IMAM GHAZALI ON SURAH FATIHA

The great scholar, Imam al-Ghazali (QSA) provided the below commentary on the opening chapter of the Holy Qur'an.

Ayah 1 - Bismillah hir rahman nir raheem (In the name of God, The Most Merciful, The Compassionate)

This reminds people that God is merciful and encourages them to obey God and seek His pleasure.

Ayah 2 - Alhamdulillahi Rabbil 'alameen (The Praise belongs to God, Lord of the worlds)

Faith is composed of patience and gratitude. But gratitude is preferred over patience because gratitude results from being content, longing and love of God, whereas patience results from fear, fright, distress and calamities.

Proceeding through the right path of God through love is better than through fright and fear of God. The Holy Prophet ‎ﷺ said that those who praise God in all situations are the first to be called to Paradise.

Ayah 3 - Ar-Rahmaanir-Raheem (The Merciful, The Compassionate)

This is the quality of mercy for the second time. There are no repetitions in the Qur'an unless there are extra benefits.

God has created all living beings in a perfect way. The world of animals, mosquitos, flies, spiders and bees are the smallest of the worlds created by God. The wonders found out by humans are very few, when compared with those that have not yet been discovered, and known only by God and His angels.

Ayah 4 - Maliki Yawmi-Deen (The Owner of the Day of Judgement)

This refers to God's mercy with His creatures on the Day of Judgement when He confers His blessings on those who worship and obey Him.

Ayah 5 - Iyyaka na'budu wa iyyaka nastaeen (It is You alone we worship, and it is You alone we pray for help)

This refers to sincere worship which is the spirit of the right path. Truly, God is the disposer of all affairs and nothing can be done without God's Help.

Ayah 6 - Ihdinas Siraatal Mustaqeem (Guide us to the straight path)

This is a reference to the human need for guidance to the right path through which one can grow nearer to God.

Ayah 7 - Siraatal ladheena an'amta 'alaihim ghayril maghdoobi 'alaihim wa lad daalleen (The path of those to whom You have been gracious, not the ones against whom You are angry nor the ones who go astray)

This reminds people of God's blessings on the obedient servants and His displeasure with the disobedient ones in order to encourage people to obey Him and warn against disobeying Him.

O my Lord, for the sake of all your beloved prophets and saints,

please fulfill all my needs and remove my pains

Ya Mere Allah Jumla Ambiya ke wasthey,

Hajathe Barla Meri Kul Awliya ke wasthey

Silsila Aaliya e Khushhaliya !!

(Ref: Al-Ghazali's Jewels of the Qur'an edited by Laleh Bakhtiar, pg. 48-53)