Surah Al-Fatihah — Read the Full Surah in Arabic (Hafs ‘an ‘Asim)

About Surah Al-Fatihah

Surah Al-Fatihah is the first surah in the order of the Quran and contains 7 verses. The strongest opinion is that it is Meccan. It is the greatest surah in the Quran, as authentically reported from the Prophet (ﷺ) — the Mother of the Book that gathers the central themes of the Quran: tawhid, worship, seeking help, and guidance.

Allah has distinguished this surah with qualities not gathered in any other: it is a pillar of every rakah of every prayer; it is a beneficial ruqyah by Allah’s leave; and Allah’s portioning between Himself and His servant takes place in it, as in the hadith qudsi narrated by Muslim. It has many names in the Quran tradition: al-Fatihah, Umm al-Quran, Umm al-Kitab, as-Sab‘ al-Mathani, ash-Shifa, and ar-Ruqyah.

The text shown on this page is according to Hafs ‘an ‘Asim, the recitation adopted in most of the Muslim world, in the Uthmani script of the Madinah mushaf. In this recitation, “Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim” is counted as the first verse of the surah.

The Virtues of Surah Al-Fatihah

1. The greatest surah in the Quran

Abu Sa‘id ibn al-Mu‘alla (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “I was praying in the mosque when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) called me, but I did not answer him. Then I came to him and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, I was praying.’ He said, ‘Did Allah not say: “O you who believe! Respond to Allah and the Messenger”?’ Then he said to me: ‘I will teach you a surah that is the greatest surah in the Quran before you leave the mosque… “Al-hamdu lillahi rabbi al-‘alamin” — it is the Seven Oft-Repeated and the Magnificent Quran that I have been given.’ (Bukhari).

2. Nothing like it was revealed in earlier scriptures

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (ﷺ) said to Ubayy ibn Ka‘b: “By the One in whose hand my soul is, nothing was revealed in the Torah, the Gospel, the Psalms, or the Furqan like it. It is the Seven Oft-Repeated and the Magnificent Quran that I have been given.” (Tirmidhi and Nasa’i, authenticated by al-Albani.)

3. A pillar — the prayer is not valid without it

‘Ubadah ibn as-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “There is no prayer for the one who does not recite Al-Fatihah” (Bukhari and Muslim). According to the strongest scholarly opinion, no obligatory or supererogatory prayer is valid without the recitation of Al-Fatihah in every rakah.

4. A healing and a ruqyah by Allah’s leave

Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that a group of the Prophet’s (ﷺ) Companions used Surah Al-Fatihah to recite over the chief of a tribe who had been stung by a scorpion, and he was cured by Allah’s leave. When the Prophet (ﷺ) heard of it, he approved and said: “How did you know it was a ruqyah?” Then he said: “You did right. Divide [the payment] and assign me a share with you” (Bukhari).

5. Divided between Allah and His servant

In the magnificent hadith qudsi narrated by Muslim from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Allah said: “I have divided the prayer between Myself and My servant into two halves, and My servant shall have what he asked for. When the servant says, ‘All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds,’ Allah says, ‘My servant has praised Me.’ When he says, ‘The Most Merciful, the Especially Merciful,’ Allah says, ‘My servant has glorified Me…’” (Muslim).

Brief Tafsir of the Verses of Al-Fatihah

1. Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim

Opening with the greatest names of Allah — with which the servant begins every matter of importance. Ar-Rahman: vast in mercy. Ar-Rahim: the One who extends His mercy to His believing servants.

2. Al-hamdu lillahi rabbi al-‘alamin

Complete praise for Allah with all attributes of perfection, for His apparent and hidden blessings. He is the Lord of everything — its Creator, Owner, and Sustainer.

3. Ar-Rahman ar-Rahim

A repetition of the description of mercy after the name “Lord” — to remind the servant that his Lord’s mercy encompasses all things, so he never despairs of Allah’s mercy no matter how many times he errs.

4. Maliki yawm ad-din

Allah alone is the absolute Owner on the Day of Judgment — the day of reckoning and recompense. There is no intercession except by His leave, and no one shares ownership with Him.

5. Iyyaka na‘budu wa iyyaka nasta‘in

The fronting of the object “You alone” conveys exclusivity: we worship You alone, and we seek help from You alone. This verse gathers the two foundations of the religion: the oneness of worship and the oneness of seeking help.

6. Ihdina as-sirat al-mustaqim

A supplication for guidance to the path of truth — Islam. The servant asks this in every rakah because he is in need of guidance at every moment of his life.

7. Sirat alladhina an‘amta ‘alayhim ghayr al-maghdubi ‘alayhim wa la ad-dallin

The Straight Path is the path of the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous. The servant then seeks refuge from the path of those who knew the truth and opposed it (those who incurred wrath), and from the path of those who were ignorant of the truth and went astray (the misguided).

