Verse 1
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
Bismi-llāhir-Raḥmānir-Raḥīm
“In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.”
Reviewed July 2026
Learn Surah Al-Fatiha
The Opening: the first chapter of the Qur’an and the one every Muslim knows by heart, because it is part of every unit of prayer. Take it a verse at a time: tap between the Arabic, how to say it, and what it means.
Verse 2
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
Al-ḥamdu li-llāhi Rabbil-ʿālamīn
“All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds”
Verse 3
الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
Ar-Raḥmānir-Raḥīm
“The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful,”
Verse 4
مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ
Māliki yawmid-dīn
“Sovereign of the Day of Recompense.”
Verse 5
إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ
Iyyāka naʿbudu wa iyyāka nastaʿīn
“It is You we worship and You we ask for help.”
Verse 6
اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ
Ihdinaṣ-ṣirāṭal-mustaqīm
“Guide us to the straight path”
Verse 7
صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ
Ṣirāṭal-ladhīna anʿamta ʿalayhim, ghayril-maghḍūbi ʿalayhim wa laḍ-ḍāllīn
“The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have earned Your anger or of those who are astray.”
The English is an interpretation of the meaning (after Saheeh International), not a replacement for the Arabic. When reciting in prayer, many communities conclude Al-Fatiha with “āmīn.”
Learning it, answered
Why learn Al-Fatiha first?
Because it is recited in every rakʿah of every prayer, seventeen times a day across the five prayers. It is seven short verses; most people can memorize it within a week or two of steady repetition, and it immediately makes the whole prayer feel like yours.
How do I memorize Al-Fatiha as an English speaker?
One verse at a time: read the transliteration aloud until it flows, listen to a recording of a reciter you like on repeat, then say it from memory before adding the next verse. Recite what you've learned in your actual prayers, repetition inside the prayer is what makes it permanent.
Do I have to pronounce it perfectly?
Correct pronunciation is a goal to grow toward, not an entry requirement. Do your best from the transliteration, refine by listening and repeating, and if you can, read with someone at your masjid who can gently correct you. Allah honors sincere effort while learning.
What does Al-Fatiha mean?
'The Opening', the opening chapter of the Qur'an. It moves from praising Allah, the Entirely Merciful, Master of the Day of Judgment, to the heart of the relationship: 'It is You we worship and You we ask for help,' ending with a plea for guidance along the straight path.