1. Compiled from the Writings and Pronouncements of The Promised Messiah and Mahdi Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (a.s.) of Qadian

2. This presentation has been prepared by Fauzia Mirza “A special note of gratitude to Zahida Bashir Sahiba – Naib, Sadr Lajna Imaillah, UK for her constant support & guidance”

3.  The following presentation briefly sets forth in translation The Promised Messiah (a.s)’s exposition of Surah Fatiha.  This CD should be used as only a guide, for presenting this topic to the Nasirat in your Majalis.  ALL CONTENT HAS BEEN INSERTED FROM THE BOOK “Commentary on The Holy Quran, Volume 1, SURAH FATIHA Compiled from the Writings and Pronouncements of The Promised Messiah and Mahdi Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian (a.s.) Translated by Sir Muhammad Zafrulla Khan”. PLEASE REFER TO THIS FOR A DETAIL EXPLANATION. This is also available to download from alislam.org.

4.  We have inserted a glossary at the end of the presentation, you can select and define, other words before presenting this topic to your Naisrat.  On the bottom right hand corner of each slide is the page number of the book, to which the information refers to. For example P12 will be page 12 of the Commentary book.  There are examples of various activities which can be conducted. You may modify these activities or produce your own activities within your Majalis relating to the presentation.

5. CONTENT INTRODUCTION PART 1  Can we understand Allah?  Attributes of Allah  Activities PART 2  The different names of Surah Fatiha – with a brief description  Activities PART 3  The Advent of the Promised Messiah a.s  Sura Fatiha’s comparision to a rose  Qualities of rose  5 Oceans of attributes  5 daily prayers are the highest worship  Special qualities of Fatiha  Khalifa’s shall be raised amongst Muslims  Fathia a miracle  Activities CONCLUSION GLOSSARY

6. Don’t forget to Make your own revision notes as you go along

7. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (a.s.) of Qadian, the Promised Messiah and Holy Founder of the Ahmadiyyah Movement in Islam, did not write a formal commentary on the Holy Quran, but in truth all his writings, speeches and pronouncements were derived from, and based on the Holy Book. His teachings, doctrine, and the philosophy underlying them were all inspired by it and thus constitute a commentary on it. Surah Fatiha is the opening chapter of the Holy Quran and comprises only seven brief verses. The Surah is recited in every raka’a of each of the five daily prayers and also in every raka'a of the voluntary prayers. Every Muslim, man, woman and child who has emerged from infancy, has learnt it by heart and recites it more than forty times a day. The Surah may be described as the Prologue of the Holy Quran.

8. PART 1

9. بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعٰلَمِيْنَۙ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِۙ‏ مٰلِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّيْنِ ‏ اِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَاِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِيْنُ‏ اِهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيْمَۙ صِرَاطَ الَّذِيْنَ اَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ ۙ‏ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوْبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّآلِّيْنَ‏

10. بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعٰلَمِيْنَۙ ‏ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِۙ‏ In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds, The Gracious, the Merciful,

11. صِرَاطَ الَّذِيْنَ اَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ ۙ‏ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوْبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّآلِّيْنَ‏ اِهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيْمَۙ ‏ Guide us in the right path — The path of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy blessings, those who have not incurred Thy displeasure, and those who have not gone astray. اِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَاِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِيْنُ ‏ Thee alone do we worship and Thee alone do we implore for help. Master of the Day of Judgment. مٰلِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّيْنِ ‏

12. CAN YOU RECITE THE SURAH WITH THE TRANSLATION ? REVISION RECAP NOTE

13. Allah sends us Prophets and books to help us understand the true nature of His existence. The Holy Quran is the only preserved book of Allah and Surah Fatiha provides us the essence of the Holy Quran. This is why Surah Fatiha is incorporated in the 5 daily prayers. By understanding Surah Fatiha, we can begin to understand Allah – Our Creator!

14. Surah Fatiha starts by declaring the FOUR principal attributes of Allah. These are : All the other attributes are the offshoots of these attributes  RABBIL-AALAMEEN  RAHMAN  RAHIM  MALIKI YAUMID-DEEN.

