Tafsir of Surah al-Fatiha

Ibn Kathir opens his commentary on Surah al-Fatiha by discussing its names, of which he notes more than a dozen recorded by scholars. The most well-known is al-Fatiha, the Opening, because it opens the Mushaf and opens the prayer. It is also called Umm al-Quran, the Mother of the Quran, because it contains the essence of the entire Book: praise of Allah, acknowledgment of His lordship, worship directed solely to Him, and supplication for guidance on the straight path. The Prophet, peace be upon him, described it as the greatest surah in the Quran, and Ibn Kathir marshals multiple authentic hadiths to establish this.

His treatment of Bismillah is thorough. He addresses the scholarly disagreement over whether the Basmala is a verse of al-Fatiha itself or merely a separator placed at the beginning of each surah. He presents the evidence of each side — those who recite it audibly in prayer and those who do not — and notes that the majority of scholars and the practice of Medina supports the position that it is not a separate verse of al-Fatiha, though it is a Quranic verse and is part of every surah.

On the phrase Alhamdulillah — all praise is for Allah — Ibn Kathir explains that hamd (praise) is more specific than shukr (gratitude). Gratitude is for a benefit received, while praise is due to Allah whether one has received a blessing or not, for His very existence and attributes deserve praise eternally. He notes that Allah taught humanity this phrase of praise, making it the way they should begin their speech to Him.

For Rabb al-Alamin — Lord of all the worlds — Ibn Kathir draws on the linguistic discussions of earlier scholars to explain that al-Alamin refers to every creation other than Allah: angels, humans, jinn, animals, and all that exists. Allah's lordship encompasses all of them, sustaining and directing their affairs.

On the pair ar-Rahman ar-Rahim, he explains the nuance that classical Arabic linguists identified: ar-Rahman expresses the vastness and universality of Allah's mercy, which encompasses all creation, while ar-Rahim points to the special mercy reserved for the believers in the Hereafter. Both names derive from rahma (mercy) but carry distinct emphases.

For Maliki Yawm ad-Din — Master of the Day of Recompense — Ibn Kathir discusses the two readings: Maliki (Owner/Master) and Maliki (King), both of which are established recitations (qira'at). He expounds on the meaning of ad-Din as recompense and accounting, the day when all deeds are presented and judged with perfect justice.

His commentary on the two concluding verses — Iyyaka na'budu (You alone we worship) and ihdina as-sirat al-mustaqim (guide us to the straight path) — is among the most celebrated passages in the tafsir. He explains that worship directed solely to Allah negates all forms of shirk, and that requesting guidance to the straight path even after one has faith shows the perpetual human need for Allah's guidance in every moment. He then identifies the straight path with the way of the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous, and explains that avoiding the path of those who earned Allah's anger (the Jews, as some narrations specify) and those who went astray (the Christians) is a comprehensive supplication for protection from two fundamental errors: knowing the truth and rejecting it, and worshipping Allah in ignorance and deviation.