The Noble Quran: Tafsir of Surah al-Fatihah [Part 2]

Q. 1:6 Guide us to the straight path.

After mentioning that worship is due to Allah alone and that He must be asked for help, asking Allah to guide the slaves to the straight path is mentioned. That is because by being guided to the straight path worship is valid. On the other hand, being not guided to the straight path deprives the slaves of achieving their goals. 

Our Lord, guide us to the straight path and make us firm on it so that we do not deviate. Following the straight path leads to attaining the happiness of this life and the Hereafter while being deprived of following it leads to loss in this life and the Hereafter. 

This invocation indicates the most sublime etiquette. That is because Allah’s slaves humbly ask Allah to guide them to the straight path, leading to what pleases Him, after they acknowledge that He alone deserves worship and all praise and that He is the Lord of all created things, who has authority over them in this life and the Hereafter. Furthermore, this invocation comes after confirming and acknowledging that Allah deserves worship, which is the most refined manner when asking for help and assistance.

The scholars elaborate on talking about the intended meaning by the straight path. Their opinions can be summarized as follows: 1) It is the Quran. 2) It is Islam. 3) It is the path leading to Islam. 4) It is the path leading to Paradise. Someone may say, ‘Why do Muslims ask Allah to guide them to the straight path while they follow it? 1) They ask Allah to follow the straight path. 2) They ask Allah to make them firm on the straight path. 3) They ask Allah to increase them in guidance [Zad al-Masyr fi Ilm at-Tafsir].

An-Nawas bin Sama’n, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that Messenger Muhammad said, ‘Allah has cited an example for the straight path. On the path’s sides, there are open doors that have curtains, hanging down therefrom. At the top of the path, there is a caller saying, ‘O people, go over the path and do not deviate. There is another caller over the path, saying to whoever wants to open a door, ‘Woe to you! Do not open the door. If you open it, you will go over it.’ The path is Islam. The two walls on the sides of the path are Allah’s limits that He has commanded to observe. The open doors are Allah’s prohibitions. The caller on top of the path is the Quran and the caller over the path is fear of Allah in every Muslim’s heart [Musand Imam Ahmad].’

Q.1:7 The path of those You have blessed, not of those who have incurred wrath, nor of those who have gone astray.

This ayah defines what the straight path is. The ayah does not say the path of the prophets or the righteous; rather it says, ‘the path of those You have blessed.’ It says so to indicate that following the straight path is a great blessing. Verily, following the path that pleases Allah is the greatest blessing. 

The ayah mentions the path of those You have blessed, but it uses the passive when referring to those who follow the path of misguidance. It says, ‘… not of those who have incurred wrath…’ This implies a good manner. When one refers to acts of blessings and bounty, he should attribute them to Allah. On the other hand, he should refrain from doing so when referring to acts of punishment and affliction though Allah is the One, who punishes and afflicts. 

The straight path is the path of those whom Allah blessed by guiding them to worship Him alone, obey His commands, and avoid His prohibitions. They are the prophets, the truthful, righteous, and the martyrs. Allah says, [Whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger - they will be with those whom Allah has blessed, of the Prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous. What excellent companions they are!] [Q 4:69]

[…not of those who have incurred wrath, nor of those who have gone astray.]

Those who have incurred wrath are the corrupt, who know the truth but reject it out of stubbornness and denial, and those who have gone astray are the ignorant, who fail to know the right path.

Those who have incurred wrath are the Jews, and those who have gone astray are the Christians. Adi bin Hatim, may Allah be pleased with him, said, I asked Prophet Muhammad about those who have incurred wrath. He said, ‘They are the Jews.’ And I asked him about those who have gone astray, he said, ‘They are the Christians [Jama al-Bayan, Tafsir al-Tabaru].’

It is recommended to say ‘amen’ after finishing reciting surah al-Fatihah. It means: our Lord accept our invocation. 

Learned Lessons from Surah al-Fatihah 

• Confirming that absolute praise is due to Allah alone.

• Allah, Exalted be He, deserves all praise for His countless blessings.

• Allah is the Creator of all that exist.

• Confirming that Allah is the Master and the Owner of this universe. He is the Master of the Day of Judgment, on which no one can claim any ownership. 

• Confirming that Allah will resurrect people on the Day of Judgment for reckoning.

