Explanation of al-Fātihah by Shaykh Hammād al-Ansāri – Part I – Ilm Notes

This great chapter of the Quran is known by many names, and the fact that it has many names indicates its high standing.

Authentic Names of al-Fātihah

Shaykh Hammād bin Muhammad al-Ansāri رحمه الله

Translation and Additional Notes: Abu Hafsah Kashiff Khan

Ash-Shaykh Hammād al-Ansāri رحمه الله says:

All praise is due to Allah. May His blessings and peace be upon the most noble prophet and messenger, our Prophet Muhammad, his family, his companions, and those that follow them upon righteousness until the last day.

Surely, the most truthful speech is the book of Allah, and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم. The worst affairs are newly invented matters in religion. Every newly created matter in religion is a bid’ah; every bid’ah is misguidance, and all misguidance is in the fire. What Allah wills shall be, and what He does not will shall never be, and there is no power or might except with Allah.

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ۝ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ ۝ مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ ۝ إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ ۝ اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ ۝ صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ ۝ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ ۝
[Surah al-Fātihah: 1-7]

Every Muslim must understand some of the important benefits in this chapter of the Qurān, benefits that few pay attention to. A Muslim recites this chapter in every mandatory or supererogatory salah. If we considered the wisdom and reasoning behind this, we would strive to comprehend its meaning and understand why only this chapter is recited in every salah, while no other chapter of the Quran, be it long, short, or of medium length, is repeated as often.

For this reason, I decided to present some of what Allah has made accessible to me from the great benefits found in this chapter. If Allah allowed all the benefits found therein to be explained, it would surely take a significant amount of time to accomplish the feat. Even then, what cannot be attained in totality should not be left entirely.

Explanations of Surah al-Fātihah

Entire books have been authored to explain this one chapter of the Qurān because of its high status and excellence. Shaykhul-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله singles it out in an excellent and highly beneficial small treatise found in his Majmū al-Fatāwa (v14: p4-40). If we read the explanations of the Qurān available today, we would discover that Shaykhul-Islām has extracted the most important benefits from them.

At the head of those explanations is Tafsīr at-Tabari, the most extraordinary explanation of the Quran available to us today. It has distinguishing features not found in any other explanation we have read or heard of, which is evident to anyone who closely and attentively studies this Tafsīr.

Translator’s Note:

The explanation of the Quran, famously known as Tafsir at-Tabari, was authored by the great scholar of Islam, al-Imam Abu Ja’far Muhammad bin Jarir at-Tabari رحمه الله, born in the year 234H. He titled his explanation of the Qurān “Jami’ ul-Bayan ‘an Ta’wil Aayil-Quran” (جامع البيان عن تأويل آي القرآن). Ibn Khuzaimah رحمه الله said after reading this exemplary work, “I read it from beginning to end, and I do not know anyone on the face of the earth more knowledgeable than Muhammad bin Jarir (Tarikh Baghdad 2/163).”

From the contemporary scholars, Shaykh ‘Abdul ‘Aziz bin Baz رحمه الله answered, when asked about the best explanation of the Qurān, “The best writing, to the best of my knowledge, in explanation of the Quran is Tafsir Ibn Jarir, Tafsir Ibn Kathir, and Tafsir al-Baghawi; these three are the best explanations of the Qurān (binbaz.org.sa).”

Ash-Shaykh Hammād al-Ansāri رحمه الله says:

Additionally, Surat al-Fatihah was explained by Ibn Qayyim رحمه الله, the student of Shaykhul-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله, in his famous book “Madārij as-Salikin Sharh Manāzil as-Sāirīn” (مدارج السالكين شرح منازل السائرين). This explanation has been extracted and published as a stand-alone publication.

The Names of Surah al-Fatiḥah

This great chapter of the Qurān is known by many names, and the fact that it has many names indicates its high standing. From those names is al-Fatiḥah or the Opening (الفاتحة), as it is the opening recitation within the salah and the opening chapter of the Qurān. Other names include the Exalted Qurān (القرآن العظيم), the Seven Oft-Repeated verses (السبع المثاني), the Cure (الشافية), and the Sufficient (الكافية).

It is known as Sufficient (الكافية) because if recited in the salah, there is no need to recite another chapter. Simultaneously, other chapters of the Quran do not suffice if al-Fatiḥah is not recited. If the Qurān was recited from Surah al-Baqarah to Surah an-Nas in a single rak’āh of the salah, the salah would still be invalid. On the other hand, if only Surah al-Fatihah were recited in the entire salah, your salah would be valid. This is why this chapter is called the Sufficient (الكافية).

Translator’s Note:

Surat al-Fātiḥah has many names:

1. As-Saba’ al-Mathāni (السبع المثاني) or “The Seven Oft-Repeated Verses”.

2. Al-Qurān al-Ażīm (لقرآن العظيما) or the “Exalted Qurān” (لقرآن العظيما).

The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ،‏‏ هِيَ السَّبْعُ الْمَثَانِي وَالْقُرْآنُ الْعَظِيمُ الَّذِي أُوتِيتُهُ

“All praise is for Allah, Lord of the worlds; it is the ‘Seven Oft-repeated’ verses and the ‘Exalted Qur’an’ that have been given to me.”

