It is also the longest Surah in the Holy Qur’an. This Surah has 286 verses and is a ‘madani’ Surah ie. This Surah is also known as ‘Ummul Kitab’ and ‘Sab’a mathani’. It is indeed a great treasure that has been given to us by Allah (S.w.T.) through the Holy Prophet (S) and no previous prophet has been given anything like it. Without this Surah, even the daily prayers are incomplete. Surah al-Fatihah is a cure for physical and also spiritual ailments. In fact, the power of this Surah is so great that it is said that if one were to recite it 70 times over a dead body, you should not become surprised if that body starts moving (ie. In the same narration it is written that if this Surah is recited 70 times on any part of the body that is paining, the pain will surely go away. Imam AbuAbdillah Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) has said that whoever cannot be cured by Surah al-Fatihah, then there is no cure for that person.

Then the Holy Prophet (S) asked, “Jabir, should I tell you something about this Surah ?” Jabir answered, “Yes, and may my parents be ransom upon you O prophet of Allah.” The Prophet (S) said, “It (Surah al-Fatihah) is a cure for every ailment except death.” The Holy Prophet (S) once asked Jabir ibn Abdallah Ansari, “Should I teach you a Surah that has no other comparison to it in the whole Qur’an ?” Jabir replied, “Yes, and may my parents be ransom upon you O prophet of Allah.” So the Holy Prophet (S) taught him Surah al-Fatihah. One of the companions of the Holy Prophet (S) narrates that he once recited this Surah in the presence of the Holy Prophet (S) and the Prophet said, ‘By Him in whose hand is my soul, a similar revelation to this has not been included in the Taurat (Torah), Injeel (Bible), Zabur (Psalms) or even the Qur’an itself.’ In the commentary of Majma’ul Bayan it is narrated that the Holy Prophet (S) said that whoever recites this Surah, he will get the reward for reciting two thirds (2/3) of the whole Qur’an, and will get the reward equivalent to what would be gained by giving charity to all the believing men and women in the world. it was revealed in both Makkah and Madinah. There are seven verses in this Surah (chapter) and it is said that this Surah is both ‘makki’ and ‘madani’ ie. Imam Ali Ridha (a.s.) said that “Bismillah…” is very close to the chosen name of Allah (S.w.T.). It is also mentioned that recitation of “Bismillah…” with a loud voice is from the signs of a true believer. When the boy grew older, his mother took him to a teacher who taught him to recite “Bismillah…” and I felt that it would not be justice that this man’s son was calling My Name and I was punishing his father in the grave. When he died, his wife was pregnant and soon gave birth to a son. He was surprised at this and asked Allah (S.w.T.) about what has happened and it was revealed to him that the man inside the grave was a sinner and was thus being punished for his sins. When he passed the same place after some time, he noticed that the Mercy and Blessings of Allah (S.w.T.) was being showered on the same grave. It is narrated that Prophet Isa (a.s.) was once passing by a graveyard and he saw a grave upon which the Wrath and Punishment of Allah (S.w.T.) was descending, so he quietly walked past. When a teacher teaches a child to recite “Bismillah…” the child, his parents and the teacher are all guaranteed freedom from hellfire.

The Holy Prophet (S) has also said that when a believer will have to cross the Pul-e-Siraat on the Day of Judgement, and he will say “Bismillah…” then the flames beneath him will start dying down until Jahannam will cry out, ‘O believer, pass through quickly, your presence is causing my fire to die out !’ A person asked for the condition necessary to get this great reward and the Holy Prophet (S) replied that the person should recite the “Bismillah…” with conviction and understanding. It is narrated in Tafsir al-Burhaan that the Holy Prophet (S) has said that when a person recites “Bismillah.” then five thousand ruby palaces are built for him in Jannah Each palace has a thousand chambers made of pearls and in each chamber has seventy thousand thrones of emerald and each throne has seventy thousand carpets made from special fabrics and upon each carpet is seated a Hur-ul-Ein. Apart from being part of every chapter in the Holy Qur’an (except the chapter of repentance ), it is also the most oft repeated verse in the Holy Qur’an. If we were to give an exhaustive account of the benefits of the recitation of “Bismillah…” we would need more than a single volume to do justice to it.

Sura hashr dua for dlivery