• Man must obey Allah and avoid disobeying Him since there will come the Day of Judgment, on which he will be recompensed for all his deeds, good or evil.

• It is obligatory to worship Allah alone and seek help from Allah alone.

• After asking Allah for help to worship Him, the believer should ask Allah to guide him to the straight path. To worship Allah sincerely, the slave needs help from Allah and to guide him to follow the straight path, which is Islam.

• There are two kinds of paths. The straight path, which is following the truth that pleases Allah, and a cooked path, which is following the path of misguidance. 

• It is beneficial to give details after giving a summary. First, the ayat mention the straight path. Then, the straight path is defined, i.e. the path of those whom Allah blessed among the Prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous. This type of style makes the listener long to know the details after he knows the summary of something. 

• Allah is the Giver of all blessings.

• People are divided into three categories: those whom Allah has blessed, those who have incurred the wrath, and those who have gone astray. 

• Ignorance and stubbornness are causes of deviation from the straight path. 

• The path of happiness is to obey Allah and the path of misery is to disobey Allah.

The Noble Quran, Surah al-Fatihah, English Translation
 The Noble Quran: Introduction to Surah al-Fatihah [Part 2] Virtues of Surah al-Fatihah
The Noble Quran Surah ar-Ra’d : Translation and Tafsir 

The Noble Quran: Tafsir of Surah al-Fatihah [Part 1]

 

Q. 1:1 In the name of Allah, the Giver of Mercy, the Most Merciful.

Q. 1:2 All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. 

Q. 1:3 The Giver of Mercy, the Most Merciful.

Q. 1:4 The Master of the Day of Judgment.

Q. 1:5 You alone we worship and You alone we ask for help.

Q. 1:6 Guide us to the straight path.

Q.1:7 The path of those You have blessed, not of those who have incurred wrath, nor of those who have gone astray.

Why Surah al-Fatihah is Written at the Beginning of the Quran

Allah, Exalted be He, begins His Book with surah al-Fatihah because it encompasses all goals of the Quran and it summarizes all details mentioned in the Quran. This indicates excellent commencement. These are the most important goals of surah al-Fatihah: 1) Defining who is the Creator, Allah. 2) Defining the path of worship. 3) Showing conditions of people throughout the path of worship. 

Tafsir

Q. 1:1 In the name of Allah, the Giver of Mercy, the Most Merciful.

Allah is a proper noun referring to the self of the Creator, God. It refers only to Allah and no one shares this name with Him. Allah is the greatest name of the Creator, God, which encompasses all attributes of perfection. 

[In the name of Allah…], ‘bism-Allah…’ I begin reciting the Quran by mentioning Allah’s name and seeking His help. 

Beginning surah al-Fatihah by mentioning Allah’s name implies an instruction to Messenger Muhammad and his followers to begin all their deeds and statements by mentioning it. 

[The Giver of Mercy…], ‘ar-Rahman.’ It is one of Allah’s names. It means that Allah is characterized by comprehensive mercy. His mercy encompasses all creatures. 

[… the Most Merciful.], ‘ar-Rahim.’ It is one of Allah’s names. It means that Allah grants His mercy to whomever He wants of His creatures. 

‘Ar-Rahman and ar-Rahim’ are derived from ‘rahma,’ mercy. They are names of Allah that refer to Allah’s self and that He is characterized by mercy. 

Is al-basmalah [In the name of Allah, the Giver of Mercy, the Most Merciful.] an ayah from surah al-Fatihah? [Tafsir of al-Fatihah wa-Baqarah, Sheikh Muhammad al-Uthaymeen]

The scholars disagree on whether al-basmalah an ayah from surah al-Fatihah or not. Some scholars say that it is an ayah from surah al-Fatihah, and believe that the prayer is invalid without reciting it because it is an ayat from surah al-Fatihah.

Other scholars maintain that al-basmalah is not an ayah from surah al-Fatihah. They believe that it is an independent ayah of the Quran, which is the correct opinion. The proof supporting this opinion is that the prophetic narration reported by abu Hurairah. It says, ‘The prayer is divided between Me and My slave into two halves. And My slave will attain what he asks for. When the slave says, [All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.], Allah says, ‘My slave has praised Me.’…’ [Tafsir of al-Fatihah wa-al-Baqarah, Sheikh Muhammad al-Uthaymeen]. Al-basmalah is not mentioned in this narration, which is proof that it is not an ayah from surah al-Fatihah.

