TEACH THEM AL-FĀTIḤAH, REAP THE REWARD

 

FAJR REMINDER: TEACH THEM AL-FĀTIḤAH, REAP THE REWARD

Rabīʿ Al-Akhīr 15, 1448 (27 September 2026)

Learning, reciting, and teaching the Qur’ān are among the greatest acts of worship a Muslim can engage in. Among the most important portions of the Qur’ān to learn is its opening chapter, Sūrah Al-Fātiḥah.

Abū Saʿīd Ibn Al-Muʿallā (Raḍiyallāhu ʿAnhu) narrated:

“The Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) said to me, ‘Shall I not teach you the greatest Sūrah in the Qur’ān before I leave the Masjid?’ Then the Prophet (ﷺ) wanted to leave, so I reminded him, and he said: Al-Ḥamdulillāhi Rabbil-ʿĀlamīn (All praise is due to Allāh, the Lord of all that exists). It is the Seven Oft-Repeated Verses and the Grand Qur’ān that has been given to me.”

[Sunan Ibn Mājah 3785]

Sūrah Al-Fātiḥah also holds a unique position in Ṣalāh, as its recitation is an essential part of the prayer. The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

“There is no prayer for one who does not recite the opening of the Book, Sūrah Al-Fātiḥah.”

[Ṣaḥīḥ Al-Bukhārī 756; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 394]

What, then, about teaching others the Qur’ān, whether a portion of it or the entire Book?

ʿUthmān Ibn ʿAffān (Raḍiyallāhu ʿAnhu) reported that the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) said:

“The best among you are those who learn the Qur’ān and teach it.”

[Ṣaḥīḥ Al-Bukhārī 5027]

Now, let me ask you: Who taught you Sūrah Al-Fātiḥah?

This is a question worth reflecting upon because Sūrah Al-Fātiḥah is recited repeatedly in our daily prayers. Whoever taught you to recite it correctly became a means through which you continue to recite the Speech of Allāh. Subḥānallāh! What a tremendous opportunity teaching the Qur’ān presents.

The same applies to every other portion of the Qur’ān that a person teaches to another. What a tremendous opportunity this gives parents to earn ongoing rewards! Yet, it is saddening that some parents leave this precious opportunity to others, allowing someone else to teach their children even the very basics of the Qur’ān, perhaps out of negligence or because they mistakenly believe that this responsibility does not belong to them.

Dear parents, if the least you can teach your children from the Qur’ān is Sūrah Al-Fātiḥah, then teach it to them with love, patience, and enthusiasm. Teach them carefully and encourage them until they can recite it correctly.

But before teaching them, make sure that you have learned it correctly yourself, because you cannot give what you do not possess.

Your child may one day stand in Ṣalāh and recite Al-Fātiḥah. Every time they recite what you taught them, remember the beautiful opportunity Allāh has given you to be a means of their learning His Book.

So, dear parents, do not underestimate what may seem like a small lesson. Teaching your child Al-Fātiḥah may take only a little of your time, but its impact can remain with them for a lifetime.

I beseech Allāh (ﷻ) to increase us in goodness, make us people of the Qur’ān, and allow us to become a means of spreading its guidance to others.

Āmīn.