Surah Fatihah (1)

Theme

The surah expresses our passionate feeling of gratitude to Allah. This feeling overwhelms, or ought to overwhelm, all sensible people who are willing to reflect upon His providence and His infinite compassion, mercy and justice – manifest in diverse forms and manners in life and the universe around us. From this intense sense of gratitude, there springs a desire in the human being to adore and worship Allah alone, and to call upon Him alone for help and guidance. The surah deals with the human quest and craving for guidance that is, or should be, generated in the heart as a result of this overwhelming sense of gratitude to Allah, the real Benefactor and Sustainer.

Style

The surah is in the form of a supplication. Its style is not didactic; it does not teach us how to supplicate. Rather, the supplication itself is made to flow off our tongues as a spontaneous hymn springing from the very core of our being. The words of the hymn are revealed by Allah, the Creator of human beings, so there can hardly be a more authentic expression of human nature. These words strike the deepest chord and resonate in the hearts of all decent, upright persons. Only the depraved and the perverse, the tainted and the corrupt – fail to recognize and appreciate this obvious truth and feel alienated from it as a result.

Word Study and Explanation

Hamd

The word hamd generally translated as ‘praise’, has been rendered here as ‘thanks’ or ‘thanksgiving’, because wherever it is used in the Qur’an in a similar context, it invariably denotes an act of thanksgiving. Thus we read in the Qur’an:

In common usage, the word ‘praise’ has a wider connotation than thanksgiving or thanks. It expresses a blanket appreciation of the good qualities or attributes of a person or a thing, whether or not such persons or things have any bearing on us as their direct or indirect beneficiaries. The word ‘thanks’, on the other hand, is more specific and expresses our personal feelings of gratitude to someone whose goodness has a direct impact on our welfare and well-being. In fact, the Arabic word hamd means both ‘praise’ and thanks, with the latter being its dominant sense as is clear from its use in the Qur’an in several places. To convey its fullest meaning, therefore, we need either to add the words ‘and thanks’ after ‘praise’, or better render it as ‘thanks’ only. This will convey more fully the human being’s intense sense of gratitude to his Sustainer, so beautifully epitomized in this short surah.

The use of the word ‘praise’ on its own does not fully express the depth or the intensity of the human emotion of gratitude. A person may praise a good thing whether or not it has any beneficial effect on him personally or whether he is in any way, emotionally or physically, involved. The passionate cry of the human heart – so vividly captured in this – is born out of our direct experience and observation of various manifestations of Allah’s limitless beneficence and compassion. The effect of all this on us and our response form the very core of this surah. If this is not properly grasped, we may fail to appreciate its true spirit.

Allah

Please refer to the commentary on Bismillah Al-Rahman Al-Rahim where this word has been explained.

Rabb

Literally, rabb means ‘nourisher’ or ‘sustainer’. By implication it also means ‘master’, and ‘owner’. This follows logically from the primary sense of ‘nourisher’ because one who nourishes must also have the right to own and to command. This secondary sense of command, mastery and ownership has been stressed so much that the use of the word rabb in the sense of ‘nourisher’ and ‘sustainer’ is now almost obsolete.

The earliest audience of the Qur’an, the Quraysh, did believe in Allah as the sole Creator of the universe, but they also believed in various other arbab (lords; singular: rabb) whom they regarded as partners with Allah in the management of the affairs of the universe. That is why, they argued, these other ‘lords’ must also be worshipped and served. In this surah the very first attribute of Allah as described in the words Rabb al-‘alamin (the Owner and Sustainer of all creation), implies that Allah, the sole Creator of the universe, is also its only Rabb, its unchallenged Owner and Controller, for it is He alone Who nourishes and sustains it.

Please refer to our commentary on Bismillahi Al-Rahman Al-Rahim where these two beautiful names of Allah have been explained.

The word din as used in the Qur’an has several meanings. It is used in the sense of:

Religion and law, as in the verse:

The law of the land, as in the verse:

Obedience and subservience, as in the verse:

Recompense or reward, as in the verse:

The term din in the sense of ‘recompense’ covers both its negative and positive aspects: (i) a reward for good, and (ii) a punishment for evil and wickedness.

The fact that Allah alone will be the Sovereign of the Day of Recompense means that He alone shall possess all power and control that day; all will be subservient to His will; none shall dare speak without His permission. He shall be the sole judge, deciding affairs, punishing the guilty, and rewarding the good and the righteous: “On that day all dominion shall belong to Allah and He will judge between them” (al-hajj, 22:56); “Whose will be the dominion that day? That of Allah, the One Who holds sway over all that exists’’ (Ghafir, 40:16).

