The most frequently recited prayer in the world is undoubtedly the “Lord’s Prayer,” (Matthew 6:9-13, Luke 11:2-4). A close second, however is the Muslim “Fatiha” or “Opening,” the first chapter (surah) of the Quran, a brief passage that is often said to contain the essential message of Islam. It reads:
“(1) In the name of God (Allah), the Compassionate and Merciful. (2) Praise be to God, Lord of the worlds, (3) the Compassionate and Merciful, (4) Master of the Day of Judgement. (5) Thee we worship and from Thee we seek help. (6) Guide us upon the straight path, (7) the path of those whom Thou hast blessed, not of those who incur wrath, nor of those who are astray.”
These few short verses are recited in daily prayer by hundreds of millions of Muslims throughout the world.
The first verse invokes the name of the one God/Allah (in Arabic, “b-ismi-llah”), in whose name Muslims pray and do all things. This is the most widely spoken phrase among Muslims, said before meals and all important undertakings.
One of God’s most important characteristics is that he is compassionate and merciful. He will forgive all who repent and submit to his will. (The word “Muslim” means “one who has submitted (to God).”) “Compassionate” and “merciful” are sometimes viewed as proper names of God, much like the way Christians talk about Christ as the Savior and the Redeemer.
“Praise/thanks be to God” (al-hamdu li-llah) is another widely used phrase among Muslims, reminding the speaker that God is the cause of all things and should be approached only with an ever-thankful heart. Although sometimes said by modern Muslims to refer to the many different planets and galaxies of our universe, in its original context the phrase “Lord of the worlds” refers to the earth and the heavens, the seen and unseen worlds — or, as we might say, to both the material world and the spiritual world.
God as the “Master of the Day of Judgment” reminds Muslims that there is but one God, and that he will one day render judgment on all mankind for their deeds, be they good or evil. Here, God is the great judge of the final judgment, just as he is in Judaism and Christianity. These verses remind Muslims that God is both merciful and just; he will forgive the penitent, but he will judge the wicked.
The fifth verse contains the essence of the message of Islam: “Thee (alone) we worship.” In Pre-Islamic Arabia, polytheism was dominant, and the Quran’s radical message was that people should only worship the one, true God (Allah). (“Allah” is the Arabic equivalent of English “God,” used by both Muslims and non-Muslims.)
They should only pray to Allah for help. It needs to be remembered that Jesus preached predominantly to Jews, who were already worshippers of the one God, and who could therefore add the acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah to their existing belief system. Muhammad, on the other hand, preached largely to polytheist Arabs, and his message of strict monotheism required a radical transformation of all aspects of personal, social and religious life and belief.
The prayer continues with a plea that God should “guide us upon the straight path.” Islam is the “straight path” that leads one to God, and only through God’s guidance can we find and remain on that straight path.
The Straight Path (sirat al-mustiqim) may have originally been a proper name for nascent Islam in the Quran, where the word “Islam” generally means specific “submission (to God)” rather than the religious movement as a whole. The “straight path” is, of course, a widespread metaphor found in many religions, including Christianity, which in the New Testament was originally called simply “the way” (John 14:6; Acts 9:2, 19:9, 19:23).
In verse seven, this “straight path” is described in greater detail. Those who follow it have been blessed by God, who guides them thereon. Those who do not follow it have been led astray, thereby incurring God’s wrath both in this life and on the Day of Judgment.
Thus, the Fatiha reflects core elements of Islam and remains a source of inspiration for hundreds of millions today.
The translation used here is from Seyyed Hossein Nasr, editor of “The Study Quran” (HarperOne, 2015), which includes invaluable notes and commentary. There are many different translations and tools available online for the study of the Quran, such as al-quran.info.
Daniel Peterson founded BYU's Middle Eastern Texts Initiative, chairs The Interpreter Foundation and blogs on Patheos. William Hamblin is the author of several books on premodern history. They speak only for themselves.