Another proof is the context of surah al-Fatihah. The scholars unanimously agree that surah al-Fatihah contains seven ayat. The first three ayat are for Allah. They are the following: [All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. The Giver of Mercy, the Most Merciful. The Master of the Day of Judgment.] The second half contains four ayat. They are the following: [You alone we worship and You alone we ask for help. Guide us to the straight path. The path of those You have blessed; not of those who have incurred wrath, nor of those who have gone astray.]

Q. 1:2 All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. 

[All praise is due to Allah…] Allah, Exalted be He, instructs His slaves to praise Him. All kinds of praise are due only to Allah. It is constant praise. Praising Allah is attributing perfection to Allah alone with loving and glorifying Him. All perfection is due to Allah in His self, attributes, deeds, and statements. 

Indeed, Allah deserves all praise and thank. He has given His slaves countless blessings. Allah has taught His slaves how to worship and obey Him. He has provided them with sustenance without which they can never live. Allah has also shown His slaves means leading to eternal bliss in Paradise. Verily, all praise and thank are due to Allah alone. 

Abdul Allah bin Abbas said, ‘Praise is to thank Allah, acknowledging His blessings, guidance, etc [Tafsir al-Tabari].’

[…the Lord of the worlds.] Rabb, translated to the Lord, refers to Allah. It means that Allah is the Creator, the Master, and the Sustainer of His creatures. When the word rabb is used with the definite article ‘ar, ar-Rabb, it refers only to Allah. In other cases, when the context makes it clear to whom the word refers something, it means the master of that thing, e.g. the rabb of the house, i.e. the master of the house. 

[… the Lord of the worlds.] Rabb-al-‘lamin, translated to the words, refers to all existing things except Allah, Exalted be He. They are called so because their existence denotes that there is a Creator, who created them, that He is able, wise, merciful, etc. Abdul Allah bin Abbas said, ‘All praise is due to Allah, who created all creatures, the heavens, the earth, what is thereon, what is between them, what is known, and what is unknown [Tafsir al-Tabari].’

In sum, the ayah confirms that absolute praise is due to Allah alone, the Lord of the worlds. Indeed, Allah is the Giver of all blessings.

Q. 1:3 The Giver of Mercy, the Most Merciful.

The previous ayah mentions that Allah is the Lord and the Master of all that exist. He is the only God that has absolute authority over the creatures. This may give rise to fear of Allah. Therefore, the following ayah mentions that Allah is characterized by mercy to remove that feeling, and inform Allah’s slaves that Allah’s Lordship is based on His comprehensive mercy. Verily, Allah has created and provided them out of His mercy, and He will resurrect them for reckoning on the Day of Judgment by His mercy. This motivates the slaves to worship and praise Allah with reassured hearts and happy souls. This will also guide them to build their lives on mercy and kindness, not on tyranny and injustice.

Q. 1:4 The Master of the Day of Judgment.

Allah, Exalted be He, mentions that He alone deserves all praise because He is the Creator and Giver of all blessings to His slaves and that He is merciful in the previous part. This may make some people indulgent depending on Allah’s kindness and mercifulness. Thus, the following ayah mentions that Allah is the Master of the Day of Judgment so that people become careful not to disobey Allah since there will come a day on which they will be recompensed for their deeds. 

The fact Allah is the Master of the Day of Judgment does not negate that He is the Master of all days. However, on the Day of Judgment, no one can claim any ownership or power, and all authority and power will only belong to Allah. Thus, the ayah mentions that Allah is the Master of the Day of Judgment. 

Q. 1:5 You alone we worship and You alone we ask for help.

The previous ayat confirms Allah’s Lordship and mercy. Then this ayah establishes the fact that Allah alone deserves worship.

Our Lord, You alone we humiliatingly worship. Verily, You have generously granted us blessings and Your mercy have encompassed us. We worship You alone and ask You to help us to obey and facilitate all our affairs. We will never ask help from anyone but You as You alone deserves complete worship and obedience. You are the Able, the All-Knowing, and nothing is hidden from You. Abdul Allah bin Abbas said, ‘Gabriel said to Messenger Muhammad, ‘O Muhammad, say, ‘[You alone we worship.] You alone we worship, fear, and hope for help, O our Lord, not from anyone else [Tafsir al-Tabari].’

