Surah Al-Fatiha
الفاتحة
The Opening — 7 verses, revealed in Makkah. Read it in Arabic with transliteration and meaning, then learn its background, virtues and tajweed.
Surah Al-Fatiha is surah number 1 of the Quran, meaning “The Opening”. It has 7 verses and was revealed in Makkah. Al-Fatiha is a conversation with Allah: we praise Him, declare that we worship Him alone, and ask Him to guide us to the straight path.
Surah Al-Fatiha with transliteration & meaning
- 1
بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ ۱
Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
- 2
اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعٰلَمِیْنَ ۙ ۲
Alhamdu lillahi Rabbil-'alamin.
All praise is for Allah, Lord of all the worlds,
- 3
الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ ۙ ۳
Ar-Rahmanir-Rahim.
the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,
- 4
مٰلِكِ یَوْمِ الدِّیْنِ ؕ ۴
Maliki yawmid-din.
Master of the Day of Judgement.
- 5
اِیَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَاِیَّاكَ نَسْتَعِیْنُ ؕ ۵
Iyyaka na'budu wa iyyaka nasta'in.
You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help.
- 6
اِهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِیْمَ ۙ ۶
Ihdinas-siratal-mustaqim.
Guide us to the straight path —
- 7
صِرَاطَ الَّذِیْنَ اَنْعَمْتَ عَلَیْهِمْ ۙ۬ۦ غَیْرِ الْمَغْضُوْبِ عَلَیْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّآلِّیْنَ ۷
Siratal-ladhina an'amta 'alayhim, ghayril-maghdubi 'alayhim wa lad-dallin.
the path of those You have blessed, not of those who earned Your anger, nor of those who went astray.
Background: when and why it was revealed
Revealed in Makkah. Al-Fatiha is a conversation with Allah: we praise Him, declare that we worship Him alone, and ask Him to guide us to the straight path.
Al-Fatiha is the first surah in the Quran and is called “the Opening”. It is recited in every rak'ah of every prayer — the Prophet ﷺ said that whoever does not recite Al-Fatiha in his prayer, his prayer is not valid (Sahih al-Bukhari 756).
Virtues
- The Prophet ﷺ called Al-Fatiha the greatest surah in the Quran. (Sahih al-Bukhari 4474)
- Prayer is not valid without it. (Sahih al-Bukhari 756)
Tajweed tip
- Stretch the long sound in “wad-daaallin” (الضَّآلِّيْنَ) for six counts — it is a necessary madd (madd lazim).
When to recite it
- In every rak'ah of Salah
- When asking Allah for guidance
- When starting to learn the Quran
What we learn from Surah Al-Fatiha
Praise Allah first
Al-Fatiha starts with praise before it asks for anything.
Allah alone
We worship only Allah and ask only Him for help.
Ask for guidance
We ask Allah every day to keep us on the straight path.
Frequently asked questions
How many verses are in Surah Al-Fatiha?
Surah Al-Fatiha has 7 verses.
What does Surah Al-Fatiha mean?
Surah Al-Fatiha means “The Opening”. Al-Fatiha is a conversation with Allah: we praise Him, declare that we worship Him alone, and ask Him to guide us to the straight path.
Was Surah Al-Fatiha revealed in Makkah or Madinah?
It was revealed in Makkah.
When should I recite Surah Al-Fatiha?
In every rak'ah of Salah, When asking Allah for guidance, When starting to learn the Quran.
References & sources
Quran references link to Quran.com and hadith references to Sunnah.com, so you can check every source. Spotted a mistake? Please tell us and we will correct it.
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