The Names of the Sūrah

The Noble Qurʾān has many names and attributes, and Sūrah al-Ḥamd, which is the Mother of the Qurʾān (Umm al-Qurʾān) and contains the essence of Qurʾānic teachings, also has many names and titles for this reason.

The most well-known names of this sūrah are: Umm al-Kitāb (Mother of the Book), Fātiḥat al-Kitāb (The Opening of the Book), al-Sabʿal-Mathānī (The Seven Oft-Repeated [Verses]), and al-Ḥamd (The Praise).

Its lesser-known names are: Fātiḥat al-Qurʾān (The Opening of the Qurʾān), al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm (The Great Qurʾān), al-Wāfiya (The Complete), al-Kāfiya (The Sufficient), al-Shāfiya (The Healing), al-Ṣalāh (The Prayer), al-Duʿāʾ (The Supplication), al-Asās (The Foundation), al-Shukr (The Gratitude), al-Kanz (The Treasure), al-Nūr (The Light), al-Suʾāl (The Asking), Taʿlīm al-Masʾala (The Lesson in How to Ask), al-Munājāh (The Whispered Prayer), al-Tafwīḍ (The Entrustment), al-Ḥamd al-Ūlā (The First [sūrah of] Praise), and al-Ḥamd al-Quṣrā (The Shorter [sūrah of] Praise).

Umm al-Kitāb, Umm al-Qurʾān:

The reason that Sūrah al-Ḥamd is given these two names, which has been attested to in numerous narrations from both Shi’a and Sunni sources, is because it contains the essence of the teachings of the Noble Qurʾān.

The primary teachings of the Qurʾān consist of three parts: knowledge of the Origin (_mabda_ʾ), knowledge of the Return (_ma_ʿād), and knowledge of prophethood (risālah). The saying attributed to the Commander of the Faithful ʿAlī (a.s.), “May God have mercy on the one who knows where he came from, where he is, and where he is going,” also refers to the knowledge of these three principles. Sūrah Fātiḥat al-Kitāb also contains the three aforementioned types of knowledge, because its beginning part is related to the Origin and God’s absolute lordship over the worlds of existence, as well as His attributes of beauty, such as His boundless mercy and His special mercy. Its middle part (“Master of the Day of Judgment”) refers to the Return and the manifestation of God’s absolute ownership on the Day of Resurrection. Its final part, which speaks of dedicating worship and seeking help solely from God and asking for guidance to the straight path (“You alone do we worship... nor of those who have gone astray”), is related to guidance and misguidance in the journey from the Origin to the Return, and its axis and pivot is the issue of revelation and prophethood. Thus, the principles of Qurʾānic teachings are outlined in this sūrah.

The wise and insightful exegete Mullā Ṣadrā Shīrāzī says about this blessed sūrah:

The Relationship of Sūrah al-Fātiḥa to the Qurʾān is like the relationship of the human being (the microcosm) to the universe (the macrocosm). No other chapter of the Qurʾān matches this chapter in comprehensiveness. One who cannot derive a significant portion of the secrets of divine sciences and lordly teachings (knowledge of the Origin, knowledge of the Return, psychology, etc.) from Sūrah al-Fātiḥa is not a divine scholar and has not grasped the true exegesis (tafsīr) of this chapter as one should.(9)

Fātiḥat al-Kitāb, Fātiḥat al-Qurʾān

This blessed chapter, which according to many exegetes and researchers of Qurʾānic sciences was the first chapter to be revealed in its entirety upon the pure heart of the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.),(10) is at the beginning in the arrangement of the chapters of the Qurʾān. The Qurʾān starts with it, and that is why it is named Fātiḥat al-Kitāb (the Opening of the Book) or Fātiḥat al-Qurʾān (the Opening of the Qurʾān).

Sūrah al-Fātiḥa is referred to by the name Fātiḥat al-Kitāb in numerous narrations, such as: “There is no prayer except with Fātiḥat al-Kitāb”,(11) “There is no prayer for one who does not recite Fātiḥat al-Kitāb”.(12) These narrations indicate that Sūrah al-Fātiḥa was known by the name Fātiḥat al-Kitāb from the time of the Messenger of God (s.a.w.), and the Muslims would refer to it by this name.

Al-Sabʿ al-Mathānī (the Seven Oft-Repeated Verses)

God, the Glorified, has given this name to this chapter in the context of expressing His favor upon the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.): “And We have certainly given you seven of the often repeated [verses] and the great Qurʾān.” (15:87) Based on the narrations from the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.) and the Imāms (a.s.), what is meant by “seven of the often repeated [verses]” (sab_ʿ_an min al-mathānī) in this verse is this blessed Sūrah al-Ḥamd. The Noble Prophet (s.a.w.) said: “He singled out the favor upon me with the Opening of the Book (Fātiḥat al-Kitāb) and made it equivalent to the Great Qurʾān.”(13)

The word “seven” (_al-sab_ʿ) in this phrase refers to the number of verses in this chapter, and the word “al-mathānī” indicates a quality that the entire Noble Qurʾān, including Sūrah al-Ḥamd, is described with: “a Book whose verses are similar [to each other] and oft-repeated (mathānī)” (39:23).(14) This repetition and similarity (mathānī) is a special inclination and connection that the verses of the Qurʾān have with each other, where each of its verses is explained by its other verses: “...parts of it explain other parts, and parts of it testify to other parts.”(15)

Sūrah al-Ḥamd is one of the great spiritual gifts, the granting of which to the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.) is referred to in this hadith with the term “favor” (minnat), meaning a great and weighty blessing, just as the essence of the prophethood of the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.) is mentioned in the Noble Qurʾān with this term: “Certainly did God confer [great] favor upon the believers when He sent among them a Messenger from themselves...” (3:164)

Verse 87 of Sūrah al-Hijr refers to the Noble Qurʾān as a great book that has been sent down from the source and origin of greatness: “and the Great Qurʾān”. And to clarify the lofty status and elevated position of Sūrah al-Ḥamd, it has placed it as the equivalent and peer of the entire Qurʾān, honoring it with the expression “seven” (sab_ʿ_an), an indefinite noun modified by a descriptive phrase, considering it great.

