THE POWER OF SURAH AL-FATIHAH

‘[O Nabi!] We have bestowed upon thee the seven oft-repeated (verses) and the Majestic Qur’an.’

—(The Noble Qur’an, Surah al-Hijr [15]:87)

All praise is due to Allah [alone], the Cherisher and

Sustainer of the worlds; the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Master of the Day of Judgement! You alone do we conform to; and unto You alone do we turn for help. Guide us to the straight [and direct] way, the way of those on whom You have bestowed Your blessings, not of those who have been condemned [by You], nor of those who go astray (Surah al-Fatihah [1]:1–7).

In the opening chapter of the Noble Qur’an (Surah alFatihah), we beseech Almighty Allah to ‘Guide us to the straight [and direct] way.’

Surah al-Fatihah is a powerful surah in which we are taught how to praise Almighty Allah and seek His guidance. What an awesome gift Almighty Allah has blessed us with; who else could have taught us to praise Him but Almighty Allah

  PART TWO: UNLEASH THE POTENTIAL WITHIN

(SWT) Himself. Allah loves praise; that is why He taught us the manner of praising Him. This surah is known by many beautiful names: Al-Hamd (the surah of praise); al-Shaafiyah (the healing surah); al-Waaqiyah (the surah of protection from fear); Umm-ul Qu’ran (core of the Qur’an); Al Kafia (the Sufficient); Al-Kanz (Treasure house) and of course, alFatihah (the opening). This Surah covers the essentials of faith; it opens up the heart.

We need to bear in mind some points before discussing how this surah affects our lives. Allah Himself has taught us how to praise Him; as human beings we could not have known this on our own. This itself reflects Allah’s Mercy and Grace towards us. The surah not only emphasizes that Allah is worthy of praise, but that He alone is worthy of praise. This immediately eliminates all worldly powers and other distractions that may intrude in our deep and direct relationship with Almighty Allah. It also demolishes our ego, which can lead to behaviour that is displeasing to Allah.

We human beings are insignificant before Allah; it is only through His Mercy and Grace that we have been endowed with numerous faculties and elevated to the status of His Khalifah (vicegerent) on earth, but this honour is conditional upon fulfilling our obligations toward Him. We are not free to act as we wish; we must implement the Laws of Allah on earth. When we do that, we make ourselves worthy of His Grace and Mercy; otherwise we will incur His wrath. And Allah is severe in His reckoning.

The surah begins by invoking two of the most beautiful names of Allah: al-Rahman and al-Rahim. Al-Rahman refers to Allah’s universal Mercy towards all His creatures: the good, the bad, the reprobate, and even the reprehensible. Al-Rahim is Allah’s Mercy towards His faithful servants, those that have made a firm commitment to Him, and have accepted the Covenant to implement His Laws on earth and abide by them.

Al-Rahim is derived from the Arabic root, rahm, which means the womb. Allah is conveying to us the close relationship that we must cultivate with Him. It reflects His profound care for our wellbeing. Just as a baby in the womb is totally dependent on the mother for nourishment, so too are we completely reliant on Allah for survival and nourishment in this world. But inherent in this relationship is also Allah’s deep love and care for us, like the mother’s concern for the baby in her womb. It is this close relationship that Allah offers to us, but with a condition: that we must accept His Covenant and make that firm commitment to Him. This is the group of people Allah refers to in the Noble Qur’an as alladheena amanu (those that have made a firm commitment to Allah by surrendering to His Will completely, that is, the Covenant-bearing Muslims).

In hadith qudsi, a divine utterance narrated by the noble Messenger Muhammad (S) that is inspired in him by Allah, it is narrated that the first thing Allah created was the womb.

And He gave it a name derived from His own name, al-

Rahim. It is instructive for us to observe that this is also one of the titles Allah conferred on His beloved Messenger (S): Rahmatul lil-‘alameen (mercy to all the worlds). This is Allah’s special love for His beloved Messenger (S) and through him, not only communicated to us, but also shared with us. How fortunate we are to be Muslims and how much do we need to be mindful that we cannot praise Allah enough for all the Love, Mercy and Compassion He has shown towards us. Had it not been for His Mercy, we could not have succeeded in this world, much less hoped for salvation in the Hereafter. It is only through Allah’s Mercy that we can look forward to His Promise of forgiveness. So, let us ask ourselves: How great an obligation do we have to praise and thank Allah?

When we recite Surah al-Fatihah, we praise and conform to Almighty Allah, change occurs within us. His presence comes to stay with us, and when that happens, we can count on change! Hearts change, lives change, minds change and attitudes change. Every time we praise Almighty Allah, something changes within us; we may not be fully aware of it, but we can trust that it is happening. It is impossible to touch the presence of Almighty Allah and not experience change. Praise changes everything; Almighty Allah listens to those who praise Him.

It is Almighty Allah Who knows the unseen, the past, the present and the future. The attributes of Almighty Allah are beyond human comprehension.

