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Heri Mahbub
With seven verses, the meaning of Surah Al-Fatihah varies depending on its name. It is the opening chapter of the Quran and is obligatory for Muslims to recite during prayers.
There is a popular opinion that Al-Fatihah is a Meccan surah (revealed before the migration to Mecca), while others believe it was revealed in Medina. Regardless of the differing interpretations, its content encompasses the fundamentals of religion, praise, and a request for help on the straight path from Allah SWT.
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Surah Al-Fatihah has many names, even hadith scholars say there are dozens of names to show its greatness in the Islamic religion. Below are 3 names of Surah Al-Fatihah and their meanings.
Al-Fatihah itself means the opening of the book. Meanwhile, the term Fatihatul Buku means the opening of the Koran . This term is taken from the words of the Prophet Muhammad SAW.
The meaning of the letter Al-Fatihah is in accordance with what is explained in the book Kasyifah as-Saja Syarah Safinah an-Naja by Sheikh Muhammad Nawawi al-Bantani al-Jawi, which reads:
This means "(Reading Al-Fatihah) is obligatory in every rak'ah, whether praying slowly (Dhuhr and Asr), or loudly (Maghrib, Isha', Fajr and Friday), as an imam, in the congregation or alone, in accordance with the hadith narrated by Bukhari Muslim: "It is not valid to pray for someone who does not read al-Fatihah."
It's called the opening because it's based on the written of the Quran
The correct way for the congregation to recite Al-Fatihah is when the imam has finished reciting Al-Fatihah and then say "Amen." It is best for the congregation not to join the imam in reciting Al-Fatihah, but to wait for the imam to finish and then pause for a moment.
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Al-Fatihah is also known as As-Sab'ul Matsani. The meaning of Surah Al-Fatihah is 7 repeated verses. It is called 7 times repeated because Al-Fatihah is recited several times in each rak'ah of prayer.
As taken from the word of Allah Surah Al-Hijr: 87 which reads as follows:
Meaning: "Indeed, we have given you seven verses to recite repeatedly and the great Koran."
However, Al-Hafizh Ibn Hajar rahimahullah also explained that the scholars themselves have different opinions regarding the meaning of the letter Al-Fatihah As-Sab'ul Matsani, but all of them are taken from the word Matsani:
· Seven verses are repeated in each rakaat of prayer.
· Surah containing praise to Allah Ta'ala.
· Surahs that were revealed specifically for Muslims and were not revealed to previous communities.
Ummul Kitab means the mother of the book because it contains all the teachings in the Quran, both about divinity, worship, nature, the afterlife, and history.
When viewed from a linguistic perspective, the word "umm" means "parent." So it is called ummul quran because it is the origin or source, like the mother who comes before the child and is the source of its birth.
The meaning of the letter Al-Fatihah as the mother of the Koran was also explained by the Prophet Muhammad SAW in a hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah RA which reads as follows:
Meaning: "Whoever prays and does not read Ummul Qur'an, then his prayer is incomplete - he repeats it three times - it is incomplete" (Saheeh Muslim, Hadith no. 598).
Apart from that, the Prophet Muhammad SAW also said through a hadith narrated by Ubadah bin Shamit, namely:
Meaning: "The prayer of a person who does not read the Al-Fatihah letter is not valid" (Shahih Bukhari, Hadith number 714).
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From the meaning of Surah Al-Fatihah , it can be seen that Al-Fatihah is a prerequisite for valid prayer. This can be seen from the word "lâ shalâta," which means nafyus sihhah or invalid.
Meanwhile, the word "khidâj" means an-naqshu wal fasâd, or lacking and defective. Therefore, reciting Al-Fatihah is obligatory for every Muslim when performing prayers.
Al-Quran surah Al-Fatihah is not just an opening prayer in the prayer service. There is the meaning of life, a symbol of devotion, a request for guidance, guidance on the straight path, and a reminder of error in the meaning of Surah Al-Fatihah.
And God knows best
