The Opening · Meccan · 7 verses
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
[All] praise is [due] to Allah, Lord of the worlds -
The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful,
Sovereign of the Day of Recompense.
It is You we worship and You we ask for help.
Guide us to the straight path -
The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray.
It is mandatory in every unit (Rakah) of formal prayer (Salah). According to the Hadith, it is also known as Ash-Shifa (The Cure) because it acts as a spiritual healing. It is a fundamental prayer to seek guidance and protection on the Day of Judgment.
Surah Al-Fatiha contains 7 verses. Some scholars count Bismillah as the first verse, while others count it as a separate header, but the established total remains 7 verses.
Most scholars classify Surah Al-Fatiha as Makki, meaning it was revealed before the Hijrah, although some narrations mention a Madani view.
It has several honorable names, including Umm ul-Quran (The Mother of the Quran), Sab'ul Mathani (The Seven Oft-Repeated Verses), and Ash-Shifa (The Healing / The Cure).
Al-Fatiha literally means The Opening or The Opener. It is named so because it is the opening chapter that introduces the Holy Quran and serves as the gateway to reading and understanding the book of Allah.