All creation enjoys the power of Almighty Allah. He is the Creator of horizons beyond human conception and imagination. Whenever we need assistance from Almighty Allah to expand our thoughts, Surah al-Fatihah is the answer, call upon His limitless and infinite powers that is at every believer’s disposal. Think, ponder and contemplate on the authority of Almighty Allah; insha’Allah, our outer and inner insights and knowledge will increase and intensify.

Almighty Allah has given us the ability to create our own reality. Ultimately reality is what we perceive it to be and nothing else. Reality exists in our minds and nowhere else. This means we can control and create our reality, simply by controlling our minds and thoughts. Reciting Surah al-Fatihah makes a powerful impact to ones personality, establishes a desire for success, stability, harmony and strength. This powerful opening of the noble Qur’an directs us to live by design not by chance.

Almighty Allah is the Master of the Day of Judgement; death is not the end of life. It opens up a new life where we have to account for all our actions in this temporary life that will determine our reward and destiny in the Hereafter.

‘You alone do we conform to and You alone do we turn to for help.’ When we submit to Almighty Allah and seek His guidance, He responds to the call of the believer. The more harmonious the relationship that we develop with Allah, the more we will attract His power and grace. Surah al-Fatihah is a heart to heart talk between Allah and His creation. ‘Guide us on the straight [and direct] way, the way of those on whom You have bestowed Your blessings, not of those who have been condemned [by You], nor of those who go astray.’ We call upon Allah to guide us on the straight way.

Avoid keeping company with those who have earned the wrath of Allah, they have the ability to influence us to the path that undermines our relationship with Almighty Allah and take us astray. We are encouraged to perform good deeds and be conscious of all our acts. Without Allah humankind will wander aimlessly. We are appealing to Almighty Allah to guide us in the same way that He has guided those who have adhered to His commands in order to obtain success in this world and the Hereafter.

The noble Messenger Muhammad (S) is reported to have quoted Almighty Allah as saying that: “The fruits of prayer are shared equally between Me and My servant (the worshipper) and My servant will be granted what he asks for. As the worshipper recites (in prayer): ‘All Praise is due to Allah,’ Allah will say: ‘My servant has praised Me.’ As he recites : ‘The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,’ Allah will say: ‘My servant has thanked Me.’ As he recites: ‘Master of the Day of Judgement,’ Allah will say: ‘My servant has glorified Me and surrendered to Me.’ As he says: ‘You alone do we conform to, and to You alone do we turn for help,’ Allah will say: ‘This is between Me and My servant, and My servant will receive what he asks for.’ And, as he says: ‘Guide us on the straight [and direct] way, the way of those on whom You have bestowed Your blessings, not of those who have been condemned [by You], nor of those who go astray,’ Allah will say: ‘This is for My servant, and he will be granted his wish.’” Almighty Allah is close to us and we can communicate with Him and pour out our concerns to Him.

Surah al-Fatihah empowers the soul, this powerful opening chapter is recited in every Rakaat of our Salat. This Surah is the most precious gift to the Ummah; it sums up the teachings of the noble Qur’an. Surah al-Fatihah makes a powerful impact on one’s personality and opens up the soul when recited with emotion. When we recite Surah al-Fatihah with feeling and passion we will experience a powerful and positive impact on the mind, body and soul. The truly committed who follow Almighty Allah’s guidance will succeed in purifying their souls.

Almighty Allah has given order, proportion and, therefore, perfection to the soul. Everything follows the laws and plans of Almighty Allah. Every deed, word and thought of a human being carries consequences. Almighty Allah’s grace and mercy can intervene; this is according to His law and plan.

The necessary conditions for purifying the soul are that we must read the Noble Qur’an with understanding and follow the Sunnah of the noble Messenger Muhammad (S).

When we study the Noble Qur’an with proper concentration and focus, the mysteries of the universe will reveal themselves to us gradually. No mortal can unveil or solve all the mysteries of life. Humankind’s greatest need is to know why we are here, where we come from, and where we are going. The Qur’an is Allah’s revelation that was sent to the noble Messenger Muhammad (S). Whatever humankind needs to know is contained in this noble message, by Almighty Allah’s leave. When we read the noble Qur’an, we are hearing the voice of Almighty Allah, He is speaking to us.

In Surah al-Fatihah we appeal to Allah for guidance, in the first verse of Surah al-Baqara He answers our prayer. ‘This is the book, in it is guidance sure, without doubt, to those who are Allah conscious.’ The Noble Qur’an is our contact with Almighty Allah and our manual for life. Study it daily in order to understand its message so that it can be implemented in life. The practising believer is Almighty Allah’s living, eternal representative on earth.

Entire creation has a purpose including humankind. We must work towards unleashing the power of Almighty Allah in order to discover ourselves. Then we will, Insha-Allah, return to Him fulfilled, that is the ultimate goal of life.

The noble Messenger Muhammad (S) said: ‘Your (du’a) prayer shall be answered as long as you remain patient. Do not say ‘I have made (du’a) a prayer but Allah has not answered it.’

Hadrat Ali (ra) said: ‘If you persist in what you ask for, it will open the doors of divine mercy.’