Al-Faatiha (The Opening)

Verse 1

Table of Contents

Contents of the Surah

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful

The Holy phrase 'In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful' /bism-il-lah-ir-rahman-ir-rahim / is, in fact, mentioned both at the onset of the Qur'an and at the beginning of every Surah, except Surah 9, (Surah Taubah -Repentance). And, since the purpose of Allah's Word, i.e. the whole Qur'an, is to guide people; as Surah Al-Maidah, No. 5, verses 15-16 say:

"...Indeed, there has come to you a light and a clear Book from Allah", "With it Allah guideth him who follows His pleasure to the ways of peace and safety...";

therefore, this guidance, being a grant and a fundamental principle, begins with Allah's Holy Name.

This Surah, among all Suras of the Qur'an: has an extraordinary; radiance which originates from the following merits:

1. The Tone of the Surah

This Surah, The Opening, in comparison with other Suras of the Qur'an regarding its tone and melody, has a particular style which is, clearly different and extraordinary.

The other Suras contain instructions from Allah, Who gives commands and admonishments to His servants, but, in this Surah, His words are uttered on behalf of the servants. In other words, in this Surah, Allah has taught His servants how to supplicate and speak to Him, simply and without a mediator.

2. Al-Fatihah, the Basis of the Qur'an

It is narrated that the holy Prophet (S) has said:

"By the One, in Whose hand is my soul, Allah has not sent down a similar Surah to this Surah (Al-Fatihah), neither in the Turah, nor in the Gospel, nor in the Psalms, nor even in the Qur'an and it is Umm-ul-Kitab";1 which means that it is the basis and origin of all excellence.

In fact, besides referring to the Resurrection, this Surah presents facts concerning the Unity of the Divine Essence, Unity of Attributes, Unity of Divine Acts, and Unity of Worship. It is the essence of the whole meaning of the Qur'an.

It is narrated from Hadrat Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (as) that:

"All secrets of Allah are in Divine Books; and the contents of all those Divine Books are comprised in the Qur'an; and what is found in the Qur'an is condensed in Surah Al-Al-Fatihah, and what is in Al-Fatihah is gathered in / bismillah /, and what is in /bismillah / is concentrated in / b /, (the first letter of 'Bism-il-la ' )..."2

Based on the entirety of great commentators' statements, it is understood that this tradition indicates clearly the importance of both the Holy Qur'an and / bismillah-ir-rahman-ir-rahim / in which science and knowledge, from the beginning to the end, is comprised.

The interpreter and elucidator of these sciences is the holy Prophet (S), and after him there are his true vicegerents including Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (as).3

3. Al-Fatihah, Magnificent Honour of the Prophet (S)

Surah Al-Fatihah, more so than the other Suras in the Holy Qur'an, was revealed to the holy Prophet (S) as a great bounty. It stands on a par with the whole Qur'an. The seven verses in the Surah sum up the whole Qur'an:

"And We have bestowed upon thee the Seven Oft-repeated (verses) and the Grand Qur'an",4 .

This meaning is also referred to in a narration from Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (as) quoting the Prophet's (S) tradition who said:

"Verily, Allah, the Exalted, has bestowed (His) favours on me particularly for 'The Opening' (Al- Fatihah) and has positioned it on a par with the whole Grand Qur'an, and surely Fatihat.-ul-Kitab (the Opening of the Qur'an) is the dearest (item) in the treasures of the 'Arsh, (Throne of Heaven)".5

4. The Importance of its Recitation

The recitation of this Surah, because of its extreme importance, is frequently emphasized in Islamic traditions and narrations.

As for its virtue, it is narrated from the holy Prophet (S) that:

"The reward of any Muslim who recites the Surah 'Opening', is like that of a person who has recited two thirds of the Qur'an, and so much reward would he receive as if he has given every believing Muslim, man or woman, a free will offering ".6

5. The Titles of the Surah

There are ten titles given to this Surah, as taken from Islamic narrations and books, thus: Fatihat-ul-Kitab, Umm-ul-Kitab, Umm-ul-Qur'an, Sab'-ul-Mathani, Al-Wafiyah, Al-Kafiyah, Ash-Shafiyah, Al-Asas, As-Salat, and Al-Hamd.7

Surah Al-Fatiha, Verse 1

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ (1)

1. In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful

It is a custom among most people of the world to recite the name of one of their great and very beloved personalities that the worthiness of their work might be elevated. That is, they relate that work to that personality from the very beginning of their endeavour.

