Surah Fatiha. Ayat no 1

Fatiha means 'to open'.This is the surah with which The Quran opens.

Al hamd= All praise.

Allah Almighty deserves all praise.Hamd is inner experience which is generated when we look at the things aroung us and realize Allah's greatness.A beautiful emotion which gives way to a feeling of gratitude.

Lillahi= is for Allah

Rab=The sustainer

Rab is not only the creator who creates something out of nothing,He also cares for their being,nurtures them,looks after their needs and provides for all their necessities. He is the One who protects us with His mercy and grace.

Aallameen= of all creatures/the universe

The universe is multifaceted.It has humans,animals,vegetation,seas,mountains,glaciers,forests,planets,galaxies......the list would go on.All of these dimensions have their own needs,their own role to play.

This ayat is the highest form of praise extended to Allah who is the creator of this universe and the nurturer of all beings in it.We all recite this verse while offering our prayers and by now would have recited it thousands of times.Have we once imagined the vastness of this universe and then understood how great its Creator is?

In difficult times do we remember this verse and remind ourselves whether the problem is great or our Creator, who loves us and will get us out of this trouble?

Inspiration

We are all in a rush;always busy doing 'things', 'meeting people', 'visiting places','worrying','planning'.....the list goes on.How many of us pause to think where we are headed.What our purpose of existence is?
Some of us have a purpose,and some of us dont;but there is some similarity in our goals.Its the quest for happiness.We all strive to achieve peace of mind and everlasting happiness.What is it to be happy?Is there a formula?Some think achievenig good grades will make them happy.For some a good job,a good car,a big house,a big circle of friends.After you achieve it will it gaurantee your happiness?Will fame,money,beauty,power last forever?We should all take out some time to think and find answers to these questions.

Alhumdullilah Allah Almighty has given me the opportunity to read and understand His book The Quran through which I have begun to find out the answers to these questions.I would like to share this blessing with you through this blog.I will post the translation and a little bit of explanation of each verse on this blog and my humble request to you is to just memorize the meaning of one verse daily and try to apply it to your life.

If you are still in doubt about the importance of Quran;then just answer these questions.They might change your life.

1. Which shelf does the Quran occupy in your house?
2. How many times do you read it?
3. Why dont you have time for reading it daily?
4. Do you have time to read your course books or the newspaper?
5. Do you read them because passing the exams of this world would be impossible without them?
6. Have you assumed that you will pass the test on the judgement day without reading the prescribed book The Quran?