The message contained in these three words – Maliki yawmi-d dIn – is clear: a day of reckoning or recompense is inevitable; it shall definitely come to pass. On that day all powers shall belong exclusively to Allah alone; no one that day shall dare challenge His will or authority. All these facts are couched in such a way – within the form of a supplication – that a supplicant automatically acknowledges all these statements as incontrovertible facts. The implication is clear: having seen so many obvious signs of Divine providence, compassion and justice everywhere in this universe, who except an obstinately unjust person can refuse to acknowledge any part of this most obvious truth about the nature of this life?

‘Ibadah

The word ‘ibadah in the Arabic lexicon primarily signifies an expression of extreme submissiveness and humility. The Qur’an, however, uses it exclusively to denote the submissiveness and humility that a person ought to show towards his or her Creator and Sustainer. A sense of obedience is also implied in the word ‘ibadah, since it would be a logical absurdity to refuse to obey in practice the One Whom we regard as most worthy of our adoration, servitude and humility. In some places, the Qur’an has clearly used the word ‘ibadah in this sense: “Surely We have revealed to you the Book with truth, so serve Allah, being sincere to Him in obedience - fa‘budi-llaha mukhlisa-l lahu-d din” (az-Zumar, 39:2).

The sense of obedience is so intertwined with ‘ibadah that at some places the Qur’an uses it exclusively in the sense of obedience, as in the verse: ‘that you obey not Satan, for surely he is your open enemy’ (36:60).

The verse under discussion also explains our duty towards Allah and Allah’s obligation, which He has prescribed for Himself, towards us. The duty of the human being towards his Sustainer is that he should worship Him and call upon none other than Him for guidance and help. Allah’s obligation toward His servant, as He has Himself informed us, is that He helps and blesses him. In the first part of the verse, the human being affirms his obligations toward Allah, and in the second half he prays for the rights that Allah has promised him. But the manner in which he supplicates for these rights is extremely deferential. Instead of making any reference to them as if they were his by right, he rather confines himself only to expressing his trust, need and craving. As a servant, this is the only proper course for the human being – to pray and to supplicate to his Sustainer, rather than demand of Him his rights. This is because Allah in His bounty and beneficence showers the human being with innumerable blessings and favours without his having any rightful claim to them, and then He declares that they belong to the human being by right. In a famous qudsi hadith¹ concerning this surah, the Prophet, peace be upon him, is reported to have said that when a servant supplicates, “You alone we serve, and You alone we call upon for help”, Allah says, “This portion is common between Me and My servant, and I give to My servant what he has asked of Me.”

The words, “You alone we call upon for help” are general and have a wider implication. The supplication for help may specifically relate to worship or it may refer equally well to other affairs of life. The human being does indeed stand in need of Allah’s help to guide and show him how to worship properly, and for the power and ability, the patience and constancy needed for this, especially when it comes to obeying Him in all aspects and affairs of life. That is a most difficult test, and at times even the toughest people lose heart and flounder.

The precedence in this sentence of the object iyyaka (You alone) interjects into the supplication a sense of exclusivity, indicating that just as the worship of Him is an exclusive prerogative of Allah alone, so must all our supplications for help be addressed to Him alone. This is a categorical rejection of all forms of polytheism. After acknowledging our primary duty and obligations towards Allah alone, we have virtually nothing left to offer anyone else, nor any justifiable excuse to call upon anyone apart from Him. The only legitimate form of our relationship with others thereafter is the one that He has Himself defined and approved.

The word ihdina means not only ‘show us (the straight way)’, but also carries a much wider sense. Implied in this is a supplication for firmness of belief in the correctness of this way, the granting of a desire and a will to pursue it, and to make any difficulties in the course of its pursuit easy. It also implies that after having guided us to it, Allah would give us strength to persevere in it and not stray off into byways. The omission of the preposition ila (to, onto) before the noun as-sirat (the way) in the verse gives it all these diverse nuances.

