Surat Al-Fatiha: Foundation of the Qur'an

by Hamid Algar

Although no distinction may be made among the parts of the Qur'an in terms of relative excellence, it is obvious that the opening surah has a special significance that goes beyond its placing at the beginning of the Book. This is indicated among other things by the numerous designations given to it, some by the Prophet (pbh) himself; by the fact the uniquely it was revealed twice; and by the fact that its recitation constitutes the core of the prayer. Many commentators have seen in it, in fact, a concise summary of the whole Qur'an, the implications of which they have sought to draw out in many volumes. In this lecture the more modest attempt is made to analyze some of its principal themes and the miraculous conciseness with which they are expounded

Genres: Islam

56 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Hamid Algar began his studies of Arabic, Persian and Islamic Civilzation at Cambridge in 1959. After graduating, he spent a lengthy and fruitful period of travel in Iran, Turkey and Afghanistan before returning to Cambridge in 1963 and completing his doctorate there two years later. He has been teaching in the Department of Near Eastern Studies since 1965, providing a wide range of instruction in the fields of Arabic, Persian and Ottoman Turkish literature and offering lecture courses on various aspects of Islamic religion and culture. His research interests center on Shi’ism in Iran and Sufism in the Persian and Persian-influenced world, with particular emphasis on the Naqshbandi order. His copious writings have been published in an array of languages additional to English: French, German, Russian, Italian, Bosnian, Turkish, Arabic, Persian, and Malay/Indonesian. He was recently awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Tehran.

Reviews

[A. David David Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A concise and extraordinarily clear work of exegesis, showing the numerous option and opportunities available in the unpacking of the Qur’an’s shortest — yet perhaps most important — sura. Highly recommended.