Cette sourate du Coran a une importance particulière dans notre Salah. Peu importe les autres sourates ou passages que vous récitez dans votre prière, aucun d’entre eux ne peut remplacer la Fatihah. Le Prophète ﷺ a dit: « Il n’y a pas de Salah pour celui qui ne récite pas la Fatiha. »1
La sourate al-Fatihah doit être considérée comme une conversation entre le Croyant et le Créateur. Adopter cette nouvelle perspective est un moyen puissant d’élever votre Salah et de gagner en humilité et en concentration (khusū’). Dans une narration authentique, le Prophète ﷺ nous a informés que :
Allah, le Tout-Puissant, nous dit: «J’ai partagé la prière (c’est-à-dire la sourate al-Fatihah) également entre moi et mon serviteur. La moitié est pour moi et l’autre moitié est pour mon serviteur. Et Mon serviteur recevra tout ce qu’ils demanderont.
Lorsque le serviteur dit : « Toutes les louanges sont dues à Dieu seul, Seigneur de tous les mondes » (al-hamdu lillahi rabbin al-alamin), Je dirai: « Mon serviteur m’a loué. »
Quand Mon serviteur dit : « l’Extrêmement Miséricordieux, l’Éternel Miséricordieux » (al-Rahman al-Rahim), Je dirai: « Mon serviteur m’a glorifié. »
Quand Mon serviteur Me décrit comme « Maître du Jour du Jugement » (Maliki yawmi al-din), Je dirai: « Mon serviteur m’a glorifié. »
Quand mon serviteur dit : « Toi seul nous t’adorons et c’est vers toi seul que nous nous tournons vers l’aide » (iyyaka na’budu wa iyyaka nasta’in), Je dirai: « Ceci est partagé entre moi et mon serviteur. » Et Mon serviteur recevra tout ce qu’ils demanderont.
Quand mon serviteur dit : « Guide-nous sur le droit chemin » (ihdina al-sirata al-mustaqim), « la voie de ceux à qui tu as accordé tes bénédictions, non de ceux qui ont été condamnés, ni de ceux qui s’égarent » (sirata al-ladhina an[amta alayhim ghayri al-maghdubi alayhim wa la al-dallin), I will say, “This is for My servant, and My servant will receive whatever they asked for”.
Surah al-Fatihah comprehensively summarizes the key beliefs and concepts of Islam. It outlines the fundamental relationship every person is meant to have with their Maker and Creator. It can be broken down into two parts:
Part 1: Who is Allah 
?
Part 2: Who am I?
Part 1: Who is Allah ?
The first three verses of Surah al-Fatihah introduce us to who Allah is. They are dedicated to increasing our knowledge of Allah because, through the increase in knowledge, we increase in our love, devotion, and submission to Allah .
All praise is for Allah—Lord of all worlds
the Extremely & Eternally Merciful
the Master of the Day of Judgement.
When you recite “All praise is for Allah”, think about how much He has blessed you with: your health, your wealth, and the opportunities you have been given in life. Feel blessed and privileged. Then realize that being able to thank Him is in and of itself another blessing to thank Him for— even if we tried, we cannot enumerate the blessings of Allah .
Part of the meaning of alhamdulillah is to declare that all forms of praise are due to Allah as a matter of fact; regardless of whether the ungrateful people fail to acknowledge that. Allah is, was, and always will be deserving of all sincere praise. The amount of praise He deserves is enough to fill the heavens and the earth, and everything in between. Even then, it would not reach the level He deserves.
Khusū’ Tip!
When reciting ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ think about one blessing you are currently experiencing and enjoying. Ask yourself: what would life be like if it was taken away?
Allah is the Rabb of everything, which means He created us and takes care of us. He is the Master of humans, animals, plants, angels, planets, stars, skies, the seen, and the unseen. Everything that has existed or shall ever exist in this world is subservient to Him, bound to His power, and totally dependent upon His grace.
Allah is ar-Rahman and ar-Raheem, two names that express the extreme mercy and compassion He has and manifests upon His creation— a mercy so abundant it is beyond all estimation. Were it not for His mercy, our existence would have been eroded by both our sins and ingratitude as well as by our arrogance and recklessness.
It is because of His rahma that a mother is able to endure pregnancy and exhaust her efforts in raising a child, despite its burdensome nature.
