Islamic Teachings Book 2

Allah - The Praise-Worthy

As we know, it is necessary to recite two surahs from the Holy Qur'an during prayers. The name of the first such surah, is 'al-Hamd' or 'al-Fateha' and it reads as follows:

Bismilla hir Rahmanir Rahim

Al hamdu lil lahi Rabbil Alamin. Ar Rahmanir Rahim.

Maliki yawmid Din. lyyaka na'budu wa iyyaka nasta'in.

Ihdinas Siratal mustaqim. Siratal ladhina an'amta 'alaihim

Ghairil maghdhubi 'alaihim waladh Dhaalin.

The following is the meaning of the above surah:

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. The Beneficent, the Merciful. Master of the Day of Judgement. You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help. Guide us on the right path - the path of those whom You have favoured; not (the path) of those who earned Your wrath; nor of those gone astray.

After reciting this surah in our prayers, we must also recite another surah. The other surah usually recited by people is surah 'al-Tawheed' which is also called surah 'al-Ikhlas'.

Surah 'al-Hamd' tells us that all blessings are granted by Allah who has created everything. We must praise (thank) Him. The reward and punishment of the people is in His hands. We worship only Allah and ask only Him to guide us to the right path.

Surah 'al-Hamd' being an essential part of prayers, we should try to learn it by heart.

Surah 'al-Hamd' is an essential part of prayers.

Questions

  1. Which surah must be recited in prayers? Is recitation of one surah sufficient?

  2. What does surah 'al-Hamd' tell us?

  3. In which part of the Holy Qur'an does surah 'al-Hamd' find its place?