Al-Fatihah

Al-Mukhtasar

Tafsīr Center for Qur'anic Studies · Contemporary

1. I begin by calling on Allah, Who is Ar-Raḥmān, the Merciful, and Ar-Raḥīm, the Compassionate. These last two names of Allah are derived from the Arabic word raḥmah, which means mercy: proving the greatness and vastness of His Mercy and that His Mercy surrounds everything, and embraces all living beings. Every blessing is due to His mercy, and the believers receive the greatest mercy.

Tafsir al-Jalalayn

al-Maḥallī & al-Suyūṭī · 864–911 AH / 1459–1505 CE

h what [God’s] servants would be saying. [1:1] In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful: [1:2] Praise be to God, is a predicate of a nominal clause, the content of which is intended to extol God [by Stating that]: He possesses the praise of all creatures, or that He [alone] deserves their praise. God is a proper noun for the One truly worthy of worship; Lord of all Worlds, that is, [He is] the One Who owns all of creation: humans, jinn, angels, animals and others as well, each of which may be referred to as a ‘world’; one says ‘the world of men, or ‘world of the jinn’ etc.…

Al-Mukhtasar

Tafsīr Center for Qur'anic Studies · Contemporary

2. All praise belongs to Allah with regards to His essence, attributes and actions, because He is the Creator of everything. Everything belongs to Him and He is the disposer of their affairs; blessing individuals specifically and humans in general.

Tafsir al-Jalalayn

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Al-Mukhtasar

Tafsīr Center for Qur'anic Studies · Contemporary

3. Two names of Allah, Ar-Raḥmān and Ar-Raḥīm, derived from the word raḥmah, or mercy: indicating His mercy for creation, with the believers being the greatest recipients of it.

Tafsir al-Jalalayn

al-Maḥallī & al-Suyūṭī · 864–911 AH / 1459–1505 CE

amin ] relates to [the term] ‘sign’ (‘alamo), since it is an indication of the One that created it. [1:3] The Compassionate, the Merciful: that is to say, the One who possesses ‘mercy’, which means to want what is good for those who deserve it.

Al-Mukhtasar

Tafsīr Center for Qur'anic Studies · Contemporary

4. He is the Master of the day of Judgement, the day in which we will be brought back to life and repaid for what we have done, all of His creation will be held accountable for their actions and recompensed for them. On that day God will ask “To whom belongs the Kingdom today?” [Sūrah Ghafir: 16] No one, no matter how high his status, will answer, and then God will reply Himself, “to God, the One, the Overcomer” [Sūrah Ghafir: 16]

Tafsir al-Jalalayn

al-Maḥallī & al-Suyūṭī · 864–911 AH / 1459–1505 CE

s to say, the One who possesses ‘mercy’, which means to want what is good for those who deserve it. [1:4] Matter of the Day of Judgement: that is, [the day of] requite, the Day of Resurrection. The reason for the Specific mention [of the Day of Judgement] is that the mastery of none shall appear on that Day except that of God, may He be exalted, as is indicated by [God’s words] ‘Whose is the Kingdom today?’ ‘God’s’ [Q.…

Al-Mukhtasar

Tafsīr Center for Qur'anic Studies · Contemporary

5. We worship and obey none except You; we associate no one with You, and from You alone do we ask for help in all our affairs. All goodness is in Your hand, and there is no helper except You.

Tafsir al-Jalalayn

al-Maḥallī & al-Suyūṭī · 864–911 AH / 1459–1505 CE

giver of sin ( ghafir al-dhanb). Thus, one can validly take it as an adjective of a definite noun). [1:5] You [alone] we worship, and You [alone] we ask for help: that is to say, we reserve worship for You [alone] by way of acknowledging Your Oneness ( tawhid) and so on, and we ask for [Your] assistance in worship and in other things. [1:6] Guide us to the straight path: that is, ‘show us the way to it’. This is substituted by:

Al-Mukhtasar

Tafsīr Center for Qur'anic Studies · Contemporary

6. Show and facilitate for us the right way, the path of submission to You which has no crookedness, and make us firm upon it –

Tafsir al-Jalalayn

al-Maḥallī & al-Suyūṭī · 864–911 AH / 1459–1505 CE

ngs. [1:6] Guide us to the straight path: that is, ‘show us the way to it’. This is substituted by: [1:7] the path of those whom You have favoured, with guidance (from alladhina together with its rela¬ tive clause is substituted by [ghayri l-maghdubi ‘alayhim ]) not [ the path] of those againtt whom there is wrath, namely, the Jews, and nor of those who are attray, namely, the Christians. The subtle meaning im¬ plied by this substitution is that the guided ones are neither the Jews nor the Christians. But God knows beSt what is right, and to Him is the Return and the [final] Resort.…

Al-Mukhtasar

Tafsīr Center for Qur'anic Studies · Contemporary

7. The same path as those of Your creation whom You have blessed with guidance, such as the prophets, the truthful, martyrs, and the righteous ones. What good companions these people make! Keep us away from the path of those who earned Your anger, who knew the truth and did not follow it – as was the case with the Israelites; and keep us away from the path of those who lost their way and were not guided, because they were neglectful in seeking the Truth and being guided by it – as was the case with the Christians.

Tafsir al-Jalalayn

al-Maḥallī & al-Suyūṭī · 864–911 AH / 1459–1505 CE

the straight path: that is, ‘show us the way to it’. This is substituted by: [1:7] the path of those whom You have favoured, with guidance (from alladhina together with its rela¬ tive clause is substituted by [ghayri l-maghdubi ‘alayhim ]) not [ the path] of those againtt whom there is wrath, namely, the Jews, and nor of those who are attray, namely, the Christians. The subtle meaning im¬ plied by this substitution is that the guided ones are neither the Jews nor the Christians. But God knows beSt what is right, and to Him is the Return and the [final] Resort.…