Al-Fatihah

About the Book

Al-Fatihah is the first and opening chapter in the Holy Quran, and in many ways it represents the essence of this holy book itself. In this opening sura of the Quran—used in every mandatory and voluntary prayer in Islam—the one and only God, Allah, summarizes in these seven oft-repeated verses the purpose and mission for humankind. Al-Fatihah—The Opening of the Quran explores the foundational and critical questions addressed in the first sura of the Quran, and it provides a way for both Muslims and non-Muslims who are neither native in Arabic nor competent in reading and understanding Arabic to access this absolutely purposeful set of Quranic verses. Because the Quran cannot properly be translated, the authors have for many years diligently researched scholarly interpretations from both classical and contemporary mainstream scholars so that the concepts of Al-Fatihah can be easily discovered. The concepts of Al-Fatihah are ultimately simple, uncomplicated, and straightforward, yet in these seven verses containing only twenty-nine Arabic words, anyone interested in opening their hearts and minds to this spiritual journey can find in these words the depth of Allah’s mercy and love.

About the Author

Dr. Shihab M A Ghanem Al hashmi emanates from a family of scholars and educators. An engineer by training in both Mechanical and Electrical Engineering (Aberdeen), a Masters in Water Resource Engineering (Roorkee), and a PhD in Economics (Cardiff ), he has published more than 60 books in Arabic and English mostly related to poetry. He is the recipient of several awards including the Tagore Peace Award (2012), the UAE Cultural Personality of the Year (2013), and an Honorary Doctorate from Soka University in Tokyo (2015). He is retired and his last post was Managing Director of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Technology Park in Dubai, UAE. Dr. Waddah S. Ghanem Al Hashmi, is also an engineer training in Environmental Engineering with a Masters in Environmental Sciences, a Master in Business Administration and a Doctorate in Corporate Governance and EHS Leadership. He has various technical papers and books published in English in the field of Safety, Operational Excellence and Reflective Learning. He currently works as an Executive Director and works and lives in Dubai, UAE with his family. Both authors are from the United Arab Emirates.