islam in great numbers, it would mean that the mission, for which he had been sent to the world, had been fulfilled. Then, he was enjoined to busy himself in praising and glorifying Allah by Whose bounty he had been able to accomplish the great task of spreading the mission of Islam. He should implore Allah to forgive whatever failings and frailties he might have shown in the performance of the mission.

Lessons from this Surah

1. It indicates that the mission of the Prophet (saw) – to preach the oneness of Allah, had successfully come to an end.

2. The successful spread of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula is also indicated in this chapter.

3. Since the mission had come to an end, then it was an indication of the nearing of the demise of the Prophet (saw).

4. It refers to the conquest of Makkah by Prophet Muhammad (saw) and his companions.

5. It highlights the etiquettes to be observed after gaining victory in any mission by praising Allah, celebrating and apologizing for mistakes.

6. This Surah enumerates the importance of remembering Allah under all circumstances.

7. It shows the virtue of patience as it took the Prophet (saw) more than two decades to spread Islam in the Arabian Peninsula.