Al-Sirat Al-Mustaqim. The definite article Al preceding Sirat Al-Mustaqim is known as lam li-l ‘ahd² and serves to emphasize that the straight path is the one that Allah, the Most Exalted, has Himself appointed for His servants. It is straight and leads to sure success and prosperity both in this life and in the hereafter. All the Prophets and Messengers of Allah throughout history have called human beings to follow this path, and it has always been pursued by all truly righteous men and women. It is the shortest path, and the easiest to follow. Though errant and misguided people have forged various crooked byways beside it, they have failed to block it or obfuscate it. It is still there, well-known and well established, and anyone seeking the countenance of his Sustainer can follow it to attain his heart’s desire. Explaining the straight path, the Prophet, peace be upon him, once drew a straight line on the ground. Then he drew some crooked lines on either side of it, saying: “This (straight line) is the path of Allah, and these are the crooked alleyways, at the head of each of which stands a Satan calling people to it.”

It is only natural that the more a person loves and cherishes something, the more he tries to understand it in greater detail himself and talk to others about it. That is why the supplication does not end with the words ‘guide us the straight way’ but further explains its nature, first positively and then in the two phrases that follow, negatively. The supplicant seeks the path of those who have been blessed by Allah. They are the ones who neither incurred Divine wrath, nor strayed from the straight way. This leaves no ambiguity as to what the supplicant really yearns for in this supplication.

This clarification of the nature of the path serves as an expression of displeasure and aversion on the part of the supplicant for two categories of people: those who have turned their backs on this goal (of following the straight path and being blessed by Allah) and those who were misled or have strayed from the way. Implied in this clarification is also a supplication on our part for patience and steadfastness on this path, lest our steps falter like those before us who were guided aright but who were deflected from it either through willful disobedience and transgression, or those who having found it, lost it in consequence of their innovations and distortions in religion.

Three groups of people are mentioned in this verse: (i) those blessed by Allah; (ii) those who incurred His wrath; and (iii) those who strayed from the way. Let us look at the characteristics of each of these three groups more closely.

The noun ni‘mah (a blessing) from the phrase an‘amta ‘alayhim in reality refers to the blessing of guidance and Divine law (Shari‘ah) that the human being receives from Allah, giving him an opportunity and the means to achieve success both in this world and in the hereafter. The clause ‘whom You have blessed’ refers to those people who were entrusted by Allah with the blessing of the Shari‘ah and they fully and sincerely, without any reluctance or reservation, embraced it. They were truly grateful to their Creator and Sustainer for this great favour to them. They fully appreciated its significance and encouraged others to realize its momentous importance. They were the people who dedicated their time, energies, their resources, possessions and wealth to its service, and if the need arose they readily sacrificed their lives in its cause. This is the first group and they are mentioned here rather briefly without clearly specifying their prominent features. At another place, the Qur’an describes this group in more explicit words:

It is worth noting here that in the phrase maghdubi ‘alayhim (who incurred Your displeasure), the act of condemnation is not directly attributed to Allah, unlike the case of those blessed by Him. This is, firstly, to avoid any disrespect to Allah, and secondly, to underline the fact that while all blessings invariably come from Allah, a person or a group of people are condemned and incur the wrath of Allah solely on account of their own corruption and evil.

The words maghdubi ‘alayhim cover two sub-groups of people. The first includes those who were blessed by Allah with a revelation of His guidance to them, but in their insolence and transgression they not only rejected it, but actively sought to frustrate it. And when some sincere people among them tried to open their eyes and exhorted them to righteousness, they rejected and persecuted them and killed others without any just cause. They incurred Divine wrath and were destroyed.

The second sub-group mentioned here comprises those who responded to the message, but rather reluctantly. Consequently, they soon either lost a portion of the teachings given to them or distorted and changed them to suit their selfish interests and blindly followed their own lusts, desires or whims. They refused to listen to anyone who sincerely tried to restrain them and invited them to follow the right path. They rejected some outright and killed others unjustly. Those Jews who strayed from a clear conception of monotheism and who digressed from the original Mosaic law are an obvious example of such people from among the earlier communities, and the Qur’an explicitly mentions them as incurring Divine wrath:

The word dallin (those who have gone astray) used to describe the third group, refers to those people who committed excesses in their religion and ended up exalting their Prophet as a god. They were not content or happy with the worship prescribed and the commandments given them by Allah and His Messenger. They deliberately set out to forge a whole new order of monasticism according to their own mistaken beliefs, desires and whims. They followed blindly in the footsteps of their predecessors, embracing all their innovations and errors. They thus strayed far off the right path and became lost in deviant and crooked by-ways of thought and belief. Christians are a most obvious example of this group. The Qur’an describes them as a people astray and leading others astray:

Rationale of the Surah

Arguments for Belief in the Oneness of God

In this surah, we begin by acknowledging that Allah alone deserves our gratitude and thanksgiving, in consequence of our observation of the signs of Divine providence within our own lives and the universe around us.

