ALLAH RESPONDS TO THE BELIEVER

GREATEST SURAH IN QURAN

Ahmad records on the authority of Abu Sa’ad ibn Al-Mu’alla who said (in part of the hadith) that the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said,

“…I will teach a Surah which is the greatest Surah in the Quran before you leave the Masjid.’ Then he took hold of my hand and when he intended to leave [the Masjid], I asked him, “Did you not say that you would teach me a Surah which is the greatest Surah in the Qur’an?” He replied, ‘Yes. It is [the Surah commencing with], “All praise and thanks are due to Allah.” It is the Seven Oft-Repeated verses and the Great Qur’an that has been given to me.’

The Virtues of Surah Al-Fatihah

There are a number of ahadith explaining to us the great virtue of this surah. They are summarized as follows:
Allah responds to the believer when he recites Surah Al-Fatiah Sahih Muslim records on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (R) who said that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said,
“Allah, the Glorious and Exalted said, “I have divided the prayer between Myself and my servant equally and My servant shall be granted what he asked for.”

Therefore, when the servant says, ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَـٰلَمِينَ
‘All praises and thanks are due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds’,

Allah says, ‘My servant has praised Me.’

When he says, ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
’The All-Merciful, the Most Merciful,’

Allah says, ‘My servant has extolled Me.’

When he says, مَـٰلِكِ يَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ
‘Master of the Day of Judgment,’

Allah says, ‘My servant has glorified Me.’

When he says, إِيَّاكَ نَعۡبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسۡتَعِينُ
‘You Alone we worship and Your Alone we ask for help,’

Allah says, ‘this is between Me and My servant and My servant shall have what he requested.’

When he says, ٱهۡدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٲطَ ٱلۡمُسۡتَقِيمَ صِرَٲطَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنۡعَمۡتَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ غَيۡرِ ٱلۡمَغۡضُوبِ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا ٱلضَّآلِّينَ
‘Guide us to the Straight Path, the Path of those whom You have favored, not [the path] of those who have earned [Your] anger, nor of those who have gone astray,’

Allah says, ‘this is for My servant and My servant shall have what he asked for.’ “

These are the words of An-Nasa’i, while both Muslim and An-Nasa’i collected the following wording,

“A half of it is for Me and a half for My servant, and My servant shall acquire what he asked for.”