الفاتحة
Surah Al-Fatihah (الفاتحة) - Transliteration, Translation and Audio
Chapter 1 of the Quran, 7 verses, "The Opening"
Surah Al-Fatihah Transliteration and English Translation
- 1
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Bismillaahir Rahmaanir Raheem
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
- 2
ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ
Alhamdu lillaahi Rabbil 'aalameen
[All] praise is [due] to Allah, Lord of the worlds -
- 3
ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Ar-Rahmaanir-Raheem
The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful,
- 4
مَٰلِكِ يَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ
Maaliki Yawmid-Deen
Sovereign of the Day of Recompense.
- 5
إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ
Iyyaaka na'budu wa lyyaaka nasta'een
It is You we worship and You we ask for help.
- 6
ٱهْدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٰطَ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ
Ihdinas-Siraatal-Mustaqeem
Guide us to the straight path -
- 7
صِرَٰطَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ ٱلْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا ٱلضَّآلِّينَ
Siraatal-lazeena an'amta 'alaihim ghayril-maghdoobi 'alaihim wa lad-daaalleen
The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray.
About Surah Al-Fatihah
Surah Al-Fatihah (Arabic: الفاتحة), meaning "The Opening", is the first chapter of the Quran and has 7 verses. Most commentators hold it was revealed in Makkah, though some reports place it in Madinah; on the majority view it came early in the mission of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). At its heart is the bond between the servant and his Lord: praise, worship and a plea for guidance.
It opens with praise of Allah, Lord of the worlds, the Most Merciful and Master of the Day of Judgment. It then turns to the pledge "It is You we worship and You we ask for help" and closes with a request to be guided to the straight path, the path of those Allah has favored, not of those who earned His anger or went astray. It is known as Umm al-Kitab (the Mother of the Book) and as the seven oft-repeated verses, and Sahih al-Bukhari records the Prophet calling it the greatest surah in the Quran. Because it is recited in every unit of the prayer, it is the passage a Muslim repeats most often, and it is usually the first surah a child or a new Muslim memorizes.
Main Themes of Surah Al-Fatihah
- Praise of Allah as Lord of all the worlds
- Allah's mercy and His mastery of the Day of Judgment
- Worshipping Allah alone and seeking help from Him alone
- The daily plea for guidance to the straight path
Listen to Surah Al-Fatihah with Audio-Synced Transliteration
Play Surah Al-Fatihah and follow the Arabic text and Latin transliteration as each verse is recited. You can adjust the speed or loop a verse range for practice.
Frequently Asked Questions About Surah Al-Fatihah
- Why is Surah Al-Fatihah recited in every prayer?
- The Prophet (peace be upon him) said that there is no prayer for the one who does not recite the Opening of the Book, a hadith recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. For this reason the majority of scholars treat reciting it as a pillar of every unit of prayer, while the Hanafi school holds that the essential minimum is any recitation of the Quran and treats Al-Fatihah as a required (wajib) part of the prayer.
- What are the other names of Surah Al-Fatihah?
- It is called Umm al-Kitab and Umm al-Quran (the Mother of the Book and of the Quran) because it gathers the core meanings of the Quran in a few lines. It is also known as As-Sab al-Mathani, the seven oft-repeated verses, a name the Prophet (peace be upon him) linked to it in a hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari, and scholars have also used names such as Al-Hamd (the Praise).
- Can Surah Al-Fatihah be recited for healing (ruqyah)?
- Yes. Sahih al-Bukhari records that a Companion recited Al-Fatihah over a tribal chief who had been stung, and the man recovered. When told of it, the Prophet (peace be upon him) approved and asked how he had known that it was a ruqyah, so Muslims recite it when seeking healing from Allah.