Take, for instance, the case of a human child, or even a most insignificant species of animal. Long before it is born and enters the realm of existence, all the necessary provision for it are in place, with everything in nature, large or small, working towards this end: to nurse, nurture, and provide the necessary sustenance for the newcomer. The movements of the sun and the moon appear to be geared to the same end, as are indeed the clouds, the winds and other natural elements. Furthermore, this provision and care is not confined to any specific part of our material existence. As we look closely, we find that it is all-pervasive and embraces our entire existence. Not only our body but our spirit as well is being nourished. Not only does our capacity to reason grow and mature, but our spiritual life too is constantly enriched and improved. No part of our being is deprived, neglected or excluded from this all-inclusive material and spiritual sustenance.

Our Creator and Sustainer whose infinite power and boundless wisdom is manifest in His creation – the heavens and the earth – does not need our help or support, nor is He in any way beholden to us, and obliged to lavish such care and concern on our welfare and well-being. We, human beings, owe our existence solely to His grace and mercy.

The only reasonable explanation of this all-pervasive providential care must be the unbounded beneficence and mercy of the Creator – the fact that first and foremost He is Al-Rahman (the Most Gracious) and Al-Rahim (the Ever Merciful). It is His overflowing beneficence and mercy that gives life and form, and it is His grace that stands guard and watches over the well-being and the welfare, the nourishment and the sustenance of His creation.

Arguments for Belief in the Hereafter

Manifestations of such overwhelming and all-pervasive beneficence open up fresh avenues of understanding. The human being realizes the inevitability of and need for a day of reckoning – the day when all powers shall rest with Allah only, and He shall judge people in equity and justice, requiting the wicked for their evil and rewarding the righteous for their good and virtue, most graciously and generously.

How do these manifestations of Allah’s beneficence and mercy lead us to realize the need and the inevitability of a day of reckoning and recompense?

The Qur’an at various places refers to Allah’s providence and mercy to show that a day of reckoning is inevitable. Consider, for instance, what it says about the heavens and the earth. Allah has made the earth a cradle for us, and the heaven a canopy above it. He has made the sun and the moon to shine and brighten our world. He has pressed into our service diverse forces and elements of nature such as the winds and the clouds, and has fully provided for all our needs – apparent, hidden, moral, spiritual, and physical in a most appropriate manner. Has He created all these in vain, and without any higher purpose? Is it possible that He created and then abandoned us, leaving us to our own little devices? Or, has this universe been created by its Creator in mere sport and jest, with no higher purpose or goal behind its creation? Or, is the human being just a wayward creature let loose to prance and pasture at will, with no accountability or responsibility? If this is what you think, the surah informs us, then you are seriously mistaken.

The whole creation, with the providential care that pervades it, is crying out, as it were, to make us aware that the care and blessings showered on us are indeed for a higher and nobler purpose. Those enjoying these blessings without any right to them must also share the responsibility that goes with them. Everyone will be questioned about these obligations and responsibilities on the Day of Decision. Those who fulfill their obligations faithfully and honestly would be blessed with lasting success and happiness, and those who ignore them do so to their own detriment: they will be humiliated and deprived that day. The Qur’an has described this essential fact in various forms. For the sake of brevity, we would quote only one example here:

“Indeed the Day of Decision has been fixed” – that is, all the things mentioned above clearly indicate that every blessing is accompanied by a responsibility, for there are no privileges without responsibilities. Can the human being hope to enjoy these Divine blessings and gifts without bearing his share of the responsibility that goes with their enjoyment? Indeed not. Hence the need for a Day of Decision to judge the good and the evil, to reward the one and punish the other.

The final day of judgement is an essential consequence of Allah’s grace and mercy, the fact that He is Al-Rahman (the Most Gracious) and Al-Rahim (the Ever Merciful). As the Merciful and Most Gracious God, He indeed must bring about a day to judge between the good and the evil, rewarding the one for goodness, and punishing the other for evil. For, how can God, Most Gracious and Ever Merciful, treat alike the oppressor and oppressed, the good and the evil, the rebellious and the faithful, and fail to discriminate between them, neither requiting the oppressor for injustice and cruelty, nor avenging the wrongs suffered by their victims? If human life comes to an end with our physical death, and there is really no day of reckoning thereafter – a day of requital for redressing grievances and rewarding good – it would clearly imply that in the sight of the Creator of this world, there is little difference between the good and the bad, the virtuous and the vicious, the faithful and the treacherous. In fact, sinners and criminals would in such an eventuality be relative winners, for it would mean that Allah gives them free rein to indulge in crimes or corruption without accountability. This is fundamentally wrong and unjust as it negates Allah’s grace and mercy, contradicting the fact that He is God, Most Gracious and Ever Merciful. It is in this context that the Qur’an categorically refutes the notion of freedom without responsibility as a slander against Allah:

