Soo-ra-tool-Faa-tay-ha سُوۡرَةُ الفَاتِحَة Chapter # 001
Verses of the Holy Qor-aan are quoted on this site with a 6-digit number; the first three digits tell of Soorah (Chapter) and the last three tell of verse. Numbering includes بِسۡمِ اللهِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِيۡمِ as verse #1 in every Soorah except Soorah #9. The phonetic transliteration in English is based upon words commonly pronounced like bat, cat, sat → fate, gate, hate → bait, trait → bay, nay, say → be, he, she → pet, pet, wet → bit, fit, sit → cot, dot, rot → boot, hoot, root → bout, rout → but, cut, hut, rut. An Arabic word with the vowel Fatah is best shown with a ‘u’ as in cut, rut, hut, but letter ‘a’ is often placed before ‘u’ to make it doubly sure that it is read as in cause, pause and clause and not with the sound of ‘oo’ as in hoot, root, shoot or put. All Arabic words are translated in American English and are followed by alternates which other translators have used.
The Holy Qor-aan 001:001 ○بِسۡمِ اللهِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِيۡمِمِ
Bay is-mil-laa-hay ir-rah-maa-nay ir-ra-heem
With the name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful I begin.
(Beginning, commencing, starting)
- بِ — Bay … (is) — With (= This Arabic word literally means ‘with’. Its translation in English is more accurate with ‘with’ than with ‘in’)
- سۡمِ — Iss-may … (il) — The name of (= The way to be addressed or called)
- اللهِ — Laa-hay … (ir) — Allah (= The Almighty God; the One Only worthy of worship)
- الرَّحۡمٰنِ — Rah-maa-nay … (ir) — The Most Beneficent (= The One who fully, totally and wholly benefits all, to the maximum, with no condition, limitation or restriction. Compassionate. Gracious)
- الرَّحِيۡمِ — Ra-heem — The Most Merciful (= The One who fully, totally and wholly showers mercy, to the maximum, again and again, continually, indefinitely and perpetually like the incoming waves from the oceans)
** Note: 001:001. This is the 1st verse of 113 Soorahs (Chapters) but not of the Ninth, Tao-bauh.
The Holy Qor-aan has repeated several attributes of God Almighty. The Holy Prophet s.a.w., is reported to have pin-pointed 99 of them. Several authors magnified ordinary meanings of these words and translated them with their superlatives and added prefixes like All, Ever, Forever, Most, Very, Well, etc. This site has used the prefix of The Most because that suits Allah the most.
This verse states two attributes. We explained the principal theme of these two attributes with one brief sentence. Other translators have also conveyed the same essential characteristic of an attribute even when they worded their expressions differently.
One such example is verse 004:111. One attribute was translated as Merciful, All-Merciful, Ever Merciful, Most Merciful and Merciful Forever. Another example is in verse 004:105.
Dozens of translations of the Holy Qor-aan are being sold on the market. Commentaries floodlighting some of them by name, content and critique include Translations With Author’s Whims, …With Additions or Subtractions, …With Inaccuracies, … With Different Words, etc.
Comparing various authors produces similar examples in thousands, if not more.
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The Holy Qor-aan 001:002
اَلۡحَمۡدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الۡعٰلَمِيۡنَۙ
Aul-haum-do lay il-laa-hay raub-bay il-aa-la-meen
All real thanks are due to Allah, the Lord Provident to the Universe.
- اَلۡ — Aul — The (= The Arabic word ‘ul’ expresses two distinct meanings. 1.The Particular one. 2 – All in a category; real; total. Combined together they convey only the best, the tops)
- حَمۡدُ — Haum-do — Thanks (= Appreciation; gratitude; praise)
- لِ — Lay … (il) — For (= Concerning; regarding; relative to; with intent, reason regard to; for the attention, benefit, object, purpose or reason of)
- اللّٰهِ — Laa-hay — Allah (= The Almighty God; The only One worthy of worship)
- رَبِّ — Raub-bay … (il) — GOD / LORD (= The Almighty Allah who fills all needs of all His creatures. Cherisher. Creator;. Guardian. Lord Provident. Master. The Only One Who provides all that sustains life. Ultimate Provider of air, water, food and whatever we and all other creatures need to live and subsist)
- الۡعٰلَمِيۡنَۙ — Aa-la-meen — The universe (= n., pl., As an attribute of God Almighty the word implies no limits. It means the Universe, all His creations, all that exists in whole Universe, all that has life, and Mankind. See Note 001:002)
** Note 001:002:
The Holy Qor-aan repeatedly shows God Almighty as رَب , the Provider of the Universe.
