Surah Al-Fatiha is translated as “The Opener”. This is the first surah of the Quran, opening the Book, and the entire Quran is based in it, as if in a folded form.
Surah Fatiha is the center of the Quran; the entire Quran is encrypted in it.
The Messenger of Allah (S) said: “There is no prayer except with the Fatiha”. Every believer reads it at least 10 times a day (that is, in five obligatory prayers).
This surah begins with Tawhid and praise of the Almighty, then goes on to describe Ahl Al-Bayt (A) and the path of the believer. As we will also say, the “straight path” in Surah Fatiha is none other than the wilayah of Ahl Al-Bayt (A).
And it is significant that there are 140 letters in the Surah Fatiha, which corresponds to the value of the Immaculate – fourteen, multiplied by ten. This Surah has several names: “Fatiha” (“The Opener”), “Hamd” (“Praise”), “Ummu l-Kitab” (“Mother of the Book”). The expression “Mother of the Book” is used both in the hadiths and in the Quran itself: “Indeed, he is in the Matter of the Book with Us – Ali the Wise” (43:4).
And this is the commander of the believers (A) in material books (that is, in the Surah Fatiha), namely – in the words “straight path”. In all the hadiths it continues that the “straight path” in the Surah Fatiha is Ali (A). The meaning of the “Fatiha” as “Ummu l-Kitab” (“Mother of the Book”) is, firstly, that it stands at the beginning of the Quran. Secondly, it is that the “Fatiha” contains the entire Quran, all of its contents, in a short form.
The relationship of the “Fatiha” to the entire Quran corresponds to the appeal of the “small world” (microcosmic scale) to the “large world” (macrocosmic scale). Therefore, the Fatiha contains the entire Quran. Since the Book corresponds to the Universe, it is a written Book and the Book of Genesis. In a short form, the Fatiha also contains the entire Universe as well.
There are āyahs in the Quran, and there are āyahs in the Universe. There is the Fatiha of the Quran, and there is the Fatiha of the universe (and this is Ahl Al-Bayt (A) ). There is the letter “bah” at the beginning of the Fatiha, and there is “bah” at the beginning of existence.
Imam Ali (A) says: “I am a dot under the bah”.
Just as the Quran begins with dots, so does the entire Universe. This Universe has the First Light — the Light of Ahl Al-Bayt (A).
Sheikh Tusi reported from Muhammad ibn Muslim:
I asked Imam Sadiq (A) about the words of Allah: “seven repeated” (15:87): “Is this Surah Fatihah?”
He said: “Yes.”
And I asked: “Do the words “in the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful” apply to it?”
He said: “Yes, and these are the best of its words”.
(Tahzib, Vol. 2, P. 289).
That is, Muhammad ibn Muslim asks Imam Sadiq (A) about the 87th verse of Surah “Hijr”:
“We have given you seven repeated ones and the great Quran” (15:87)…
…And the Imam (A) replies that “seven repeated ones” is Fatihah.
Why? Because the Fatiha consists of seven verses, and it is repeated in the first two rak’ahs of every prayer.
Another explanation of Allah’s words about the “seven repeating” is that, as we said, there is a written Book – and there is the Book of Genesis, and one corresponds to the other. Therefore, in the Book of Genesis, the “seven repeated ones” are Ahl Al-Bayt, the Fourteen Infallible (fourteen is the repetition of seven twice). And the names of the Infallible (A) are seven, and some of them were repeated: Muhammad, Ali, Fatima, Hasan, Hussein, Musa, Ja’far.
Sheikh Tusi also reported that Imam Sadiq (A) said:
The words “bismillahi rrahmani rrahim” (“in the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful”) are closer to the greatest name of Allah than the pupil is to the eye.
(Tahzib, Vol. 2, Page 289).
The words “bismillahi rrahmani rrahim” are the first verse of Surah Fatiha and the first verse of the Quran. We will analyze it in detail later, and among other things, we will discuss the meaning of the Imam’s words that “bismillahi rrahmani rrahim” (“in the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful”) is closer to the greatest name of Allah than the pupil is to the eye.
Sheikh Saduq narrated from Imam Reza (A) from his fathers (A) from Ali ibn Abi Talib (A) that he said:
The words “in the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful” are an verse of Surah Al-Fatiha. This Surah consists of seven verses and will not be complete without the words “in the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful”.
***
I heard the Messenger of Allah (S) say: “Allah said to me: ‘We have given you the seven repeatables and the great Quran” (15:87) And He gave me Surah Al-Fatiha, placing it at the beginning of the Quran. Indeed, Surah Al-Fatiha is better than the treasures of the Throne”. And so, Allah singled out and endowed Muhammad (S) with this Surah, and did not make any of the Prophets a partner in it with him except Sulayman (A), to whom He gave from it the words “In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful” .