In other words, as Allah is Most Gracious and Ever Merciful, He will certainly one day gather before Him all men and women to judge them with full justice, and recompense everyone according to his or her performance in this earthly life. The Qur’an says:

This verse clearly shows that the Day of Judgement is in fact a manifestation of Allah’s mercy (rahmah) that He has prescribed for Himself. The advent of a Day of Judgement is thus inevitable. All people will be gathered that day before their Sovereign Sustainer to be judged by Him with perfect justice. By implication, it means that on that day no one shall have any power or be in a position to interfere in any way with His perfect judgement, either through intercession or otherwise, making the good appear evil or evil seem good. Everyone will get what he or she rightly and justly deserves. This clearly shows that there is no contradiction between Divine justice and mercy; rather, the two go hand in hand with justice flowing from mercy as its most natural consequence.

Sense of Gratitude is the Basis of Religion

On observing the myriad signs of His providence, mercy and justice in his own life and in the universe, the human being is overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude and a strong urge to adore and worship Allah and to call upon Him for help and guidance.

The natural reaction to worship and adore our Creator comes solely from our realisation of how pervasive and all-inclusive is His beneficence and grace that supports and sustains us, and that this is not confined to our earthly life only, but extends beyond it, to the life hereafter, promising everlasting bliss and felicity to His faithful servants. Who else then, other than Allah, has a more valid or just claim to our gratitude and worship? Truly and justly, He alone deserves our sincerest gratitude and it is only right that we should worship and adore Him, and address all our supplications and prayers for help, support and guidance to none but Him alone.

It is this very deep-seated sense of gratitude that lies at the heart of the human being’s quest for religion, under whose impetus he sets out on his path toward God. This is how and from where religion is born in human consciousness.

The Fallacy of taking Fear as the Basis of Religion

Blinded by hostility towards religion and all religious systems, the votaries of modern philosophy, however, have been propounding a completely reverse theory of the origin of religion. They assert that of all human emotions, fear is the oldest and principal human emotion, and that it was born in the cradle of horrors and hardships frequently encountered by primitive man when his life was shattered by violent cyclones, earthquakes, plagues, and other dreadful incidents. According to them, it was this sense of fear that drove the human being to worship and adore unseen mysterious supernatural powers which, in his view, were responsible for these disasters. Polytheism was thus the first religion of the human being who started his religious life on earth with a belief in many gods or goddesses.

We have dealt with this view in another book³ and exposed its weakness. Here we would like to dwell on just one point: which of the two views about the origin of religion is more convincing and sensible, and borne out by objective evidence – the one presented by the Qur’an or that which is offered by the proponents of modern philosophy? Is the incidence of earthquakes, floods, cyclones, and other disasters the most commonplace feature of our existence? What about the smiling season of spring – the flowers that bloom, their colours, their beauty, the lush gardens, the peaceful nights made bright by moonlight and the shining stars? And what about the blessed rain, abundant and plentiful, that nourishes life with rich harvests? What is our most common experience in life – beauty, joy and God’s providence and mercy or disasters and other dreadful occurrences? Considering the creation of this marvellous universe and the miraculous creation of humans, are we peculiarly horrified and terror-stricken by what we see around us? Or, are we overwhelmed by feelings of awe and gratitude to a Most Gracious, Ever Merciful, and Most Generous Creator? Anyone who considers these questions objectively, with a free and open mind, will inevitably reach a common conclusion and express a common reaction. This is because of the fact that both human nature and reason point to the direction set out by the Qur’an rather than the one taken by modern philosophy.

To postulate that fear is the primary human emotion is untenable and wrong. Fear exists only when we are faced with a danger or the possibility of losing something we cherish and value, and which we feel the need to protect and safeguard. In other words, prior to any feelings of fear, there must exist a perception of a blessing in the human psyche. Once the perception of blessing is established, it automatically leads to a perception of a Benefactor and our sense of gratitude toward Him. This is the natural line that our observation of the universe and of our own human nature should follow. It is through observing and then realizing how we are favoured with countless blessings in this life that our hearts are overwhelmed by feelings of gratitude to our true Benefactor impelling us to worship and adore Him.