This verse is in 001:002, 006:046, 039:076 and 040:066; also, its last 3 words in 007:055, 059:017.
As an attribute of God Almighty the word الۡعٰلَمِيۡنَۙ implies no-limits. It means The Universe, all His creations, all that exists in whole Universe, all that has life, and Mankind. Examples include verses 001:002, 002:132, 006:163, 026:017, 026:023, 026:048, 026:078, 026:099, 026:110, 026:146, 026:165, 026:181, 026:193, 006:072, 039:076, 040:066, 040:067, 059:017 and 081:030.
In relation to man the word الۡعٰلَمِيۡنَۙ implies being limited to time and place. It means The worlds, the whole wide world of the Age, nations of the time, contemporaries in towns or territory of a known period, and people in given cities or countries. Examples besides 005:116, 006:087 and 006:091 are the following various translations of this word in verse 003:034: — M Zafrullah Khan narrowed it down to mean only the “people of their times.” — Allama Nooruddin verbalized it for “all people of time.” — Dr Al-Hilali and Dr Khan extended it to mean the entire “mankind and jinn of their times.” — N J Dawood expanded it further by saying “all His creatures.”
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The Holy Qor-aan 001:003
الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِيۡمِۙ ؕ
Aur-rah-maa-nay ir-ra-heem
The most Beneficent, the most Merciful
- الرَّحۡمٰنِ — Aur-rah-maa-nay … (ir) — The Most Beneficent (= The One who fully, totally and wholly benefits all, to the maximum with no condition, limitation or restriction. Compassionate. Gracious)
- الرَّحِيۡمِ — Aur-ra-heem — The Most Merciful (= The One who fully, totally and wholly showers mercy to the maximum, again and again, continually, indefinitely and perpetually like the incoming waves from the oceans)
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The Holy Qor-aan 001:004
مٰلِكِ يَوۡمِ الدِّيۡنِؕ
Maa-lay-kay yao-may id-dee-n
Master of the Day of Judgment
- مٰلِكِ — Maa-lay-kay — Master (= Absolute Authority; Controller; King; Monarch; Owner)
- يَوۡمِ — Yao-may … (id) — Of the Day (= Hour; time; period; phase)
- الدِّيۡنِ — Dee-n — Of Judgment (= Accounting; recompense; reckoning; requital; resurrection)
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The Holy Qor-aan 001:005
اِيَّاكَ نَعۡبُدُ وَاِيَّاكَ نَسۡتَعِيۡنُؕ
Ee-yaa ka nau-bo-do wa ee-yaa ka naus-ta-een
Only You we worship. And only You we beseech
- اِيَّا — Ee-yaa — Only (= Alone; excluding any and all others)
- كَ — Ka — You * (= You, a single male. Ref is to the Almighty God)
- نَعۡبُدُ — Nau-bo-do — We worship (= v., pres., pl., 1st person. Including the worshipper’s parents, children, family, friends and others, we serve, supplicate, like to be cloned and take on the color)
- وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses; additionally)
- اِيَّا — Ee-yaa — Only (= Alone; excluding any and all others)
- كَ — Ka — You (= You, a single male. Ref is to the Almighty God)
- نَسۡتَعِيۡنُ — Naus-ta-een — We beseech (= Ask, beg, entreat, implore, pray or request for help, assistance, guidance and succor always in all places)
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The Holy Qor-aan 001:006
اِهۡدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الۡمُسۡتَقِيۡمَۙ
Aeh-day naa us-say-raa-ta ul-moos-ta-qee-ma
Please God! Guide us on the right road
- اِهۡدِ — Aeh-day — Guide (= v., Coddle on correct course; direct or take accurately towards the best way; give the best direction; lead on linier lines; put on proper path; show the right road)
- نَا — Naa … (us) — Us (= pro., pl., m & f., 1st person. Us all)
- الصِّرَاطَ — Say-raa-ta … (ul) — Road (= n., Course; direction; lines; path; route; way)