15.  RABBIL-AALAMEEN :  RAHMAN :  RAHIM :  MALIKI YAUMID-DEEN :

16. بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعٰلَمِيْنَۙ ‏ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِۙ‏ In the name of Allah, _______________the Merciful All praise belongs to Allah, ________of all the_______, The Gracious, _______ Merciful,

17. صِرَاطَ الَّذِيْنَ اَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ ۙ‏ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوْبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّآلِّيْنَ‏ اِهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيْمَۙ ‏ Guide us in the right _______ The path of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy_________, those who have not incurred Thy ___________, and those who have not gone astray. اِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَاِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِيْنُ ‏ Thee alone do we _______ and ______ alone do we implore for help. Master of the _____ of Judgment. مٰلِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّيْنِ ‏

18. Arabic _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ English Translation: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Arabic _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ English Translation: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

19. PART 2

20. Fatiha-tal-kitab  It has been given this name because the Holy Quran opens with it. Every prayer service starts with it and in supplicating to the Lord of the lords, a beginning is made with it.  Allah, the Supreme, has made it an index for the Quran; and all the verities and spiritual insights set out in the Quran by Allah, the Bountiful, are embedded in it  It comprehends all that man needs to know concerning his origin and his end (life here and in the here after); for instance, all the reasoning in support of the Existence of the Creator, and the need of Prophethood and Khilafat among His servants. NAMES OF SURAH FATIHA (P3)

21. Alhamd  (The Praise), since it opens with the praise of our Lord Most High. Ummul Quran (Mother of the Quran)  Comprehends the totality of the meaning of the Quran in an excellent manner. It has embedded in it like in a shell all the gems and pearls of the Quran. This surah is, as it were, a nest for the birds of spiritual knowledge and understanding.  The Quran comprises guidance in respect of four sciences; the science of the origin of life, the science of eschatology, the science of Prophethood and the science of the Unity of the Divine Being and His attributes (P2) Commentary on The Holy Quran Volume 1 of SURAH FATIHA

23. Ummul-kitab, the Mother of the Book  Contains the essence of all the teachings of the Noble Quran It bears this title also on account of the fullness of its teachings concerning all that relates to the spirit.  Consider how it proclaims His Majesty and His Greatness beginning with: All worthiness of perfect praise belongs to Allah, Lord of the worlds; on to: Master of the Day of Judgment.  Emphasizes the humbleness, weakness and helplessness of His creatures in terms of: Thee alone do we worship and Thee alone do we implore for help. Commentary on The Holy Quran Volume 1 of SURAH FATIHA – continued p 3

24.  This Surah derives this title also from its comprehensive approach to the needs of human nature and its indication of all the yearnings of human temperament, whether in the domain of human effort or in that of Divine grace.  For, man is in need of knowledge of the Divine Being and Divine attributes and Divine works for the perfect development of his soul.  His spiritual urge demands that he should be led by the hand of Divine beneficence and should acquire through this means inner purity and light and Divine communion.  This noble Surah encompasses all these objectives. In truth, it charms the hearts with the beauty of its style and the power of its exposition Commentary on The Holy Quran Volume 1 of SURAH FATIHA continued p3

25. Al-Sabal Masani (i.e. the Dual Seven) One reason for this title is that the surah comprises two halves, one half consists of the worshipper's homage to the Lord and the other half describes the bounty of Providence towards His mortal servants.  Masani (i.e. unique) because of its exceptional merits among all the Divine Books, the equal of which is not to be found in the Torah or the Gospels or in the Books of Prophets. It has also been claimed that it has been described as masani because it has seven verses from Allah the Bountiful, the recitation of each one being equal to the recitation of one seventh of the Exalted Quran. Saba (i.e. seven) as it indicates seven gates of hell and each part of it wards off the flames of one of them by the command of Allah, the Gracious. Whoso, therefore, seeks to pass by these seven gates of hell in security, should enter this saba (seven-verse haven) with eagerness, begging of Almighty Allah steadfast attachment to it. p4

26. A FEW NAMES OF SURAH FATIHA

28. PART 3

30.  Our Prophet ( The Holy Prophet may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) combines in himself the light of Moses and the light of Jesus as he combines in himself the two attributes of the Exalted Lord.  This very composition called for the grant to him of such a marvellous status. It was because of this that Allah named him Muhammad and Ahmad  He has also been granted the status of being a loved one and the heart of one loving even as these are the attributes of the Lord of the Universe. (P53) Commentary on The Holy Quran Volume 1 of SURAH FATIHA

31. He is the best of the most highly praised and also the topmost of those who praise. Allah associated him with Himself in His two attributes, granting him a large measure of His two mercies and made him drink deep of these two springs and created him with His two hands (power and grace) until he became like the decanter which is filled with the wine of Divine love or like a niche holding a bright lamp  Allah granted his people a portion from this noble Goblet, taught them through the purifying breath of this glorious pupil of the All-Knowing - Many of them drank of the fountain issuing from the attribute Muhammad that had sprung forth from the attribute Rahmaniyyat and others of them imbibed the spring flowing from the attribute Ahmad, representing the essence of Rahimiyyat Commentary on The Holy Quran Volume 1 of SURAH FATIHA continued p53 - 54

