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Status: Offline Posts: 7,320 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: 16°53'39.06"N 43°48'5.35"E Gender: Way of Life: Muslim | Re: The Names and Characteristics of the Qur'aan -
09-15-2006
As salaamu alaykum,
Alhamdulillah, I just stumbled across what I was looking for today whilst I was in search of something else!!
Here it inshaAllah for whoever wishes: The Names of Al-Faatiha: It is named al-Faatihah,the Opening - because it opens the Book and by it the recitation in prayer commences.
It is also named Ummul Qur`aan, the Mother of the Qur`aan, and Ummul Kitaab, the Mother of the Book, according to the opinion of the majority. This was mentioned by Anas, however al-Hasan and ibn Seereen disliked this appellation reasoning that this was the most fitting description for the Preserved Tablet. Al-Hasan also said that the unequivocal verses of the Qur`aan comprised the Mother of the Book. However, it is established in at-Tirmidhee from Abu Hurayrah (RA) who said,
The Messenger of Allaah (SAW) said, ‘[the chapter commencing with] “all praises and thanks are due to Allaah the Lord of the Universe” is the Mother of the Qur`aan, the Mother of the Book, the Seven Oft Repeated Verses and the Great Qur`aan.’ [1]
At-Tirmidhee declared the hadeeth to be saheeh. Al-Bukhaaree said in the beginning of the Book of Tafseer in his Saheeh,
It is named Ummul Qur`aan because it is the first chapter written in the Qur`aanic texts and the recitation in prayer commences with it. [2]
Ibn Jareer at-Tabaree said that it was named so because the meaning of the entire Qur`aan is summarised therein. The Arabs named anything that concisely summarises something or comprises the most important part of something Umm, or Mother.
For similar reasons it is also named al-Qur`aan al-Adheem, the Great Qur`aan.
It is also named Sab`ul Mathaanee, the Seven Oft Repeated Verses, because they are frequently recited and indeed recited in every rak`ah of the prayer.
It is also named al-Hamd, the Praise because it contains mention of hamd just as al-Baqarah is named so because it contains mention of the cow. Some scholars also gave the reasoning that al-Hamd constitutes the heart of al-Faatihah. [3] It is also named as-Salaah, the Prayer due his (SAW) saying while reporting from his Lord,
“I have divided the prayer between Myself and my servant equally. Therefore when the servant says, ‘all praises and thanks are due to Allaah, the Lord of the universe,’ Allaah says, ‘My servant has praised Me…’.” [4]
It is named the Prayer because its recitation is a condition for the validity of the prayer.
It is also named ash-Shifaa`, the Cure, due to what ad-Daarimee reports from Abu Sa`eed (RA) from the Messenger of Allaah (SAW),
The Opening of the Book is a cure to every poison. [5]
It is also named ar-Ruqya, the Spiritual Cure due to the hadeeth of Abu Sa`eed (RA) reported in Saheeh Bukhaaree that after he had recited it to cure a person who had been bitten by a scorpion, the Messenger of Allaah (SAW) said to him,
And what made you to know that it was a ruqya? [6]
Ash-Sha`bee reports from ibn Abbaas that he named it Asaasul Qur`aan, the Foundation of the Qur`aan, and that he said, “the foundation of al-Faatihah is, ‘with the Name of Allaah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.’”
Sufyaan bin Uyaynah named it al-Waaqiyah, the Protector.
Yahyaa bin Abu Katheer named it al-Kaafiyah, the Sufficient, because it suffices from everything other than it but anything else does not suffice it, as occurs in the mursal hadeeth,
The Mother of the Book suffices for other than it but nothing else suffices it. [[7]
It is also named Suratus Salaah, the Chapter of the Prayer, and al-Kanz, the Treasure, as mentioned by az-Zamaksharee in ‘Kashshaaf.’ |