Among all beings, the One Who is eternal is only Allah, and, therefore, everything and every activity should begin with His Holy Name.

It should be enveloped in His Light, and help should be always asked only from Him. So, in the first verse of the Qur'an, we recite 'Bism-illah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim', ( In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful ).

This action should not be done only with the tongue, but it should be done truly and meaningfully, because this kind of connection with Him sets work in the right direction and keeps it far from any deviation.

For this very reason, such a work will certainly be successful and blessed. The holy Prophet (S), in a tradition, has said:

"Any important work that begins without mentioning / bismillah /, will remain in valid"8

After narrating this tradition, Hazrat Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (as) added:

"For every action that a person wants to do, he / she should recite / bismillah-ir-rahman-ir-rahim / which means that he / she begins the action with the Name of Allah, and every action that begins with the Name of Allah is blessed. "9

On the excellence and importance of / bism-il-lah /, it is narrated from Ali ibn Musa ar-Rida (as), who has said thus:

"(The holy phrase) 'Bism-il-lah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim' is closer to 'the Exalted Name of Allah' than the pupil is to the white of the eye".10

Again, Ibn-Abbas narrates from the holy Prophet (S) thus:

"As soon as a teacher tells a child to say 'Bism-il-lah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim' and the child says it, Allah records immunity (from fire) for the child, his or her parents and the teacher".11

Imam al-Sadiq (as) has said:

"No Holy Book ever came down from heaven but that it began with 'Bism-il-lah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim' ".12

In 'Khisal' by Shaykh Sadduq it is cited that Imam Baqir (as) has said:

"...When we begin an action, great or small, it is appropriate to recite / bism-il-lah-ir-rahman-ir-rahim / and that action may be blessed ".13

In short, the stability and permanence of an action is due to this very relation to Allah.

The phrase / bism-il-lah / at the start of the Surah, teaches us to seek the help of Allah from His pure perfect Essence when we begin any action.

That is why Allah, the Exalted, in the first verses revealed to the holy Prophet (S) instructed him to -initiating the proclamation of Islam -perform this great task with the Name of Allah: "Proclaim in the Name of your Lord..."14 : and the words of Noah (as) to his followers, at the time of the Flood are:

"So he said: Embark ye on the Ark, in the Name of Allah, whether it moves or be at rest!..."15 .

Again, Soloman's letter to the Queen of Sheba begins, thus:

"It is from Soloman, and is (as follows): ' In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful '"16 .

Based on the same principle, all of the Suras of the Holy Qur'an, (except Surah At-Tauba, No.9) begin with / bism-il-lah /17 in order to pursue the essential aim of guiding man and leading him to prosperity with success, far from getting a taste of defeat.

In any event, when we begin our work with reliance upon the Supreme Power of Allah, Whose Power is above all power, we feel, psychologically speaking, far more powerful; therefore, we may be more confident.

We may try more, be more persevering, and more courageous in challenging with difficulties, more hopeful, and, similarly, our intentions and the essence of our actions may be more purified. At the time of beginning any affair, reciting the Name of Allah is the secret to its success.

To whatever extent we further explain this verse, it will still be seen insufficient, because, according to a narration, Hadrat Ali (as), regarding the of the verse, talked to Ibn-Abbas from the beginning of a night until the next morning, but it was only for the of / b /, the first letter of / bism-il-lah-ir-rahman-ir-rahim /.18

Explanation: Is the Phrase 'Bism-il-Lah' a Part of Each Surah?

Almost all Islamic scholars unanimously hold the opinion that / bism-il-lah-ir-rahman-ir-rahim/ is, as was stated before, a part of Surah Al-Fatihah and, also, of the other Suras of the Qur'an (except Surah At-Taubah, No.9).

In essence, the inclusion of / bism-il-lah / at the beginning of all Suras of the Holy Qur'an, except the above mentioned one, is a vital piece of evidence bearing witness to this very fact, and the belief is so firm that no change has been made in the Qur'an and nothing has been added to it since it was revealed to the Prophet of Islam (S).

