بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
I begin in the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Pickthall (1930): In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
Quran · Surah 1 · 7 ayat
Surah Al-Fatiha
The Opening
ٱلْفَاتِحَة
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About this surah
Al-Fatiha, "The Opening", is the first surah of the Quran and is listed as Meccan in the standard Hafs mushaf. It has seven ayat and is also called Umm al-Kitab, "the Mother of the Book", because Muslims see it as a summary of the whole Quran. It praises Allah, affirms that worship and help belong to Him alone, and asks for guidance on the straight path. Muslims recite it in every unit (rak'ah) of the daily prayers, so a practising Muslim says it at least seventeen times a day. Many Muslims also recite it at weddings, when beginning important work, and in prayers for the sick and the departed.
Praise of AllahWorship and help from Allah aloneThe Day of JudgementPrayer for guidance
Read the surah
Arabic exactly as in the Tanzil text, then a plain meaning in your language. The Arabic is never read by a machine voice; "Listen" reads only the meanings.
ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
All praise and thanks belong to Allah, the Lord who cares for and sustains all the worlds.
Pickthall (1930): Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds,
ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
He is the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Pickthall (1930): The Beneficent, the Merciful.
مَـٰلِكِ يَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ
He is the Master of the Day of Judgement, when every person will be repaid for what they did.
Pickthall (1930): Owner of the Day of Judgment,
إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ
You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help.
Pickthall (1930): Thee (alone) we worship; Thee (alone) we ask for help.
ٱهْدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٰطَ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ
Guide us along the straight path.
Pickthall (1930): Show us the straight path,
صِرَٰطَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ ٱلْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا ٱلضَّآلِّينَ
The path of those You have blessed, not of those who have earned Your anger, nor of those who have gone astray.
Pickthall (1930): The path of those whom Thou hast favoured; Not (the path) of those who earn Thine anger nor of those who go astray.
Quick quiz
How often do Muslims recite Al-Fatiha in the daily prayers?
How many ayat does Al-Fatiha have?
Which ayah says "You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help"?
What does ayah 4 call Allah?
What is another well-known name of Al-Fatiha?
Your score: 0 / 5
Tanzil Quran Text (Uthmani, Version 1.1), tanzil.net, CC BY 3.0, verbatim: tanzil.net. Marmaduke Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran (1930), public domain; text from English Wikisource. Al-Fatiha aligned to the Hafs count (basmala as verse 1, his verses 6 and 7 joined); Quraysh: his verses 4 and 5 joined.. Plain meanings, introductions and quiz: IndiaDigital, awaiting review by an Islamic scholar.
Corrections from members of every tradition are welcome at support@indiadigital.org. Last checked: .