Sūrat FātiHa: 1

Alhamdu lillahi rabbil aalameen

Kuch mufassirīn (Scholars of Tafsīr) kā mānna hai kī ye sūrat FātiHa kī pehlī āyat hai hālanki dūsre scholars ka mānna hai ki 'Basmalaah' yāni 'Bismillah ar-rahman ar-raheem' sūrat FātiHa ki pehlī āyat hai. Although dono arguements ke sahi hone ke sabūt maujūd haiñ. Ustaadh Nouman Ali Khan iske zimn me apne ek lecture series Al-Fatiha: A Deeper Look mein kehte hain ki suurat FatiHa Alhamdulillahi rabbil aalameen se shuru hoti hai is arguement ka subūt wo ek hadees qudsi hai jisme Allah taala farmate hain ki maine sūrat-al-FaitiHa ko do hisso meiñ bāñta hai, to ādha hissā mere liye hai aur ādhā hissā mere bande ke liye hai aur mere bande ko wahi kuch milega jo wo mañgega. To jab mera bandā kehtā hai Alhamdulillahi rabbil ālamīn (Tāreef aur shukr Allah hi ke liye hai) to maiñ jawab detā huñ mere bande ne meri Hamd ki. Phir wo kehta hai ar-rahmān ar-raheem (behadd rehem karne wālā bāar baar rehem karne wālā hai) to main jawāb detā huñ mere bande ne meri baDāī bayān ki. Phir mera bandā kehta hai mālikī yaumid-deen (Jaza-o-sazā ke din kā mālik hai) to main jawāb detā huñ ki mere bande ne meri tasbeeh bayaān ki. Phir jab wo kehtā hai iyyā-kā na'budū wa iyya-kā nastaeen (ham sirf teri hī ibādat karte haiñ aur sirf tujh se hi madad chāhte haiñ) to main jawāb detā huñ ye mere aur mere bande ke beech hai to mere bande ne jo chaha use milā. Phir wo kehta hai ihdina as-sirāt al-mustaqeem (hamein sahih raste pe hidāyat de) aur sirāt al-lazeena an-a'mtā alaihim ghair al-maghdubī wa lad-dwal-leen (un logoñ ke raste par chalana jin par tune in'aam kiyā nā ke un logoñ ke jin par tune ghazab nāzil kiya) to main jawab deta huñ ye mere aur mere bande ke beech hai aur usne wo paaya jo usne chāha. Is hadees qudsi se maaloom hua ki suurat FatiHa ki pehli aayat Alhmdu lillahi rabbil aalameen hai. Yahan khayaal rahe ki basmalah se shuruāt hone ki bhi kayī legitimate āhadees milti hain.

Alhamdulillahi Rabbil Aalameen yaani Tareef aur Shukr sirf Allah hi ke liye hai. 

Sabse pehli sūrat ki sabse pehli āyat ka sabse pehla lafz hi Alhamdu lillah hai. 

Alhamdulillah ka tarjamaa umooman(aam taur par) kiyaa jaata hai 'sab tareef Allah ke liye hai' halanki sirf taareef ke liye arabi zaban mein lafz 'Madah' bhi istemaal hota hai. Arab ke logon mein kuch shu'ara(poets) aise bhi guzre hain jo apne ilaaqe ke bādshāhon (kings) ki tareef me qaseede(poetries) padha karte the taaki un se inaamaat haasil kar sakein, in qaseedon ko Qaseeda Mad-hiyyah kaha jaata tha. In Qaseedon mein aksar mubālagha (exaggeration) hua karta tha. Jhūti sachi taareef ke liye lafz madah istimaal hua. To agarche Hamd ka matlab tareef huaa lekin ye iska mukammal maana (meaning) nahi hai. Lafz Hamd mein do meanings hai ek 'Tareef' ka aur ek 'Shukr' ka. Shukr aur Tareef Allah ke liye hai.

