The Qur'ån itself gives pride of place to its first chapter: al-Fatiÿa (The Opener). For example, Süra 15:87 asserts: “We have bestowed upon thee the seven oft-repeated and the great Qur'ån.” Calling Chapter One “The Seven Oft-repeated” acknowledges the fact that the seven verses of Süra One are said in all prayer rites and other solemn occasions. A pious Muslim who performs the five-times-daily prayers will recite al-Fatiÿa some forty times every day.

How to recite Süra One: al-Fatiÿa (The Opener)

Arabic transliteration Bismi¡¯llahi¡¯r-ra¢«mani¡¯r-ra¢«im1 al-¢«amdu li¡¯llahi rabbi¡¯l-<alamin ir-ra¢«mani¡¯r-ra¢«im maliki yawmi¡¯d-din iyaka na<budu wa iyaka nasta<in ihdina¡¯©¬-©¬ira¢Óa¡¯l-mustaqim ©¬ira¢Óa¡¯l-ladhina2 an<amta <alayhim ghayri¡¯l-maghdubi <alayhim wa la ¡¯¢Ò-¢Òalin3

English interpretation In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful: All praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds; The Compassionate, the Merciful Master of the Day of Judgment; You alone do we worship; And from You alone do we seek aid. Guide us on the straight path: The path of those upon whom You have bestowed Your grace, Those whose portion not wrath, And who do not go astray.

The significance of Surah One:

Sura One is sometimes called "the whole of the Qur>an" (all the rest being commentary on it), or, "the summary of the Qur>an" because it summarizes the essence, the fundamentals of the religion:

1.  Have a correct understanding of God's attributes
2.  Believe in the law of just returns (good leads to good; evil to evil)
3.  Believe in life after death
4.  Recognize the path of righteousness, integrity, and grace

Imbedded in Sura One's seven verses are a number of spiritual lessons:

1.  God is loving (not just awesome and terrifying): notice that al-Fatiha begins with adoration, and contains no reference to God's fearsome aspects. It points to the fact that, in the human quest for God, our first instinct is wonder and admiration.

2.  The fact that the first attribute of God that is mentioned in al-Fatiha is Rabbi'l-'Alamin (Lord/Cherisher/Nourisher/Sustainer of the Universe) teaches us that God takes care of all of our material and spiritual needs.

3.  The fact that the first attribute of God that is mentioned in al-Fatiha is Rabbi'l-'Alamin (Lord/Cherisher/Nourisher/Sustainer of the Universe) teaches us that God the God over all the Universe, not merely one part of it. Therefore, God's gifts are for all humanity, not just one group. And, therefore, individual, tribal, communal, racial, national, religious narrow-mindedness, prejudice, or exploitation have no place.

4.  The terms Rahman and Rahim come from the same linguistic root: Rahman refers to mercifulness in the sense of a passing quality; Rahim refers to mercifulness in the sense of a permanent distinguishing mark. Together Rahman and Rahim name that divine attribute from which all other divine attributes derive, and without which the world could not exist at all.

5.  The fact that God is called the Lord of the Day of Judgment means that God is supreme (and only) judge of humanity. It also means that there is a Day of Judgment! Expect it; be ready! Expect only justice as the due response to our acts, because God is neither arbitrary nor revengeful.

6.  The relationship between humanity and God is proclaimed in unequivocal terms of God's unity. All polytheistic paths are closed.

7.  The "Straight Path" of which al-Fatiha speaks is the path of profit and grace.

8.  Humanity needs help in finding and following the Straight Path.