Virtues of Surah Al-Fatihah

There are a number of Ahadith explaining the great virtues of this chapter:

1. Surah Fatihah - Answered by Allah, the Exalted Prophet (saws) said: “Allah says, "I have divided the prayer between Myself and my servant equally and My servant shall be granted what he asked for." Therefore when the servant says, ‘all praises and thanks are due to Allah, the Lord of the universe’, Allah says, ‘My servant has praised Me.’ When he says, ‘the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful,’ Allah says, ‘My servant has extolled Me.’. When he says, ‘Master of the Day of Judgment,’ Allah says, ‘My servant has glorified Me.’ When he says, ‘You Alone we worship and Your aid Alone do we seek,’ Allah says, ‘this is between Me and My servant and My servant shall have what he requested.’ When he says, ‘guide us to the Straight Path, the Path of those whom You have favored, not of those who have incurred [Your] wrath, neither of those who have gone astray,’ Allah says, ‘this is for My servant and My servant shall have what he asked for.’ [Sahih Muslim]

2. Surah Fatihah – the Mother of the Qur’aan (Umm al-Qur’aan), the Great Qur’aan (Qur’aan-e-Azeem) and it comprises the seven oft-repeated verses. (As-Saa’bu al-Mathaani)

Narrated Abu Hurayrah: “Prophet (saws) said: “[chapter commencing with], “Alhamdu lillahi Rabbil Alameen” is the Mother of the Qur`aan, the Mother of the Book, the Seven Oft Repeated Verses and the Great Qur`aan.” [Tirmidhi]

Narrated Sa’eed lbn Al-Mu’aliaa (ra): “… Prophet (saws) said to me: “I will teach you a surah, which is the greatest surah in the Qur’aan before you leave the masjid,” and he took hold of my hand. Then, when he was about to leave I said to him: “Didn’t you say to me: “I will teach you a surah which is the greatest surah in the Qur’aan.” He (saws) said: “Al-Hamdu Lillahi Rabbil Aalameen (All praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds) - Surah ­Fatihah, which is the Seven Oft-repeated Verses, and the Glorious Qur’aan which has been given to me.” [Sahih Al-Bukhari]

3. Surah Fatihah – Revealed only to Prophet Muhammad (saws). (This hadith has led some scholars to suggest that Jibreel did not convey the revelation of Surah al-Faatihah and the last two verses of al-Baqarah, rather it was the Angel mentioned in this hadeeth. However the correct opinion is that Jibreel did indeed convey the revelation of these verses as he was enjoined by Allah to convey the entire Qur`aan to the Prophet (saws). The Angel that descended as mentioned in this Hadith descended only to convey the reward of these verses.)

Narrated Ibn Abbaas (ra): “While the Messenger of Allah (saws) was sitting with Jibreel (as), he heard a creaking sound above him. Jibreel looked up and said, "This is [the sound of] a gate that has been opened in heaven today and has never been previously opened." Then an Angel descended through it and came to the Prophet (saws) and said, "rejoice in the good news of two lights that have been given to you such as no prophet before you has been given. [They are] Surah Fatihah and the concluding [two] verses of Surah al-Baqarah. You will never recite a word from them without being given the blessings they contain." [An-Nisaee and al-Hakim]

The Ruling of reciting surah Al-Fatihah in the Prayer - It is an obligation to recite soorah al-Faatihah in every Ra’kaah of the prayer. The prayer is invalid without the recitation of Soorah Fatihah. This opinion (This is the opinion of the majority of the scholars, amongst them Maalik, ash-Shafi`ee and Ahmad. However according to Abu Hanifah, those of his companions who agreed with him, al-Awza`ee and ath-Thawree, it is not obligatory to recite al-Fatihah, rather any portion of the Qur`aan would be sufficient. They based this upon the saying of Allah: "And recite what is easy [for you] from the Qur`aan." [Al-Muzzammil (73): 20] And the saying of the Prophet (saws) to the man who prayed badly, When you stand for pray, say the takbeer and then recite what is easy for you from the Qur`aan). is based upon many proofs from the Ahadith of Prophet Muhammad (saws):

“There is no prayer for the one who does not recite the Opening of the Book.” [Sahih Bukhari and Saheeh Muslim]

“Whosoever performs a prayer in which he does not recite the Mother of the Book then it is deficient, it is deficient, it is deficient, it is incomplete.” [Sahih Muslim]

“The prayer is not valid in which the Mother of the Qur`aan is not recited.” [Sahih Muslim]