The Opener · Meccan · 7 verses · Revelation order 5
This Surah is named Al-Fatihah because of its subject matter. Fatihah is that which opens a subject or a book or any other thing. In other words, Al-Fatihah is a sort of preface.
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
In the name of Allāh, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
With the Glorious Name of Allah, the Instant and Sustaining Source of all Mercy and Kindness
ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ
[All] praise is [due] to Allāh, Lord of the worlds -
All praise is due to God, the Lord of the Universe
All Praise is due to Allah, the Sustainer of the Worlds. (The marvels and the profound harmony in the Universe are the living witness that its Creator, Sustainer is truly worthy of all Praise)
ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful,
the Beneficent, the Merciful
He is the Instant and Sustaining Source of all Mercy and Kindness (as He showers His Bounties on all creation indiscriminately and without return)
مَٰلِكِ يَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ
Sovereign of the Day of Recompense.
Lord of the Day of Judgement
He is the Absolute Owner of the Day when all creation shall have completed their journey of existence, evolution and action to the Ultimate Just outcome. And He is the Supreme Law-Giver to humans to enable them to live by the System of Life that He has ordained. People will be ultimately judged according to how well they tried to live by His Laws
إِيَّاكَ نَعۡبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسۡتَعِينُ
It is You we worship and You we ask for help.
You alone we worship, and to You alone we turn for help
(Realizing these facts), we affirm to obey Your Commands only and ask You to help us as we do that
ٱهۡدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٰطَ ٱلۡمُسۡتَقِيمَ
Guide us to the straight path -
Guide us to the straight path
Guide us to the Straight Path (by providing us with faculties that listen more than hear, observe more than see and analyze more than process)
صِرَٰطَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنۡعَمۡتَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ غَيۡرِ ٱلۡمَغۡضُوبِ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا ٱلضَّآلِّينَ
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 path of those You have blessed; not of those who have incurred Your wrath, nor of those who have gone astray
This has always been the Way of those whom You rewarded. And not the path of those who had to face Your Requital (for blind following and arrogance), and not the path of those who faltered and deviated from the Straight Path