God has specially designed surah al-Faatihah and has given us to make a direct contact with Him so that we may return to Him being redeemed by Him. The words of al-Faatihah are like the words that Adam and his spouse had received from their Lord when they were sent down to the earth from the Paradise for violation command of their Lord to get back to it being redeemed their sins by Him. However, we do not exactly know the words what were given to them but we do know what are given to us as specific words. Surah al-Faatihah is given us as specific words, which has 28 words in 7 verses to redeem our sins as well as to nourish our souls as Children of Adam that we are not deceived by the Satan and its allies on the earth (7:27).
Properties of al-Faatihah
- Surah name: al-Faatihah (The Opening in English).
- Placement in the physical arrangement: 1.
- Order of Revelation: 5.
- No of verses: 7.
- No of words: 28 [4 + 4 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 3 + 8]
- Sum of digits of 7 verses: 28 [1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7]
- Placement before surah 2: al-Baqarah separated by the Quranic initial, Alif.Laam.Meem.
- Relationship between surah 1 and surah 2 taking into account of their order of revelation: 1 + 5 (al-Faatihah) + 2 + 87 (al-Baqarah) = 95 (19x5), while 19 is a code of mathematical coding of Quran.
- God has given us both specific words and words of guidance in the Quran; surah 1 is specific words, while from surah 2 to surah 114 is the words of guidance.
- When it is recited, the lips touch 19 times at letters where there is Baa and Meem in its words.
Words of guidance
- Even from a few verses at the very beginning of our guidance open a door for us to educate ourselves to make a clear difference between specific words and the words of guidance in the Quran. The set of Quranic initials, Alif.Laam.Meem is the gateway between specific words and the words of guidance as well as the oath of God to assure us to become righteous through His guidance, believing in God and His angels, what is revealed to us and what was revealed before us being certain about the Hereafter, and our consequences in the Hereafter (Heaven and Hell), and practicing the salat prayer, which is a prime source of nourishing our souls and spending from our provision to be winners being on guidance of our Lord:
[2:1] Alif.Laam.Meem.
Note: The Quranic initial, Alif.Laam.Meem is a gateway between specific words and the words of guidance, and the position of the initial between surah 1 (revelation 5) and surah 2 (revelation 87) confirms its role as a gateway. Surah 1: al-Faatihah is given as specific words for us and the rest of the Quran, i.e., from Surah 2: al-Baqarah to Surah 114: al-Naas is given as words of guidance for us.
[2:2] That is the scripture – there is no doubt in it, is a guidance for the righteous.
Note: The Quranic initials, Alif.Laam.Meem is not only a gateway but also an oath of God to affirm us that there is no doubt in this scripture, which is a guidance for us to become righteous, and the position of this initial at the very beginning of the surah confirms its role as statement of oath of God.
[2:3] Those who believe in the unseen, and establish the salat prayer, and spend from what we have provided them.
Note: God has not given us vision to see certain entities that we need to believe such as God and His angels, as well as Heaven and Hell to be our final abode based on our works while we are to practice Salat, the prime source of nourishing our souls.
[2:4] And those who believe in what is sent down to you (Muhammad), and what was sent down before you, and with regard to the Hereafter they are certain.
Note: What was revealed to Muhammad, i.e., the Quran and what was revealed before him, and the Hereafter is also part of our core belief.
[2:5] Those are on guidance from their Lord, and those are the successful ones.
Note: There is a guarantee of success for those who are on guidance from their Lord.
Specific words were given to Adam and his wife
- Adam and his wife were allowed to live in the Paradise and to eat freely whatever they like except to get closer to a tree but the Satan deceived them and they both Adam and his wife had tasted from the tree and disobeyed God when their shame became visible to them. They had apologized to God for their wrongdoing but He sent them down to the earth for their redemption where they will live and die, and will be resurrected:
[7:19] “And O Adam, live you and your wife in the Paradise, and eat both of you from wherever you wish, and you (both) do not approach this – the tree that you (both) would be with the wrongdoers.”
[7:20) Then the Satan whispered to both of them to display for both of them what has been concealed of their shame from both of them. And he (Satan) said, “Your Lord have not forbidden you both from this – the tree, except that you two become angels, or you two become among the dwellers forever.” [7:21] And he had sworn to both of them, “Indeed, I am to both of you surely, of the good advisors.” [7:22] Thus, he had made both of them fall by deception. Then when they both had tasted the tree, their shame became visible to both of them, and they both had begun to fasten over them from leaves of the Paradise. And their Lord called them both: “Did I not forbid you both from this – the tree, and say to you both that the Satan is an open enemy to you both?”
[7:23] They both said, “Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive for us and have mercy on us, surely, we will be with the losers.”
[7:24] He said, “Go down as enemy of you to other, and for you there will be a dwelling place in the earth and livelihood for a while.”
[7:25] He said, “In it you will live, and in it you will die, and from it you will be brought forth.”
- Adam and his spouse had violated God’s command as well while they asked for their forgiveness to their Lord as found in 7:23, then He had sent them down to the earth for their forgiveness while they had received words from Him to ask for their forgiveness and also had received advice for their children that those who will follow His guidance will have no fear, but those who will deny His guidance will be in the Fire. Thus, God has given us specific words in the surah 1-al-Faateha in the Quran as was given to Adam and his spouse, is a final guidance for mankind as children of Adam to become righteous, which we use in the 5 times salat prayer seeking His guidance to the straight path for our successful return to the Paradise:
[2:35] And we said, “O Adam, live you and your spouse in the Paradise, and eat both of you from it freely wherever you wish, but do not approach this – the tree, then you would be the wrongdoers.”
