Surah Fatiha

Surah Al-Fatiha, also known as “The Opening,” is the first chapter of the Quran. It is considered to be the greatest surah in the Quran and is seen as a precise table of contents of the Qur’anic message because some scholars of exegesis have stated that this chapter is a summary of the whole Quran. Its seven verses are regularly recited at the start of every unit (rak’ah) of prayer, and this is why one of its names is “The Seven Oft-Repeated Verses.” The ritual five daily prayers without it are considered invalid. It has other names as well, such as “The Mother of the Book,” “The Cure,” “The Commendation (Hamd),” and others1. Surah Al-Fatiha is essentially like a prayer, and it’s quite symbolic that it is right at the beginning of the Quran. It almost serves as a preface to the Quran, showing that the Holy Book caters to people who are seeking the truth2.