Notes

1. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds (v.1)

   All Muslim prayers must begin by reciting this Surah in Arabic.

2. Lord of the worlds (v.1b)

   Does this mean that the Quran recognizes, prophesies even, the existence of other solar systems, planets, and earth-like worlds, an idea that Giordano Bruno was burned alive for (at least in part) nearly 1000 years after the Quran was written?

   If so, then the Quran gets off to a better start (as far as science is concerned, anyway) in Surah 1 than the Bible does in Genesis 1.

3. Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful (v.2)

   Now that sounds nice enough, until you read a bit more of the Quran and see just how anti-Beneficent and anti-Merciful Allah really is. But I'll save that for later.

   Is Allah kind and merciful?

   Muslims believe that Allah is the author of the Quran, yet the first surah (Fatihah, The Opening) is clearly a prayer addressed to Allah.

4. Master of the Day of Judgment (v.4)

   Allah, like his buddy Yahweh, is stuck on himself. He wants us all to grovel in front of him forever. Worship him alone; ask him for help; ignore everyone and everything else.

5. Thee (alone) we worship; Thee (alone) we ask for help. (v.5)

   And if you do that, then maybe, if you ask him nicely, he'll tell you what to do. Just don't try to think for yourself.

6. Show us the straight path ... Not the (path) of those who earn Thine anger nor of those who go astray. (v.5-7)

   Muslims are Allah's favorite people. All non-Muslims have either gone astray (like the Christians) or have earned Allah's anger (like the Jews).

Links

Wikipedia: Al Fatiha

SAQ Discussion Board

Waterrock

Surah 1 - Al-Fatihah