Tips for Reflection and Memorization

Reflect that you are saying in every prayer, “You alone we worship and You alone we ask for help” — do you truly worship Him and seek His help alone?
Feel that Allah is responding to you in every prayer: “My servant has praised Me, My servant has glorified Me, My servant has exalted Me.”
Every Muslim memorizes it from childhood, but what is needed now is to reflect on it, not just to memorize it.
Recite it as a legitimate ruqyah for yourself or someone you love, by Allah’s leave.
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Frequently Asked Questions

How many verses are in Surah Al-Fatihah?

Surah Al-Fatihah contains 7 verses and is the first surah in the order of the mushaf. “Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim” is its first verse according to the recitation of Hafs ‘an ‘Asim, which is the standard recitation in the mushafs of most of the Muslim world.

Why is Surah Al-Fatihah named “The Opening”?

It is called Al-Fatihah (“The Opening”) because the Quran is opened with it, and the prayer is opened with it. It has many other names, including: Umm al-Quran (Mother of the Quran), Umm al-Kitab (Mother of the Book — because it gathers the central themes of the Quran), as-Sab‘ al-Mathani (the Seven Oft-Repeated, because its seven verses are repeated in every prayer), as-Salah (the Prayer), ash-Shifa (the Healing), ar-Ruqyah (the Healing Recitation), al-Kafiyah, and al-Wafiyah.

What is the virtue of Surah Al-Fatihah?

Surah Al-Fatihah is the greatest surah in the Quran. The Prophet (ﷺ) said to Abu Sa‘id ibn al-Mu‘alla: “I will teach you a surah that is the greatest surah in the Quran before you leave the mosque… ‘All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds’ — it is the Seven Oft-Repeated and the Magnificent Quran that I have been given” (Bukhari). It is also reported that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Nothing was revealed in the Torah or the Gospel like the Mother of the Quran” (Tirmidhi and Nasa’i).

Is reciting Al-Fatihah a pillar of the prayer?

Yes. Reciting Surah Al-Fatihah is a pillar of the prayer; the prayer is not valid without it according to the strongest scholarly opinion, based on the Prophet’s (ﷺ) words: “There is no prayer for the one who does not recite Al-Fatihah” (Bukhari and Muslim). It must be recited in every rakah of every prayer.

Can Al-Fatihah be used for ruqyah (healing)?

Yes. It is established in Sahih al-Bukhari that Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) recited Surah Al-Fatihah over a man stung by a scorpion and he was cured by Allah’s leave. When the Prophet (ﷺ) heard of it, he approved and said: “How did you know it was a ruqyah?” Then he said: “You did right. Divide [the payment] and assign me a share with you.” This is evidence that ruqyah with it is permissible.

Is “Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim” a verse of Al-Fatihah?

In Al-Fatihah specifically, “Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim” is the first verse by the agreement of the Ten Reciters, and that is the basis of the verse-numbering in the Madinah mushaf in the recitation of Hafs ‘an ‘Asim. Scholars differ on whether it is a verse at the start of every surah; the position of the majority is that it is an independent verse used to separate the surahs (except for Surah at-Tawbah).

What is the meaning of the prayer being divided between Allah and His servant?

In a hadith qudsi: “Allah said: I have divided the prayer between Myself and My servant into two halves, and My servant shall have what he asked for. When the servant says, ‘All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds,’ Allah says, ‘My servant has praised Me…’” (Muslim). This means that half of Al-Fatihah is praise of Allah and the other half is supplication and request from the servant — one of the greatest secrets of Al-Fatihah.

What is the “Straight Path”?

The Straight Path (as-Sirat al-Mustaqim) is Islam — the path of truth without deviation, the path of the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous. The Prophet (ﷺ) explained it as the Book of Allah. Asking for guidance to it in every rakah shows the servant’s constant need for Allah to keep him firm on the truth.

Who are “those who incurred wrath” and “those who went astray”?

The Prophet (ﷺ) explained “those who incurred wrath” as the Jews (who knew the truth and opposed it), and “those who went astray” as the Christians (who deviated from the truth out of ignorance). The verse teaches the Muslim to ask Allah for protection from these two pitfalls: knowledge without action, and action without knowledge.

Was Surah Al-Fatihah revealed in Makkah or Madinah?

The strongest opinion held by the majority of commentators is that Surah Al-Fatihah is Meccan — revealed to the Prophet (ﷺ) in Makkah in the early years of his mission. Some say it was revealed twice. A minority held that it is Medinan or partly Medinan, but the first opinion is the most widely accepted and the strongest.

How long does it take to recite Surah Al-Fatihah?

Surah Al-Fatihah takes about a minute to recite at a moderate pace. It is short and easy to memorize — every Muslim memorizes it from childhood because it is a pillar of every rakah of every prayer.

Surah Al-Fatihah — The Mother of the Book and the Seven Oft-Repeated Verses