The Virtues of Surah Fatihah
1. Hazrat Abu Saeed ibn Al-Mu’alla radiyallahu anhu said, "While I was praying in the Masjid, the Prophet :s: called me. I did not answer him then, but went to him afterwards and explained that I had been praying, whereupon he asked me whether Allah Ta’ala had not said, ‘Respond to Allah and to the Messenger when he calls you.’ adding, ‘Let me teach you the greatest Surah in the Qur’aan before you leave the Masjid.’ He then took me by the hand and when we were about to go out I reminded him of his promise to me that he would teach me the greatest Surah in the Qur’aan. He said, Surah Fatihah which is the seven oft-repeated verses in the Mighty Qur’aan which has been given to me."
2. Hazrat Abu Hurairah radiyallahu anhu reported that when Allah’s Messenger :s: once asked Ubayy ibn Ka’ab radiyallahu anhu, what he recited in his prayers. He replied Umm-ul Qur’aan (Surah Fatihah) the Holy Prophet :s: proclaimed, "By Him in whose dominion my soul is, nothing like it has been revealed in the Torah, the Gospel, the Psalms, or the Qur’aan and it is seven of the oft-repeated verses in the Mighty Qur’aan which I have been given."
3. Hazrat Abu Hurairah radiyallahu anhu reported Allah’s Messenger :s: as saying, "If anyone observes a prayer in which he does not recite Umm-ul Qur’aan, it is deficient (he said this three times) and incomplete."
4. Hazrat Abdul Malik ibn Umair radiyallahu anhu reports that Rasoolullah sallallahu alaihe wasallam said, "In Surah Fatihah there is a cure for all ailments."
5. Ambari in his ‘Kitaabur-Rad’ through his own chain of narrators has mentioned from Mujahid ibn Jabr rahmatullahi alaihe that Iblees the accursed of Allah Ta’ala lamented on four occasions: first when he was cursed; secondly when he was cast out of Heaven to the Earth; thirdly when Prophet Muhammad :s: was given the Prophethood; fourthly when Surah Fatihah was revealed and it was revealed in Madinah.
6. Hazrat Abu Saeed radiyallahu anhu has said, "We were out on a journey. After a while we stopped to camp. Suddenly a girl came along saying that the chief of the clan has been bitten by a snake (or stung by a scorpion) and our menfolk are away from home. Is there anybody amongst you who can recite Ruqyah (incantations)? Whereupon a man stood up with her, we never used to cast any suspicion on him regarding him reciting Ruqyah (incantations). Nevertheless, he recited some charm on the chief and he was healed. Then the chief ordered 30 goats to be given to him, and he gave us milk to drink. When he returned we inquired, "Do you really know this science (or we inquired, were you reading spells)?"
He replied, "I merely read Surah Fatihah."
We said, "Don’t say a word about this till we return (or until we ask Rasoolullah :s: )."
When we came to Madinah, we brought this incident to the notice of Rasoolullah :s:. Thus he replied, "And how did he know that Surah Fatihah is read as a Ruqyah (incantation)? Divide and assign a share for me as well."
[Sahih Al-Bukhari, Muslim and Sunan Abu Dawood]
7. Hazrat Ibn Abbas radiyallahu anhu narrates that once the angel Jibraeel was sitting with the Apostle :s: when all of a sudden he heard a noise from above and raised his head. Thereafter he said, "This is a door of heaven which has been opened today and never has it been opened save this day, and from there has descended an angel." The Holy Prophet :s: further said, "This is an angel which has come down to Earth and never has he come down but this day. He has given greetings and has said, ‘Receive the good news of two lights, which have been bestowed on you, which no Prophet before you has been bestowed with. One is Surah Fatihah and the other, the concluding portion of Surah Baqarah, you will recite no word of it but you will be granted reward for it."
[Sahih Muslim]
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