Table of Contents
Al-Fātiḥa
Lexical, syntactic, and morphological analysis
SURAH 1, 1
In the Name of GOD, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
| Transliteration and translation | Arabic | Syntax and morphology |
|---|---|---|
| bismi — “In the Name” | بِسْمِ | The preposition bi, “in,” joined to the noun ism, “name,” in the genitive case: jār wa-majrūr. |
| Allāhi — “of GOD” | اللَّهِ | The proper Divine Name in the genitive case; lafẓ al-jalālah, “the Name of Divine Majesty.” |
| ar-Raḥmāni — “the Compassionate” | الرَّحْمَٰنِ | A masculine singular Divine Name and attribute in the genitive case, referring to GOD. |
| ar-Raḥīmi — “the Merciful” | الرَّحِيمِ | A masculine singular Divine Name and attribute in the genitive case, referring to GOD. |
SURAH 1, 2
All praise belongs to GOD, LORD of the universe.
| Transliteration and translation | Arabic | Syntax and morphology |
|---|---|---|
| al-ḥamdu — “All praise” | الْحَمْدُ | A definite masculine noun in the nominative case: ism marfūʿ. Its meaning encompasses praise accompanied by gratitude. |
| lillāhi — “belongs to GOD” | لِلَّهِ | The preposition li, “to, for, or belonging to,” joined to the Divine Name in the genitive case: jār wa-majrūr. |
| rabbi — “LORD” | رَبِّ | A masculine noun in the genitive case and the first term of a genitive construction, iḍāfah. It signifies the Lord, Creator, Sustainer, Guardian, and Nurturer. |
| al-ʿālamīna — “of the universe” | الْعَالَمِينَ | A sound masculine plural in the genitive case and the second term of the genitive construction. ASH Note: the term encompasses all worlds, creatures, communities, and created realities. The translation “universe” expresses the unity and totality of Creation. |
SURAH 1, 3
The Compassionate, the Merciful.
| Transliteration and translation | Arabic | Syntax and morphology |
|---|---|---|
| ar-Raḥmāni — “the Compassionate” | الرَّحْمَٰنِ | A masculine singular Divine Name and attribute in the genitive case, referring to GOD. |
| ar-Raḥīmi — “the Merciful” | الرَّحِيمِ | A masculine singular Divine Name and attribute in the genitive case, referring to GOD. |
SURAH 1, 4
King of the Day of Judgment.
| Transliteration and translation | Arabic | Syntax and morphology |
|---|---|---|
| Māliki — “King” | مَالِكِ | A masculine singular agent noun, or active participle, in the genitive case. It denotes the One who possesses, governs, and holds complete authority. |
| yawmi — “of the Day” | يَوْمِ | A masculine noun in the genitive case within a genitive construction. It refers to the Day of Judgment. |
| ad-dīni — “of Judgment” | الدِّينِ | A definite masculine noun in the genitive case. In this context, it denotes judgment, recompense, and the final accounting before GOD. |
SURAH 1, 5
You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help.
| Transliteration and translation | Arabic | Syntax and morphology |
|---|---|---|
| iyyāka — “You alone” | إِيَّاكَ | A detached second-person masculine singular pronoun functioning as the direct object. Its position before the verb expresses exclusivity: “You, and no other.” |
| naʿbudu — “we worship” | نَعْبُدُ | An imperfect indicative verb in the first-person plural. It expresses worship, service, and submission to GOD. |
| wa-iyyāka — “and You alone” | وَإِيَّاكَ | The conjunction wa, “and,” followed by the detached personal pronoun. The pronoun’s position before the verb again expresses exclusivity. |
| nastaʿīnu — “we ask for help” | نَسْتَعِينُ | A form X imperfect indicative verb in the first-person plural. It means to ask for, seek, and receive help. |
SURAH 1, 6
Guide us on the right Path.
| Transliteration and translation | Arabic | Syntax and morphology |
|---|---|---|
| ihdinā — “Guide us” | اهْدِنَا | A second-person masculine singular imperative verb, followed by the object pronoun nā, “us.” The request is addressed directly to GOD. |
| aṣ-ṣirāṭa — “on the Path” | الصِّرَاطَ | A definite masculine noun in the accusative case, functioning as the object of the verb “guide.” |
| al-mustaqīma — “right” | الْمُسْتَقِيمَ | A definite masculine singular adjective in the accusative case, agreeing with aṣ-ṣirāṭa. It describes what is upright, straight, steadfast, and free from deviation. |
SURAH 1, 7
The Path of those You have blessed, not of those upon whom wrath has fallen, nor of those who have gone astray.
| Transliteration and translation | Arabic | Syntax and morphology |
|---|---|---|
| ṣirāṭa — “the Path of” | صِرَاطَ | A masculine noun in the accusative case. It resumes and further defines the “right Path” mentioned in the preceding verse. |
| alladhīna — “those whom” | الَّذِينَ | A masculine plural relative pronoun referring to those who have received GOD’s blessing. |
| anʿamta — “You have blessed” | أَنْعَمْتَ | A perfect verb in the second-person masculine singular. The ending -ta identifies the subject as “You,” referring to GOD. |
| ʿalayhim — “upon them” | عَلَيْهِمْ | The preposition ʿalā, “upon,” joined to the masculine plural personal pronoun -him, “them.” |
| ghayri — “not of” | غَيْرِ | A noun in the genitive case carrying a sense of exclusion: “other than,” “different from,” or “not belonging to.” |
| al-maghḍūbi — “those upon whom wrath has fallen” | الْمَغْضُوبِ | A masculine singular passive participle in the genitive case. The passive construction preserves the wording of the Arabic text without explicitly naming the source of the wrath. |
| ʿalayhim — “upon them” | عَلَيْهِمْ | The preposition ʿalā, “upon,” joined to the masculine plural personal pronoun -him, “them.” |
| wa-lā — “nor” | وَلَا | The conjunction wa, “and,” followed by the negative particle lā. In context, the combination is naturally translated as “nor.” |
| aḍ-ḍāllīna — “those who have gone astray” | الضَّالِّينَ | A masculine plural active participle. It denotes those who have lost the Path or departed from the right direction. |
