Al-Fatiha: Difference between revisions

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 revealed to Muhammad, with Ibn Abbas arguing for a Meccan descent and others a Medinan descent.

Text

1:1 بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

1:2 الْحَمْدُ للّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

1:3 الرَّحْمـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

1:4 مَـالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ

1:5 إِيَّاك نَعْبُدُ وإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ

1:6 اهدِنَــــا الصِّرَاطَ المُستَقِيمَ

1:7 صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنعَمتَ عَلَيهِمْ غَيرِ المَغضُوبِ عَلَيهِمْ وَلاَ الضَّالِّينَ

Transliteration

1:1 Bi-smi-llāhi -r-raḥmāni -r-raḥīm(i)

1:2 Al-ḥamdu -li-llāhi rabbi -l-`ālamīn(a)

1:3 Ar-raḥmāni -r-raḥīm(i)

1:4 Māliki yawmi -d-dīn(i)

1:5 'Iyyāka na`budu wa-'iyyāka nasta`īn(u)

1:6 Ihdinā -ṣ-ṣirāṭa -l-mustaqīm(a)

1:7 Ṣirāṭa -l-laḏīna 'an`amta `alayhim ġayri-l-maġḍūbi `alayhim wa-lā -ḍ-ḍāllīn(a)^[1]

Word-for-Word Translation

1:1 In-name-GEN-of Allah-GEN-of the-merciful-GEN the-compassionate-(GEN)

1:2 The-praise-NOM to-Allah-GEN lord-GEN-of the-world-PL-OBL

1:3 The-merciful-GEN the-compassionate-(GEN)

1:4 Ruler-GEN-of day-GEN-of the-judgement-(GEN)

1:5 ? serve-IMPF-2PL and-? <implore for help>-IMPF-2PL

1:6 Guide-IMPR-2S-OBJ-2PL the-path-ACC-of the-straight-ACC

1:7 Path-ACC-of the-<those who>-2M.PL favor-PERF-2M.S upon-OBJ-2M.PL <other than>-GEN anger-PART-PASS-S-GEN upon-OBJ-2M.PL and-not the-<gone astray>-PL-OBL

English Translation

1:1 In the name of Allah, the merciful and compassionate

1:2 Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds

1:3 The merciful and compassionate

1:4 Ruler of the day of judgment

1:5 [It is thee] we serve and [it is thee] we implore for help

1:6 Guide us to (or show us) the path of the straight (i.e., righteous)

1:7 Path of those whom you favor, not those who anger you and not those who have gone astray

Translation notes

1:1 In بِسْمِ اللّهِ, "In the name of Allah", the basmala, the word "the" is implied. This would read well as "By the name of Allah".

1:2 Arabic generally does not use the copula, so the subjunctive "be" is implied.

1:3 This is a repetition of the last two words (not counting the definite articles) of 1:1.

1:4 مَـالِكِ ("ruler") can also be translated as "slave-master". Its use of the genitive indicates that it is a continuation of 1:3. The correct translation of دِّين, 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 إﻣان, 'imān, from the root 'mn, means "faith". The Hebrew word for "faith" comes from the same root.

1:5 Already we have an ambiguity in the Qur'an. 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.^[2] One of the variants is the pair حِيَّاك (ḥīyāka) and وإِيَّاكَ (wīyāaka). "[These] seem all to be independent attempts to interpret the unvoweled, unpointed skeleton term (rasm) that stood in the original codex." (Jeffrey) The most likely translation is a 2nd person masculine singular emphatic accusative (emphatic object).

Variant Texts

As mentioned in Translation Notes, 1:5, Arthur Jeffrey identified several variant texts of this sura. Each has a very different wording, but all express similar sentiments.

Commentary

In relation to positioning within the Qur'an

Several lines of evidence converge to show that this was a prayer prepended to the Qur'an, perhaps to be said before reading it. This prayer was almost certainly composed orally before the rest of the Qur'an was put to writing, and 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 as it clearly and prominently breaks this model. When the Qur'an was printed the exact pronunciation had likely been forgotten, which would explain the ambiguity of 1:5.

The lines of evidence to support this hypothesis are:

1. Unlike every other surah, Allah is in the second person. That is, Allah is spoken to. It would be bizarre for the supposed divine author of a revelatory work to speak to himself, particularly, to pledge to serve and seek help from himself.

2. The major textual variations indicate that this surah was recorded after the period of "revelation". Moreover, they indicate that this surah fell into disuse and its pronunciation had to be reconstructed.

3. This surah violates the longest-to-shortest organization rule.

One variant lacks the basmala, so it is unlikely to have originated in this surah.

In relation to Jews and Christians

The hadith literature makes negative references to the Jews and Christians in connection with this surah.^[3][4]

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: Guide us to the Straight Way. The Way of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace, not (the way) of those who earned Your Anger (such as the Jews), nor of those who went astray (such as the Christians).

Dr. Zohurul Hoque's commentary on Ayah 5-7 reads:

Dr. Mark Durie, the author of The Third Choice: Islam, Dhimmitude and Freedom, comments:

See Also

• The Origins of the Qur'an
• Organization of the Qur'an

External Links

• The Greatest Recitation of Surat Al-Fatiha - Fahd Al Kanderi

References