With regard to the question of how, after once having found the truth, the human being wanders off into various crooked paths, its cause does not lie in some innate flaw in human nature. Instead, it is to be found in the misuse of free will by the human being or in the perversity of human reason when it becomes enslaved to human caprice and whims.⁴

After our pledge to worship and adore Allah alone and to seek only His help, and our declaration of full confidence and trust in His mercy and grace, we pray to Him, “Guide us the straight way.” These words are the very essence as well as the apex of our supplication with which the surah concludes. Following this, our expression of displeasure with those who incurred Divine wrath as well as with those who are astray further clarifies what we passionately seek by setting it in relief against all that is negative.

The Need for Prophethood

The manner in which the surah begins is an acknowledgement and recognition of Allah’s glory and mercy. The words, “Guide us the straight way”, point specifically to an important fact. Any honest person can safely chart his course in the light of his reason and pristine human nature, but beyond this point his steps falter, his reason is helpless, and he cannot move forward unaided. He may find it impossible on his own to find answers to such questions as how to attain closeness to his Sustainer Whom he seeks to worship and adore and Whose guidance and support he needs; how to worship Him, how to discover His likes and dislikes in order to seek His pleasure and avoid His displeasure; and how to address his supplications to Him for guidance and support. Further basic questions also arise. What should an honest, sensible person supplicate for and how? How can he find the straight path for which he so fervently supplicates his Sustainer in the words, “Guide us the straight way”?

To express our need for help and guidance in the form of a supplication clearly means that left alone human reason is utterly helpless in this area. Allah alone can guide us to the straight path, and He alone can guide our steps onto it and grant us the strength and power to persevere in it. Incidentally, this also reveals the deficiency in human nature and its intrinsic weakness. In the presence of such weakness, human beings cannot on their own find the truth and the straight path; they stand in need of Divine guidance. A person cannot on his own find the proper way to worship and adore, to follow and obey God without help from God’s Prophets and Messengers. They are needed and God has sent them at various times to teach humankind how to win His pleasure and avoid His anger by following what is good and right and keeping away from that which is evil and odious in His sight.

As a Supplication

As a supplication, the significance of this short surah is evident from the fact that it is the indispensable part of our most important form of worship: the Salah or Prayer. A famous tradition reported by both Al-Bukhari and Muslim says, “There is no Prayer if a person fails to recite Al-Fatihah in it.”

The Efficacy of the Surah

We can gauge its efficacy as a supplication in the light of a qudsi hadith reported by Muslim. This hadith shows that whenever a worshipper recites Al-Fatihah sincerely and consciously in his daily Prayers, every word uttered is received with gracious and instantaneous acceptance by Allah.

Abu Hurayrah says that he heard the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, saying that Allah the Exalted says: “I have divided the Prayer into two portions, between Myself and My servant, and My servant will have what he asks for.” When the servant says, “All praise and thanks are due to Allah, the Sustainer of the universe,” Allah the Most High says: “My servant has thanked Me.” And when the servant says, “The Most Gracious, the Ever Merciful,” Allah the Most High says: “My servant has praised Me.” When the servant says, “Sovereign of the Day of Judgement,” Allah says: “My servant has glorified Me.” And when the servant says, “You alone we worship, and You alone we call upon for help,” Allah says: “This (portion) is common between Me and My servant, and My servant will have what he asks for.” And when the worshipper says, “Guide us the straight way - the way of those whom You have favoured, those who have not incurred Your displeasure, and those who have not gone astray,” Allah says: “This is for My servant, and My servant will receive what he asks for.” (Muslim)

What is it that makes this supplication so effective? Why is each word of it so charged that it elicits almost instantaneous response from Allah the moment it is uttered? Of course, there are very many other supplications and prayers, beautiful and uplifting, but we know of none other that is described in such vivid detail. The effect its words produce on Allah to Whom it is addressed is vivid as is the manner in which Allah so graciously accepts the supplications of His servants.

The Excellence of the Supplication

Considering the excellence and importance of this supplication, we would like to elucidate some of its prominent features here, for it is almost impossible to cover all of them fully and adequately.