32.  Divinely decreed and appointed from the very beginning, it had been promised through the lips of the Prophets that the manifestation of the attribute Ahmad would not shine forth in its perfection in any of its inheritors except the Promised Messiah  Allah would raise the Promised Messiah with the dawning of the day of judgment and the raising up of the faithful. On that day Allah would find the Muslims weak and helpless and Islam like a child abandoned in the wilderness. Commentary on The Holy Quran Volume 1 of SURAH FATIHA – continued 54

33.  He would work wonders for them on His own, descending for their sake from heaven. At that hour the kingdom shall be His in the earth as it is in heaven. All falsehood shall be wiped out without smiting.  It had been determined in the decree of Allah the Most High, the All-Knowing that He would make the latter period of the Islamic dispensation like the latter days of the successors of Moses. That is why He made the end of its affair totally independent of any human help, making it a reflection of the true nature of His attribute Commentary on The Holy Quran Volume 1 of SURAH FATIHA continued 54….

35. The Promised Messiah a.s has compared Surah Fatiha to a rose...... Delineating its external and internal beauties. The Promised Messiah (a.s.) had a revelation in which he saw that: The paper on which it was inscribed appeared as if it was loaded with countless red and delicate roses. Every time this humble servant of Allah recited a verse of the surah, a number of these roses rose into the air with a sweet cadence. These roses were very soft, big, bright, moist, fresh and sweet-smelling, filling the heart and head with fragrance as they soared, thus inducing a state of ineffable joyousness in the mind altogether above and withdrawn from the world and all that it holds. (P5)

36. It is because of these twofold qualities that it has been held beyond the range of human capability to manufacture a flower as lovely in colour and agreeable in fragrance and at the same time as soft and tender and delicate and clean with all its internal properties as is the rose. Identical unparalleled features are discernible in Surah Fatiha, and indeed in every passage of the Noble Quran. First consider the diction and arrangement of the Fatiha. The easy, flowing style, the perfect juxtaposition, the purest classical vocabulary, the sweet cadence, the grace and majesty. Every feature compels admiration and evokes homage and praise. It is a perfect whole, complete and flawless. With all its overpowering charm and beauty the Fatiha is charged with truth and wisdom. Every phrase proclaims and induces righteousness. There is not. The least suspicion of falsehood or a single false note. The beauty of form is complete and perfect, as in the rose, but in a far higher degree p6

37. Which flower has the Promised Messiah a.s compared Sura Fatiha to ? Describe the revelation referring to this Flower ?

38. Like other creations of God, the rose has properties which man is unable to manufacture, and these are of two varieties: External properties: Its colour is lovely Its fragrance is delightful, very pleasing, its petals are of an extreme delicacy in texture, it exhales a most agreeable air of freshness and purity. Inherent properties: Which the Lord of Absolute Wisdom has endowed it, and which are to be found in its essence. e.g it is wholesome for the heart and tones it up, reduces bile, revitalizes the system, lifts up the spirit, strengthens the stomach, liver, kidneys, intestines, and lungs. Beneficial for a variety of physical ailments. Commentary on The Holy Quran Volume 1 of SURAH FATIHA Qualities of Rose (P6)

39. QUICK RECAP

41. The attributes together with the name of the Supreme Being mentioned in the beginning of this Surah, that is Allah, Rabbil-aalameen, Ar-Rahman, Ar-Rahim and Malike Yaumiddeen constitute, as it were, five oceans. The first ocean of Allah's name and the phrase: We worship Thee alone, derives benefit from it like things assembled and arrayed face to face. The essence of worship is glorification of the Deity with utter humility, following His lead, taking on His colour and emerging out of self and self-assertion (P114)

42. The second of these oceans is the one called Rabbil aalameen - (the Lord of Universal Providence), its beneficiary being the phrase: Thee alone do we implore for help. When a person learns that Allah sustains the worlds, all of them, there being not a stage that He does not look after, and perceives his own self prompting him to evil, he humbles himself and is filled with anxiety and turns for protection to His door and clings to the hem of His robe and enters His banquet hall, minding all its regulations, so that He may be pleased to extend His Providence to him and treat him with generous benevolence The third ocean is Al-Rahman, its beneficiary being: Guide us along the straight path; so that the worshipful servant may join the ranks of those who were guided aright (P115)

