Introduction From The Book:

Surah Fatiha is a makki surah. The surahs and verses of the Qur'an that were revealed before the hijrah are called makki; the surahs and verses revealed after the Hijrah are called madani. Surah Fatiha was revealed in Makkah Mukarramah. Moreover, it is a surah which is recited many times a day in every salah. Why is this? What message does Allah want to give to us in Surah Fatiha? It is a surah that Allah praises within the Qur'an itself, stating in Surah Hijr:

"We have given you the seven oft-repeated verses and the glorious Qur'an."

The phrase 'seven oft-repeated verses' indicates Surah Fatiha, as these are the seven verses that are recited most often. In this manner, Allah (SWT) praises Surah Fatiha, announcing that He has revealed the 'seven oft-repeated verses', before mentioning the revelation of the rest of the 'Glorious Qur'an' - asserting that Surah Fatiha is equal to the rest of the Qur'an. This is indeed a magnificent surah.

It was also the very first surah to have been revealed in its entirety as a single revelation. It was most common that the Qur'an would be revealed in parts, with a few select verses of a surah revealed at a time, such as with the lengthy Surah Baqarah. There are also some surahs, which were revealed in their entirety within one revelation, such as those short surahs that are found in the 30th Juz. However, Surah Fatiha was the very first surah to be revealed in its entirety.

Prior to the revelation of Surah Fatiha, the first five verses of Surah `Alaq and parts of the surahs Muzzammil and Muddathir respectively were sent down in revelation. Thereafter, Allah (SWT) made the fulfillment of salah an obligatory act and upon giving this command, revealed Surah Fatiha.

About The Author

Shaykh Abdul Raheem hafizahullah is a graduate of Darul Uloom Bury. After graduating, he pursued further study at Mazāhir ul Uloom, Saharanpur (India). He also studied the science of Iftā (Islamic Jurisprudence and delivering verdicts on the rulings of Sharī’ah).

Shaykh has spent the last 30 years teaching and lecturing on the various texts which form the Dars Nizami Curriculum. He currently teaches at Darul Uloom Bury. Shaykh travels tirelessly around the country and around the world delivering talks in order to educate and rectify the Muslim community. He has also authored many books, articles and delivered many lectures.