Mu'awiyat-ibn- 'Ammar, one of the companions of Imam al-Sadiq (as), said that he had asked the Imam whether he should say /bism-il-lah-ir-rahman-ir-rahim / at the beginning of Surah Al-Fatihah when he stood for prayer, and he (as) replied: "Yes". He had questioned him (as), again, as to if he should recite / bism-il-lah / when Surah Al-Fatihah ended and before reciting the next Surah. Then, Imam al-Sadiq (as) again, answered: "Yes ".19

Dar Qutni, a learned Muslim researcher, according to a sound document narrates from Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (as) that someone asked him (as): "What is As-Sab-al-Mathani (Seven Verses)?" "It is Surah Al-Hamd", he (as) answered. The man said: "Surah Al-Hamd consists of six verses". He (as) replied: " 'Bism-illah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim' is also one verse."20

Moreover, Muslims have always preserved the practice of reciting / bism-il-lah-ir-rahman-ir-rahim / at the beginning of every Surah (except (Surah 9) when reciting the Holy Qur'an and it has been proven, on numerous accounts that the holy Prophet (S) used to recite it, too.

It has been said that Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (as) was asked to say whether / bism-il-lah-ir-rahman-ir-rahim / was a part of Surah Al-Fatihah. He (as) answered:

"Yes, the Messenger of Allah used to recite it and considered it one verse (of the verses) of the Surah, and he said that Fatihat-ul-Kitab (The Opening) is the same as 'Sab-al-Mathani' (seven verses)."21

Allah, the Most Inclusive Name of God

The term / ism / in the phrase / bism-il-lah /, as men of letters in Arabic literature say, is originally derived from / sumuww / with the meaning of 'height, elevation'.

The reason why any 'noun' is called by an' appellation' is that after choosing to call a 'noun' by the particular given 'name' (ism), the hidden meaning of the expression appears, and the sense of the 'name' is elevated, therefore forsaking meaninglessness.

In the phrase / bism-il-lah /, the word Allah is the most complete and comprehensive name among the Lord's many names. This is because each of Allah's names, which are found in the Holy Qur'an, as well as in other Islamic sources, truly reflects one particular aspect of Allah's Attributes.

In other words, the only name that refers to all of His Attributes of Glory and Beauty is Allah. That is why other names are often used as modifiers for the word 'Allah'.

For example, "Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful", (Surah Al-Baqarah, No.2. verse 226), refers to Allah's forgiveness; "..Allah heareth and knoweth all things", (No. 2. verse 221) shows His being well-acquainted with what is audible and what comes to pass, respectively; "And Allah sees well all that you do", (Surah Al-Hujurat. No.49. verse 18) states that He has information on each and every thing that is done by anyone; "Surely Allah is He Who gives (all) sustenance, the Lord of Power, steadfast (forever)", (Surah Ath-Thariyat. No.51. verse 58) points to His giving sustenance to all creatures and, at the same time, discloses that He is powerful and firm in His actions.

And, finally, Surah Al-Hashr No. 59 verse 23, 24 reveals some other Attributes of Allah. The terms 'Creator' and ' Evolver' are suggestive of His creativeness and inventiveness, and 'Bestower of Forms' indicates His giving shapes:

"Allah is He, than Whom there is no other god; -the Sovereign, the Holy One, the Source of Peace (and Perfection), the Guardian of Faith, the Preserver of Safety, the Exalted in Might, the Irresistible, the Supreme (in creating all creatures)... ." "He is Allah, the Creator, the Evolver, the Bestower of Forms, to Him belong the Most Beautiful Names..."

Another piece of evidence which is a clear indication that this Name, Allah, is all-inclusive is that the acceptance of Faith, in Islam, is possible only by reciting the sentence: / la: ilaha illalah / "There is no god, but Allah"; and each of the other phrases such as: 'All-Knowing', or 'Creator' or' Bestower of Sustenance' and the like, alone, is not sufficient enough to proclaim as evidence of Monotheism in Islam.

And, that is why in religions other than Islam, the God of Muslims is referred, to as 'Allah', because it is only Muslims who use 'Allah ' to refer to, what they do worship.

Allah's General and Specific Mercy

The words 'ar-Rahman' (The Beneficent) and 'ar-Rahim' (The Merciful) are adjectives, both derived from 'ar-Rahmah' ( Mercy). The former word, the Beneficent, as it is popularly recognized among some commentators, refers to the General Mercy of Allah which is bestowed upon all creatures; among them are the believers and the disbelievers, good-doers and evildoers.

And, as we can see, the Divine bounties of life are distributed everywhere and all human beings enjoy the endless merits therein. This is their sustenance. They draw it out of the abundant blessings encompassing the whole world of existence.