43. The fourth ocean is Al-Rahim. Its beneficiary is: The path of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy favours; so that a worshipper may become one of God's chosen favourites. The fifth ocean is the attribute Malike Yaumiddeen (Master of the Day of Judgment); and its beneficiary is: Not those who incurred Thy wrath or who went astray. The full manifestation of Allah's wrath and of His abandoning some in error and misguidance will take place only on the day of Requital. On that day Allah will manifest Himself through His displeasure and His favours, inflicting humiliation and bestowing honour, on a scale on which He will not have manifested Himself before. (P116)

44. What are the 5 ocean’s of attributes ?

45. THE PROMISED MESSIAH a.s EXPLAINS THE OCEAN REALITY AS A STATE WHEN “ THE IMPRESSION OF HIS MAGNIFICENCE ON THE HEART SHOULD BE SO DEEP THAT THE ENTIRE WORLD SHOULD APPER DEAD IN CONTRAST TO HIM” QUICK RECAP

46. The highest worship is constant watchfulness over the five daily Prayer services in the early portion of their timing and to endeavour with eager attention to derive the utmost blessing therefrom, through strict observance of obligatory and voluntary parts. Whoso makes himself lowly before Allah in Prayer will find that God makes kings humble before him and makes such a Slave a master. (P201)

47. QUICK RECAP

48. The object of Prayer cannot be achieved with arrows, and its mystery cannot be unfolded by pens. Whoso makes this method obligatory on himself arrives at the truth and discovers the reality and meets the Friend Who is hidden behind the screens of invisibility and is delivered from doubt and uncertainty. (P202)

49. What will God make the ones who make themselves lowly before Allah in Prayer?

50. These are properties possessed by Surah Fatiha and indeed by the whole of the Noble Quran in a manner that coincides with the unsurpassed qualities of the rose. Special Qualities of Fatiha Surah Fatiha and the Holy Quran share a remarkable attribute which is a characteristic of this Holy word Alone, and that is that its perusal with due care and attention and in a spirit of sincerity purifies the heart, dispels layers of darkness and expands the mind, drawing a seeker after truth into the very presence, as it were, of the One Lord-God, and invests him with such light and tokens as are characteristic of those who have attained nearness to the Supreme Lord and which cannot be acquired through any other device or plan. We have furnished evidence of this spiritual phenomenon in this book and if there be a sincere seeker after truth we are prepared to demonstrate it to his satisfaction and are at all times prepared to furnish fresh evidence in this behalf (P 10)

51. “Allah has promised the believers who work with righteousness that He shall, by His grace and beneficence, appoint them Khalifas in the earth as He appointed Khalifas before them from among the righteous and the virtuous” (24.56). It has thus been established in the Quran that Khalifas will continue to be raised among the Muslims till the Last day. Surely not one of them will descend from heaven. On the contrary, they will be raised from among the people. The clear words of the Quran thus establish that the Messiah who was to come would be a Muslim. This is quite clear and free from every doubt. This is what the Quran says and the divines know it well The Quran has said that Jesus, the Prophet of Allah has died. (P221)

52. The Quran established that the Messiah to come would be ____________ Al-Rahman is the ___________ of attributes of the Supreme being Allah would raise the _______________with the dawning of the day of ___________ and the raising up of the faithful. On that day Allah would find the Muslims weak and helpless and ___________ like a child abandoned in the wilderness

53. FATIHA A MIRACLE comprises both commandments and prohibitions and grand prophecies the Quran is a vast ocean. If one has to consult it, one should ponder well over Surah Fatiha (P18)

54. It describes one of the purpose of the coming of the Promised Messiah a.s was to help us rediscover the meanings and teachings of the Holy Quran. One of the primary functions of Surah Fatiha is to remind us of the beautiful attributes of Allah so we can inject humility and emotion in to our prayers. The result of humility will remove any bad behaviour from our actions, lower our heads to Allah as we feel our love growing closer to Him and seek help from Allah through our prayer – In the Name of Allah The gracious and Ever Merciful ! This Surah gives us glad tidings of the Promised Messiah a.s Conclusion

55. Ailments -Weakness Bile – Spleen, anger Cadence -Tone Decanter - Bottle Deity - Divine Being Delineating - Define Discernible - Visable Dispensation - Special Consideration Doctrine - Policy Endowed - Gifted Glossary Requital- Day of Judgement - something given in return Self Assertion – Self Praise Smiting – Affect or afflict Supplication - Request Juxtaposition- Combination Niche - Place Perusal - Examination Eschatology - The body religious doctrines concerning the human soul its relation to death, judgment, heaven & hell Exhales - breath out Homage -Respect