The Meaning of Al-Fatihah and its Various Names

This Surah is called Al-Fatihah, that is, the Opener of the Book, the Surah
with which prayers are begun. It is also called, Umm Al-Kitab (the Mother of
the Book), according to the majority of the scholars. In an authentic Hadith
recorded by At-Tirmidhi, who graded it Sahih, Abu Hurayrah said that the
Messenger of Allah said,

ُ ‫ن الْعَظِي‬
«‫م‬ ُ ‫مث َانِي وَالْقُْرآ‬
َ ْ ‫ع ال‬ َّ ‫ب وَال‬
ُ ْ ‫سب‬ ُّ ُ ‫ن وَأ‬
ِ ‫م الْكِتَا‬ ُّ ُ ‫ن أ‬
ِ ‫م الْقُْرآ‬ ِ َ ‫ب ال ْ َعال‬
َ ‫مي‬ َ ‫ه َر‬
ِ ‫د لل‬
ُ ‫م‬ َ ْ ‫»ال‬
ْ ‫ح‬

(Al-Hamdu lillahi Rabbil-`Alamin is the Mother of the Qur'an, the Mother of

the Book, and the seven repeated Ayat of the Glorious Qur'an.)

It is also called Al-Hamd and As-Salah, because the Prophet said that his
Lord said,

«‫ل‬
َ ‫ قَا‬،‫ن‬َ ‫مي‬ِ َ ‫ب الْعَال‬ِّ ‫مدُدِلله َر‬ َ ْ ‫ال‬: ُ‫ل الْعَبْد‬
ْ ‫ح‬ َ ‫ فَإِذ َا قَا‬،‫ن‬
ِ ْ ‫صفَي‬ َ ْ ‫صَلةَ بَيْنِي وَبَي‬
ْ ِ ‫ن عَبْدِي ن‬ َّ ‫ت ال‬
ُ ‫م‬ َ َ‫ق‬
ْ ‫س‬
‫مدَنِي ع َبْدِي‬ِ ‫ح‬َ :‫ه‬ ُ ‫»الل‬

(`The prayer (i.e., Al-Fatihah) is divided into two halves between Me and My
servants.' When the servant says, `All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of
existence,' Allah says, 'My servant has praised Me.')
Al-Fatihah was called the Salah, because reciting it is a condition for the
correctness of Salah - the prayer. Al-Fatihah was also called Ash-Shifa'
(the Cure).

The Reason it is called Umm Al-Kitab

In the beginning of the Book of Tafsir, in his Sahih, Al-Bukhari said; "It is
called Umm Al-Kitab, because the Qur'an starts with it and because the
prayer is started by reciting it.'' It was also said that it is called Umm Al-
Kitab, because it contains the meanings of the entire Qur'an. Ibn Jarir said,
"The Arabs call every comprehensive matter that contains several specific
areas an Umm. For instance, they call the skin that surrounds the brain,
Umm Ar-Ra's. They also call the flag that gathers the ranks of the army an
Umm.'' He also said, "Makkah was called Umm Al-Qura, (the Mother of the
Villages) because it is the grandest and the leader of all villages. It was also
said that the earth was made starting from Makkah.''
Further, Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah narrated about Umm Al-
Qur'an that the Prophet said,
«ُ‫سبْعُ اْل َمثَانِي َوهِيَ الْقُرْآنُ الْ َعظِيم‬
ّ ‫»هِيَ ُأمّ الْقُرْآنِ َوهِيَ ال‬
(It is Umm Al-Qur'an, the seven repeated (verses) and the Glorious Qur'an.)
Also, Abu Ja`far, Muhammad bin Jarir At-Tabari recorded Abu Hurayrah saying that the
Messenger of Allah said about Al-Fatihah,
«‫سْبعُ اْلمَثَانِي‬
ّ ‫حةُ الْ ِكتَابِ َوهِيَ ال‬ َ ‫»هِيَ أُمّ اْلقُرْآنِ َوهِيَ فَاِت‬
(It is Umm Al-Qur'an, Al-Fatihah of the Book (the Opener of the Qur'an) and the seven
repeated (verses).)