The word 'ar-Rahim' (The Merciful) refers to that Specific Mercy that is endowed upon the believing, obedient servants alone. The believers, because of their true belief, good actions, and faithful active obedience, deserve this special, exclusive mercy, of which the disbelievers are deprived.

The particular fact ratifying this topic is that the word Rahman is always used in the Qur'an with the meaning of an infinite form of mercy, which is a sign of its generality, while the word Rahim is sometimes used with the meaning of a finite form, which is a sign of its , specificity such as:

“...And He is full of Mercy to the Believers", (Surah Al-Ahzab. No. 33 verse 43).

And it is sometimes used in an infinite form such as in Surah Al-Fatihah.

A narration from Imam al-Sadiq (as) says:

"Allah is the God of all things and is Beneficent to all His creatures, and He is Merciful, especially, to the believers."22

Therefore, at the moment that we initiate any action, when we begin with the Name of Allah, we must seek His Mercy, General and Specific Mercy, both.

It is interesting to note that this power, which has a broad concept, much the same as gravitational pull, and has the ability to draw hearts closer together, is the very Attribute of Mercy. This Attribute of Mercy is the very means by which men can attain a close relationship with the Creator, also.

That is why true believers, when reciting the holy verse / bism-il-lah-ir-rahman-ir-rahim /, at the beginning of their affairs, detach their hearts from everything else and rely only upon Allah;, and seek help only from Him, because He is the only One Whose Mercy is 'All-Encompassing' and no creature is deprived of it.

Another fact that can also be understood from / bism-il-lah / is that Allah’s acts are based on Mercy and, punishment has an exceptional aspect which will not be fulfilled unless there are some exact, clear reasons for it.

When we recite the supplication entitled, 'Jaushane Kabir’, Section 20 thus: "O' Lord, Whose Mercy surpasses His Wrath..." The above point becomes clear.

Human beings should attach importance to mercy and affection and behave accordingly in their daily lives and use violence and harshness only for those times when it is clearly warranted.

We conclude this discussion with a tradition, rich in meaning, from the holy Prophet (S), who, when commenting on the many different kinds of His All-Encompassing Mercy, said:

"Verily, there are one hundred mercies belonging to Allah, from which, He has sent down to the Earth only one and distributed that one among His creatures. All the mercy and affection they have, issue from it. He, the Merciful, withheld the other 99 for Himself to show mercy upon His servants on the Day of Resurrection".23

Footnotes

  1. Majma-ul-Bayan, vol. 1, p. 17 ↩

  2. Makhzan-ul-'Irfan, vol. 1, p. 28 & Masabih-ul-Anwar vol. 1, p. 435 ↩

  3. Manhajus Sadiqin, vol. 1, p. 90 ↩

  4. Surah Al-Hijr. No.15. verse 87 ↩

  5. Al-Burhan Fi Tafsir-il-Qur'an, vol. one, p. 21; & Atyab-ul-Bayan, vol. 1, p. 83 ↩

  6. Majma'-ul-Bayan, vol. one, p. 17. ↩

  7. Rauh-ul-Jinan, Abul-Futuh Razi; , vol. one, p. 16 ↩

  8. Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 76, chapter 58, p. 305 (according to' Tafsir Al-Bayan', vol. one, p. 461) ↩

  9. Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 76, chapter 58 ↩

  10. Majma'-ul-Bayan, vol. 1, p. 18 ↩

  11. Ibid ↩

  12. Al-Mahasin by Barghi p. 40 & Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 92, p. 234 ↩

  13. Tafsir-us- Safi, vol. 1, p. 70 & Al-Mizan, vol. 1, p. 26 (Persian version) ↩

  14. Surah Al-Alaq No. 96. verse 1 ↩

  15. Surah Hud No. 11 verse 41 ↩

  16. Surah An- Naml No.27, verse 30 ↩

  17. The phrase / bism-il-lah / is used as a contraction of / bism-il-lah-ir-rahman-ir-rahim /. ↩

  18. Makhzan-ul-'Irfan, vol. 1, p. 28 ↩

  19. Al-Kafi, vol. 3, p. 312 ↩

  20. Al-Itqan, vol. 1, p. 136 ↩

  21. Atyab-ul-Bayan, vol. 1, p. 92 ↩

  22. Kafi, Tauhid by Saduq, and Ma'ani-yul-Akhbar, (according to Almizan ). ↩

  23. Majma'-ul-Bayan, vol. 1, p. 21 ↩