- الۡمُسۡتَقِيۡمَ — Moos-ta-qee-ma — Right (= adj., Acceptable; appropriate; accurate; best; correct; exact; precise; proper; right; straight; suitable; truthful. The shortest distance between two specific points (of GOD Almighty Who created and His creation man) is always the straight line, perfect path and right road by which man can reach his Creator)
** Note 001:006. The words صِّرَاطَ and مُسۡتَقِيۡمَ used in the verse 001:006 are man’s prayer to be put on the correct cause, linear lines, proper path or right road. These words (some without the ال before them and some with other variations) are repeated in several verses including 002:143, 002:214, 003:052, 003:102, 004:069, 004:176, 005:017, 006:040, 006:088, 006:127, 006:154, 006:162, 007:017, 036:005, 036:062, 043:044, 043:065, 067:023, etc. They demonstrate God’s gift to anyone He chooses by setting him up on such line, path, road or way.
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The Holy Qor-aan 001:007
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صِرَاطَ الَّذِيۡنَ اَنۡعَمۡتَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ ۙ غَيۡرِ الۡمَغۡضُوۡبِ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا الضَّآلِّيۡنَ
Say-raa-ta ul-la-ze-na aun-aum-ta alai him Ghai-ray il-maugh-dzoo-bay aa-lai him wa laa udz-dzaal-leen
The way of those on whom You conferred blessings Not of those who incurred wrath, and not of those who go astray.
- صِرَاطَ — Say-raat … (ul) — Way (= Course; direction; lines; path; road; route)
- ٱلَّذِينَ — La-zee-na — Those who (= pl., m., 3rd person. All folks, groups, generations, nations and people in the world)
- اَنۡعَمۡتَ — Aun-aum-ta — You conferred (= v., past., s., 2n person. Awarded, bestowed, blessed. gave, gifted, granted or landed blessings, favors, good things, honors or rewards. The word refers to the Almighty God)
- عَلَيۡ — Alai — On (= Above; for; over; to; upon)
- هِمۡ— Him — Whom (= pro., pl, m., 3rd person. Refers to persons blessed)
- غَيۡرِ — Ghai-ray … (il) — Not of those (= Besides; other than)
- الۡمَغۡضُوۡبِ — Maugh-dzoo-bay –Incurred wrath (= Got, punished, inflicted, received, struck or subjected to anger, displeasure, fury, chastisement or torment)
- عَلَيۡ— Alai — On (= Above; for; over; to; upon)
- هِمُ — Him — Them / Those (= pro., pl, m., 3rd person. Those who incurred wrath)
- وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses; additionally)
- َلَا — La … (udz) — Not (= Never; not at all; total and absolute denial)
- الضَّآلِّيۡنَ — Dzaal-leen — Gone astray (= n., pl., Astray; erring; in error; misguided. Those who had gone astray, lost the way, or took the wrong path, road or turn or went off the track)
Note 001:007: Most of the verb-words are a combination of two parts. Its main operating part is for the 3rd person. Its second part is for a pronoun for 1st, 2nd or 3rd person which converts the main operating part from being for a 3rd person to that of a 1st, 2nd or 3rd person.
The pronoun part may come before the main operating part of the word. For example the word عبد is for a 3rd person in the past tense and means He worshipped. But a نَ before it converted it to نَعۡبُدُ (nau-bodo) which is for the plural 1st person and means We worshipped.
The pronoun part may come after the main operating part of the word. For example the word انعم nis for a 3rd person in the past tense and means He blessed. But a تَ after it converted it to اَنۡعَمۡتَ (aun-aum-ta) which is for the single 2nd person and means You blessed.
This and other unique features of Arabic grammar appear to have been ignored in some published translations of the Holy Qor-aan. This site has pointed out some of them.
