سُوۡرَةُ الفَاتِحَة
بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ (١)
ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَـٰلَمِينَ (٢) ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ (٣) مَـٰلِكِ يَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ (٤) إِيَّاكَ نَعۡبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسۡتَعِينُ (٥) ٱهۡدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٲطَ ٱلۡمُسۡتَقِيمَ (٦) صِرَٲطَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنۡعَمۡتَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ غَيۡرِ ٱلۡمَغۡضُوبِ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا ٱلضَّآلِّينَ (٧)All gratitude is due only to Allah, the Lord1 of the vastness of the universe2, Who is infinitely Merciful, Whose mercy extends forever, the Owner3 of the Day of Judgment. (1 – 3)
[Lord,] Only You do we worship and only You do we turn for help. Guide us in adhering to the straight path; the path of those upon whom you showered your blessings, not [the path] of those who [ – due to their disobedience and transgressions – ] became deserving of your wrath4 and neither of those who [, due to their own additions in Your guidance,] went astray5. (4 – 6)
Note: The opening chapter of the Qur’an – Al-Faatihah – is a comprehensive supplication seeking God’s guidance for the eternal success in the hereafter. Due to its extra-ordinary significance, which is apparent from its content and subject matter, this supplication is one of the permanent parts of our daily prayers.
The last part of the supplication is to remind ourselves the right spirit with which God’s guidance should be followed. It is to remind ourselves that for our eternal success in the hereafter, we should neither be guilty of disobedience and transgression toward the guidance that God has given us nor should we add anything to this corpus of our own accord.
- The literal meaning of the word ‘Rubb‘ is Provider. The implication of ‘Lord’ is basically an extension on the meaning of ‘Provider’. [↩]
- The Arabic word ‘`aalameen‘ is the plural form of the word ‘`aalam‘ meaning ‘world’. In the Arabic language, plural form may, if the words or the context so require, denote the vastness or the greatness or the enormity of a thing, as it denotes the plurality of number. [↩]
- i.e. the Sole Authority. [↩]
- According to the Qur’an one can become deserving of God’s wrath due to one’s disobedience and transgressions. Thus, becoming deserving of God’s wrath involves an element of intentionally straying from God’s path by ignoring His directives. [↩]
- According to the Qur’an, straying from the right path does not necessarily involve an element of transgression on one’s part. One may stray from the right path due merely to an incorrect interpretation of a directive. [↩]