Al-Shifāʾ, al-Shāfiya (the Healing, the Healer):

The Noble Qurʾān has been revealed by the Absolute Healer, God the Exalted, as a cure for inner ailments and diseases of the heart, namely ignorance and moral vices: “And We send down of the Qurʾān that which is healing and mercy” (17:82), and “a healing for what is in the breasts” (10:57). Sūrah al-Ḥamd, which is the greatest Qurʾānic chapter and the essence of its teachings, has also been called the healing chapter in narrations: “Fātiḥat al-Kitāb is a cure for every disease»,(16) “Whoever is not cured by al-Ḥamd will not be cured by anything.”(17)

Although reciting Sūrah al-Ḥamd is also a source of healing for physical illnesses, and there is no doubt about its proven efficacy in this matter, what is important are the diseases of the soul which the Noble Qurʾān undertakes to treat. And since Sūrah al-Ḥamd is the essence of the Qurʾān, it will also be the essence of the Qurʾān’s cures. Therefore, the statement of Imām al-Bāqir (a.s.), “Whoever is not cured by al-Ḥamd...”, also means that if someone’s ignorance and moral vices are not cured by the teachings of Sūrah al-Ḥamd, the other chapters of the Qurʾān will not benefit him either.

Al-Asās (the Foundation):

It has been narrated from Ibn ʿAbbās that everything has a foundation, and the foundation of the Qurʾān is Sūrah al-Ḥamd: “Indeed, everything has a foundation... and the foundation of the Qurʾān is al-Fātiḥa, and the foundation of al-Fātiḥa is bismillāh al-raḥmān al-raḥīm”.(18)

Al-Ṣalāh (the Prayer):

This name is also derived from the following sacred ḥadīth: “I have divided the prayer between Myself and My servant into two halves; half of it is for Me and half of it is for My servant...”.(19) The contextual evidence in the ḥadīth clearly indicates that what is meant by “the prayer” is Sūrah al-Ḥamd. Some exegetes have also mentioned that the reason for naming Sūrah al-Ḥamd with this name is the dependence of the validity of prayer on Sūrah al-Ḥamd: “There is no prayer except with Fātiḥat al-Kitāb”.(20)

Al-Kāfiya, al-Wāfiya (the Sufficient, the Fully Sufficing):

ʿUbāda ibn Ṣāmit narrates from the Prophet (s.a.w.) that: “The Mother of the Qurʾān (Umm al-Qurʾān) is a substitute for other than it, but nothing else can substitute it.”(21) Some Sunni exegeses have considered the secret behind naming Sūrah al-Ḥamd with these names to be its sufficiency for the validity of prayer; because no other chapter except al-Ḥamd is essential for prayer.(22)

Al-Munājāt, al-Tafwīḍ (the Whispered Prayer, the Entrustment):

Naming Sūrah al-Ḥamd with these two names is due to it containing the noble verse “You [alone] we worship, and You [alone] we ask for help” (1:5), the first part of which is the servant›s intimate conversation (munājāt) with God, and through the second part, praiseworthy entrustment (tafwīḍ) is achieved.(23)

Al-Kanz (the Treasure):

Sūrah al-Fātiḥa has been called the treasure of the Throne in narrations from both sects: “...And I have given your nation a treasure from the treasures of My Throne; the Opening of the Book (Fātiḥat al-Kitāb).”(24) “...And indeed the Opening of the Book is the noblest of what is in the treasures of the Throne.”(25) “The Opening of the Book was revealed in Mecca from a treasure beneath the Throne.”(26)

Al-Nūr (the Light):

The Noble Qurʾān refers to the heavenly books with the expression “light” (nūr): “Indeed, We sent down the Torah, in which was guidance and light.” (5:44) “And We gave him the Gospel, in which was guidance and light.” (5:46) “So believe in God and His Messenger and the light which We have sent down.” (64:8) And it considers their purpose to be illuminating human beings: “A Book We have sent down to you, that you may bring mankind out of darkness into light...” (14:1) Therefore, the chapter that is the essence of the Book of Light is itself a brilliant light that illuminates human beings.

Taʿlīm al-Masʾala, al-Suʾāl (The Lesson in How to Ask, the Asking):

Although the explicit request and supplication of the journeying servant to God, the Glorified, only appears in the noble verse “Guide us to the straight path” (1:6), as will be explained in the exegesis of this very sūrah, the praise and glorification of the servant at the beginning of the sūrah is also not a praise without request or a glorification without desire. Rather, the preceding praise paves the way for the subsequent request, and it is as if all the verses of this blessed sūrah are aimed at teaching the etiquette of supplicating to God, the Glorified, and requesting from the presence of that Absolutely Self-Sufficient One.

Al-Ḥamd al-Ūlā, al-Ḥamd al-Quṣrā (the First Praise, the Shorter Praise):

The sūrah is named with these two names because among the sūrahs of praise (ḥāmidāt),(27) the first and shortest sūrah is al-Ḥamd.

Al-Ḥamd, al-Duʿāʾ, al-Shukr (the Praise, the Supplication, the Thanksgiving):

Naming Sūrah al-Ḥamd with these names is due to the sūrah containing praise (ḥamd), supplication (duʿāʾ), and gratitude (shukr).