This article mentions some aspects on how to bring Surah Fatiha into your life. Along with that, reflections on Surah Fatiha and some words expounded upon. This is all based on Tadabur wa Amal. Tadabur Wa Amal is a tafsir of the Quran that primarily focuses on how to bring the Quran into your life. This book extracts Quranic actions from the verses so the reader can bring the divine light of the Quran into his life. This will enable the reader to be guided in all aspects of his life.
Section 1: Reflections
١- هذه السورة مقسمة بين الله وعبده؛ فـ﴿إياك نعبد﴾ مع ما قبلها لله، ﴿وإياك نستعين﴾ مع ما بعدها للعبد، فتأمل، ﴿إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ﴾
٢- لن تعبد الله حق العبادة حتى يعينك الله على ذلك، ﴿إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ﴾
٣- الحذر من اتباع منهج اليهود: ﴿تقديم الهوى على الشرع﴾﴿ٱلْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ﴾ومن منهج النصارى: ﴿العبادة بالبدعة والجهل﴾، ﴿وَلَا ٱلضَّآلِّينَ﴾
- This surah is divided between Allah and his servants- (إياك نعبد) and that which is before it, is for Allah; (وإياك نستعين), and that which is after it, is for the servant. Ponder and reflect over this.
- You will never worship Allah the way he deserves to be worshipped unless Allah assists you in doing so. ‘You alone do we worship and you alone we seek help’.
- This Surah contains a warning from following the ways of the Jews and the Christians. The Jews put their desires in front of the legislated laws, ‘The anger of Allah is upon them’, whereas the Christians worshipped with innovation and ignorance, ‘And nor those who have been misled’.
Section 2: Quranic Actions
* العمل بالآيات
١- . ادع الله، وابدأ الدعاء بالحمد والثناء عليه سبحانه كما ابتدأت سورة الفاتحة، ثم اسأله ما تريد كما ختمت السورة،﴿﴾ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ﴾ ،﴿ٱهْدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٰطَ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ﴾
٢- سورة الفاتحة أعظم سورة في القرآن وأكثر سورة تقرأها، اقرأ تفسيرها من أحد التفاسير وأكثر من تدبر آياتها، ﴿بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ (١) ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ﴾، الآيات … إلى آخر السورة.
٣- حدد مجموعة من أهل الخير والصلاح وأكثر من مصاحبتهم ومجالستهم، ﴿صِرَٰطَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ﴾
- Make Dua to Allah, beginning with his praise just as is done in the beginning of Surah Fatiha. Thereafter, ask Allah for what you wish, as is done at the end of the Surah. [Surah Fatiha starts with the praise of Allah, thus we should start our dua with the praise of Allah. Following this, we should send salutations on our beloved Prophet ﷺ, then ask Allah for our needs. This is how Allah has taught us to make dua in this noble surah].
- Surah Fatiha is the most virtuous Surah in the Qur’an and the one that is the most recited. Read its explanation from one of the [reliable] tafsirs, and ponder greatly over its verses.
- Locate the group of those who do good and have rectified themselves. Accompany these people in abundance and hold fast to their gatherings – ‘The path of those that you have favoured’. [Accompany the Ulama and sit in their gatherings as the Ulama are the inheritors of the prophets].
Section 3: Meanings
﴿بِسْمِ اللَّهِ﴾ أَيْ: أَبْتَدِئُ قِرَاءَتِي مُسْتَعِينًا بِاسْمِ اللهِ.
‘In the name of Allah’: I begin my recitation seeking help in the name of Allah.
﴿الرَّحْمَانِ﴾ الَّذِي وَسِعَتْ رَحْمَتُهُ جَمِيعَ الْخَلْقِ.
‘Most Merciful’: His mercy extends to all the creation.
﴿الرَّحِيمِ﴾ الَّذِي يَرْحَمُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ.
‘All merciful’: The one who is merciful to the believers.
﴿رَبِّ﴾ الرَّبُّ: الْمُرَبِّي لِخَلْقِهِ بِنِعَمِهِ.
‘Lord’: The nurturer of his creation through his grace.
﴿الْعَالَمِينَ﴾ كُلِّ مَنْ سِوَى اللهِ تَعَالَى.
‘The Universe’: Everything besides Almighty Allah.
﴿يَوْمِ الدِّينِ﴾ يَوْمِ الْجَزَاءِ وَالْحِسَابِ.
‘Day of recompense’: The day of recompense and accounting.
﴿إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ﴾ لاَ نَعْبُدُ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ.
‘Only you we worship’: We don’t worship [anything or anyone] besides you.
﴿وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ﴾ لاَ نَسْتَعِينُ فِي قَضَاءِ حَوَائِجِنَا إِلاَّ بِكَ.
‘And Only you we seek assistance’: We don’t seek assistance in fulfilling our needs [from anything or anyone] besides from you.
﴿الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ﴾ الطَّرِيقَ الَّذِي لاَ عِوَجَ فِيهِ؛ وَهُوَ الإِسْلاَمُ.
‘The straight path’: The path that has no crookedness in it, Islam.
﴿غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ﴾ الْيَهُودِ، وَمَنْ شَابَهَهُمْ فِي تَرْكِ الْعَمَلِ بِالْعِلْمِ.
‘Not those that cause your anger’: The Jews, and those who resemble them in not acting upon their knowledge.
﴿الضَّالِّينَ﴾ النَّصَارَى، وَمَنْ شَابَهَهُمْ فِي الْعَمَلِ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ.
‘The Astray’: The Christians, and those who resemble them in carrying out actions without knowledge.