The most striking feature of this supplication is that through it, the human being seeks and prays for what is undoubtedly the most noble and excellent objective in life. There is nothing better or superior to it. In it, a servant prays to Allah for guidance to attain His closeness and to show him the straight path to achieve his goal. As a supplication, it gives expression to the human being’s sincerest wish and need for guidance, free from even the slightest trace of any selfishness or insincerity. Secondly, it is a supplication by the human being for help to fulfil the very purpose for which he has been created and placed on earth: to worship and to serve his Sustainer. Thirdly, it is a supplication to Allah for guidance and help in a sphere where, as mentioned above, human reason is completely helpless, and where Allah alone can help, guide, and grant the human being the strength to follow the straight path successfully. Thus when a servant supplicates to Allah for guidance, he asks Him for something that is truly worth asking and supplicating for and from none but Him alone, for He alone can grant it.

The opening of this supplication is equally significant. No better words can be conceived of as its introduction. The fact is that God, Most Gracious, grants His servants whatever they pray for, provided they know how to supplicate to Him properly. Looked at closely, certain aspects of its opening part stand out clearly.

Firstly, it begins with an expression of a sense of gratitude, acknowledging that Allah alone deserves all our thanks. In fact, sincere gratitude to Allah is the key to even more of His blessings. As a servant’s gratitude to his Sustainer deepens, so do the Divine blessings and favours upon him increase. The Qur’an says:

And at another place, we read:

Secondly, the Divine attributes - the most beautiful names of Allah - used in the supplication are fundamental to all other attributes of Allah. In other words, a reference to these basic attributes, as it were, means invoking Allah by all His most beautiful names, the Asma’ Al-Husna.

The words “You alone do we worship and You alone do we call upon for help” express the human being’s complete submission and surrender to his Sovereign Sustainer. It is a declaration that while turning away from all other powers, the servant is turning to Allah completely and unconditionally, for there is no other power or refuge save Him. Thus, with these words, when a worshipper puts himself unconditionally and absolutely at the mercy of his Sustainer and turns to Him for help and guidance, his supplication finds an instantaneous and most gracious acceptance.

The ending of this supplication also forms a strong recommendation for its acceptance. Firstly, the straight path, the focus of the supplication, and the manner in which the supplication is couched is enough to evince an earnest craving on the part of the supplicant for it. This is because the term ihdina - guide us, as mentioned above, means not only to ‘show us’ the straight way, but it is also a prayer to open our eyes to see and recognise it, and to grant us the desire and the will to follow it in life as well as in death. Secondly, the intense attachment of the supplicant to this path is further expressed in words that show his love and respect for those who faithfully walked and followed this path previously, and lived and died in its cause. His strong aversion to those who deviated from this straight path either because of mischief or folly, also reinforces his single-minded dedication to the straight path.

Of the numerous prominent features of this supplication, we have mentioned here briefly only a few. These, however, should suffice to demonstrate its significance as an essential part of every obligatory Prayer (Salah) and why its every word meets with such immediate Divine acceptance. Looking at the wording of the supplication, its format, its outstanding merits, and the etiquette of address observed, we can easily appreciate its momentous significance. It is indeed a most excellent supplication taught by Allah Himself to the human being, in words so beautiful and in a style so magnificent and befitting our condition and needs.

An Introduction to the Qur’an

This surah occupies the prime place in the Qur’an as its preamble and the opening chapter. It is described in ahadith (sayings of the noble prophet) by various titles that reinforce its significance. For instance, it is called Fatihat Al-Kitab or ‘the introduction to the Qur’an’. Appropriately, it has been given the name Umm Al-Kitab, or ‘the essence of the Qur’an’. It has also been described as Al-Kafiyah and Al-Mmuwafiyah meaning that it encompasses the essential Qur’anic teachings.

In our view, there are three considerations which make this surah a most appropriate introduction to the Qur’an.

The Origin of Religion and the Basis of Divine law

Firstly, it explains the origin of religion (din) and the basis of Divine law (Shari‘ah). It answers such questions as: what motivates the human being to adore and worship God; how is this generated in the human heart, and how is it manifested in his life. It also defines the human being’s first reaction to this emotion and how it propels him toward Allah, to surrender and to worship Him as it also unveils the human being’s deepest craving thereafter, and how it is born and awakened within him. A sensible person can readily understand and appreciate that a surah that provides answers to such basic questions does indeed richly deserve to occupy the prime place in the Qur’an as its opening chapter.

From a close consideration of the answers it provides to the above questions, we find first and foremost that the surah teaches us that the signs of Divine providence and grace, mercy and justice abound both within and around us in the universe. These generate a sincere sense of gratitude to Allah, his Benefactor. This is the emotion that overwhelms and drives him to worship and adore and to call upon Him alone for guidance and support. At the same time, it also generates a strong urge and desire for the straight path - the path that would lead him to Allah. It is precisely in response to this human urge and need, and the search for a straight path that Allah has throughout history sent His Prophets and Messengers to human beings revealing His guidance and law to regulate human affairs. This is the natural path that the human being’s religious quest takes and which has been defined most succinctly in this surah. As such, it is rightly placed at the very beginning of the Qur’an as a preamble to it.

