Surah Al-Fatihah (الْفَاتِحَة) — The Opening
Al-Fatihah is the first surah in the Quran and the only one you have to recite in every prayer. Seventeen times a day, every day, if you pray the five obligatory prayers. There's no other surah like that.
Seven verses. The first three are praise of Allah. The last three are the worshipper asking for guidance. Verse four sits in the middle, where the conversation turns from praising Him to asking from Him. Classical scholars from Ibn Kathir to Sayyid Qutb said the whole Quran can be summarised by these seven verses, which is why one of the surah's other names is Umm al-Quran, the Mother of the Book.
It actually has more names than any other surah. The Prophet ﷺ called it Sab' al-Mathani, the Seven Oft-Repeated. It's also called al-Hamd (the Praise), as-Salah (the Prayer), and al-Shifa (the Cure). That last name comes from a hadith in Bukhari where one of the companions recited Al-Fatihah over a man who had been bitten by a scorpion, and the man got better.
There's another hadith, in Sahih Muslim, that's worth knowing. The Prophet ﷺ said when the worshipper recites Al-Fatihah, Allah responds line by line. The worshipper says "All praise is to Allah, Lord of the worlds," and Allah says "My servant has praised Me." This goes on for the whole surah. So Al-Fatihah isn't just a prayer you say at Allah. It's a conversation, with both sides written down. That's what makes it different from everything else in the Quran.
How many verses are in Surah Al-Fatihah?
Seven verses. It's recited in every unit of every prayer.
When was Surah Al-Fatihah revealed?
In Makkah, in the early years of the Prophet's ﷺ mission, according to most scholars including Ibn Abbas. There's a minority view that it was revealed in Madinah, but it's not the main position.
Why is it called Umm al-Quran?
Because in seven verses it covers the main themes of the entire Quran. Praise, worship, guidance, and the Day of Judgment. The Prophet ﷺ gave it this name himself, which means "Mother of the Book."