The Meaning of Al-Fatihah and its Various Names
This Surah is called Al-Fatihah, that is, the Opener of the Book, the Surah
with which prayers are begun. It is also called, Umm Al-Kitab (the Mother of the
Book), according to the majority of the scholars. In an authentic Hadith
recorded by At-Tirmidhi, who graded it Sahih, Abu Hurayrah said that the
Messenger of Allah said,
«الْحَمْدُ للهِ رَبَ
الْعَالَمِينَ أُمُّ الْقُرْآنِ وَأُمُّ الْكِتَابِ وَالسَّبْعُ الْمَثَانِي
وَالْقُرْآنُ الْعَظِيمُ»
(Al-Hamdu lillahi Rabbil-`Alamin is the Mother of the Qur'an, the Mother of
the Book, and the seven repeated Ayat of the Glorious Qur'an.)
It is also called Al-Hamd and As-Salah, because the Prophet said that his
Lord said,
«قَسَمْتُ الصَّلَاةَ
بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ عَبْدِي نِصْفَيْنِ، فَإِذَا قَالَ الْعَبْدُ:الْحَمْدُدِلله
رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ، قَالَ اللهُ: حَمِدَنِي عَبْدِي»
(`The prayer (i.e., Al-Fatihah) is divided into two halves between Me and My
servants.' When the servant says, `All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of
existence,' Allah says, 'My servant has praised Me.')
Al-Fatihah was called the Salah, because reciting it is a condition for the
correctness of Salah - the prayer. Al-Fatihah was also called Ash-Shifa' (the
Cure).
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