These two Names of Allah should evoke a sense of hope and optimism in our hearts that Allah will forgive us for our wrongs and overlook our shortcomings. Islam does not depict God as an enemy who pursues man with relentless vengeance, or plots and schemes against His creation with spite and vindictiveness.
Allah is the Master of the Day of Judgement, the Only One in charge of the greatest day in human history. The day everyone will receive their book of deeds; those who believed and did good will receive it in their right hand and those who disbelieved and wronged others will receive it in their left. Which hand do you think you will be stretching out on that day?
It is the day on which true justice will be served, the victims of oppression will have their cases heard in the Supreme Court of Allah and the tyrants will have no escape.
Khusū’ Tip!
If you are the victim of abuse or oppression, and the perpetrator seems to have gotten away with it, find solace in the fact that Allah will serve perfect justice on yawm ad-deen and that Allah never forgets.
When hearing this verse we should be struck by the greatness of Allah and feel a sense of awe and fear towards Him; contrasting sharply with the previous verse about His Mercy. Though Allah is merciful, He is also severe in punishment. We should not become complacent. We are His slaves and He is our Master.
Part 2: Who am I?
Surah al-Fatihah now transitions from speaking about Allah to speaking to Allah . This 3rd person to 2nd person shift signals a change in mood and energy. This part is about you.
You alone do we worship, and from You alone do we seek help.
Guide us along the Straight Path,
the path of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace, not of those who have incurred Your wrath, nor of those who have gone astray.
It should be as though the previous verses have brought you into a state of awe and reverence towards Allah , and now you wish to declare something to this Merciful Lord of all worlds: You alone do we worship, and from You alone do we seek help. You declare that you are the slave of Allah who wants nothing more than to worship Him alone without equals. This is who you are: Allah’s slave. You have chosen to be this because you recognize that no one is capable of what Allah is capable of, and that being His slave is the most liberating existence for your soul. Where most have chosen to be slaves to money, fame, or desires; you have chosen to be the slave of Allah , the Maker of everything. It is not easy to live up to the expectations Allah has placed upon His slaves and that is why you seek His support: and from You alone do we seek help.
PC: Visual Karsa (unsplash)
Khusū’ Tip!
As you recite: إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ, remind yourself that just like you are the slave of Allah in this Salah, being mindful of Him and obedient of His laws, you are also the slave of Allah at work, when with friends, and when playing sports. Behave like you are Allah’s slave in every part of your life.
You then make a plea to Allah : Guide us along the Straight Path. This is the greatest duʿa in the Qur’an, found in the greatest Surah of the Qur’an.2
The need for Divine guidance outstrips our need for anything else. The Pharaoh was the most powerful man of his era and yet it did not help him find salvation. Qarun had all the riches of the world but in the end, the earth swallowed him up upon the command of Allah . When there is no faith (imān), there is no success. This is why asking for guidance is paramount.
Did you know?
Imam Ibn al-Qayyim said that the various meanings of Guide us along the Straight Path include
- Acknowledging the truth & seeking it out
- Acting upon it
- Remaining steadfast upon it
- Calling others to it3
- Resisting those who will oppose you for it
Khusū’ Tip!
When reciting ٱهْدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٰطَ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ remember that faith fluctuates. It may be great one day but plummets the next. Have the intention of seeking consistency and steadfastness in faith.
Surah al-Fatihah then explains what this Straight Path looks like: the path of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace. This is referring to real-life examples from the past of the Prophets, martyrs, and the righteous. Their stories, sacrifices, and life choices help inform our understanding of what the Straight Path looks like.
Finally, the Surah makes clear what the Straight Path does not look like: not of those who have incurred Your wrath, nor of those who have gone astray. This is referring to the losers. The examples of such people, both individuals and nations, are given throughout the Qur’an, leaving little doubt as to what ideas, behaviors, and attitudes Allah does not love. If we follow the way of the Prophets and keep away from the way of the disbelievers we will not only find salvation, but our hearts will find contentment; as the mind, body, and soul will fall into alignment with their natural, most optimal state of being. All the components that make us whole were created by Allah , and once we are upon the Straight Path they are functioning in the manner they were originally created to function.
Now say Ameen, O Allah accept my duʿa, and mean it.
[Want to learn more about how to focus in Salah & develop Khusū’? Pre-order this new book by Ustadh Asim Khan here.]
En rapport:
– Cohésion Structurelle Dans Le Coran [A Series]: Sourate Al Fatihah – MuslimMatters.org
– Le thème de la sourate al-Fatihah – MuslimMatters.org
