.::kurniaan terindah : al-fatihah::.

Assalamualaikum W.B.T

Having even a little amount of academic stuffs after a long hiatus can make my brain jam...huhu. So I think I need to divert once again. This time, I hope it would be beneficial to all =)

Actually, just recently I learnt the tafseer of al-Fatihah. Though some of you might have heard / knew it by heart...I think there's no harm if I continue my sharing...in case we forgot ;)

Okay, let us start with the basic introduction of al-Fatihah. Al-Fatihah derives from Arabic word "fataha" which means "open". Therefore, al-Fatihah means "the opening". It could mean the opening of the Quran and it could also mean the key to the Quran itself. As Ibnu Qayyim puts it: "Allah has summarized all the previous Books in al-Quran and the whole content of al-Quran is summarized by surah al-Fatihah". Another significance of al-Fatihah is also evident in the event of Isra' and Mikraj when Allah says to the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h): "I give you the seven ayats (al-Fatihah) that I have never given to anyone before you". Therefore, it is undoubtful that al-Fatihah is a highly-valued gift from Allah to the Prophet and us, his ummah.

Al-Fatihah is also known by several other names such as "ummu-l-kitab", "al-hamd", "surat-us-solah", "asy-syifa'" and "asas-ul-quran".

The 3 main points in this surah are:

1. Foundations of Aqidah - rububiyyah, uluhiyyah & asma' wa sifat
   
2. Foundations of Islamic understanding
   
3. Ways to interact (tawajjuh) with Allah

And another amazing thing is that, Allah will answer every single verse that we recite...which is so sweet. Allah the Blessed and Exalted has said: "I have divided the prayer (i.e. surah al-Fatihah) between Myself and My servant, into twohalves: half of it is for Me and half of it is for My servant, and My servant shall have what he has asked for". I'll discuss about it later in the description of ayat =)

Okay, let me start from the beginning.

Verse 1: In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, and the Most Merciful.
In this verse, we could identify two attributes of Allah which are "ar-Rahman" and "ar-Rahim".
As we all know, "ar-Rahman" refers to Allah's love and mahabbah to all His creations while "ar-Rahim" specifically refers to his love to the Believers.

Verse 2: All praise and thanks are Allah's, the Lord of the 'Alamin (mankind, jinn and all that exists).
The word "alhamdulillah" itself carries a huge meaning. It means more than "asy-syukr".
While "asy-syukr" means appreciation, "alhamdulillah" means we appreciate, we give all praise to Him, we acknowledge His nikmat, and we think highly of Him.
The phrase "rabb-il-'alamin" on the other hand indicates the concept of tauhid rububiyyah.
And whenever we recite this verse, Allah will answer: "My servant has praised me".

Verse 3: The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The repetition of "ar-Rahman" and "ar-Rahim" indicates the significance of the two attributes of Allah in the process of interaction between us (the servant) and Allah (the Lord) --> (mahabbatullah).
And whenever we recite this verse, Allah will answer: "My servant has extolled me".

Verse 4: The Only Owner (and the Only Ruling Judge) of the Day of Recompense (i.e. the Day of Resurrection).
The word "malik" could means "the Only Owner (maalik)" or "the King (malik)". This again reflect the concept of tauhid asma' wa sifat.
And another lesson from this verse is that life doesn't end in this world because there will be the Day of Recompense.
And whenever we recite this verse, Allah will answer: "My servant has glorified me".

Verse 5: You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we asked for help.
In this ayat, the concept of submission in Islam is explained. It explores the concept of tauhid uluhiyyah - Allah as the Only One we worship.
The word "iyyaka" at the beginning means the "total submission" to Allah.
And this is the ayat that Ibnu Qayyim claims to summarize to whole content of al-Fatihah.
And whenever we recite this verse, Allah will answer: "This is between Me and My servant and My servant shall have what he asked for".

Verse 6 & 7: 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, nor of those who went astray.
In this ayat, we asked Allah to constantly lead us to the right path.
And whenever we recite this verse, Allah will answer: "All these are for My servant and My servant shall have what he asked for"

Hmm...I guess that's the end. I hope all of us could benefit from this sharing. You see, we recite al-Fatihah at least 17 times a day. Imagine how close we are with Allah...if we ever think about it. InsyaAllah, let us all pray together that all the solat we have performed all this while are accepted...aminn....

"......and We are nearer to him than his jugular vein" (50:16)

Salam~