[Collected by Imām al-Bukhāri on the authority of Abu Sa’īd al-Mu’alla رضي الله عنه (h.4474).]

Understand that the conjunction “and” (وَ) in Arabic does not always connect phrases with different intents. At times, it connects a noun with an explanation or an example of that noun. Al-Imām al-Khattābi (died 388 H.) رحمه الله explains this ḥadīth:

“It is proof that what is intended here by the ‘Exalted Qurān’ is al-Fātiḥah itself and that the conjunction ‘and’ (وَ) does not connect two separate things. Instead, this conjunction joins between a thing and its explanation. This is like the statement of Allah تعالى:

فِيهِمَا فَاكِهَةٌ وَنَخْلٌ وَرُمَّانٌ ۝
In both will be fruit and palm trees and pomegranates.
[Surah Ar-Rahmān: 68]

(End of al-Khattābi’s speech.)

3. Fātiḥatul-Kitāb (فَاتِحَةُ الْكِتَاب) or “The Opening of the Book”

‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbās رضي الله عنهما narrates that an angel descended upon the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم while he was sitting with Jibrīl عليه السلام and said:

أَبْشِرْ بِنُورَيْنِ أُوتِيتَهُمَا لَمْ يُؤْتَهُمَا نَبِيٌّ قَبْلَكَ فَاتِحَةُ الْكِتَابِ وَخَوَاتِيمُ سُورَةِ الْبَقَرَةِ لَنْ تَقْرَأَ بِحَرْفٍ مِنْهُمَا إِلاَّ أُعْطِيتَهُ

“Rejoice that two lights have been given to you that were not given to any prophet before you: Fātiḥatul-Kitāb and the concluding verses of Surah al-Baqara. You will never recite a letter from them for which you will not be rewarded.”

[Sahih Muslim (6/91)]

‘Ubadah bin Sāmit رضي الله عنه narrates that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

لاَ صَلاَةَ لِمَنْ لَمْ يَقْرَأْ بِفَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَاب

“The salah is invalid for the one who does not recite Fātiḥatul-Kitāb.”

[Sahih al-Bukhāri (H.756)]

4. Ummul-Qurān (أم القرآن) or the “Mother of the Qurān”

Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه said that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

أُمُّ الْقُرْآنِ هِيَ السَّبْعُ الْمَثَانِي وَالْقُرْآنُ الْعَظِيمُ

“Ummul-Qurān is the seven oft-repeated verses and is the Exalted Qur’an.”

[Sahih al-Bukhāri (H.4704)]

5. Al-Hamd (الحمد) or the “Praise”

On the authority of Anas bin Mālik رضي الله عنه:

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَأَبَا بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ كَانُوا يَفْتَتِحُونَ الصَّلاَةَ بِالْحَمْد لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

“The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, Abu Bakr, and `Umar رضي الله عنهما used to start the prayer with “All praises are due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.”

[Sahih al-Bukhāri (H.743)]

6. As-Salāh (الصلاة) or the “Prayer”

Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه narrated that Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم:

قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: قَسَمْتُ الصَّلاَةَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ عَبْدِي نِصْفَيْنِ وَلِعَبْدِي مَا سَأَلَ فَإِذَا قَالَ الْعَبْدُ: ‏الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ،‏‏‏ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: حَمِدَنِي عَبْدِي

“Allah the Most High said: ؛I have divided the prayer into two halves between Me and My servant, and My servant will receive what he asks. When the servant says: Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the universe, Allah the Most High says: My servant has praised Me.'”

[Sahih Muslim (H.395)]

Lastly, al-Hāfiż Ibn Hajr al-‘Asqalāni (died 852 H.) رحمه الله said, “Al-Fātihah has other names that have been gathered from different narrations:

al-Kanz (الكنز) – The Treasure
al-Wāfiyah (الوافية) – The Sufficient
ash-Shāfiyah (الشافية) – The Cure
al-Kāfiyah (الكافية) – The Adequate
Surah al-Hamd (سورة الحمد) – Chapter of Praise
al-Hamdu lillāh (الحمد لله) – Praises for Allah
Surah as-Salat (سورة الصلاة) – Chapter of Prayer
Surah ash-Shifā (سورة الشفاء) – Chapter of Cure
al-Asās (الأساس) – The Foundation
Surah ash-Shukr (سورة الشكر) – Chapter of Thankfulness
Surah ad-Du’ā – Chapter of Supplication

Source: Tafsīr Surat al-Fātihah wa Bayān ma Tadamanathu min Anwa’ at-Tawhīd

Author: Shaykh Abu Abdil Latīf Hammād al-Ansāri رحمه الله

Translated and Additional Notes by Abu Hafsah Kashiff Khan