Worship includes doing all things that Allah has commanded His slaves to do and avoiding all things that Allah has prohibited His slaves to do.

The ayat says, ‘You alone…’ to indicate that worship is due to Allah alone. Moreover, worship is mentioned before seeking help because the former is the means to achieve the latter, and the slaves cannot worship Allah properly except by His help and guidance. Furthermore, the ayah does not mention what are the things that they need help with to include all the righteous deeds that they want to do.

The Noble Quran, Surah al-Fatihah, English Translation
Introduction to Tafsir
The Noble Quran Surah an-Nahl : Translation and Tafsir

The Noble Quran: Introduction to Surah al-Fatihah [Part 3] Virtues of Surah al-Fatihah

 

Number of Ayat of Surah al-Fatihah

The scholars unanimously agree that surah al-Fatihah contains seven Ayat.  However, they differ about which ayah is number seven. Some scholars maintain that the first ayah is ‘In the name of Allah…,’ and ‘The path of those You have blessed…,’ is ayah number seven. Other scholars believe that ‘In the name of Allah…’ is not ayah in surah al-Fatihah and that ‘The path of those You have blessed’ [6], not of those who have incurred wrath, nor those who have gone astray.’ [7] are two Ayat. And Allah knows best. 

Period of Revelation

Most scholars maintain that surah al-Fatihah was revealed in al-Mecca. This the most correct opinion. Allah says, interpretation of meaning, [Indeed, We have given you the seven oft-repeated ayat and the Glorious Quran.] [Surah al-Hijr: 87] The scholars unanimously agree that surah al-Hijr was revealed in Mecca. It mentions that Allah has given Messenger Muhammad the seven oft-repeated ayat, which is surah al-Fatihah. This supports that surah al-Fatihah was revealed in Mecca. 

Topics Discussed Surah al-Fatihah

Surah al-Fatihah mentions the main goals of the Quran. Some of its topics are the following:

1. Godhood: It includes the three types of Godhood, i.e. Oneness of worship (Tawheed al-Uluhiyah), Oneness of Lordship (Tawheed ar-Rububiyah), and Oneness of Names of Attributes (Tawheed of al-Asma’ wa-as-Sifat). It is found in these ayat: [All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. The Giver of Mercy, the Most Merciful.] 

2. Surah al-Fatihah mentions the Day of Judgment. When Allah will recompense people for what they did in the worldly life. It is found in this ayah: [The Master of the Day of Judgment.] 

3. Surah al-Fatihah refers to worshipping Allah alone, which includes all rituals of worship, e.g. prayer, Zakat, Hajj, and commanding what is good and forbidding what is evil. It is found in this ayah: [You alone we worship.]    

4. Seeking help from Allah alone in all matters. Allah alone can help His slaves. It is found in this ayah: [You alone we ask for help.]

5. Abiding by the requirements of the straight path after following it is a great bounty that Allah grants to His sincere slaves. The straight path is a comprehensive concept that includes all that Allah commands through His prophets and messengers, from Prophet Adam to Prophet Muhammad. This is found in this ayah: [Guide us to the straight path.]

6. The path of the sincere slaves of Allah is the path of those Allah has granted bounty. It is the path of Allah’s prophets, the truthful slaves, the martyrs, and the righteous. This path encompasses the beliefs of those Allah has granted His bounty, their methods of inviting people to the straight path, learned lessons from their stories, and their excellent biographies that will remain beacons throughout ages. 

7. Surah al-Fatihah refers to the path of those who have incurred Allah’s wrath and those who have gone astray. They are two human models. The first one has known the truth and then deliberately avoids it because of envy or whims. The second model has gone astray and has not known the path of the truth. Some of them lose their ways in the labyrinth of human ideas, and others deviate from the straight path.

Examining the goals of surahs revealed in Mecca, we find that they discuss Allah’s Oneness, the Day of Judgment, prophethood, and ethics. Similarly, surahs revealed in al-Madinah discuss principles of building Islamic society, legislation, and rules related to worship and transactions, and regulations aim at protecting Islamic society from its enemies, deviations, and wrongdoings. All these goals are found in the topics mentioned in surah al-Fatihah. This may help us understand why it is described as the mother of the Book and the Quran. Indeed, surah al-Fatihah is like a mother that gives birth to offspring that multiplies and proliferates. All descendants trace their origins to their mother. Similarly, all goals of the Quran are found in the main topics mentioned in surah al-Fatihah. 

