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Al-Fatiha: Difference between revisions
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== | |||
Al-Fatiha (الْفَاتِحَة) or ''The Opening'' or ''The Opener'' is the first chapter, or [[surah]], of the [[Qur'an]]. It comprises seven verses and is recited at least once during each unit of each of the five daily Islamic [[prayers]]. | |||
Islamic sources are divided on when this chapter was [[Revelation|revealed]] to Muhammad, with Ibn Abbas arguing for a [[Mecca|Meccan]] descent and others a [[Medina|Medinan]] descent. | |||
==Text== | |||
'''1:1''' <font size="3">بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ</font> | '''1:1''' <font size="3">بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ</font> | ||
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The correct translation of <font size="3">دِّين</font>, ''dīn'' is "judgement". Compare Hebrew ''dīn'', "judgement, justice, law" from the root ''dyn'', "to judge". The meaning of ''dīn'' as "faith" is unique to Arabic. Perhaps it is best understood as "law", as <font size="3">إﻣان</font>, '' 'imān'', from the root '' 'mn'', means "faith". The Hebrew word for "faith" comes from the same root. | The correct translation of <font size="3">دِّين</font>, ''dīn'' is "judgement". Compare Hebrew ''dīn'', "judgement, justice, law" from the root ''dyn'', "to judge". The meaning of ''dīn'' as "faith" is unique to Arabic. Perhaps it is best understood as "law", as <font size="3">إﻣان</font>, '' 'imān'', from the root '' 'mn'', means "faith". The Hebrew word for "faith" comes from the same root. | ||
'''1:5''' | '''1:5''' The words إِيَّاك ('īyāka) and وإِيَّاكَ (wa'īyāka) have no clear translation and no fewer than three variants. Arthur Jeffrey located several Qur'ans with different readings and one without any version of this sura.<ref>Jeffrey, Author, "[http://www.answering-islam.org/Books/Jeffery/fatiha.htm A Variant Text of the Fatiha]"'', The Muslim World'', Volume 29 (1939), pp. 158-162.</ref> One of the variants is the pair حِيَّاك (ḥīyāka) and وإِيَّاكَ (wīyāaka). Jeffrey has stated that "[these] seem all to be independent attempts to interpret the unvoweled, unpointed skeleton term ([[w:rasm |rasm]]) that stood in the original codex." The most likely translation is a 2nd person masculine singular emphatic accusative (emphatic object). | ||
==Commentary== | ==Commentary== | ||
===In relation to positioning within the Qur'an=== | ===In relation to positioning within the Qur'an=== | ||
There are several indications that this text was a prayer prepended to the Qur'an, possibly to be recited before reading it. This prayer was almost certainly composed orally before the rest of the Qur'an was put to writing, and it likely changed over time. This prayer may not have been included in the recension that produced the current longest-to-shortest ordering of the suras. When the Qur'an was printed, the exact pronunciation had likely been forgotten, which would explain the ambiguity of 1:5. | |||
The | Unlike in every other surah of the Qur'an, Allah is referred to in the second person here, instead of the first-person perspective employed through most of the text. The surah's major textual variations sugggest that it was recorded after the period of "revelation." They also suggest that this surah fell into disuse and its pronunciation had to be reconstructed. | ||
This surah additionally violates the longest-to-shortest organization rule, and one variant lacks the[[w:basmala | basmala]], meaning it is unlikely to have originated here. | |||
===In relation to Jews and Christians=== | ===In relation to Jews and Christians=== | ||
The [[hadith]] literature | The [[hadith]] literature makes negative references to the Jews and Christians in connection with this surah.<ref>Sunan Abi Dawood, narrated by Adi ibn Hatim</ref><ref>Sunan al-Tirmidhi, narrated by Adi ibn Hatim</ref> | ||
Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan and Dr. Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali specify Jews and Christians within their translation of Ayah 6-7, which reads: | Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan and Dr. Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali specify Jews and Christians within their translation of Ayah 6-7, which reads: | ||
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To be genuine and effective, reconciliation between Muslims and those they refer to as 'People of the Book' (Jews and Christians), requires that Al-Fatihah and its meaning be discussed openly. That devout Muslims are daily declaring before Allah that Christians have gone astray and Jews are objects of divine wrath, must be considered a matter of central importance for interfaith relations. This is all the more so because the interpretation of verse 7 which relates it to Christians and Jews is soundly based upon the words of Muhammad himself. As Al-Fatihah is the daily worship of Muslims, and represents the very essence of Islam itself, the meaning of these words cannot be ignored or glossed over.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://blog.markdurie.com/2009/12/greatest-recitation-of-surat-al-fatiha.html |title=Greatest recitation of surat al fatiha |author=[[w:Mark Durie| Durie, Mark]] |date=3 December 2009|}}</ref>}} | To be genuine and effective, reconciliation between Muslims and those they refer to as 'People of the Book' (Jews and Christians), requires that Al-Fatihah and its meaning be discussed openly. That devout Muslims are daily declaring before Allah that Christians have gone astray and Jews are objects of divine wrath, must be considered a matter of central importance for interfaith relations. This is all the more so because the interpretation of verse 7 which relates it to Christians and Jews is soundly based upon the words of Muhammad himself. As Al-Fatihah is the daily worship of Muslims, and represents the very essence of Islam itself, the meaning of these words cannot be ignored or glossed over.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://blog.markdurie.com/2009/12/greatest-recitation-of-surat-al-fatiha.html |title=Greatest recitation of surat al fatiha |author=[[w:Mark Durie| Durie, Mark]] |date=3 December 2009|}}</ref>}} | ||
==See Also== | ==See Also== | ||
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==External Links== | ==External Links== | ||
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iti-dplakf4 The Greatest Recitation of Surat Al-Fatiha - Fahd Al Kanderi] | *[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iti-dplakf4 The Greatest Recitation of Surat Al-Fatiha - Fahd Al Kanderi] | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
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[[Category:Qur'an]] | [[Category:Qur'an]] | ||
[[Category:Salah (prayer)]] | |||