Surah al-Fatihah is the greatest chapter of the Qur'an, its like is
not found in the rest of the Qur'an or in the previous scriptures.
It is a light that was granted to Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him
which had not been granted to any other Prophet or Messenger before
him; indeed some of our predecessors stated that when this chapter
was revealed, Shaytan let out a great cry of lament. It holds a
central position in the daily prayer and hence the daily life of the
Muslim.
The underlying theme of al-Fatihah is one of contemplation and
serenity; pondering the Names and Attributes of Allah, pondering the
creation, and acknowledging that He Alone deserves praise and
worship, that He Alone should be asked for help, that He Alone
should be feared and hoped in, that He Alone should be invoked, that
there is indeed a Day of Judgment, and that guidance has come to us
and we are required to follow it. It calls us to carefully
scrutinise our relationship with our Lord: are we living according
to the dictates of `none has the right to be worshipped save of
Allah' or not? This opening chapter, despite its brevity, calls man
to fulfill the rights of Tawhid, the right that Allah has over us to
worship Him Alone without any partners, in thirty places. This
chapter summarises succinctly of the message of the whole Qur'an.
Owing to the importance of this chapter, this commentary has been
collated. It is a summary of numerous classic commentaries of the
Qur'an, moreover a number of works dealing with Ulum al-Quran were
also referred to.
Exegesis of a fathomless ocean such as the book of Allah can never
be complete and it is a study that one undertakes throughout the
course of his life. This commentary is but a tiny portion of the
material available to this chapter, much has been omitted, much has
been summarized, but it should go some way in giving the reader a
glimps at the depth of meaning found therein and the extent of the
efforts of our scholars, may Allah have mercy upon them all, in
undertaking the momentous task of explaining the Qur'an.
This book is the most detailed commentary on Surah al-Fatihah in the
English Language, complied in beautiful way as well as written in
way that will touch every soul.. and a must for every Muslim… truly
indispensable…
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