The Noble Quran, Towards Understanding the Quran, Surah al-Fatihah
The Noble Quran Surah ar-Ra’d : Translation and Tafsir
The Noble Quran, Surah an-Nahl Ayah 97, Happy Life
 

The Noble Quran: Introduction to Surah al-Fatihah [Part 2] Virtues of Surah al-Fatihah

 

1. Surah al-Fatihah is the greatest surah in the Quran. 

2. There is no surah similar to surah al-Fatihah in the former divine Scriptures. Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that Messenger Muhammad called Ubayy bin Ka’b while he was praying. However, Ubayy did not respond and finished his prayer quickly. Then he went to Messenger Muhammad and greeted him saying, ‘Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah.’ Messenger Muhammad said, ‘And upon you. What prevented you from responding to me when I called you?’ Ubayy said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, I was praying.’ He said, ‘Have you not heard this ayah: [O you who believe, obey Allah and the Messenger when he calls you to what gives you life.] [Q. Surah al-Anfal:24].’ Ubayy said, ‘I heard it, O Messenger of Allah. I promise you I will not do so again.’ Then Messenger Muhammad said, ‘Would you like that I teach you a surah the like of which has neither revealed in the Torah, nor the Psalms, nor the Gospel, nor the Quran?’ Ubayy said, ‘Yes, O Messenger of Allah.’ Messenger Muhammad said, ‘I hope that you will not go out through this door before you learn it.’ Then Messenger Muhammad held my hand and kept talking to me. I feared that he might reach the door before he finished his conversation. When he was close to the door, I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, what is the surah that you have promised me to teach me.’ He said, ‘What do you recite in the prayer?’ I recited surah the Mother of the Quran to him.’ Thereupon, Messenger Muhammad said, ‘By the One in whose Hands my soul is, Allah has never revealed in the Torah, nor the Gospel, nor the Psalms, nor the Quran like it. It is the seven oft-repeated Ayat [Musand Imam Ahamd].’

3. Surah al-Fatihah is light. Imam Muslim narrated in his Sahih, ‘Rejoice at two lights that you have been given, which they were not given to any prophet before you. They are the Opening of the Book and the concluding Ayat of surah al-Baqarah. You will not recite a letter therefrom, but you will be rewarded for it [Musand Imam Ahamd].’

4. Surah al-Fatihah is a Ruqya (supplication by using ayat from the Quran, authentic prophetic supplication for warding off harm and diseases). Abu Sa’id al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, said, ‘We were on a journey and dismounted at a place. Then a slave girl came to us and said, ‘The chief of this tribe has been stung by a scorpion. Our men are not present. Is there anybody among you who can treat him by reciting some ruqya?’ Then a man, whom we thought that he could not treat by using ruqya, went with her. He treated him with a ruqya and the chief was cured. Then the chief gave him thirty sheep and gave us milk to drink as a reward. When the man returned, we said to him, ‘Did you know how to treat with ruqya?’ He said, ‘No, but I only treated him by reciting surah the mother of the Book.’ Then we said, ‘Do not do anything until we meet Messenger Muhammad and ask him.’ When we reached al-Madinah, we told Messenger Muhammad about the matter. He said, ‘How did you know that surah al-Fatihah could be used as a ruqya? Distribute the reward among you and give me a share thereof [Sahih al-Bukhari].’

5. The prayer of a person, who does not recite surah al-Fatihah, is deficient. Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that Messenger Muhammad said, ‘Whoever prays a prayer without reciting the Mother of the Book, then his prayer is deficient.’ He repeated so thrice. It was said to abu Hurairah, ‘We just pray behind the imam.’ He said, ‘Recite it within yourself. I heard Messenger Muhammad say, ‘Allah, Exalted be He, says, ‘The prayer is divided between Me and My slave into two halves. And My slave will attain what he asks for. When the slave says, [All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.], Allah says, ‘My slave has praised Me.’ When the slave says, [The Giver of Mercy, the Most Merciful.], Allah says, ‘My slave has extolled Me.’ When the slave says, [The Master of the Day of Judgment.], Allah says, ‘My slave has glorified Me.’ When the slave says, [You alone we worship and You alone we ask for help. ], Allah says, ‘This is between Me and My slave and My slave will attain what he asks for.’ When the slave says, [Guide us to the straight path. The path of those You have blessed, not of those who have incurred wrath, nor those who have gone astray.], Allah says, ‘This is for My slave and My slave will attain what he asks for [Sahih Muslim].’