Basic Teachings of the Qur’an

Secondly, this surah contains and provides essential guidance concerning the fundamental teachings of the Qur’an. These may be summed up under three headings: tawhid (the affirmation of the Oneness of God), akhirah (the hereafter), and risalah (prophethood). It thus contains in a nutshell, as it were, the entire spectrum of the Qur’anic teachings and guidance.

In the first two verses it states that Allah alone is the Sovereign and the Sustainer of all creation and that He alone is worthy of our praise and gratitude. The third verse points to a day of reckoning with strong indications of the Oneness of Allah, for on that Day no one but He alone shall have all power and authority. In the fourth verse, the worshipper completely and unconditionally surrenders himself to the mercy of his Sovereign and Sustainer, which is the very essence of tawhid or belief in the Oneness of Allah. Its fifth verse contains the authentic supplication which clearly shows that the human being stands in need of guidance to find the straight path provided for him by Allah through revelation to chosen Prophets. Simultaneously, it also explains what are the obligations of a people towards the Divine law and guidance that they are blessed with, the reward for those who appreciate these blessings and are grateful to their Sustainer for them and who abide by them faithfully. In short, all the basic principles of Islam are epitomised in this short surah. This is done in such a manner that the entire edifice of Islamic life can be shown to be built around these verses.

These few verses contain, as it were, the whole of the glorious Qur’an, when expanded and fully explained. The little jewel holds within it a whole universe of meaning, the entire reality and wisdom, subsequently propounded and explained in the thirty parts of the Qur’an.

The Real Reason for the Revelation of the Qur’an

The real reason for revelation of the Qur’an is to guide all human beings. Before the Qur’an, Allah had guided the Jews and the Christians to abide by the straight path and invite others to it. But they failed on both counts. They neither followed it themselves nor did they convey their prophets’ true teachings to others. Instead, they distorted and changed it beyond recognition. This surah is the human being’s supplication for rescue from the errors of the past. And, thanks to this supplication, mankind received the light of the Qur’an, dispelling the darkness of ignorance and error. The surah is also a most potent supplication for understanding and gaining an insight into the Qur’an, for seeking guidance in our practical life, and for giving us the strength to persevere on the straight path. All this renders this surah suitable as a preamble to the book of Allah.

Relationship with Subsequent Surahs

From the above, the relationship of this surah with the Qur’an as a whole should be quite clear. However, how does it relate to the surah that follows it - Surah Al-Baqarah?

Looking at the end of Surah Al-Fatihah and the opening of Surah al-Baqarah, we find that the relationship between the two surahs is very much similar to a supplication and the response it evokes, or the acceptance it receives. Surah Al-Fatihah ends with the words “Guide us the straight way – the way of those whom You have favoured, those who have not incurred Your displeasure, and those who have not gone astray”. Immediately thereafter follows Surah Al-Baqarah with the opening words: “Alif Lam Mim. This is the Book (of Allah); there is no doubt that it is from Allah and a guidance for those who fear Him.” It is as if the Divine guidance sought by the servant in Surah Al-Fatihah is given to him right away, to abide by and to follow. When a perceptive person of fine intellect and good taste witnesses such an instantaneous response to his supplication, he is naturally overwhelmed with a deep sense of gratitude and praise for Allah.

We must also keep in view another aspect of this supplication. It not only seeks guidance to the path of the blessed but also protection against the ways of the deviant and the condemned who incurred Divine wrath. Surah Al-Baqarah is thus not only the surah of the revival of the Ibrahimic community, but it is also an indictment of errant Jews. The brief allusion found in Surah Al-Fatihah to the blessed on the one hand and those who incurred Divine wrath on the other, is fully elaborated in Surah Al-Baqarah.

Surah Ali ‘Imran can be seen in a similar light. It refutes and rejects the innovations introduced in true religion in the name of Christianity while explaining the true teachings of Prophets Ibrahim and others, especially Prophet Jesus. The fact that in the arrangement of the Qur’an, these two lengthy surahs are placed immediately after Surah Al-Fatihah clearly shows that they both elucidate the acceptance of the supplication made in Al-Fatihah and further elaborate on what is succinctly alluded to in its last portion.