Free lesson · Quran word by word
سُورَةُ الْفَاتِحَةِ
You recite it in every rak‘ah — at least 17 times a day in the five obligatory prayers. In this free lesson you'll learn what each of its 29 words means, so you understand every word of your salah.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ ١ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ٢ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ ٣ مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ ٤ إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ ٥ اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ ٦ صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ ٧
Arabic text: Hafs ‘an ‘Asim (the basmala is ayah 1 of Al-Fatiha). English translation of each ayah: Saheeh International, as published on the King Saud University Quran site (quran.ksu.edu.sa). The word-by-word meanings are a simple guide for learners.
Reading the transliteration: ā, ī, ū are long vowels. An apostrophe (’) marks a sound from the throat (hamza or ‘ayn). Listening to a teacher is the best way to get each sound right.
Ayah 1
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ ١
Bismillāhi-r-Rahmāni-r-Rahīm
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
| Arabic | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| بِسْمِ | Bismi | In the name of |
| اللَّهِ | Allāhi | Allah |
| الرَّحْمَٰنِ | ar-Rahmāni | the Entirely Merciful |
| الرَّحِيمِ | ar-Rahīm | the Especially Merciful |
Ayah 2
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ٢
Al-hamdu lillāhi Rabbi-l-'ālamīn
[All] praise is [due] to Allah, Lord of the worlds -
| Arabic | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| الْحَمْدُ | Al-hamdu | (all) praise |
| لِلَّهِ | lillāhi | is for Allah |
| رَبِّ | Rabbi | Lord of |
| الْعَالَمِينَ | al-'ālamīn | the worlds |
Ayah 3
الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ ٣
Ar-Rahmāni-r-Rahīm
The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful,
| Arabic | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| الرَّحْمَٰنِ | Ar-Rahmāni | the Entirely Merciful |
| الرَّحِيمِ | ar-Rahīm | the Especially Merciful |
Ayah 4
مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ ٤
Māliki yawmi-d-dīn
Sovereign of the Day of Recompense.
| Arabic | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| مَالِكِ | Māliki | Sovereign, Master of |
| يَوْمِ | yawmi | the Day of |
| الدِّينِ | ad-dīn | the Recompense (Judgement) |
Ayah 5
إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ ٥
Iyyāka na'budu wa iyyāka nasta'īn
It is You we worship and You we ask for help.
| Arabic | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| إِيَّاكَ | Iyyāka | You (alone) |
| نَعْبُدُ | na'budu | we worship |
| وَإِيَّاكَ | wa iyyāka | and You (alone) |
| نَسْتَعِينُ | nasta'īn | we ask for help |
Ayah 6
اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ ٦
Ihdina-s-sirāta-l-mustaqīm
Guide us to the straight path -
| Arabic | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| اهْدِنَا | Ihdinā | Guide us |
| الصِّرَاطَ | as-sirāta | the path |
| الْمُسْتَقِيمَ | al-mustaqīm | the straight |
Ayah 7
صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ ٧
Sirāta-lladhīna an'amta 'alayhim, ghayri-l-maghdūbi 'alayhim wa la-d-dāllīn
The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray.
| Arabic | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| صِرَاطَ | Sirāta | the path of |
| الَّذِينَ | alladhīna | those who |
| أَنْعَمْتَ | an'amta | You have bestowed favor |
| عَلَيْهِمْ | 'alayhim | upon them |
| غَيْرِ | ghayri | not (of) |
| الْمَغْضُوبِ | al-maghdūbi | those who earned anger |
| عَلَيْهِمْ | 'alayhim | upon them |
| وَلَا | wa lā | and not |
| الضَّالِّينَ | ad-dāllīn | those who are astray |
الرَّحْمَٰنِ (ar-Rahmān) and الرَّحِيمِ (ar-Rahīm) both come from the same root, ر ح م (r-h-m), the root of mercy. You say them twice in Al-Fatiha: in ayah 1 and again in ayah 3.
إِيَّاكَ (iyyāka) means “You”. It comes before the verb — إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ — and that order gives the meaning “You alone”. The نَـ (na-) at the start of نَعْبُدُ and نَسْتَعِينُ means “we”.
Al-Fatiha (الْفَاتِحَةُ) means “the Opening”. It is the first surah of the Quran, and it opens every rak‘ah of the prayer.
Surah Al-Fatiha is surah 1 of the Quran. In the Hafs count it has 7 ayahs — the basmala is ayah 1 — and 29 words.
Yes. The Prophet ﷺ said: “There is no prayer for the one who does not recite the Opening of the Book” (Sahih al-Bukhari 756). It is recited in every rak‘ah.
إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ means “It is You we worship”. Putting iyyāka (“You”) first gives the meaning “You alone”: we worship no one but Allah.
Start with the Arabic letters and harakat (short vowels). In KALIMO's Level 1 live classes you learn to read words like these in small groups. You can book a free 30-minute trial class on Telegram.