The Noble Quran, Surah al-Fatihah, Tafsir ibn Kathir
The Noble Quran: Introduction to Surah al-Fatihah [Part 1]
Meaning of Isti’adha and Basmala
The Noble Quran Surah an-Nahl : Translation and Tafsir

Introduction to Tafsir of Surah al-Fatihah

Seeking Protection ‘Isti’adha’ 

An aspect of Allah’s mercy on Messenger Muhammad’s nation is that He has guided them to what brings them happiness in this world and the Hereafter. He has taught them how to seek beneficial things and counter harmful things. Satan is the greatest enemy of man. Therefore, Allah has taught Muslims how to protect themselves and their descendants from its evils. Allah has guided Muslims to seek protection from Satan’s evils by saying the ‘isti’adha.’ It is a prayer that is said to ward off Satan’s evils. 

Q 7:200 If a provocation from Satan should provoke you, seek refuge in Allah; He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.

A believer should seek protection from Satan’s evils when reciting the Quran to avoid all evil suggestions and temptation of Satan that may occur when reciting the Quran. 

Q. 16:98 When you want to recite the Quran, seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan.

Q. 16:99 Indeed, he has no authority over those who believe and rely on their Lord.

Q. 16:100 His authority is only over those who take him as an ally and those who, because of him, worship other gods besides Allah.

Surah al-Fatihah is the only surah of the Quran that Islam has commanded Muslims to recite in every prayer and every raka’ ‘a unit or part of a prayer.’ Thus, its memorization has become easy for every believer. 

Names of Surah al-Fatihah

When something has many names, it denotes its nobility. Surah al-Fatihah has many names, some of which are confirmed by authentic reports and some are inferred from what has been said about it.

Al-Fatihah (The Opening of the Book)

Abdul-Allah bin Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that while Gabriel was sitting with Prophet Muhammad, he heard a creaking sound above him. He lifted his head and said, ‘This is a gate opened in heaven today that had never been opened before.’ Then an angel descended through it. He said, ‘This is an angel, who came down to the earth and he had never come down before.’ Then the angel greeted Prophet Muhammad and said, ‘Rejoice at two lights that you have been given, which they were not given to any prophet before you. They are the Opening of the Book and the concluding Ayat of surah al-Baqarah. You will not recite a letter therefrom, but you will be rewarded for it [Sahih Muslim].’ 

The Mother of the Book

Surah al-Fatihah is called the mother of the Book because it is the first surah written in the Quran and it is recited at the beginning of every prayer. Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that Messenger Muhammad said, ‘[All praise is to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.] the Opening of the Quran, the mother of the Book, and the seven oft-repeated Ayat [Sunan abu Dawood].’ It is called so because it mentions the goals of the Quran, which are mentioned in detail throughout the Quran. It also contains praise of Allah as He deserves, commanding to worship Him by obeying His commands and avoiding His prohibitions, promise of reward for the righteous and warning of punishment to the wrongdoers, most of the theoretical concepts and practical rules of the Quran in general, and the abode of the righteous and the wrongdoers.

The Mother of the Quran

Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that Messenger Muhammad said, ‘The Mother of the Quran is the seven oft-repeated Ayat and the Great Quran [Sahih al-Bukhari].’  

The Seven Oft-Repeated Ayat

Sa’id bin al-Mu’alla reported that Messenger Muhammad said, ‘I shall teach you the greatest surah in the Quran before you leave the mosque.’ Then he held my hand. When he was about to go out of the mosque, I said, ‘Have you not told me that you would teach me the greatest surah in the Quran?’ Messenger Muhammad said, ‘[All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.] It is the seven oft-repeated ayat and the great Quran that I have been given [Sahih al-Bukhari].’ It is said that surah al-Fatihah is called the seven oft-repeated Ayat because it is repeated in every prayer and recited in every raka’.

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