Shukr aur Tareef jaisi do kayfiyaat ko ek hi lafz mein jam'a kar diya gaya. Maulana Abul Kalaam Azad apni kitaab Umm-al-Kitaab: tafseer Suurat Faatiha mein likhte hain ki Shukr ahsaan karne waale ka kiyaa jāta hai aur taareef kisi haseen (khubsuurat) zaat ya chiz ki hoti hai. Dono hi mein khauf ka koi unsur(element) nahi hota isiliye lafz Alhamdu lillah se sadiyon puraana Khuda ka Khaufnaak tasawwur (imagination) khatm hojata hai aur ek ahsaan aur raham karne waale khuda ka tasawwur banta hai. Dekha jaaye to tasawwur hi bande aur khuda ke rishte ko mazbuut yaa kamzor kar sakta hai. Kyunki Allah taala ka farmaan hai ki main apne bande ke gumaan ke saath hun To wo jaisa mujhse gumaan rakhega waisa hi mujhe payega. Agar Khuda se gumaan hi Azaab aur Qeher ka ho to wahi payega. Aur agar khuda se gumaan ho Rehem aur maghfirat ka to wahi haasil hoga.

Lillahi yaani Allah ke liye. Allah Arabi zabaan ka lafz hai. Ye asl mein Al-ilaah hai. Angrezi tarjama aksar The Almighty ya The God se kiya jata hai. Allah ek ism hai yaani noun hai baaqi sab uski sifāat hain yāni attributes hain. Quraan ki sabse pehli aayat hi Quraan ke bhejne wale ka ta'aruf (introduction) karati hai.

Lafz ilaah Ibraani (Hebrew) zubān mein bhi iloh kehlata hai aur ilaah ke maane mein hi aata hai. 

Rabbil aalameen ka matlab hota hai jahānoñ ka paalne wala ya Sustainer of the universe. Ab jaisa ki hamne kaha bāqi sab us hi Allah ki sifāt haiñ ya attributes hain to pehli sifat hi hamare samne hai. Rabb Allah ki sifat hai jiska matlab hota hai parwarish karne wala Isiliye arabi zabaan mein waalida (maa) ko Rabbatul bayt (home maker) kaha jaata hai. Agarche Maa bhi paalne wali hai wo hi bache ko duniyaa mein laane se pehle 9 mahine tak paalti hai har wo kaam karti hai jisse bache ki nash-o-numa yāni growth achi ho aur aane ke baad bhi har waqt har lamha sirf usi ke gird-o-pesh ghuumti hai. Apne bache ke hisaab se apni zindagi ko dhaalti hai. Ek maa hi hoti hai jo apne bache ki zururiyaat ko uske bole bina hi samajh jaati hai. Lekin phir ek rabb wo hai jisne har maa ko ye māmtā ka shadeed ehsaas diyā aur nizaam (system) diya jisse Bachcha wujuud me āyā bada hua, phir us ke jism ke andar wo nizaam paida kiya jis se us bache ko ghizāiyyat(nutrition) hāsil ho. Maulana Azad likhte hain ki qudrat ka ye nizām hai ki koi jaandaar bhi kisi band jagah meiñ bohot der tak zindā nahiñ reh sakta magar ye baat bhi ghaur karne ki hai ki ek bacha apni maa ke pet me wujud meiñ aata hai jeeta hai nash-o-numa pata hai sirf qudrat ke diye gaye ek aur nizām ki wajah se wo wahañ bhi survive kar jātā hai jahāñ survive karna na mumkin hai. Agarche maa bhi bache ke liye rabb hui yaani paalne waali magar Allah wo zaat hai jisne khud Rububiyyat ke jazbe aur nizaam ko banaya hai aur us jazbe ko apni mukhtalif makhluuq mein dala hai.

Yahāñ ek bāt ki taraf Maulana Ameen Ahsan Islahi ne apni tafseer Tadabbur-e-Qura'an meiñ ishārā kiya hai ki jis waqt Qura'an nāzil huā tab makkah ke logoñ ka mannā ye tha ki is puri kaenāt(universe) ko banayā to ek khudā ne hi hai magar usko chalane ke liye alag alag khudaoñ ko alag alag kāmoñ pe taenāt kardiya. Allah ta'ala ne rabbul alameen ka lafz istemaal karke us sadiyo purane aqeede (belief) ko khatm kardiya ki jo khudā kaenāt ko banā saktā hai wo use paāl bhi saktā hai balki yuñ kahā jaye ki jis khudā is kaenāt ko banaya hai wahi use paālta bhi hai.