***
Allah narrated the words of Balqis: “O noble, a letter of honor has been sent to me. It is from Sulayman, and it is in the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful” (27:29-30). Whoever reads this Surah, being convinced of the guidance of Muhammad (S) and his pure family, obeying their commands, believing in their hidden and obvious, Allah will grant him good for every letter, and every letter in it is better for him than this entire near world with all its wealth and pleasures. And everyone who listens to it will receive the same reward as the one who reads it. So let each of you make the most of this goodness that has been given to you! This is a gift: do not miss it, otherwise your hearts will be plunged into despair!”
(“Uyun akhbar reza”, volume 1, p. 270).
Sheikh Qulayni reported that Imam Sadiq (A) said:
If Surah Fatiha is recited over a dead person seventy times, and Allah then returns his spirit to him, do not be surprised.
(Al-Kafi, Vol. 2, P. 623).
Surah Fatiha has such power. However, this concerns its true recitation with all the necessary prerequisites and conditions, and only the Imam of the time (A) has them.
He also reported that Imam Sadiq (A) said:
If Surah Fatiha is recited over an illness (or pain) seventy times, it will calm down.
(Al-Kafi, Vol. 2, P. 623).
He also reported that Imam Baqir (A) said:
Whoever Surah Fatiha does not heal, nothing will heal him.
(Al-Kafi, Vol. 2, P. 623).
Sheikh Saduq reported that Imam Sadiq (A) said:
The Greatest Name of Allah is scattered in the Mother of the Book (i.e., in Surah Fatiha).
(Sawabu al-Amal, Page 132).
“The Greatest Name of Allah” is the reality of Ahl Al-Bayt (A), and Surah Fatiha is closely connected with the reality of Ahl Al-Bayt (A).
Ali ibn Ibrahim reported that Imam Sadiq (A) said:
Iblis let out a plaintive cry twice: when Allah sent the Prophet (S) after a period of time during which there were no messengers, and when the Mother of the Book (Surah Fatiha) was revealed.
(Tafsir Qummi, Vol. 1, Page 38).
Muhammad ibn Sinan narrated from Imam Kazim (A):
Imam Sadiq (A) asked Abu Hanifa: “Which surah has its beginning in praise, its middle in sincerity, and its end in supplication?” He did not know what to answer.
Imam Sadiq (A) said: “The surah whose beginning is praise, its middle in sincerity, and its end in supplication is Surah Fatiha”.
(Tafsir Ayashi, Vol. 1, Page 33).
Yunus ibn Abdurrahman narrated that he asked Imam Sadiq (A) about the verse:
“We have given you seven repeatable verses and the great Quran” (15:87). He said: “This is Surah Fatiha, which consists of seven verses, including“ in the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful”. They are called “repeatable” because they are repeated in the first two rak’ahs of the prayer”.
(Tafsir Ayashi, Vol. 1, P. 33).
From Ismail ibn Abbas that the Messenger of Allah (S) said to Jabir ibn Abdullah Ansari:
“O Jabir, should I not inform you of the best surah that Allah has revealed in His Book?”
He said: “O yes.” Then the Messenger of Allah (S) recited to him the surah “Fatiha.”
He said: “O Jabir, should I not inform you of it?”
He said: “Yes, O Messenger of Allah!” He said: “It is a cure for all diseases except death.”
(Tafsir Ayashi, Vol. 1, P. 34).
From Abu Bakr Hazrami that Imam Sadiq (A) said:
If you have a need and ask Allah, then recite Surah Fatiha and some other Surah, then perform two rak’ahs of prayer and ask Allah.
(Tafsir Ayashi, Vol. 1, P. 34).
From Isa ibn Abdullah that the Commander of the Believers Ali (A) was told:
“People do not recite the verse “in the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,” and do not consider it an verse of the Quran.” He said: “This is an verse of the Book of Allah. Shaytan made them forget it”.
(Tafsir by Ayashi, Vol. 1, P. 35).
From Khalid ibn Mukhtar that Imam Sadiq (A) said:
What is wrong with them – may Allah kill them! – that they left out the best verse in the Book of Allah and think that reciting it out loud is bid’ah?! And this is “in the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful”.
(“Tafsir” of Ayashi, Vol. 1, P. 35).
Sheikh Tusi reported that Imam Sadiq (A) said:
If someone falls ill, let him recite Surah Fatiha seven times. If the illness does not go away, then let him recite it seventy times, and I guarantee him recovery.
(“Amali” of Tusi, Vol. 1, P. 290).
The Messenger of Allah (S) said:
Whoever recites “Bismillahi ar-Rahmani ar-Rahim” (“In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful”) and knows the sanctity and greatness of these words, Allah will build for him in Paradise seventy thousand palaces of red ruby, in each palace seventy thousand houses of white pearl, in each house seventy thousand couches of green emerald, over each couch seventy thousand canopies of silk and brocade. And He will give him as wives houris on whom crowns are made of pearls and rubies. On their right cheeks is written: “Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”, on their left cheeks is written: “Ali is the wali of Allah”, on their foreheads – “Hasan”, on their chins – “Hussein”, on their lips – “In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful”.
(Jami Akhbar, p. 42).