[2:36] But the Satan had made them fall from it, and he had driven them out from what they had been in it. And we said, “Go down you all as enemy of you to other, and for you there will be a dwelling place and a provision for a while.”
[2:37] Then Adam had received words from his Lord, so He had turned to him. Indeed, He is the Redeemer, the Merciful.
[2:38] We said, “Go down all from it, then when guidance comes to you from Me, so whoever has followed My guidance, then there is no fear for them, nor will they grieve
[2:39] And those who have disbelieved and have denied in our revelations, those are companions of the Fire – they will be dwellers in it.”
- Here is in a nutshell of a well-known story stated above that when Adam and Eve were duped by the Satan, they transgressed God’s order. Afterwards, Adam and Eve had repented to God and asked His forgiveness for their sins (7:23). Then God gave them specific “words,” and sent them down to the earth to give them a chance to be redeemed for their sins, while they both had used those words and God redeemed them (2:37). The relationship can be established based on two numeric properties: the order of revelation and the digits of the relevant surah and verse number. The surah 7 is an earlier revelation (revelation order 39), while surah 2 is a later revelation (revelation order 87) and the total of the digits of surah and number of both 7:23 and 2:37 is equal, which is 12:
[7:23] They said, “Our Lord, we have wronged our souls, and unless You forgive us and have mercy on us, we will be losers.”
[2:37] Then Adam had received words from his Lord, so He had turned to him. Indeed, He is the Redeemer, the Merciful.
Details of surah al-Faatihah
We do not exactly know the words what were given to Adam and his wife, but we do know what are given to us as specific words. There are enough logical reasons accompanied its numeric properties to believe that surah al-Faatihah has been given us as specific words to use it in our praise and prayer to redeem our sins as well as to nourish our souls as the Children of Adam. Its wording is quite different from the wording of the other surahs in the Quran being significant for us to recite it in Arabic to establish the salat prayer to make contact to God being devoted to Him to guide us to the straight path. Here are the full translated texts of its 7 verses along with its transliteration for rhythmic recitation with appropriate reflection during its recitation in the prayer knowing that writing of Arabic text is good for understanding the meaning, while its recitation is good for memorization joining with the next word:
A. Start with remembering God
[1:1] bis’mi allahi ar’rah’maani ar’raheem.
In the Name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful.
Note: We remember God reflecting that He is the Gracious and the Merciful upon His servants. The verse consisting of 19 Arabic letters is not only the first verse of surah al-Faatihah but also the foundation of the Quran and we cannot start any work without remembering His name. It is repeated 114 (19x6) times in the Quran being 2 of them are numbered having extra one in (27:30) and 112 of them are unnumbered, while it is missing in the surah 9: Bara’ah. It also consists of 4 words, and each word is repeated: ism (19 = 19X1), allah (2696= 19x142), al-rahmaan (57 = 19x3) and al-raheem (114= 19x6) 114 (19x6) times in the Quran.
B. Appreciate God being grateful to Him
[1:2] al’ham’du lil’lahi rabbi al’`aalameen.
All praise belongs to God, Lord of the worlds.
[1:3] ar’rah’maani ar’raheem.
The Gracious, the Merciful.
[1:4] maaliki yawmi ad’deen.
Master of a Day of the Judgment.
Note: We appreciate God being grateful to Him for everything what He has given us as well as expecting our success when we will meet Him.
C. Reflect not to have any god and helper except God
[1:5] iy’yaaka na`budu wa-iy’yaaka nas’ta`iin.
You alone we worship and You alone we ask for help.
Note: None can give us what we need except God, the One Who is sought to get help. He is our god and Helper, and if we can reflect that, then our prayer is being established for Him alone without idolizing anything or anyone, while the verse is special to make our attention as it consists of 19 Arabic letters as well.
D. Ask God for guiding us to the straight path
[1:6] ih’deenaa as’siraata al’mus’taqeem.
Guide us to the path, the straight.
[1:7] siraata al’ladheena an’`am’ta `alay’him ghayri al’magh’duubi `alay’him wa-laa-ad’daal’leen.
The path of those whom You have blessed; not of those who have incurred wrath on themselves, nor the strayers.
Note: We do not ask God for our health or wealth in the prayer but what we ask Him in the prayer is to guide us to the straight path being prevented from the strayers reflecting that God’s guidance is the true guidance (2:120, 6:71) and He guides the believers to a straight path (22:54), while He has given us the Quran, is a path of our Lord to straight, which has been detailed verses of it for a people to take heed (6:126).
Conclusion
The details of the relevant verses have made it clear that the Quranic initial, Alif.Laam.Meem is a gateway between specific words and the words of guidance leaving no room for the believers to understand that reciting any surah or a part of a long surah from our guidance upon recitation of al-Faatihah during the salat prayer is a distortion of given specific words. Even there is clear indication in the specific words to establish the salat prayer to avoid idol worship nor being it just bowing and prostration, and a commandment to follow the guidance to be guided to the straight path. God has given us 28 words in 7 verses of al-Faatihah as specific words as Children of Adam to recite in the salat prayer to redeem ourselves as well as to nourish our souls without slightest modification as there is no change in God’s system (6:115, 17:77, 33:62, 48:23). If we can recite the specific words as they should be recited, our prayer would be acceptable to Him to see its benefits on a day we meet Him.
Peaceful Friday, salaam and God bless.
Tafazzal (3/31/2023).