Day 1 · Surah Al-Fatihah

Al-Fatihah 1–7

Al-Fatihah is called the Mother of the Book because it contains the principles of Islam: the oneness of Allah in creation, in worship, and in His Names and Attributes, while also affirming Islam as the only straight path of life.

• This surah is called Al-Fatihah because it is the opening of the Qur'an, and is referred to as Ummul Kitab or the Mother of the Book because it contains the principles of Islamic teaching.
• Tawhid in this surah encompasses three matters: the oneness of Allah in creation and His actions, in worship and the system of life, and in His Names and Attributes.
• The Names and Attributes of Allah must be understood in accordance with what He has proclaimed in the Qur'an and what His Messenger has proclaimed.
• Verses 6 and 7 emphasize Islam as the only straight system of life that leads to the pleasure of Allah: the blessings of life in this world and Paradise in the Hereafter.
• Because Islam is perfect, its teachings must not be mixed in the slightest with the teachings of those whom Allah is displeased with or those who have gone astray from the path of Allah.

This surah is called Al-Fatihah because it opens the Qur'an, which consists of 114 surahs. Besides Al-Fatihah, this surah is also called Ummul Kitab, which means the Mother of the Book. This naming contains a very deep meaning, because in this surah are contained the principles of Islamic teaching, namely:

1. The doctrine of tawhid, or faith, and;
2. The Shariah (Islamic system of life).

Tawhid means the oneness of Allah in three fundamental matters:

• This means the oneness of Allah in creation and His actions, as contained in verse 2.
• Uluhiyyah or also called ubudiyyah. This means the oneness of Allah in worship and the system of life, as contained in verse 5.
• Al-Asma' and As-Sifat. This means affirming the oneness of Allah in His Names and Attributes, as contained in verses 1, 2, 3, and 4. The Names and Attributes of Allah must accord with what He has proclaimed in the Qur'an and proclaimed by the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).

Regarding the Shariah (system) of Islam, the emphasis is found in verses 6 and 7, which means Islam is the only straight system of life that will lead mankind to the pleasure of Allah in this world and the Hereafter. The pleasure of Allah in this world is in the form of blessings of life and ease in worshipping Him. The pleasure in the Hereafter is in the form of Paradise through which flow various rivers and various facilities whose quantity, quality, and beauty cannot be conceived by the human mind.

For that reason, Islam must not be mixed in the slightest with any other teaching, whether from the teachings of the Jews whom Allah is displeased with, or from the teachings of Christianity that have gone astray from the path of Allah, as stated in verse 7, because Islam is perfect.

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